Contemplations on a New Year

A new year is upon us and with it comes a mixture of emotions. There is the joy and relief of passing a fresh landmark mingled with the anxiety of uncertain days on the horizon. There is the hope of future times that have been untainted by folly joined with the guilt of realizing past goals have not been met and mistakes have been made. In addition to the cacophony created by this emotional milieu, this year we have the added variable of a looming political season that is exceptionally polarized and will surely threaten to divide many communities, families, churches, and social groups, as differences in viewpoints on justice, morality, society, and culture are exposed. In the face of a landscape such as this, I would challenge us all to realize that this new year is splayed before us untouched and untainted by past habits, biases, misunderstandings, and failures.

Let us consider the example of the apostles. Here was a group of men from disparate backgrounds. Some cooperated with big government (Matthew, as a tax collector) while others owned small businesses (Peter, James, and John, as fishermen). Some faced the temptation of guilt for past failures, whether they had denied Christ (Peter) or persecuted His church with deadly zeal (Paul). Others had to confront other apostles with differing opinions on ecclesiastical standards (Peter and Paul). While these characteristics are not hidden from the pages of Holy Scripture they do not define these individuals. Rather, this diverse group worked amidst ridicule, threat of violence, and social scandal to promote the unifying gospel of Christ and perpetuate His church.

Matthew, whom some may have seen as a government lackey, promoted a system of social justice in his recollection of Christ's preaching of the Sermon on the Mount that challenged readers to consider themselves part of a kingdom not of man but of God and to behave accordingly. John, a partner in a family-owned business, considered love for others to be the standard by which he should be known rather than his ability to expand the financial enterprises of his family. Paul did not wallow in guilt for past atrocities but instead used the memory of the past to propel him to diligently pursue Christ in the present. He also, although having confronted Peter, urged people in the church to not hold a grudge when offended but to instead confront the offense and then move forward in unity to the Table of the Lord.

These saints of old are examples of Christians who lived life with a motivation that surpassed this transient and mortal life. As we face a new year, with the opportunity for resolution that goes with it, may we resolve to have a solitary motivation in life that sees God as our Almighty King and we as His faithful subjects. May we develop a resolute dedication to God and His church that overshadows all other aspects of our lives. As we face a polarizing political process, may we recognize that the body of Christ was forged from one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. Let us not question the eternal state of those with differing economic, political, and social viewpoints from our own. Rather, let us realize that the body of Christ is diverse; there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, Democrat nor Republican, socialist nor capitalist.

This is the perfect opportunity to push forward with a new drive to live life in pursuit of the One who should be our unique priority. As we look ahead, may we all put aside past guilt, reliance on financial security, political allegiance, and unresolved offense as the motivations for our decisions. May we all instead live life in complete service of Almighty God, boldly pursuing Him on the basis of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

What's In a Name?

We are excited that we now have a winner in the baby name contest we've been running. Congratulations to MrFribbles for your guesses. You were victorious and Shanna has already begun work on the victory lap quilt that we'll be sending your direction.

So, without further delay, allow me to announce our excitement at the ever-nearing arrival of our daughter Ziona Katriel Reimer.

Ziona is a derivative of the Hebrew proper noun "Zion". This is a term with a rich meaning in the Old Testament text, especially in the Psalms and in the prophecy of Isaiah. It is primarily used in relation to the future hope of God's covenant people. Psalm 50 proclaims that it is from mount Zion, described as the perfection of beauty, that God will shine forth. It is the daughters of Zion that were to look forward to their King riding on a donkey. In John's apocalypse the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is envisioned standing upon mount Zion surrounded by those emblazoned with the name of the Father. For Shanna and I this name reminds us of the future hope of glory that we have and that she will enjoy as a child of God.

The name Katriel is from the Hebrew root ktr or qtr with the suffix "-el", for God. The first root, ktr, means "to surround" or "to encircle", or more metaphorically, "to crown". The second root, qtr, means "to make sacrifices smoke" or "to burn or offer a sacrifice". The name, using the first root, means something akin to being "surrounded by God", or more metaphorically, to be the "crown of God". The second root means "offering of God" or "sacrifice of God". This name has a profound meaning for Shanna and I as we think of her in light of our relationship with Almighty God. We consider her a gift from God but we also offer her back to Him as an offering and pray that she is encircled by God's presence and grace.

We already love our child dearly and are eager to meet her face to face. It will be one of the greatest joys of life to see her christened with this name and grow into a thriving participant in God's covenant.

Allow me to share the prayer for children one more time, for this is our prayer for her:

ALMIGHTY God, heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report, following the example of their Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Baby Name Contest, Round 4

Round 3: Complete - No winners yet
Round 4: Complete - Winner (and name) announced in What's In a Name?

The coming of Advent is a time in the church calendar that allows one to reflect upon and prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a time not only to reflect upon His incarnation as an infant, but also to prepare His coming glorious return. The anticipation of the birth of our daughter brings a deeper and fuller meaning to this time for us. Although there are myriad challenges and dangers in this world of which we must be wary, Christ's incarnation and the future hope of His return is a source of comfort as we look forward to raising our daughter to be a child of our Almighty King.

For the rules, go to the "Round 1" and "Round 2" posts earlier in my blog; the clues for the previous rounds can be found in their respective posts.

Clues for round 4:

Clue 4-1
The Psalm readings and 1st and 2nd lesson readings for the first Sunday in Advent, according to the lectionary in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, contain clues to the root or meaning of both names.

Clue 4-2

The middle name was guessed in the last round (but we will not tell you whether or not it was actually guessed as a middle name).

Prayer for the Children (from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer):

ALMIGHTY God, heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report, following the example of their Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reflecting on Advent

Christmas is coming and the world bustles about in eager anticipation of the festivities and jovialitaies of the holiday. Even in this increasingly secularized society there is a palpable feeling of jubilance. This is the season of giving for some, the season of family for many, the season of hope for others. Many churches are decorating with lights and greenery and planning myriad parties, potlucks, concerts, and other galas. Bishop Sutton, in his sermon this morning, reminded us that as the liturgical calendar presents for us today as the first Sunday in advent, we are encouraged to step away from the mirth and prepare ourselves for the coming of the King.

Juxtaposed against the laughter and chipper cheerfulness we see around us, the season of Advent has been interjected into the calendar of the church as a penitential season. The liturgical calendar, the calendar whereby the church has measured time for these many centuries, begins with a time of reflection and preparation. Where just this last Wednesday, during the eucharist service for Thanksgiving, and the services that have preceded since Easter, the Gloria in Excelsis has been sung as a joyful and exuberant proclamation of praise, during this penitential season it is silenced. This season calls us to wait eagerly for the coming of our King, but to do so with reflection and preparation of ourselves for that coming.

