The Black Jesus....

I tend to enjoy watching movies that portray Jesus. I find it interesting how media portrays Jesus for better or worse I find these portrayals interesting. Recently, I watch 'The Color of the Cross', a movies depicting Jesus as a black man. I would say this movie is interesting, not overly entertaining or even well acted, particularly the Jesus character. Still the movie is interesting if you have any interest in the subject of Jesus / early church. It was cheesy how Jesus spouted well known verses throughout the movie, also interesting how Jesus and the twelve were hiding from the Romans. I think the most interesting part of the movie are the disciples, they are more like Robin Hoods' Band of Merry Men, then Jesus followers. Actually, the disciples make the movie worthwhile. Purely for the dynamics of those men, who really if it had not been for them and early followers of Jesus what would Christianity look like or would there even be a Christianity with these 'twelve' and Paul. An interesting movie nonetheless. Gave a great example of what the New Testament understands as 'family', very worth while if you can get beyond the bad acting, set design, script, etc. Happy viewing.

Life is funny...

I sort of had an interesting experience this week. As my blog indicates I have been having a rough time working at my home church, but my main place of refuge has been St. Benedict's Table. I love St. Ben's. One interesting point about St. Ben's is that a former youth pastor from my home church attends. Shall we say me and this youth pastor did not see eye to eye, actually there was one point where I was almost brought before the Board. I guess that is the closest I have ever come to being ex-communicated from a church. Back to the story, this youth pastor now works at Booth College, which co-sponsored the conference. Till now we have always been polite with each other. However, at the conference we actually talked and it seems like we have a similar view on all things emergent. I guess it teaches me that sometimes things do change. We chatted a couple times and it was really refreshing to hear. Just funny that of all the people who couple of helped me with my struggles at Rowandale, he was the last one I would have guessed. Funny how God does that

Another thought on the conversation series

I almost forgot the best line of the night. We had a little 'music roundtable' after the mini-lecture, one of the artists said this:

I was so happy when Bruce Cockburn said Fuck! I'm not kidding, really happy.

Amen

The Conversation begins....

Well, Monday evening the conversations series began. It was interesting to hear this guy talking about his experience with Christian Music as an agnostic. The author attended cornerstone, which I did a number of years ago. When he mentioned cornerstone, I was transported to another world. At one point in my life, I was 'into' christian music. I remember those days, but over the last 7 years I have realized that most christian music is bad, both spiritually and emotionally. I find it hard to see integrity and honest in their music. I just wanted to share some interesting thoughts from the first night.

- The author describes as a twelve year old, a girl took him to a bible study of sorts and he encountered Christian music for the first time in the form of Petra, thus securing his agnostic belief forever.

- After Bush won re-election his book got more offers due to the influence evangelicals had on the election.

- All true art is incarnational

- The Christian subculture has reversed Paul' teaching we are not 'in but not of the world' rather 'of but not in the world'. I am finding this a true statement. Christians are off the world, but due to an attempt at segregating ourselves from the 'other' we are safe. Some how the Powers of the world have a grip on our life that we do not even realize.

Well more to come as the conversation continues.....

What is your Master Status?

Recently, at Providence College we had a faculty forum to discuss Christian Sexuality. I think the time was very good. The one thing that I am realizing how in talking about sexuality and also with a conversation over homosexuality is that we need to understand our master status. I first encountered this idea of master status through a sermon on sex by Erwin McManus. McManus sees one of interesting parts of the conversations regarding homosexuality is how we talk about using master status. I don't go around introducing myself as Chris the Heterosexual, and I have never meet a gay or lesbian that talks like that, but I am sure that exists. During the forum, Dr. Tim Perry gave a great insight regarding master status that for Christian( gay, straight, bi, etc.) our master status or identity is not found through our sexuality or maybe more precisely who we want to have sex with( also how naive is it to define sexuality through the sex of our sexual partner). Most Christian believe that through baptism we are united with Jesus. I think as we continue to dialogue about homosexuality as it regards to the church, we need to recognize our master status is in Jesus not our sexual behaviour/orientation.

