Credo ↔ Oratio

A few years ago I wrote a short little essay on dirt and several people have asked me about it recently.  So, since I haven’t posted it here before, I thought I’d do so (minimally edited from the 2003 version).   Enjoy!

A Thought on Dirt

Until recently, I had never really taken the time to think about how amazing dirt really is. In the last couple of weeks however, as my church (and place of employment) broke ground and started construction on the second half of our facility, I’ve begun to see the beauty of this, the most basic, and yet infinitely complex of elements.

Of course, the modern world doesn’t consider dirt to actually be an element. We reserve that title for substances that are impossible to discern with the naked eye. Fortunately however, our propensity for making everything more complicated than it really should be didn’t stop the ancient world from recognizing the immense value of this unique substance.

As a boy in northwest Iowa, I was raised knowing the worth of good dirt. And even though I now live in Michigan, where the dirt will require another million years or so to reach the moist warmth of the black gold my homeland produced, I have yet to forget the lessons of my childhood.

We had a pile of dirt in our front lawn. Actually, it was my Dad’s pile of dirt, not mine, but in line with the traditions of most children, I quickly took ownership of it. I don’t know where it came from, but eventually that pile of dirt was to end up insulating one of the three walls of the house we built. (Of course, my Dad actually built it, but as with the dirt, that didn’t stop me from thinking it was mine either.) One day, as I bathed myself in the elemental beauty of that black playground, my hand broke through into a nest of baby gardners. It was amazing. Hundreds of green and yellow snakelets hissing and squirming burst out onto my lap like a clown’s peanut can at a birthday party. With the swiftness of animal instinct, I hurled myself away from the roiling mass, but not without learning a very important lesson: Dirt is the root of all life.

God knew that. The book of Genesis tells the story of God creating dirt, and then, as if he had created it just for that purpose, on the sixth day, he played in it. You don’t believe me? Check it out. Genesis chapter 2, verse 7. Just a couple of pages into the sacred scriptures, God is playing in the dirt. Imagine the tiny divine sand castles God might have built on the shores of Lake Michigan or the gourmet mud pies carefully crafted from the best the world has to offer. Then, as if growing bored with inanimate objects, God built an adult. Knees, feet, fingernails, earlobes, nose hairs, lungs, appendix – everything but a bellybutton (if childhood jokes are to be trusted) and liking it, God took a deep breath and blew into it. The dirt became a man, and humanity was created.

Jesus liked dirt too. One apocryphal story from his childhood tells of him making small birds in the soil of his childhood homeland, and upon being chastised for playing during the Sabbath, he breathed into them and they flew away. Later, in the course of his public ministry, he healed a blind man with dirt and a little spit. Not to mention, the famous incident where he stooped to the ground and wrote the mysterious words that would set an adulterous woman free and silence her accusers.

Unfortunately, as humanity has “progressed,” dirt lost its position of favor among those of us who were created from it. Now, as if denying our own history, we participate in innumerable personal and familial rituals to rid ourselves of this primal element. Although perhaps providing a certain degree of freedom from disease, the side-effects of a germ-free society are devastating. Why? Well, it can all be sifted down to one very simple equation: E=D.

Enjoyment = Dirt.

The level of enjoyment one has in his or her life is relative to the amount of dirt one encounters. In other words, the more we play in dirt, the happier we are. The opposite seems to be true as well: the less we play in dirt, the less we enjoy life. As a matter of proof, let me direct your attention to two groups of people: Lawyers and 3-year olds. Lawyers encounter a minute amount of dirt in their daily lives, while 3-year olds practically sweat the substance. Let me ask you, who seems to enjoy life more? Is it the executive lawyer with a multimillion dollar office and a cleaning staff to protect her from dirt, or, is it the 3-year old who pulls of his shirt in the summer heat and paints “war-strips” on his chest after tracking down a “hippopotamus” in the grove?

The answer is simple: the child.

Jesus told us to be like little children, which according to pastors and scholars, was in the context of teaching about faith. Could it be possible, though, that faith is only part of what Jesus was talking about. I think so.