Imagine if you will that you knew that in one month you would be visited by an earthly king. Would you not spend a large portion of that month in preparation? You would clean your house from top to bottom, and then go through it once or twice more. You would have your clothes picked out long in advance and schedule an appointment with the hairdresser shortly before his arrival. In this season of Advent we are doing just that. We are anticipating the coming of the King of Glory, the Incarnate Son, the Word made flesh. Not only are we remembering His incarnation, which would be cause for celebration enough, but we are also looking forward to His return. He came in the incarnation as a feeble child but will return as the conquering victor.

In the midst of the bustle of the world around us, the church has the gift of the Advent season to help us prepare ourselves for this anticipated coming. This is a time to repent and to humble ourselves before God Almighty. It is a time to recommit ourselves to His service.

Allow me to share the words to one of my favorite hymns, which I find to encapsulate the whole of the Advent season. In silence and wonder we are penitent in preparation for His coming, reverently reflecting upon His worth for our worship. Just as our joyous praise fully resumes in response to the presence of our King, we join the angels as they ceaselessly cry Alleluia. These ancient words are from the 4th century Liturgy of St. James:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Baby Name Contest, Round 3

** Round 3 Over **

** Comments Closed **

** New Clues in Round 4 **

We are less than three months away from meeting our daughter, and are very eager to do so. As some of you know, the due date is the end of February but the doctor has told us that we would be wise to have the nursery ready closer to the beginning of the month. Apparently he anticipates her being eager to meet us too.

One need only begin to read and study the Old Testament to realize that naming is not a casual activity. So here's a free clue: meaning matters. There are some names we considered that both looked and sounded beautiful, but upon delving into their meaning or considering historically those associated with the name the choice to not choose that name was simple.

For the rules and to peruse the previous clues, go to the "Round 1" and "Round 2" posts earlier in my blog.

Clues for round 3:

Clue 3-1
Both names have the same ethnic origin.

Clue 3-2

The other initial is "Z".

Prayer for the Children (from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer):

ALMIGHTY God, heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report, following the example of their Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble: The Fight for Thankfulness

Thanksgiving is upon us again and the competition between celebrating gluttony and expressing true thankfulness is in full swing. In the red corner is Hedonism, with a left jab from the food industry and a right uppercut from the consumer industry, both honed with the guidance of the entertainment industry. The promotion team for this powerhouse fills the nodes and circuits of computers and HD TVs with reminders of all the food that must be consumed in honor of this day and all the sales that must be discovered for the latest fad gadget, designer outfit, or pop-star emblazoned knick-knack.

In the blue corner, seeming to struggle from old age and neglect, is Thankfulness. This southpaw from a bygone era seems to be a poor matchup for this bout; one may wonder why he hasn't been entered in the featherweight category when you look at him next to Hedonism. His jab of remembrance is tenacious though and his left hook of gratitude will set your head spinning if it connects.

These two competitors have met in this ring for many a match, and although Hedonism has been winning more decisively in recent years he has yet to get in a knock-out blow. Unfortunately for Thankfulness, his training during the year is less intense than it used to be and is becoming increasingly sporadic altogether. Thankfulness needs constant exercise, otherwise, when it is brought out for its annual title bout, it will quickly succumb to Hedonism, who is on a persistent and constant training program all through the year.

May I suggest that our attempts at being thankful at this time of year are futile when we don't live a lifestyle of thankfulness throughout the rest of the year. The problem is that even our attempts at being thankful quickly become expressions of our hedonism, materialism, and selfish interests. I have found myself, when praying at times, to settle into a mantra of thankfulness that lists the material possessions I have gained, the human accolades I have garnered, or the personal triumphs I have secured. "Thank you for this job, whereby I can provide for my family" may seem like a great prayer, but it is focused on self. "Thank you for the spouse you've given me" may seem selfless and sincere, but how often are you able to pray that prayer after a disagreement or while you're licking your wounded pride.

Thankfulness that is focused solely on self will soon cease to be thankfulness. I urge you this Thanksgiving season to focus your thankfulness on God and what He has done and continues to do not just in your life, but in the life of the community of faith and in the historical development of His world.

Let me suggest the prayer of thankfulness which is prayed as part of the daily morning and evening prayer liturgy in the prayer book:

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may he unfeignedly thankful: and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

Finding the Anglican Way - Part 5, Creed

"No creed but the Bible" is an all too common battle cry for many churches. On the surface the slogan may appear appropriate, for it uplifts the supremacy and sufficiency of the Bible, which is right and good given that it is God's revelation to humanity. A nagging problem creeps into the discussion when you ask someone what interpretation of the Bible is the one that is to be lifted up as supreme and sufficient. Is it the Arminians or the Calvinists? The covenantal theologians or dispensationalists? The Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses derive at least some of their theology from the Bible, perhaps they have the correct interpretation. The battlefield of history is strewn with the corpses of biblical interpretation that have been struck down with the sword of heresy.

The solution to this for many in our modern day is to conclude that since I have the Bible in my hand and the Holy Spirit in my soul I have all I need to understand God and His Word appropriately. This is a very idealistic claim that is tragically false. A careful study of the heresies that have laid siege to the church over the centuries will reveal that most of them are the offspring of well-intentioned biblical scholars who attempted to answer theological questions apart from the developing orthodoxy of the church. Arianism held to the belief that the Son is lesser than the Father and not eternally pre-existent based upon a view of 1 Corinthians 8:5-6. Marcion's view of the Old Testament God being a different God than the New Testament God has its basis in biblical interpretation that struggled to reconcile the justice of God demonstrated in the Old Testament and the love of God presented in the New Testament. Philippians 2:7, and its explanation of Jesus being made in human likeness, provides helpful support for Docetism, which tries to argue that Jesus' human body was merely an illusion.

If I can just close myself in the closet with my Bible and the Holy Spirit I'll be okay, really! The problem is that you've brought yourself into that closet. Saint Peter had to have his theology corrected by Saint Paul due to his struggle to rightly understand the role of circumcision in New Covenant community and to accept table fellowship with Gentiles. If someone who had his feet washed by the eternal Son had to have his theology corrected by the developing orthodoxy of the blossoming church, why do we think we are any better equipped.

