This is why…

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Church, Humor, Religious

I am not a fan of “cutesy” little sayings on church signs. Although our sign is capable of hosting them, I informed our consistory, upon purchase of said sign, that if they wanted hokey sayings (er…umm… “neat, inspiring quips”), they would have to find someone else do them.

With few exceptions, they tend to give vastly different messages from what their authors probably expect… often disturbingly different… sometimes humorously so. Take, for example, the sign I saw this morning on one of the churches down the road:

From the Free Dictionary:

ber·ried (brd) adj.

1. Having or bearing berries: berried branches; a berried plant.
2. Resembling a berry or berries: “an off-dry, berried flavor” New York Times.
3. Bearing eggs. Used especially of egg-bearing crustaceans or fishes: a berried lobster.

I suppose Jesus had a “fruitful” ministry, but I don’t think that’s what they meant…
Grace and Peace,

`tim

“Those People”

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Religious

So, Barack Obama gave “THE” speech today. It had to happen. If you haven’t seen or heard it, the text is available on his website here.

My opinion? I think it was ok - it was fine.  I don’t consider it “one of the best and most important speeches” ever give  nor probably one of the most important Barack Obama will give, but what I did find interesting was the near-admission of what we might call “those people” conversations.

Every group I’ve ever known does them. I’ve heard straight people refer to gays and lesbians as “those people” (and visa versa… incidentally). I’ve heard black people talk about white people with such language (and visa versa). I’ve heard church-goers talk about non-church-goers (and visa versa)… the list could go on for a long time with just what I’ve heard in the first person, let alone what I’ve read about and heard about. It’s a simple concept. With any group there is an “us” and there are “those people.” It may be news to some that language like that shows up in African American churches, but let’s be honest, it shows up in white churches too.

Unlike some people, I don’t necessarily have a problem with such language. There is a place for it. AA/NA meetings use a particular language because all the participants have a similar history and like-experiences. Non-addicts don’t always understand addict-language, and that’s ok; the same is true with other mostly-homogeneous groups.  Why wouldn’t we expect the same from churches?  After all, churches are some of the most segregated institutions in the world (and often some of the most racist - on “both sides” of the fence).   Similarly, churches are the ultimate “in” verses “out” institutions.  The real problem here, of course, is not that there is an “internal” and an “external” language, it’s that “internal” language isn’t always suitable for “external” display.  Words of a common experience (or at least a common understanding of language, hyperbole, metaphor, image, etc.) simply cannot always be transfered into a realm where there is no common bond.  When they are, they practically demand to be misused and misunderstood.

I use hyperbole a lot (”all the time… indeed”) :-) In my congregation, people are relatively used to it. They’ve grown accustomed, over the past 8 years, to the way I use language and the ways I sometimes speak in extremes to make a point. Barack Obama’s “former pastor” may have taken this too far (although no further than other “hard-core” African American preachers I’ve heard), and Barack Obama is right, there is a certain generational aspect here (I am reminded of the kind of language I sometimes still hear about “those women” at General Synod or “those men” who don’t fully support “them” -usually from people my parents’ age) and while that doesn’t excuse it, let’s be honest, it is a reality.  Let’s not turn it into anything it’s not.
On another note, I cringe to imagine that I’d be judged on some of the things said by preachers I’ve “sat under” over the years!

So, what’s my point?  Simple: Get over it.  I know this is the age of 24-hour news channels and they need something to talk about, but come on.  There’s enough real news we don’t need to hear about the trumped-up stuff.  How about a real discussion on in-groups and out-groups… how about a well-balanced discussion on racial hatred and mistrust (from “both sides of the aisle”)… how about asking the truly hard questions instead of just giving them a half-hearted nod….

Grace and Peace,

`tim

Ragbrai XXXVI - Day 6 Map!

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Religious

Thanks to “johnmowry” for entering the daily routes into MapMyRide.com!

You ever sing the kid’s song “Heaven is a wonderful place?”

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Religious

We used to sing it at camp: Heaven… is… a wonderful place. Filled… with… glory and grace.