I think Jesus was talking about dirt too. Of course, I probably won’t mention that on Sunday morning. After all, if everyone ran outside to play in the dirt during worship, my Consistory might not be very happy – let alone the people who are signed up to clean the church next week. But maybe – just maybe, it’ll happen some other time. Hours after everyone has gone home from worship, and hours before anyone might call for a visit or a counseling session. In those quiet moments just before the moon rises or shortly before the sun peeks its face over the eastern horizon. Maybe, I’ll throw on some old blue jeans, a T-shirt and some sandals and carefully sneak out to the pile behind the church to explore what’s hidden depths of one of God’s most popular playgrounds.

Of course, you’re welcome to join me. I’ve gotten over my childhood need to pretend everything is mine. But please don’t tell the Consistory or the people signed up to clean next week. It’s a lot easier to explain if they think the kids did it.

(c) 2003, 2010 Tim TenClay

Grace and Peace,

`tim

My dear wife gave me a Nook for Christmas.  (No… that isn’t something dirty.  See this link if you don’t know what a Nook is!  Don’t worry, the link is family appropriate!)

Anyhow, the poor little guy has spent the last month clothes-less.  Nook cases are expensive and my first attempt at creating a felted one failed miserably.  (Actually, it turned out great, it just didn’t felt down small enough to use for the Nookster.)

Attempt number two, however, turned out exactly how I wanted it to.

For those who care about these things, here are the details:

• Needles: US6 DPNs
• 50 stitches cast on in the round, bottom was whip stitched rather than kitchenered
• The cables are 3-stitch cables  (1 cable row followed by 3 knit rows, repeated)
• The flap is seed stitch
• Yarn: Filatura Di Crosa Fancy by Aliseo (75% Wool, 15% Alpaca, 10% Acrylic)
• Color: 11
• Buttons: Bella Buttons by Dritz (Item #BB402)

Grace and Peace,

`tim

I honestly don’t recall the last time I used a can or bottle cozy, but on a whim I signed up to do a “cozy exchange” with a handful of other male knitters.  Fun, huh?!  The only problem is that I didn’t really like the patterns I was able to find online… So, why not make my own.  After all, a cozy’s really nothing more than a tube, right?

I think they turned out pretty well….

You can have the pattern here if you want it.

Grace and Peace,

`tim

The Reformed Church in America traces its history in North America back 1628. We are the oldest continuous denomination on the continent, and yet in that time we have never adopted a new confession.

It is no small thing, then, that for the first time ever, we are going through the process of potentially adopting a new confession – the Belhar Confession. You see, the RCA is a confessional denomination. We currently have three standards of unity (the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of the Synod of Dort). We also confess three creeds (the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed).

That sad reality is that, despite our confessional identity, there seems to be very little understanding of what it means to be such a body. Many believe the RCA is, like most pentecostal or baptist churches, a “no creed but Christ” denomination or a merely sola scriptura entity. We are not. Every minister in the RCA, alongside affirming the “Word of God as the only rule for faith and life,” also confirms that they hold our confessional documents to be “historic and faithful witnesses to the Word of God” (Declaration for Ministers of Word and Sacrament).

As far as I know, there is no “industry standard” as to how these statements are to be interpreted. In other words, there is no universal understanding of what it means to be confessional Christians. Some of my colleagues read the Declaration with a heavy emphasis on “historic and faithful witnesses….” Others clearly confess that the standards are “historic and faithful witnesses….” I tend toward the latter… many of my friends toward the former.

So, what does it mean to be confessional Christians? What are “confessions?” What is their authority? How are they related to the scriptures?

Here’s what I think:

I believe the confessions are documents from specific historic times and places. They were originally written to specific people in specific contexts. Unlike many theological documents, however, the creeds and confessions speak outside of their original context. While their authority is not equal to that of the scriptures, as with scriptures, a solid understanding of their original context(s) enables us to appropriately embrace them into our own time and place.

The confessions, while always subservient to the Bible, provide accurate and faithful distillations of the gospel. They offer us with the essential touch points of the Christian faith. These documents help us understand what is most important and give us a solid paradigm within which to interpret the parts of the Bible that are unclear or difficult to understand.

All of this helps explain why I believe the RCA should adopt the Belhar Confession.