We need the boundaries laid out by orthodoxy to keep us from straying into heresy, and it is for that reason that the creeds are so vital to the life of the individual Christian and the corporate life of the church. The three catholic creeds confessed by the Anglican Way are the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed, and they are confessed on a regular basis. We communally confess the Nicene Creed every eucharist service and the Apostles' Creed every morning and evening prayer. The recitation of a creed directly before the homily in the liturgical order is a potent reminder to the preacher that what they say must be consistent with the orthodox teaching of the church.

This consistent confession of the creeds and the expectation of staying within the boundaries they set forth for orthodoxy has been yet another reason for my wife and I to appreciate the Anglican Way. If your own church doesn't consider the creeds on regular basis I would challenge you to begin reading them and committing them to memory on your own and to ask the leadership of your church why they aren't a part of the life and worship of your community of faith. From the very creation of humanity we have needed boundaries to prevent us from straying off the path marked for us by Almighty God; consider the creeds as such a boundary for our interpretation of Holy Scripture and doctrinal development.


Apostles' Creed

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heavenand earth:And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: Who wasconceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary:Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, andburied: He descended into hell; The third day he rose againfrom the dead: He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on theright hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence heshall come to judge the quick and the dead.I believe in the Holy Ghost: The holy Catholic Church;The Communion of Saints: The Forgiveness of sins: The Resurrection of the body: And the Life everlasting. Amen

Baby Name Contest, Round 2

** Round 2 Over **

** Comments Closed **

** New Clues in Round 3 **

I hope those of you who participated in Round 1 of the Baby Name Contest enjoyed the first round. As the rounds continue you will be given more clues.

For those of you new to the game, allow me to replay the key rules (see the "Round 1" post for more details):

1) Each round will last about 2 weeks, at which time I will put up a new Baby Contest post with a new set of clues.
2) Each guess must include an attempt at both the first and middle name.
3) All guesses must be as a comment to the most recent Baby Contest post here in my blog.
4) Only 5 guesses per contestant per round.
5) To win, you must guess both the first and middle name and spell them correctly. 
6) Each guess must be made in such a way that we know who you are and how to contact you. Blogger will give you the option of affiliating your comment with your google account or simply a name and email address. You can use whichever method you want so long as we know how to contact you should you win.

Clues for round 2 (go to the round 1 post to be reminded of the previous set):

Clue 2-1
Neither of the names is, to our knowledge, the name of a character from a Jane Austen novel.

Clue 2-2

One of the initials is "K".

Prayer for the Children (from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer):

ALMIGHTY God, heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report, following the example of their Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Finding the Anglican Way - Part 4, The Centrality of Holy Scripture

The Bible. The Revelation of God. God’s Word. Holy Scripture. It is referenced by myriad titles and descriptions, is the central source of truth and doctrine for the church globally and historically, and is the catalyst for academic argument, political upheaval, church schisms and reformations, familial disputes, and holy wars. It is printed in countless languages with diverse versions. It is worshipped by some, cursed by others, and disregarded by many. It’s words are prayed, sung, read, studied, and dissected; they are memorized and meditated upon, misunderstood and misrepresented.

If the Bible is accurate in its claim to be the very word of God, it would seem logical that the Bible would hold an obvious and central role in the life and worship of the church. Contrary to such logic I suggest that many modern churches have moved away from the Bible as an authority and have largely taken it out of corporate worship. The irony is that in a not insignificant number of churches that are emblazoned with the title of “Bible” church there is something of a drought of Scripture. A chapter of Scripture may be read early in the service, likely the same passage that will be the focal point of the sermon, and possibly a verse or two of a Psalm or benediction to dismiss the congregation. Much responsibility is then placed upon the individual congregant to read the Bible with suggestions made for devotional books and diverse Bible reading plans.

In contrast, one of the striking characteristics of the Anglican church is the role Holy Scripture plays in the very fabric of the life and worship of the church. Holy Scripture is woven into the very ethos of the church. We sing it, we pray it, we chant it, we read it out loud as a chorus of voices, and listen as the words are read to us. I have heard it said that at least 85% of the book of common prayer, the Anglican liturgical book, is either directly quoting Holy Scripture or is directly eluding to it. In a typical eucharist service we read an extended passage from an epistle and a passage from the gospels. In a typical morning prayer service we corporately recite a Psalm, hear a reading from the Old Testament, and hear a reading from an Epistle. In a typical evening prayer service we corporately recite a Psalm, hear a passage from the Old Testament, a reading from an epistle, and read or sing the Magnificat (Luke 1:46ff). If you follow the liturgical readings for morning and evening prayer every day of the week, over the course of a year you will have read the New Testament twice, the Old Testament once, and the Psalms monthly.

If the church in our modern day and in this American culture is going to have an eternal impact upon society there needs to be a return to Holy Scripture. What should we sing as a church? Sing the Psalms. What should we pray as a church? Pray the Psalms. What should we recite and mediate upon as a church? The words of Christ, His apostles, and His prophets. Instead of fumbling around for the next great method we should learn to digest the riches of God’s Word and seek out new ways of applying our lives to His unchanging message.

Lex ordani, les credeni. How you pray is how you believe. Lex orandi statuat lex credeni. The rule of prayer establishes the rule of belief. For the Anglican Way, our rule of prayer is Holy Scripture. Beneath the vestments, rituals, formularies and structure there is a foundation steeped in God’s Holy Word.

From the Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent (1928 BCP):

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Baby Contest, Round 1

** Round 1 Over **

** Comments Closed **

** New Clues in Round 2 **

I was blessed with the opportunity to see my daughter again today. Cast in varied shades of grey we watched as she balled her tiny fist to rub her eyes and tucked her lower lip into her mouth to suck on it. So young at 22 weeks yet already developing mannerisms, habits, and a personality. The joy and anticipation of awaiting the birth of a child is a phase of life marked by extremes. The hope of new life is coupled with the temptation of anxiety at the fragility of that life; the excitement of sharing experiences with a new member of the family dances with the realization of responsibility. One thing is becoming increasingly clear as we look towards the future, and that is the necessity of God and the community of His church for the upbringing of a child. Shanna and I must depend upon God and upon those He has placed around us to make up for our individual weaknesses.

It is with the realization of the role of community in our lives both now and in the life we are bringing into this world that we invite the myriad members of the various communities that intersect our lives to have some fun with us as we eagerly await being introduced to our daughter. To that end, we are going to have a contest here on my blog to see if anybody can guess the name we have chosen for our daughter.