Peter Rollins - Heretical Orthodoxy

Well the last little while I have been writing a bit on idol. This tangent is largely due to Peter Rollins. In "How (Not) to Speak of God" this is a theme. So I thought I'd due some sharing on this book. I will do my best to share my thoughts and beliefs using Rollins.

Well, in the introduction Brian McLaren calls the book one of the best theology books he has read in the past 10 years and Rollins story telling 'compares' to Jesus' parable. I must admit such a claim made me a bit skeptical, but I must say McLaren' praise is very accurate. Rollins slits he small masterpiece into two section the first called Heretical Orthodoxy: From Right Belief to Believing in the Right Way.

I think over the last year with the help of Karl Barth, I believe that God is utterly transcendent. This is one of the premises of Rollins, to remember when we talk about God that we talk about our understanding of God, not God. I think this is sort of of obvious, but I think in discussion this is easily forgotten that we can never talk about attributes of God as they are, because any language can not grasp God. For me a good reminder is intellectual idolatry, often wars or division were started due to understanding of God. I feel how we understand God when designated as divine attributes of God are idols, we can hold to our understanding of God but once we assume our words equal God we are on a slippery slope. I encounter this kind of thinking often in modern evangelism/apologetics. While I am sure these forms of communicating the good news were useful at one point in time, however this time is long over. I am convinced all they are attempting to so is to convert people to a system of beliefs, this is not convincing and not the reason I am still a Christian.

One of the interesting things is how traditional methods of conversion conveyed that after saying a pray one is a christian Rollins believes we should recognize that Christianity involves a process of journeying and becoming. I think this is correct, but also requires many to reevaluate our words. I personally think definitive words create problems for Christians. We talk about what my friend Bryan calls 'Christian Myths' that everything will be better once we say this prayer, i think the prayer is the beginning. Unfortunately like McLaren says evangelical race to the start line of the Christian life. I reject these kind of binary notions of faith. I think it makes things nice and neat, but life is messy.

I think it is funny when people in my class talk about God in a singular view and other ways of God are heretical. I think we all view God, Jesus, and the Bible different due to our social upbringing. Can we recognize that a North American understanding of God will inevitably be different than a South American view, I think this is obvious, but we tend to forget what we bring to life and a text.

I've talked a lot about idol, but what exactly do I mean by this loaded word. "Like aesthetic idol (such as the Golden calf in the book of Exodus), the conceptual idol refers to any system of thought which the individual or community takes to be a visible rendering of God. The only significant difference between the aesthetic idola dn the conceptual idol lies in the fact that the former reduces God to a physical object while the latter reduces God to an intellectual object. Does 'holiness' not have strong connotations of a God who is beyond all finding out.

It is my experience that my understanding of God is constantly changing, consewualty we do not do theology but are rather overcome and transorbed by it: we do not master it but are mastered by it. Augustine encourages us to bear in mind that God transcends all terms and escapes every conceptualization --even that of being beyond conceptualization. I think God is changing my view of everything. Recently in a class my prof said those of us who identify with the emerging movement are being prepped for some work that God has in store for us, I find that reassuring as I am sure many of these thoughts may seem pointless, but for me I need the mystery, answers do not provide my hunger.

Recently, the senior pastor at my church has been talking about how doubts are from the evil one. I wonder what would have happened if Martin Luther that his doubts about church were view as from the evil one. Rollins believes doubts should be understood as a virtue. In contrast to the modern view that religious doubt is something to reject, fear, or merely tolerate, doubt not only can be seen as an inevitable aspect of our humanity but also can be celebrated as a vital part of faith.