Unlike some of my colleagues, I do believe the Belhar’s affirmation of God’s preferential option for the poor. I do believe that a faith which proclaims unity, justice and reconciliation but fails to live them, is no faith at all. If God stands with the “least of these” and all who suffer (and I believe God does!) then God’s people must as well. Failure to do so reveals us as Christian-like, rather than truly Christian.

In many ways, our current confessions handle Paul’s writings well, but they fail to adequately express the life and ministry that Jesus lived and taught. The Belhar helps rectify that.

The next two and a half months will show whether or not the RCA is ready to embrace the aspects of the scriptures that the Belhar lifts up as essential. I couldn’t be more pleased that Zeeland Classis and the other 5 who have currently voted on the issue have followed General Synod’s example and voted to embrace the Belhar.

I hope and dream for a world where Christians confess and live into the realities of unity, reconciliation and justice. This is, I believe, a small – but very important – step in that direction!

Grace and Peace,

`tim

Just in case you haven’t been on facebook and/or didn’t otherwise hear…

Our 2nd daughter was born yesterday morning (1/13/09) at 8:25.  She was 7 pounds 2 oz… 21 inches long.  Her name is Petra Grace.

Both her and JJ are doing well and the hope is that both will be able to come home this afternoon or early evening!  Sophia is taking the news pretty well (although she is probably even more excited about staying at “aunt Roxie’s” house while we’re at the hospital than the baby at this point).

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf… feel free to spread the news!

Grace and Pace,
`tim

The new year is fast upon us and, as is usually the case when the calendar makes its remarkably over-celebrated transition from one page to the next, I find myself reflecting on the past year. Meditations like this can easily lean either toward the negative or the positive and, to be fair, this year has provided enough on both sides of the list to write several lengthy posts. It’s the positive that gives life though, so I’d like to end the year giving out a few unofficial awards noting those who have made my little corner of the world better and more hopeful in a variety of ways.

My self-imposed rules are simple:

• No one in the family gets awards – they go without saying!
• No one gets an award who would expect to get one – that defeats the purpose.
• Awards are presented in random order; I’m giving 7 for no other reason than that it seems like a good biblical number.

Award #1: Emily… For all the work she’s done at church… all the ways she’s gone above and beyond… all the times she picked up the slack when others fell through.

Award #2: the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America… for an historic vote on the Belhar Confession and taking the monumental step of sending it to the Classes for approval as the RCA’s fourth standard of unity.

Award #3: Joe Chicago’s Pizza our absolutely favorite pizza joint. Sophia refers to it as the “monkey place” because of the reprinted poster on the wall of a monkey embracing a large bottle of some kind of liquor. This award should probably be shared with Skile’s Tavern, who make the best thin crust, greasy pizza in the world. Truly incredible. The two are too different to be compared, so both win!

Award #4: Joe and Todd… Joe is one of the key organizers of the Men’s Knitting Retreats and Todd, put together the midwest version which I had the pure joy of attending in November.   On a related note, MenWhoKnit.com deserves mention. The people from these two (overlapping) groups have, unquestionably, made up the most supportive, most encourage and most caring group of people I’ve had the privilege of interacting with throughout the past year.

Award #5: Von Morgens früh…und bis zur Nacht… my favorite album of the year. Absolutely life-transforming collection of music related to the daily prayer cycle. The album is worth every penny for the masterful “Laudate omnes gentes” (Track 2) and one of the most beautiful and haunting pieces ever set to music: Arvo Pärt’s “Magnificat” (Track 11). That said, every single track is worth the price of the album.

Award #6: Matt & Ragbrai…. This year I eagerly rode my third Ragbrai; Matt has ridden with me through all three of them. Both the ride and the co-rider have been more valuable than any amount of professional counseling could have ever been in providing perspective, relaxation, and rejuvenating (yes, believe it or not 500 miles on a bike can be both relaxing and rejuvenating.)

Award #7: Seminarians… Ok, this may seem like an odd award. Those of you who know me well know that I did not consider seminary a particularly enjoyable experience. This year, however, I’ve had the opportunity to spend more time with current seminarians than I have since my graduation a decade ago. I can’t speak to all of those preparing for ministry in the RCA, but I can say this: the RCA is on the cusp of receiving some it the most thoughtful and intelligent seminary graduates we’ve seen in decades. I hope and pray that rather than dumping them into local congregations hoping they don’t hurt themselves or others, we welcome them into ministry, encourage them along the way, support them, and help them sail faithfully into ministries (both old and new) that the church needs.