Here’s how it works. In the comments to this blog posting you can place your guess for the first and middle name. As time progresses I will post updated blog entries with new clues to help you hone your guesses. Allow me to enumerate the key rules:

1) Each round will last about 2 weeks, at which time I will put up a new Baby Contest post with a new set of clues.
2) Each guess must include an attempt at both the first and middle name.
3) All guesses must be as a comment to the most recent Baby Contest post here in my blog.
4) Only 5 guesses per contestant per round.
5) Each guess must be made in such a way that we know who you are and how to contact you. Blogger will give you the option of affiliating your comment with your google account or simply a name and email address. You can use whichever method you want so long as we know how to contact you should you win.
6) To win, you must guess both the first and middle name and spell them correctly.

Wait! You mentioned a prize, right?!? Yes, yes, I did indeed. My wife will be making a quilted item (a lap quilt or a wall hanging... she is still combing through quilting magazines for ideas) as the prize for the winner. You can check her blog ssparrowinflight.blogspot.com where she will occasionally post about the prize quilt as she makes it.

So, without further introduction, here is the first set of clues:

Clue 1-1:

Both the first and middle name are girls' names (meaning they are distinguishable as feminine names).

Clue 1-2:

Not a name we’ve named before, 

    but part of life both old and new.

Someday soon or someday far, 

    our daughter’s name will still ring true. 

Prayer for the Children (from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer):

ALMIGHTY God, heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report, following the example of their Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Finding the Anglican Way - Part 3, The Folly of Relevance

If the church becomes like the world, then the world won’t see the church as a beacon of hope amidst the gloom of a sinful life. This was the basis of what Bishop Sutton shared with the class this evening in providing his introduction to the topic of liturgy and worship. If I was more of an outspoken and vocal individual I would have jumped up with a hearty amen and a rousing round of applause. This has been a soap-box issue for me for the last few years and it is one of the major draws of the Anglican church for Shanna and me.

What about being relevant, you might ask. Relevancy is currently a common banner cry for many churches. Just look at the billboards proclaiming the merits of a local church with the word “relevant” placed centermost on the placard. I find it interesting that the more churches buy into the lure of the relevant-centric ecclesiology of our modern culture the less interest people in our culture have in the church. We often blame such a decline on the media, the political system, or some other influence outside of the church, but I think the blame can be placed squarely on a general movement in modern churches to pursue cultural relevance above all else. 

There is a two-fold problem with thinking that the church needs to reflect the culture to become relevant to that culture. The first is the faulty thinking that somehow the truth of the Bible isn’t relevant enough on its own but needs to be aided by the schemes and mechanizations of depraved humanity. A professor of mine asked a poignant question once when he asked, “are we supposed to apply the Bible to our lives or our lives to the Bible?” This is a key question. It is us who need to change and adapt to the unchanging truth of God. Unfortunately, we often think of the Bible as a book that needs to be approached so as to draw out meaning for modern humanity from the cultural depths in which it is mired. Rather than this, we need to approach Holy Scripture with the realization that it is I who needs to be pulled from the cultural bog that festers in every corner of this sin-soaked world.

The second is that we forget that we belong to another Kingdom, a Divine Kingdom, a Kingdom not of this world. As a result, we are merely sojourners in this world as we journey through life. We are called to be counter-cultural as we live our lives in a way that demonstrates that being aligned to this Kingdom provides an enviable alternative to being aligned to the kingdom of the world. When the church pursues cultural relevance as one of its highest callings it quickly loses one of the major components of its identity. It was Christ himself who prayed for His church as it was in this world but not to be of this world just prior to praying that they would be sanctified by the steadfast truth of Almighty God (John 17:16-17).

Realize that I’m addressing this in general terms. Much can and should be written to nuance this issue with the necessity of presenting the truth of God and the worship of Christ’s Church in a language and cultural idiom that is recognizable (hence the translation of Holy Scripture into the indigenous tongues of so many people worldwide). But there is a stark difference between adapting the truth of Scripture and the worship of the church so that is understood by the culture and changing it so it is acceptable to that culture. A great gulf exists between adapting for the purpose of understanding and changing for the purpose of acceptance. When it is changed with the motivation of being accepted then the focal point becomes the fickle culture rather than the Unchanging God; we risk falling victim to the snare of which St. Paul warned of worshipping the creature rather than the Creator (Rom 1:25).

This whole concept is one of the primary elements that drew my wife and I to the Anglican Way. When you enter into traditional liturgical worship you are forced to submit yourself to the covenant community of which Christ is head and, in so far as the liturgy is rooted in Holy Scripture, to the Word of God. The result of this process is that my wife and I feel like we worshipped God for the first time once we began attending a liturgical church (more on this in future posts). I challenge you to shed the call of being relevant to the culture and embrace a life that is submissive to Christ even though it is contrary to the cultural perspective.

“General Prayer for the Church” from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (page 37):

O GRACIOUS Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldst be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

The Bonding Power of the Senses

Our physical senses are amazing, especially when they experience something for the first time. They bind memories and emotions into our minds. The sense of touch is especially profound in building connections between people. Whether it's a the first time holding your significant other's hand, the first kiss with your spouse, or the first time holding your child in your arms, there is a bond formed with that first touch. I've had the joy of experiencing the first two listed above and am eager to experience the third in the coming months. A recent touch was nearly as special, though, and that was feeling my little girl kick for the first time. I knew I loved my daughter before I knew we were expecting a daughter, but there is a new bond that has formed on the basis of that first touch sensation.

I think the ritual and ceremony of the liturgy allows the strengthening of that bond in our relationship with God. All of the senses are brought to bear on the beauty of worship. The sound of the music and the chorus voices of the congregation, the smell of the burning candles and (if it is a solemn ceremony) of the incense, the taste of the wine, the sight of the sun shining through the stained glass, and the feeling of the wafer in your hands and the eucharist cup as it is pressed to your lips. When we allow our physical senses to become part of our expression of thanksgiving, reverence, and communion with God the bond between creature and Creator is strengthened.

Savor your senses as a means for being drawn to our Savior; allow them to solidify your bond with Him. Just as the feeling of a loved ones hand in yours carries with it the totality of the emotions and the weight of the commitment you have towards that other, allow the physical expression of your relationship to God carry the same emotion and sense of commitment. We are physical beings and in need of physical worship. So as you worship Him in spirit and truth, don't forget to worship Him in sight, sound, scent, taste, and touch.

The Christian Collective: Shedding the Individual

How important is individuality to you? For many within western society it’s one of the highest callings. You can see this in the pursuit of fame by many in the upcoming generation, it is highlighted in the fervor of political debate when some individual freedom or right is perceived to have been reduced, and it is perpetuated by the gears of capitalism that prod people to purchase items that simultaneously accentuate their individuality while binding them to the acceptable public image.