True, of course.  Presumably heaven IS a wonderful place filled with glory and grace.  But I doubt it’s a “cloudy,” “happy,” place with favorite flavors of ice cream and lots of tiramisu.  There are such amazingly unbiblical conceptions of heaven “out there” that it’s hard to get many people to think past kittens, butterflies, choirs, and and cherubic angels with feathery wings.

Which is why I’m TOTALLY looking forward to NT Wright’s new book Surprised by Hope.  I haven’t read it yet (don’t even have it yet) but it sounds great.  If you’re interested, there’s a short interview with the brilliant bishop over on Time’s website:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1710844,00.html?imw=Y

Enjoy!

Grace and Peace,

`tim

Bidenominational Hymnal, Worship Commission & a few thoughts

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Church, Knitting & Tatting, Religious

Bidenominational Hymnal:

This has been a crazy week. It started out with church canceled (due to weather) on Sunday (putting me two sermons behind for the beginning of my thesis project - not a big deal though). Monday and Tuesday were filled with a meeting for a new joint hymnal project between the Reformed Church in America (RCA) and the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). For those of you who don’t know, I am a member of the RCA; the CRCNA split away from the RCA about 150 years ago, over a handful of reasons but is essentially within the same tradition and espouses the same theology. That said, we have often fought like the sisters we are. The idea that we would JOINTLY create a substantive worship resource is amazing - I doubt my grandfathers would have ever imagined the possibility!

Anyhow, we had the first official meeting for the hymnal on Monday and Tuesday - It is going to be an INCREDIBLE group. The wisdom, experience, insight, diversity, and enthusiasm are nearly unbelievable. Stay tuned; this hymnal has the potential of adding something to the world of worship (particularly within the Reformed tradition) that hasn’t been seen in decades. We’re hoping for a publication date of 2013.

Worship Commission:

Tuesday and Wednesday (immediately following the hymnal meeting), I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting with the RCA’s Commission on Christian Worship. Again, this is an incredible group: CJ, Kathy, Ken, Lisa, Martin - each wonderful and insightful. There isn’t an individual on the commission whom I don’t enjoy and wish I was able to spend more time with.

Excitingly, this coming General Synod (our denominations’ annual get-together) will be the first time the commission is presenting a major decision in the time I’ve been on it. We are making a recommendation that will, in specific ways, open up the potential for diversity and flexibility in sacramental celebration. This is a huge deal - the beginning of a multi-year process of changing our denominational constitution! I’m hoping and expecting this could have the potential of helping break down some of the walls and smoothing over some of the animosity that occasionally rears its head between the various style-groups in our denomination. I won’t bore you with the details here, unless you want me to…. (let me know!)

In other commission news, I’ve been elected as the upcoming moderator for the commission - wow… I can only hope to fill the shoes with the kind of grace and gentleness exhibited by my predecessor Lisa. If only I could find a way to hold on to Martin… (whose term is over on the commission)

In other news….

Valentines Day: Still ick. I posted on it last year and won’t bend your ear this year but let me note again: ick. I love my wife and hope the holiday gives her a deeper understanding of that but it has increasingly become a near-puke-inducing, overly-commercial, utterly-un-personal, halmark-holiday.

Diversity Training: The RCA is requesting all commissioners to attend a training by one of our new staff members in October on our multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-etc. future. Let me say here publicly: PLEASE take a well-informed, broad view of culture, ethnicity, etc. It is so easy to fall into the categories of African-American/White/Asian or Urban/Rural or ??? and, in the process, end up demeaning people. (Spoken, I suppose, like a slightly-embittered-toward-the-topic, white, male who went to college in the mid-90s and was repeatedly demeaned and had assumptions made about him because of his gender and genetics). There is SO much positive potential here… PLEASE, whomever helps plan the event, PLEASE do it well.

Knitting: I’m currently still working on the “Cabled Scarf” out of the Knitting (Man)ual. I took a short break and knit up the “hiking socks” from the same book, but have resumed the scarf. I traditionally get really bored with scarves and find them tedios but am really looking forward to wearing this one. At least I’ve passed the half-way mark! (FYI: it’s made out of Marr Haven wool):

By the way, the Nike bag makes a GREAT bag for carrying knitting projects!