There could be more, but I’ll stop there.

Whatever the past year has brought to you and yours, I hope the new one finds you increasingly healthy and wise and that it’s filled with unbelievable amounts of both joy and hope.

Grace and Peace,
`tim

She doesn’t spend much time on the ‘net, so I’m pretty sure she won’t see this before Christmas.  Just to be fair, however, don’t tell her…

For the rest of you, I thought I’d share:

Technical Details:

• Thread: HHLizbeth from Hobby Lobby
• Size 20
• Color 670
• Pattern: Original
• Finished Size: 8″ across

Grace and Peace,

`tim

Ok… Here’s the ax I’m grinding. I keep running into Christians who are angry about the use of the “Holiday Season” or “Happy Holidays” rather than saying “Merry Christmas” – which, they insist, is a more “Christ-centered” wish.

Fine, I’ll admit that the word “Christmas” actually includes the word “Christ,” and so at some level, not using the word “Christmas” actually does stop using a word with “Christ” in it… on the other hand, “Holidays” merely means “Holy + Days,” and that is most certainly appropriate for Christians!

Here’s why I think Christians should use the phrase “Happy Holidays:”

it refers to a time in our yearly cycle in which several holidays take place.

“Merry Christmas” ignores Thanksgiving; it ignores St. Nicholas’ Day (a big one in my family); it ignores Old/New Years’ celebrations, and it ignores Epiphany (a far more ancient holiday for Christians than Christmas). Equally as problematic, most people say “Merry Christmas” during the Advent season, not during the Christmas season.

“Happy Holidays” is a far more inclusive wish for one another; it is far more seasonally encompassing, and it is liturgically appropriate for all of the involved seasons.

On top of that, I’d suggest that we use the phrase the “Holidays’ Seasons” instead of the “holiday season;” it is, after all, several seasons of the Christian year.

Referring to the “holidays” doesn’t secularize the Christmas (we’ve done an stand-up job of doing that regardless of what verbiage we prefer); perhaps, indeed, it could help us recapture the real MeaningS of the SeasonS.

Grace and peace,
`tim

I’m afraid I haven’t had much time for blogging lately, but December 6th is just around the corner and since St. Nicholas’ day is unquestionably my favorite minor holiday, I wanted to remind everyone.

In my family, wooden shoes get set by the door before bed on the 5th with a small treat for St. Nicholas’ horse.  ”St. Nicholas,” living out God’s generosity and grace in a joyful and tangible way ensures that they are filled with goodies when the house wakes up the next morning.

This year, for the first time in my ministry, I’ll be using St. Nicholas feast-day readings for the sermon on Sunday morning.  It seems to me that we do well emulate those who came before us and provided excellent examples of what it means to be faithful.

If you’re unfamiliar with St. Nicholas, Let me STRONGLY encourage you to check out the St. Nicholas Center at:

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/

There’s also a wonderful (albeit rather old) DVD out called “Nicholas, the Boy who became Santa” that I’d recommend.  Our current copy is in Spanish (although language options on the DVD enable us to play it in English) – we picked it up at Walmart for about $4.  You can pick up a copy here, if you can’t find it anywhere else.

Grace and peace,

`tim

It’s that time of year – friends all around me, both physically and at distance, are dropping like flies with sore throats.  As far as I’m concerned the only real soothing product for a sore throat is “Russian Tea.”  Sure… it’s barely “tea,” and it’s certainly not “Russian,” but I don’t care.  In case you’re feeling a bit under the weather:

Russian Tea

1 jar dry Tang (1# 5 oz size)
1 1/4 c. Instant Tea (cheap)
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 1/2 c. Sugar (can use some Splenda if you want less sugar)
2 pkg. Unsweetened Lemonade (like the cool-aid size packages)
1 1/2 tsp. Cloves (or a bit more..)

Mix well. Add 2 tsp (or more… I add quite a bit more ) of dried powder to a cup of hot water.

Enjoy.

Grace and Peace,

`tim