The challenge for the believer is that we were created for community. The Genesis account makes it clear that we were not created to be alone (Gen 2:18), the narrative account of the Old Testament describes the formation of a covenant community in the people of Israel, the church in Acts is described in terms of fellowship and gathering (Acts 1:14; 2:46), John’s apocalypse describes the throne room of God as being filled with worshipping saints all in white robes (Rev 7:9), and if you need any other motivation, the pivotal doctrine of the Trinity demands the existence of community within the godhead from eternity past through all time (see the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds). We are a people of community.

One of the difficulties of being a people of community is that we are at war with individualism within society. I was recently confronted by how pervasive this battle is by way of an episode of Star Trek: Voyager. Within this science fiction series, one of the prominent enemies of the intrepid crew of the USS Voyager is the Borg. The Borg are the ultimate collective community. All individuality has been suppressed and all action is in service of the good of the collective. When new alien species are encountered the Borg respond by callously assimilating them into the collective consciousness of the community. If a species tries to resist, their response is simply, “resistance is futile” as they overwhelm the weaker race. Set in contrast to this collective force is the crew of Voyager. Their philosophy of individuality is what allows them to overcome the collective mind of the Borg. Constantly, the heroic value of individuality is pit against the cold conformity of the villainous hive. Time and time again individuality proves to be what gives the crew the strength to overcome this foe.

In many ways I think the creators of Star Trek are providing a commentary on their worldview; a humanistic worldview that sees the church as a danger to the right of the individual to develop and thrive. When the Borg speak, they speak as an eerie chorus of myriad unison voices that sounds remarkably similar to a church congregation reciting a creed or some other corporate reading. I don’t think this is a coincidence. The church is the enemy of the humanistic ideal of individual freedom. If one places individuality too high on his or her priority list then the church becomes a villainous entity that seeks to override individual identity and replace it with a collective identity. For many in western society (including many within the church) this perspective is probably familiar, and the censure of the church for destroying individuality is applauded.

If we are to follow Jesus’ teaching, though, then we are called to give up our individuality for the sake of entering the covenant community of Christ. Is not one of the two greatest commandments to love your neighbor? Does not Paul in Romans 12:10 exhort us to, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another”? Does not Jesus teach that love is being willing to give up your life for a friend? (John 15:13) Does not Jesus, on the night before He is sentenced to die, pray that the unity of those who believe in Him through the preaching of His disciples would be “one” in the same way that Jesus and the Father are one? (John 17:20-23) We are called to enter into a collective community that stands in stark contrast to the predominant perspective of our world.

I would encourage you to examine the role that individuality plays in your own worldview. If community is not high on the list than I would challenge you to find out why. We are called to collective community, and for the believer that collective is the church. While this collective is not heartless and villainous like the Borg, in so far as the gates of hell cannot prevail against it (Matt 16:18), in the end we can boldly say, “resistance is futile.”

No Hope? Really?!?

Perhaps you've seen this picture floating around the interwebs bewailing our nation's condition on the basis of our president and our economic situation. I apologize in advance if what I'm about to write comes across as harsh to some of my friends who may have posted such a picture, but I think this needs to be addressed.

There are several things that truly bother me about this clever retort, especially given that most of the people I see posting it are confessing Christians.

1) Extreme Censure of Our President

I don't care what side of the aisle you're on, we who call ourselves subjects of the Divine King need to keep things in perspective. Our ultimate allegiance is to no earthly government but is to the Kingdom of God Almighty. Just as Abraham was a sojourner and alien looking forward to the land promised him by God, so too are we sojourners and aliens on this earth as we await the full consummation of God's kingdom in the new heavens and earth. If we have this outlook then we should be less distraught over the political mechanizations of our present dwelling.

In addition, let us not forget that we are to submit to our earthly leaders. Hebrews clearly states:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (13:17)

Holy Scripture does not give Christians much leeway in having respect and honor for those who are in positions of leadership over us. This doesn't mean we have to push aside all political opinion, but it does mean that care must be taken when expressing harsh and flippant criticism.

2) No Cash

I promise you that I fully recognize the financial hardship that has come upon many of us in this economy. I could give you a laundry list of challenges my wife and I have faced and continue to face due to difficulty securing gainful employment, bills accumulating from school and medical expenses, and the struggles that come with rising fuel and commodity prices. Without even mentioning the financial security we in America have when compared to the majority of the world's population, there is an even greater reason to not fret. In Matthew 8:20, when presented with a man who wanted to follow Him, Jesus warned the man that, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." If the one to whom we swear allegiance did not consider financial security to be the upward calling of life, what right do we have to gauge our own sense of worth and safety in it?

3) No Hope

The hope we have as Christians is not found in political systems, financial gains, familial protection, or any other finite thing. Our hope is based solely and completely on our Almighty God and the work done by Christ on the cross. It is hope in the Divine Person that brings the psalmist to compose:

In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
   let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
   turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
   to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
   from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,
   my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
   you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
   I will ever praise you.
I have become a sign to many;
   you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
   declaring your splendor all day long.
                                                 (Psalm 71:1-8)

No matter the perceived difficulties we face we should be able to declare the splendor of our King all day long. We are not a people without hope, and if we are to be a light to a darkened world we need to be a light that shines the hope that can be found through Christ and that supersedes all other circumstances.

Liturgy: Every Church Has One

One of the reasons my wife and I were drawn to the Anglican church was the liturgy. I will be writing more about this in an upcoming post, but before I write about what drew us to the Anglican liturgy I want to write briefly about liturgy in general. The reason I feel this is important is that there is a general bias against the concept of ritual for many within the modern American church.

In short, liturgy is a set of agreed-upon and prescribed rites or rituals. Every church has a liturgy. I know some of you are already starting to compose an email to me proudly arguing that your church is liturgy-free. Most arguments against liturgy are fueled by a general bias that liturgy is a stodgy, antiquated monstrosity that either destroys any opportunity for a truly dynamic relationship with God or disrupts the promulgation of a relevant church that will welcome the present culture. Despite your objection, I will reiterate that every church has a liturgy. Not convinced? Here’s how you can test it:

(1) Convince the leadership of you church to completely change the order of service for the upcoming Sunday without telling anybody in the congregation ahead of time.
(2) Convince the music team/leader/organist/pianist/drummer/chanter to use songs that your congregation has never heard before.
(3) Convince the preacher to use a version of the Bible from the opposite end of the spectrum from your church’s usual version (instead of NIV, use KJV; instead of NASB, use the Message).
(4) Make a large sign with the words “Tell Us What You Think of Today’s Service” and include your own cell phone number. Hang this sign from the front of the pulpit or project it onto the plasma screens hanging on either side of the stage.
(5) Turn your cell phone on five minutes after the service starts.
(6) Record the number of angry or frustrated calls you receive before the battery in your phone goes dead.

