The Voice

Sometimes hearing the same thing in a new way can open up our understanding. I learned about a new translation recently from a member of my DMin cohort. It is The Voice: step into the story of scripture.[1] It is largely set out in the form of a screenplay. That is what intrigued me enough to get a copy. As I peruse it, I am finding wonderful images arising from the words.

I share one of those here. First is the passage as it is in the New Revised Standard Version; second as it is in The Voice. By the way, the italics are not mine; they are in the actual translation. See if you can find what intrigued me.

Ephesians 4:1-3

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (NRSV)

As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together. (The Voice)

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[1] The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

A Sign Has to Point Somewhere

In getting ready for our church wide “retreat” on Saturday, my mind has been going back to some of the reading I did for one of my DMin classes from last year. JR Woodward[1] talks about “church as sign, foretaste, and instrument.”

“The church is to be a sign of God’s coming Kingdom, pointing to a reality that is right around the corner.” Signs point us towards something. If we at Christ Crossman are a sign, to what are we pointing? To what do we want to point? What about God’s kingdom do we want people to see when they know us?

“The church is called to be a foretaste of God’s kingdom, a place where people can get a taste of the future in the present.” What is the flavor that people experience when they are with us? What do we want them to taste? Do we want them to have a bitter aftertaste, or that je ne sais quoi of a sublime taste that lingers and brings a warm smile to the lips?

The church is “an instrument in the hands of God to bring more of heaven to earth in concrete ways.” Do we act in such a way that other people can see more justice, peace, and freedom in this world through us, or at least the hope of more justice, peace, and freedom? Or does being in our presence diminish that hope?

To whom or what do you want to point? What about our fellowship at Christ Crossman?

I, for one, want to be that je ne sais quoi hint of a glorious feast. I want to be a sign of the living grace of God. I want to be an instrument so beautifully played that others will hear the wondrous symphony of melody, harmony, and counterpoint and know the Composer from whom it flows. All of this means knowing enough of God in my personal experience, and my life in community, so that I point beyond myself.

1 John 1:1-4

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

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[1] Woodward, JR. Creating a Missional Culture: Equipping the Church for the Sake of the World. Downers Grove: InterVaristy Press, 2012. P. 28.

Making My Brain Sweat

Back when Andrew was at Hugh Mercer Elementary School in Fredericksburg, he had a teacher who said, “Make your brain sweat!” She meant for her students to work hard at thinking, imagining, innovating, and more. Well, this week our professor, Lew Parks, is definitely making our brains sweat.

For most of us, it is the final class of our doctor of ministry program. The next step is the project each of us will do to try and make a difference for the church. Then we have our project paper (re: dissertation) to write, re-write, and write yet again until it is deemed acceptable. After that, we get to make the walk to receive our degrees.

Back to that bit about making the brain sweat. In preparation for our project and the paper, we are in the Project Class, writing, re-writing, and writing yet again the various parts of what will be the proposal. We share our work not only with the prof, but with the whole class as well, with folks weighing in on helping us to refine and strengthen our words. One of the hardest parts has been writing the theological component of our project in forty words! Yes, you read that correctly—40 words. Can you imagine a roomful of preachers trying to get it down to forty words?

That’s what has been making my brain sweat, but it is so helpful to take the “grand” scale of my project and define the theological underpinnings in clear, precise language. I have known that this project is something I have felt strongly about for years, but the clarity is so much better now. So thanks, Lew, for making my brain sweat.

Ephesians 4:1-3

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Role and Person

This week and next, I am in the midst of my last two classes for my Doctor of Ministry program in church Leadership Excellence. We are immersed in examining the role and person on the church leader. Sometimes these go hand-in-hand; other times, there can be a discongruence. There are moments of joyous epiphany, as well as deep, uncomfortable vulnerability.

I ask for your prayers: for me, for the members of my DMin cohort, for our congregations and places of ministry, and for the faculty.

This is an important quote for all of us to consider:

"Don't dress your soul in someone else's piety."--Samuel Miller (a president of Harvard Divinity School in the 20th century)

Mine, or Yours, or Ours

Happy New Year!

On board our flight to TX, I was really sleepy and would have liked to lay back in my seat for a full nap. Then I thought about how annoying it can be when the person seated ahead of me reclines their seat. I could choose to also lean my seat back to regain the space, but then I would be impinging on the person seated behind me. I could simply say, "Someone did it to me; it's okay for me to do it too." Or I could say, "I choose not to pass on the affront,"and remain seated upright.

This line of thought brought back some of the conversation during Christmas dinner with part of our "chosen" family. Kevin, the new son-in-law, is working on his PhD in Psychology, while Sara his wife is a practicing therapist. We talked about how the tendency in dealing with children or teens who have behavioral issues is to try to "fix" them as though the problem is theirs. More often than not, the "problem child" is more like a canary taken into a mine. The small bird will be the first to succumb to bad air, alerting the human miners that they need to leave, or take measures to clear the air. Too many of us who are parents are reluctant to admit that the issue is our own, and our child is acting out to ease the family anxiety.

From here, my thought process moves out into our society where we tend to point fingers, or more, at others who are the cause, at least in our minds, of the problem. We want them to repent, or turn around, to the "right" way of thinking and acting. Then all will be well, leaving us in peace, and some prosperity. We do not want to admit that we are part of the problem, and that we too need to turn around in our thinking.

As I move into this new year 2015, I want to do a better job of owning my own part of a problem or issue, and working to become a better part of the solution. God's grace is abundant through the Spirit to help me in this, and God's mercy is more than enough to help me when I falter. Thanks be to God.

Matthew 7:3-5

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.