I hope you and yours are having a blessed Lenten season.

Grace and Peace,

`tim

Thank You Mel, and the Strange, Convoluted World of Blogs

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Religious

Here’s to the strange and convoluted world of the blogosphere:

  • I “met” Mel on a website called MenWhoKnit.com, which is a collection of blogs by male knitters from around the world.
  • Of course, what little I know about him, I liked, so I started reading his blog (Cabezalana).
  • Apparently, he occasionally reads my blog.
  • The other day he turned me on to a blog by a Rabbinical student named Rachel Barenblat called The Velveteen Rabbi.
  • In her most recent post Rachel put on her blog was entitled Super Tuesday Eve and linked to a website called NeoHasid.org which printed a wonderful “Prayer for Voting” in both English and Hebrew.
  • All of which is a long way of saying “If you live in one of the ‘Super Tuesday’ states, check this out, it’s cool. Heck, even if you don’t, it’s worth your time.”

Sometimes I wonder if computers make things easier or more difficult!

Have a blessed, fattening, pre-Lenten, “super,” Tuesday.

Grace and Peace,

`tim

What is a D.Min.?

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Humor, Knitting & Tatting, Religious, Thesis

I’ve been asked a couple of times what the difference between a D.Min. and a PhD are and so, although I’m no expert, I thought I’d give it a shot.  I am working on my D.Min. (Doctor of Ministry) which, unlike a PhD, is a ministry-based degree.  What I mean by that is that a D.Min. is intended to be directly related the specific ministry the individual is engaged in.  In other words, if I were to leave Dunningville today, I would have to come up with a different thesis project than the one I’ve been developing since it was in direct relation to the peculiarities of my current setting.

A D.Min. is a “real” doctorate, but it’s realm is primarily ministry, not academia, whereas a PhD’s main area of focus is the world of academics.  That means that whereas a PhD’s research may be fully based in the area of theory, a D.Min. is based primarily in practice, so the thesis I’m working on is directly related to a specific practical project that we will be doing at Dunningville.  In this case, a project related to the development of integration and discipline.

Integration, in this case, refers to the concept of having one’s faith fully integrated in one’s life.  Or, to put it differently, to ensuring that there is integrity between the different areas of our lives.   It’s based on the most basic belief that I cannot accept the idea that it’s appropriate for someone to be a completely different person when they’re at church than when they’re at school or work or home.  Jesus saved some of his harshest criticisms for hypocrites - those who said they believed one thing but acted contrary to their confessed beliefs.

The project is intended to foster that integration and to promote the self-discipline needed to “live out” what we say we believe.  Christianity cannot simply be a faith of words… it must also be a faith of “being” and “doing.”

I hope that makes sense.

On another note, let me level a public condemnation against QueerJoe for providing a link to the Sue Knitting Game on his blog.  The instructions are entirely unhelpful (as they are in Japanese); it’s music is mind-numbingly annoying; the game is a ridiculous waste of time; and it’s far too infantile for the energy I’ve spent on it….

[For those of you without a sense of humor, note tongue fully lodged in cheek.] ;-)
Grace and Peace,

`tim

Thesis Proposal Approved!

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Announcements, Religious, Thesis

I promised to update you when there was something to update.  You may recall that my thesis proposal (for my Doctor of Ministry) was denied in December.  No surprise - that’s pretty common.  Anyhow, judging by the comments, it seemed that several of the concerns were based on issues that were tangential to the project, rather than fundamental to it, so I revised the proposal and explained that to my adviser.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t convinced it was going to be enough, but I simply didn’t have time for more over the past month.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, I just got an e-mail from my adviser and the committee approved my proposal this afternoon! There are a few things they want tweaked, but this means I can get started on the project!  Seems this is turning out to be a memorable birthday!

To add to the excitement, my wife bought me an indoor cycle trainer (upon which to mount my bicycle) and Sophia played outside in the snow for the first time (quickly learning that snow is “yummy” — without any prodding from her father… REALLY!)