Yes, I admit I’m exaggerating... a little. If you’re honest with yourself and those with whom you worship you will likely conclude that it may not be as much of an exaggeration as you may want it to be.

What’s the point? The point is that when we enter into community worship we settle into a set of prescribed and expected rites and rituals no matter how informally they are presented or casually the are held. My point is not to argue for one style or type over another, but rather it is to highlight the fact that to function successfully in community a set of community values and practices must develop over time. In relation to this general concept, there are only two basic differences between liturgical and non-liturgical churches:

(1) Liturgical churches have a formally established and prescribed set of rites to which they intentionally adhere, while non-liturgical churches have informal expectations that are casually followed.
(2) Liturgical churches share their prescribed set of rites among a large group of local churches, while non-liturgical churches aren’t typically concerned with the specific rituals of other local bodies.

Before you respond with “we’re not under law, we’re under grace” as a way of arguing for the dangers of ritual in the church, let me leave you with this thought. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, and the apostles, during the early years after Jesus’ death did not deny themselves participation in Jewish ritualistic worship in the temple.

Jesus, The Good Samaritan

The Gospel reading for today, the Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity, was from Luke 10, the story of The Good Samaritan. Bishop Sutton preached a tremendous sermon on our Lord Jesus as that Good Samaritan. Jesus did what the religious leaders could not or would not: He descended into the ditch and brought the wounded man to safety, paying for that man to be nursed back to health. What the Good Samaritan did in the parable Christ did on the cross. Christ descended into the ditch of humanity so that we could be restored.

I was convicted. This parable is told in response to the question of what it means to love our neighbors. If my love for my neighbor can only be limited by Christ’s love for humanity, then is there really any boundary to the love I am to have? Christ went to the cross with full knowledge of the rejection He had already endured and would endure through the centuries. In fact, He promised His disciples that they would be persecuted for His sake. Despite that knowledge He entered the ditch for us. To truly follow Christ I also must be willing to endure rejection and persecution for the sake of loving my neighbor.

I’m struck with how often we out-source our love, though. What is our typical response when confronted with a person on the street who is hungry and in need of help? Our typical response is to point them in the direction of the nearest shelter while we wipe our hands of the encounter and go about our day. We justify it by convincing ourselves that the individual would have just used any monetary support we provide for booze or that it’s too dangerous to invite him or her into our car or home to help get them where they’re going or feed them ourselves. Granted, it is a dangerous world full of dishonest people, but that does not remove our responsibility. 

Remember what Hebrews 13:1-6 teaches:

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,

"The Lord is my helper; 
I will not fear; 
what can man do to me?”  

If we remove the love of money and the fear of what man will do to us from our default outlook of life, how much more will we be able to love our neighbors as Christ loves us?

Finding the Anglican Way - Part 2, Reverence for Our King

I suppose I should include a disclaimer at the beginning of this post (and this disclaimer could probably apply to all of the posts in this series). When I speak of the evangelical church in America please realize that I'm speaking in purposefully general terms. I typically don't have a particular church in mind, nor am I necessarily referring to churches I have attended. I am also not writing for apologetic purposes; I'm not trying to persuade anyone to jump into the Anglican tradition. In the end I hope you take two things from my articles. The first is an understanding of why my wife and I have made the decision we have made. The second is that you contemplate the concepts I'm presenting so as to strengthen your own relationship with our Father Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to have reverence for God? I'm concerned that if you ask many within our Christian culture, the concept of having reverence will be boiled down solely to the word respect without further explanation or consideration. If you ask those same people to describe the nature of their relationship with God or Christ they will say that God is their daddy and Christ is their buddy. Further, if you bring up the concept of "fearing God" they will boldly assert their eternal position before God due to the atonement and continue to exclaim that since we are not under law but under grace we need not be overly concerned with such matters.

To begin I must first address the concept of fearing God. Holy Scripture provides us with two seemingly conflicting statements. One is the command to fear God. The other is the command to not have fear. Some have answered this dilemma by restricting the term fear, when it references the fear of God, to be a mere synonym of respect. Unfortunately for them the Old Testament doesn't seem to support such an approach.

Throughout the Old Testament the same Hebrew term is routinely used for fear. It is the term yārēʾ (ירא) which in short means "to fear" or "to be afraid." It doesn't matter if one is referring to God or other objects, the term retains that meaning and doesn't seem to be restricted to the concept of respect. When God's chosen people are concerned over the strength of an enemy or some other calamity, they are urged to say as the psalmist said, "The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?" (Ps 118:6). Yet when humanity's position before God Almighty is addressed, even His covenant people are said to fear Him and those who have such fear are lauded.

Christ provides a helpful description of this principle:

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matt 10:28-33)

Christ proclaims that we are not to fear earthly things because those earthly things cannot touch our souls. We are known by God and valued by Him, therefore we do not need to fear that which is temporal. What we do need to fear is the power and authority of God over the very essence of our being. While those who have been bought by the blood of Christ will be acknowledged by Christ before our Heavenly Father, there is still a sense that the proper posture of the created is to fear the Creator for the just authority He has over us. This posture includes respecting Him, but it goes much deeper than that.

Someone may respond that the New Testament teaches us about the courage and confidence we can have before God. Holy Scripture does indeed teach that we can boldly come before the throne of grace to receive mercy (Hebrews 4:16), but let us not forget that we are still coming before a throne. The writer of Hebrews is not proclaiming our access to the recliner of righteousness, the sofa of sanctification, or the lounge of love; rather he uses royal language to describe the throne room as a place from where a sovereign ruler reigns. No matter the confidence we can have when coming before God, let us not forget that we are coming before a king. No matter how fully Christ's atonement has covered our sin and guilt, let us not allow ourselves to become too casual in our consideration of our position before the Creator.