One of my big problems with modern expressions of Christianity is apologetics. I must say for many years, I wonder what these people really thought they were accomplishing, but I must say all I think they are attempting is to convince people of a system of beliefs, which is a false assumption. I don't think people follow Jesus because he is convincing, but because encounter the living God not a logical reason, how reasonable is it deny our self and pick up our cross. I think in our postmodern age apologetics is falling away for the much better belief that the community is our apologetics. One of the primary reasons is that apologetics is a form of 'power discourse', which I find to dehumanizing. Rollins talks about 'Iconic God talk', I am a firm believer in this. 'To treat something as an icon is to view particular words, images, or experiences as aids in contemplation of that which cannot be reduced to words, images or experiences. Not only this, but the icon represents place where God touches humanity.' God stands outside our language regimes and cannot be colonized via any power discourse. This emphasis embraces the mystery and complexity of life. Life is not neat , but mysterious and beautiful. 'God is not revealed via our words but rather via the life of the transformed individual', hence community is apologetics.

During postmodernism one of the main idols of modern evangelical Christianity Truth has been attacked. I have often found this debate peculiar, not sure what the need to hold on to this tenet in much an emotional way. Rollins say 'the judeo-christina view of truth is converned with having a relationship with the Real(God) that results in us transforming reality. The emphasis is thus not ondescriptions but on transformation. This perspective completely short-circuits the long-redundant debate as to whether turh is subjective or objective, for here Truth is the ungraspable Real (objective) that transforms the individual (subjective). I don't think Truth can described, but it can be experienced. I know many are weary of 'experience' of God, but i don't know how else to state it I do not conceptualize God, I encounter and experience God when I attend St. Benedict's Table.

'In the Epistle of John, he equates the existence of religious knowledge with the act of love. Knowledge of God (the Truth) as a set of propositions is utterly absent; instrad he claims that those who exhibit a genuine love know God, regardless of their religious system, while those who do not love cannot know God, again regardless of their religious system. Truth is thus understood as a soteriologyical event. This word 'soteriological' is derived from the term soteria, from which we get the word 'salvation'. In precise terms the word refers to a cure, remedy or helaing.' Love is a tricky word, mostly because it has been raped by pop-songs and hallmark cards, that any time one uses this word one is skeptical of the sincerity of the words. But it is obvious that love is central to being a follower of Jesus, so what do we do? I think we need to understand love very broad. During the 80's forms of friendship evangelism emerged as a new way to 'win those for Christ.' The problem with this form of evangelism is that people befriend people of the motive to 'convert' them. This naturally has an agenda, can sacred love have an agenda? I don't think it can when we add a 'should' to love it becomes something other than love. I think any form of evangelical tool is worthless, without growing into being deeper followers of Christ. Maybe it is the easy answers we are after to share our faith, but somehow this isn't possible. One who love all(do not read tolerate all) shows God, by living out our life as Eucharistic people being broken in the world.
I think we can go into the world and be broken, without the need to convince others we are right.

Food for Thought...

Deeper into Lenten territory...


I'm increasingly uncomfortable with current images of God found in books and workshops that mix popular psychology with a theology wholly devoted to self-realization. I really don't want a God who is solicitous of my every need, fawning for my attention, eager for nothing in the world so much as the fulfillment of my self-potential. One of the scourges of our age is that all our deities are house-broken and eminently companionable. In a society that emphasizes the limitless possibilities of the individual self, it comes as a strange freshness to be confronted by an unfathomable God, indifferent to the petty, self-conscious needs that consume us.


Beldon Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes

Tim Keller and Deconstructing Defeater Beliefs

This week in the Emerging generation class we listened to a lecture by Tim Keller. The lectured was title 'Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in the Postmodern World' it was a thought provoking. I liked how Keller acknowledges that traditional evangelism and apologetics are utterly useless anymore. I was a bit surprised by this but it was nice to hear an 'older' person state this particularly with having Franklin Graham giving a traditional evangelistic speech. Keller also is a firm believer of process of conversion, which speaks against the traditional evangelism. I also appreciated that Keller acknowledges past abuses of Christians. The latter portion of Keller revolves around that many people will not accept a gospel message for the simple reason of 'implausibility structure.'