Allow me to paint a mental picture. Imagine you are sitting in your living room and a man runs up to you, gasping for breath with a look on his face that is a mix of chilled fear and passionate joy. The words tumble out of his mouth as if he could speak them all at once, "God just showed up outside your front door, and He's asking to see you!" What would you do? Would you run out the door with a grin on your face, slug Him on the arm and exclaim, "Dude, it's so good to see you"? Would you run out the back door out of sheer terror? Or would you get up slowly with an alloy of longing and terror in the pit of your stomach, fall to your knees before you even make it to the door, and crawl to His feet with an almost physical inability to lift your face due to the magnitude of your realization of your true position before Him? 

I firmly believe that the totality of Holy Scripture presents God in such a way that the latter should be our response, yet I think many imagine something more akin to the first, more casual response. God is the creator of all that is seen and all that is unseen, He rules and reigns, and even Jesus, though He himself is God, deferred to the Father and revered Him throughout His earthly ministry. Just because we have the opportunity to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ due to His atoning sacrifice for us doesn't mean that our position as the created has changed. We are still the creature while God is still the creator, and although we can call Him father we have no right to consider our relationship with Him to be one of equal substance. He is our Lord, our King, our Master. There is a real sense in which we cannot be casual about how we relate to Him.

Window above the altar at Church of
the Holy Communion in Dallas, TX.

This concept of reverence is probably what my wife and I found most striking when we began attending Anglican churches, and something we were struck with after just one visit to an Episcopal church. In many independent, non-liturgical churches the concept of truly revering God is occasionally taught on some academic level (primarily through Bible studies or sermons) but is seldom actually lived. Instead, Jesus is just my buddy and God is just my daddy; these relational descriptions are not lofted outside of the mortal realm but are mired in the fetters of finite creation.

In contrast, the various anglican or episcopal services I have attended have left no room for a casual consideration of my position before God. The architecture and imagery, the change of posture when bowing, kneeling, or genuflecting, the vestments of the clergy, and the solemn approach to the eucharist all work together to make it obvious that I am interacting with One who is greater than I, and One for whom I must have true and deep reverence. No sermon needs to be taught nor Bible study scheduled to bring this realization to the forefront of the mind; it is woven into the fabric of the liturgy. Simply attending the service teaches volumes about who I am when compared to the Almighty.

Does one have to be Anglican to achieve this? No, but my wife and I have found it a helpful place to experience it. Let me be clear yet again, my prayer for you is not that you blaze a path to the Canterbury Trail, but rather that you consider the necessity of reverencing the One who is in every way our King. If we are to truly worship God then we must reverence Him as our King!

From the Order for Daily Morning Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer (1928)

THE LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Hab. ii. 20. I was glad when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the LORD. Psalm cxxii. 1. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm xix. 14.O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me, and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling. Psalm xliii. 3.Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah lvii. 15.The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. St. John iv. 23.

More Vinyl

Shanna and I had an enjoyable trip to Half Price Books this evening. It was our bi-weekly, payday weekend date night to browse their wide assortment of vinyl records. For those who don't know, my wife got me a record player as an early birthday present this year. We are slowly growing our collection of vinyl albums.

Today's finds include:
* Verdi's Requim
* Showboat
* Bing Crosby: A Musical Autobiography
* Louis Armstrong: Hello, Louis!

Add these to the Creedence Clearwater Revival, Perry Komo, Beatles, and U2 we have found in past excavations and our small collection is becoming quite eclectic. Our favorite find is still the U2: Joshua Tree album still new in the shrink wrap. It's definitely fun browsing through our culture's musical history.

Any other vinyl collectors out there? If so, I'd love to hear about some of your finds.

Finding the Anglican Way - Part 1, Unity in Diversity

This is the first of what will be several installments that attempt to explain how and why my wife and I have made the journey from independent evangelical churches into the Anglican church. I don't know how many of these I'll do in total, but I hope to give a sense of the breadth of this decision. There was no one element, single event, solitary theological ideal, or particular point of polity that brought us to this crossroad. Rather, it is the culmination of many diverse factors which I hope to address through this series of posts. To begin with I suppose I should explain why I even allowed myself to think outside the tradition of my upbringing.

I had been taught at various times through various means a certain way of looking at the ecclesiastical landscape not only in America but around the world. This teaching happened not only formally through lectures and varied assignments, but also through books I was encouraged to read, blogs I was asked to follow, pod casts I was sent, sermons I heard, and the casual conversations I shared with church leaders, fellow students, and other random people. Although one might think that such a varied assortment of brushes would create a multicolored vista of the church, I've come to realize that the landscape that was painted was actually rather monochromatic.

Here's the crux of the matter. There is a tendency for American evangelicalism (which was my upbringing) to consider itself to be uniquely correct in its biblical interpretation, ecclesiastical structure, and moral consideration. I'll concede that confidence in one's view of Holy Scripture is to be applauded, but trouble brews when non essentials are propelled to the forefront and people with other views who should be considered equally brothers and sisters in Christ are questioned as to the status of their relationship with Him based on these non essentials.

I find this troubling particularly because of Christ's impassioned prayer the night before He was betrayed. The Gospel of St. John records that prayer as it reads,

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. (17:20-23)

Christ prayed for a church that would be unified. Paul wrote of a church that has one Lord, one faith, on baptism. He also wrote of the mystery of a church in which Jew and Gentile can share table fellowship together around the cup of the New Covenant. Jesus instituted this covenant while the one whom He knew would betray Him partook of the same bread as Him. Unity is not a foreign concept in Holy Scripture, yet it is my experience that in the 21st century church in America it is anything but one. The more time that elapses from the reformation to today the more denominations are established which can't seem to get along with the others. The church fractures, splinters, and dissipates. As it stands currently there is a flavor of church for nearly every moral preference, musical style, rhetorical method, ethnic group, economical class, generational mentality, and ministry trend. I don't think that variety is the issue, though, for as we allow ourselves to grow in our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit we may find a certain attraction to certain subsets of society, but so often these subsets become reclusive and vindictive of the others.

You may ask what the value of theological education or doctrinal study is, or whether I'm advocating the watering down of all our beliefs to one common denominator. My answer would be that God is honored by our pursuit of knowledge about Him, but we need to tread with care in what we choose to consider as dogmatic truth and what we choose to hold loosely as we pursue Him. There is value in arriving at different conclusions in this pursuit when we maintain the unity of the church universal (or "catholic church") and allow those differences to further mature us. In short, it comes down to this. You can have two God-honoring individuals who cherish the worth, power and reliability of Holy Scripture, desire to serve God, and are open to being moved by the Holy Spirit to better understand Him, yet they arrive at different conclusions about some interpretational issue, moral dilemma, or doctrinal nuance. Who is correct? For if they arrived at mutually exclusive results then surely only one can be correct and the other must be wrong. Perhaps both are capturing a facet of the infinite truth of our infinite God so that we as the church understand Him better yet have not exhausted the mystery of Him. The value of such a realization is that multiple theological traditions and viewpoints can work in harmony to contemplate God in a way that no single tradition could do on its own. While there are limits to this concept (for heresy is a legit danger of which we must be wary), suffice it to say that in a general yet profound sense the church is strengthened and bolstered by the unification of diversity.