The theory that Keller calls propositional apologetics revolves around looking at a persons worldview and deconstructing false notions within their worldview. Keller states in an article "Many books on reaching post-moderns today give the impression that people now need virtually no arguments at all. The 'apologetic' is a loving community.' While I tend to disagree with Keller that this form of apologetics is better than a loving community, but nonetheless intriguing.

Keller did a survey of non-Christians under 25 in NY and concluded that six primary 'defeater beliefs' exist and till these are engaged that any christian message will be ignored.

The six defeater beliefs are:

1. The other religions
2. Evil and suffering
3. The ethical straitjacket
4. The record of Christians
5. The angry God
6. The unreliable Bible

I would say that these are fairly accurate. Some of his answers are quite adequate, some I feel Keller grossly underestimates the situation. One of the huge problems I see is #4. I think in order to move forward to deeper Christianity, which Keller sees as the solution. While I do agree this is the case, but I think the standard communication of the Christians render this point to a problematic step. In my experience particularly among young adults, Christianity is about going to heaven, so to have a deeper Christianity doesn't make sense due to the over emphasis on sinners prayer as the 'finish line' of faith. I actually would say that some of these defeater beliefs, I actually agree with and are part of the reason i struggle with the church.

Either way I found the lecture thought provoking, but I don't know if postmodern apologetics is any better on paper than classical apologetics. However, I sense that seeing this task done in person might convince me more. The other problem of this post-modern apologetics is that often in Christianity people are told that evangelism is one of the central activities of Christians. This method is very intellectual, which if evangelism is an activity we all participate in, if this method is graspable by an entire congregation.

Is God in every religion?

I think due to the pluralistic nature of western culture, this is an dilemma. Naturally this questions many of the tenets of American Evangelical Christianity. Many of the exclusive claims within Christianity are being questions due to many finding many similarities between the various religions. I think this is a positive trend, but also requires a person to know their own religion better.

Recently, I listen to "Finding our God in the Other" a sermon by Samir Selmanovic(http://samirselmanovic.typepad.com/). Selmanovic is a pastor in Manhattan, he grew up Muslim became an Atheist and now is a Christian pastor. That in itself is profound. At times I wonder where I would be if I didn't grow up in a Christian family. Selmanovic proses an interesting question, in Acts 17, Paul is in Athens. Where people are worshiping an unknown God and Paul proceeds to show them they are worshiping the God of Israel. This is a unique take on the passage, but i don't think it is bad hermeneutics. Selmanovic delves into whether we can acknowledge good in other religions. If we can not this naturally is a problem, I have meet many people of other faiths that are wonderful people, can we be better followers of God by seeing good in other religions. I tend to think so. The problem is whether Christianity can become an idol. Many of the Christian doctrines or tenets are not about preaching the resurrection of Christ, but have to do with cultural accepted forms within the church.

I think Christians are guilt for many abuses, as every religion is, but I think those serious about living faithful to God , need other religious communities to hold us in check. The problem I have encountered is that we as Christians do not admit to those abuses. I have little knowledge about other religions, but I know Christianity is based on repentance and forgiveness. In that theme let us ask forgiveness from all the people Christians have demonized and hurt over the years.

If any of you are interesting the sermon it is the Emergent Podcast from February 11/07

I love music

I must say that i have quite an affinity for music. Every since my high school years I have enjoyed music that crossed many genres. Over the past two years I have been exposed to the wonderful world of indie and folk music. I truly enjoy these genres. Recently, I have noticed how this music is becoming the norm in my ipod. Just thought I'd share a few of the artists that I have discovered.

Bright Eyes: Often compared to a young Bob Dylan. Of all the indie artists I have discovered Bright Eyes is by far the best. His best album in my estimation is I'm Awake, its Morning.

Broken Social Scene: Is a great compilation of many different artists. Very unique, but are becoming well known. They won best alternative album at last years Juno. 'You forgot it in the people' is a gem of an album. Very easy listening, good for a long drive.

Stars: Is a indie-pop band that sprung forth from Broken Social Scene. Very melodic and light. They have great songs about life and relationships.