As I observed this through my own various experiences I began to look outside my own tradition to see if I was alone in my musings on unified diversity or whether there were others like myself. What I found was the Anglican church. One facet of the Anglican church is its concern for unity. It is a refreshing ecclesiastical trait and one I am learning to greatly appreciate. You don't need to leave your own church tradition to foster this mentality, though. My wife and I are confident it was the obedient choice for us given the moving God in our lives, but I believe all theological and ecclesiastical traditions would benefit from a dose of unity and hopefully God uses you to foster this value in your own church.

Allow me to close with the prayer for the church from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer:

O GRACIOUS Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy

holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldest be pleased to

fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify

it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is

amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is

in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for

the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to

make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord.

Amen.

A Season for Everything, A Season for Change

This is an exciting time for us--new church, new job, new baby on the way--so it seemed appropriate to continue my personal crusade to become something of a regular blogger. Some of you reading this may have known me (and my wife) for a long time, others I may have just met, still more may yet be strangers whom I would never recognize if we encountered each other on the street. Regardless, allow me to highlight some of the events that have transpired over the last months.

Baby Inbound

One of the most thrilling highlights is that God has seen fit to bless us with another pregnancy. Those of our friends and family reading this likely mourned with us this past January as we were confronted with the miscarriage of our twins. While no new child can replace the loss of another child, the joy of life seems sweeter for the experience. We can say with certainty we have grown closer to our Heavenly Father and to each other through the experiences of both death and life and are eager for the opportunity to meet the child God has entrusted to our care and guidance. As of the writing of this post we are 15 weeks along with a due date around February 29, 2012 (yes, we may have a leap year baby)!

Transposing Work and Seminary

We came to Dallas from Juneau, Alaska, so that I could train for future ministry through study at Dallas Theological Seminary. The initial plan (the one that was birthed from our own logic) was for Shanna to work as our primary wage earner while I took classes full time and worked part time. God is not limited by our own finite logic, though, and saw fit to use various events in our lives to teach us to more fully depend and rely upon Him for our daily bread. Due to a variety of circumstances, not the least of which is an incoming child and Shanna’s battle with viral meningitis this past Spring, my wife is no longer working. As a result I have been licensed as an insurance adjuster and am now working full time. Seminary, while still the reason we moved to Dallas, is something that I will complete on a part time basis. This is actually a relieving situation since it will allow Shanna and I to think through the many changes currently taking place in life.

The Anglican Way

Almost as exciting for us as the expectation of a child is the transition we are making into the Anglican church. This may come as a surprise to many of you as for my entire life I have been part of independent churches. We are now members of Church of the Holy Communion, a Reformed Episcopal Church, and are being blessed and challenged by the ministry of Bishop Sutton, the rector of our parish, and the other ministers and parishioners there. We are eager to continue learning and growing with this community. I will be explaining more about how we came to find ourselves stumbling onto the Anglican Way in subsequent blog entries over the next weeks and months, but for now I hope these summary sentences have sufficed. 

Ultimately, we are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and drawing closer to each other as a married couple. Though Shanna and I walked through the valley of the shadow of death at the beginning of this year, we are now more than ever able to say that we fear no evil. For our Lord is with us and has guided us through those shadows; His rod and staff comfort us.

O Heavenly Father, thou understandest all thy children; through thy gift of faith we bring our perplexities to the light of thy wisdom, and receive the blessed encouragement of thy sympathy, and a clearer knowledge of thy will. Glory be to thee for all thy gracious gifts. Amen.

The Focal Point of Unity

I'm sitting in a class on church history with the current discussion on the church in America in the early 1920s. Before I continue, allow me to express the success of your scolding for the division of my attention in the middle of a lecture. There, now that we have the chastisement taken care of I can continue with what I hope does not turn into a rant.

Being a lifelong participant in evangelical churches I am pained at the reactionary stance of these churches in America. Where throughout history the response to disagreements on the finer points of theology resulted in the calling of councils and the crafting of creeds, there has been for quite some time in America a growing tendency to leave and rebuild instead of stand and fight for truth and morality within communities claiming Christ's character. This concerns me. If the church is supposed to represent the Bride of Christ and is to be an inexplicable unified body that transcends culture, race, national borders, generations, and genders, how can such a track record be considered healthy?

Here is my concern. There is a church for every taste, style, preference, and mindset. A passing consideration of this trend may produce applause at the ability it has to provide a brand of church for every person. The problem is that when we try to craft local churches primarily on the foundation of personal preference there seems to be a danger of sacrificing the string of tradition that extends to the apostles themselves who sat directly under the teaching of the God-Man Himself. Yes, I am implying that church history and tradition matters.

If I'm to further distill my concern, I suppose it is that we seem to be raising an iPod generation even as it relates to participation with Christ's church. We are raising a generation that buys only the songs that they want to load on their iPod rather than buy a whole CD; a generation that has been inundated with slogans encouraging them to "have it your way". I would contend this doesn't work with the church. If everyone has it their way and each individual is able to pick the brand that is tailor-made to their personal preferences, how can we hope to build true unified communities? Are we not as followers of Christ to give up our own desires and claim the desires of Christ as our own? Is the common ground that we are to claim as members of a local church supposed to be our musical preference and our penchant for trendy techniques, or is our common ground supposed to be the risen Christ and indwelling Holy Spirit that can unify all humanity under one Father?

I think the last question I asked is the important question, and I would say that it is Christ who is to be our point of unification. I want to take that one step further. If our churches do not reflect multi-generational, multi-cultural, multi-economic, multi-political, and multi-ethnic unity then we are doing something wrong and must reexamine the focal point of our Christian communities.

So I recently was introduced to "Book Sneeze" by my wife. Apparently I can receive books if only I'll write a review. Well, I am a hopeful academic and the art of the book review is a pertinent part of professional academics, so perhaps this will be a good way to hone my book reviewing skills. With that goal in mind, and with the realization that I have thoughts to share in general that simply are not being shared because of my penchant for laziness, I have decided to revive my blog.

With no further fanfare, allow me to consider this blog reopened.