Amy Millan: Is the lead singer from Stars. She has a beautiful voice, a very folky feel.

The Decemberists: This band is very unique much on the line with Broken Social Scene, very mellow. I find this band very 'intellectual'. I find their early work to be Superior to their newer releases, "Her Majesty, The Decemberists" is my favorite CD.

Derek Webb: I first encountered Webb with Caedmon Call, but his solo projects really speak to me. Particularly the problem of nationalism with in western Christianity. Also with being the only Christian artist I really connect with speaks to the significance of his music.

The Mountain Goats: I am not sure what i like about there mellow tone, but in the last couple weeks they are constantly played during my blogging/reading time.

Neko Case: Is a folk goddess. I don't use that word often, but its hard to describe her any other way. Her latest release 'Fox confessor brings the flood' is great through and through.

As well this year I found the music of Snow Patrol and The Frays, but I expect many of you are familiar with those house hold names.

The ugly side of the emerging church...

A couple weeks ago I posted about how my home church is very draining for me. This is mostly due to theological disagreement and also due to its modern leaning. In reading 'Emerging Churches', I am encountering a negative side of the emerging church that gives me hope. By no means is emerging 'saintly' in their description of the modern church. Actually I am coming to the point where many emerging leaders need to repent of their description of a modern church. Brad Cecil calls that once he was 'enlightened' he could no long go back to a modern church, many in the book refer to the modern church as being dead and meaningless. I don't think that is entirely true across North America. I think there is place for the modern church, not that everything they have done over the last 20-30 years in vain. Many people, twentysomes included, find the modern church a source of hope. The problem is that many do not find hope in a modern expression of church. Due to this lack of hope of church, new churches need to emerge without writing off 'older' churches. I agree with the sentiment that I could not be satisfied in a modern church, but that does not mean it is dead for everyone.

'Our' God as idol.

I think whenever someone mentions idol, I think of worshiping something other than God. I am realizing while this is an idol, do we worship our understanding of God. Do we believe we really got it all figured out. Is anyone capable of figuring God out? I think our minds will never grasp God fully, due to God's otherness. Not that this means we stop talking about God, but that we stop talking about God in way that we've got it all figured out. Are we not involved in idol worship when we stubbornly view our understanding of God as right.

Maybe this would be a good time for repentance of our iconic view of God.

'Lord, we offer up our images of you, acknowledging that while they are important, you stand over and above all our understanding. In love and faithfulness we offer you these fragments as we recognize the poverty of our understanding before the wealth of your presence. Amen.'(taken from "How (Not) To Speak Of God)

Books I am mulling over....

It's weird to think that most of my assignments are done already. It's only mid-february and I only have a 5-pager left. On the plus side to this I am able to dive back into book reading. Last semester my reading was a bit scarce due to the internship and class. I am pretty pumped at the prospect of reading books for fun again. Here are a couple I am working through:

How (Not) To Speak Of God by Peter Rollins

Emerging Churches by Eddie Gibbs

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

The Gottingen Dogmatics by Karl Barth

Jesus and the Victory of God by N.T. Wright

I am finding these books to be a great influence in rethinking church, espeically Emerging Churches because it is a class text.

Happy Reading

Words of Wisdom

Did not the Lord share the table of tax collectors and harlots? So then - do not distinguish between the worthy and the unworthy. All must be equal in your eyes to love and to serve.

A great Colbert Report

Well as many of you know I am huge Stephen Colbert fan. The February 8th installment was great. The guest on the show was Chris Hedges. Hedges is the author of "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America", I am intrigued by his ideas. Well if you are interested in these kind of things check it out. I want to leave you with one quote from Hedges, "Augustine said hope had two children anger and courage." I liked that....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feebdxbUhkY

http://www.alternet.org/story/47679/

Enjoy

Scary Christians

This past week I watched the "Jesus Camp." Ever since i saw the trailers this summer i was intrigued. In general, i was scared at this version of Christianity. I think the ties were too close to a political/military American Christianity. I guess when the trailer opens with the pastor talking about the enemy(referring to Islam), but i wanted to check it out anyways.

The movie is about a charismatic summer camp in North Dakota. Maybe its due to my unfamiliarity with the charismatic church, but the whole idea made me uncomfortable.

Well at times it was funny. In one scene this 8 year old girl talks about dead and alive churches. She basically says any church where people sit calmly are dead(so any Baptist, Mennonite church). God 'likes' churches where people are pumping up and down. So basically the bad church are not inviting God into church. I thought that was funny/sad.

Well check it out if you get a chance.

Homosexuality....

A close friend of mine has been having some really good discussion on homosexuality. I think ever since attending at prov this question has been going around my mind. Some conclusion that I have come to:

1. The gay gene hypothesis is not conclusive.
2. Many studies have shown that those who live homosexually are at a greater risk for various diseases or conditions.
3. The church misunderstands the few passages speaking on homosexuality.
4. We really don't understand definitively why people decide on a homosexual relationships.
5. Many people actually leave a gay lifestyle with the help of counselling.
6. The church generally has a hateful attitude towards gays and lesbians.
7. One of Jesus' goals was to deconstruct the purity code of the Pharisees.
8. Often the church resembles the Pharisees on the 'gay issue.'

It is hard to understand the hatred towards gays and lesbians. While, working on the cruise ship I experienced genuine concern and love from gays and lesbians. I think this is hard to come to grasp with how the church wants to portray gays and lesbians as 'weird.' No matter the amount any one is fallen, they are still in relationship with God. God created human as good. This cannot be taken away, creation is first and foremost 'Good'.

My conclusion over thinking about a response to homosexuality is do our best to the way of Jesus is to embrace any and all interested in searching after God in a community of faith. This naturally includes many excluded by the church, not just gays and lesbians. If we believe church is to be transformative communities, I believe we need to change things, and not maintain the status quo of church membership.

there is no truth.....

So today in my 'Ministry with the Emerging Generation' class, i had a group presentation using a form of media to discuss spritualailty. We choose a Bright Eyes song. I have been a huge fan of Bright Eyes, since March 2005...i think he is brillant.

Back to the class, the song we used questions life and particularly church. I think the church often make a lot of 'truth statements.' I am sure some think this is vital for the church to do. However, we live in a time when there is no one version of Christianity. We have too many denominations to count. Further for more, I believe that relgions will be evaluated on what they do not what they say. Words are nice, but faith without works is dead. Truth capital "T" does not make one faith or another true.

We live in a pluralistic age, where relgions appear to have less in common then we'd like to make a clear distiction over the 'keepers of truth.' The 'Daily Show' had a hilarious skti a while back where they debated Islam vs. Christianty. Each side would say the same thing about truth statements, where they would use their own texts to prove their relgion to be true. It's funny because of how many arugment have a heard that went 'God is true, because the bible says so and the bible is true because God says so'. Funny to write it out, but so many people argue religons from this point of view.

I think I am still a christian because i have encoutnered God throughout mylife, not because someone says this or that about God.

I'm pretty pumped!!!

So I recently found out about The Conversation Series on the Intersection of Faith and Culture taking place @ Booth College. The conversation series is an activity of St. Benedict's Table. This one will be in dialogue with Andrew Beaujon(author of Body Piercing Saved My Life: inside the phenomenon of Christian rock) It should be very interesting. This semester, I've been diving deeper into those issue of faith and culture. I don't believe we escape to church or our faith is an escape from the messiness of life. I just found out that the conference is on during my reading week, so i am pumped. Should be an interesting experience.

Good Christian Music.

Well for much of my life I've thought 'good christian music' was a joke of sorts. I have been exposed to so much crappy Christians music, sad really. A week ago, I bought music from St. Benedict's Table. I must say it is amazing, its been playing nonestop since i got it. For those interested check out http://www.stbenedictstable.ca/ for some info. If anyone would like me to pick you up a copy, let me know the cost is $15. Happy listening.