Grace and Peace,

`tim

Check-in

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Church, Knitting & Tatting, Religious

Yep… I’ve done it again; it’s been weeks since I last posted.  That’s meant a lot of church, a lot of reading, and a lot of knitting that’s gone entirely unreported (I can tell you’re really missing it, huh!?) :-)

Well, here’re a couple of updates:

  • I knit another Koolhaas hat (this one for JJ) — all done.  Turned out pretty well, maybe I’ll get a picture of it for you.
  • Also picked up some “recycled” silk yarn from the Hunger Site Store that will eventually work it’s way into being a “Brittany Jumper” for Sophia.  It’s discontinued, but they have some left if you’re interested - it’s a much better price than I’ve seen elsewhere… it’s for a good cause… and, well, it’s cool! (Smells a little “musty” but I think that’ll go away when I wash it.)
  • I’ve picked up the Labyrinth that I was knitting and started working on it again… it’s getting closer - I’ll post pics when it’s done rather than bore you with step by step updates.
  • I’ve been reading a lot about community.  Perhaps the most enlightening book I’ve just finished is called School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism (by the Rutba House).   It’s a pleasant change from the pop-oriented lit. that’s so common in “post-modern” and “new monasticism.”  I highly recommend it.  Particulalry, I’d point you to the chapters on “Intentional Formation in the Way of Christ and the Rule of the Community Along the Lines of the Old Novitiate” (Mark 6), and “Peacemaking in the Midst of Violence and Conflict Resolution Along the Lines of Matthew 18″ (Mark 11).
  • My Thesis proposal is still up in the air.  They required more to be done on it than I was expecting and seem to have latched on a couple of weak spots that weren’t particularly integral to the concept.  I’m hoping to have clarified that in the newest version, but I’m not certain.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to happen lately is that we’ve finished studying the Isaiah Vision in our Adult Sunday School class and are going to be re-working our way through the Heidelberg Catechism (by request.)  What’s so interesting about it is that, although I’ve worked in several congregations, I’m actually convinced that Dunningville has the potential to live into the Isaiah Vision really well.  I’ve been tired and rather worn out lately, but the congregation is doing well and starting to engage some questions about justice/ministry/faithfulness/etc. that many congregations never even bother to notice.

Anyhow, I thought I’d at least touch bases.  I hope and pray you are each well.

Grace and Peace,

`tim

I think “homosexuality” might be the next “evolution”

Author: teejtc  /  Category: Religious

Well, here I go… mentioning the “h-word” and the “e-word” in the same post…

[disclaimer: I haven't done any real research on this at all... these observations may simply be examples of my own life stages at work.]

A little story for you: when I was in high school, “everyone” was ridiculously obsessed with evolution. I know that’s the nature of high schools and that the evolution/creation debate tends to get hashed over in them every handful of years, but the obsession was definitely there and everyone fit into one of two categories. Either they were a) Bible-believing, faithful, conservative, true Christians or they were b) liberal, no-good, satanists who degraded the scriptures and blasphemed God.

(In some communities, I suppose the groups were “a) Bible-believing, faithful, well-educated, liberal, true Christians or b) conservative, no-good, satanists who degrade the scriptures and blaspheme God” but my community was avowedly conservative.)

Each threated excommunication and church discipline on the other. Neither was willing to admit that both sides occasionally made good points. (I suppose I may have given in to a bit of hyperbole here, but you probably know what I mean.)

Time passed. Some people continue to obsess over evolution. Most of us don’t. Those who believe in 7 literal days of creation and those who have a more flexible interpretation of the scriptures/doctrine/theory/concept for the most part get along and let one another live without threat of excommunication or discipline.

When I was in seminary, the same polarizing tendency began showing up around homosexuality in the church. Again, people were shuttled into one of the two above-mentioned groups. Again, threats and mistrust abounded.

Time is passing.

Is it possible that “homosexuality” will be the next “evolution.” I say this because I recently received my latest copy of Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed thought (November) and there is, once again, an article (essay) on sexuality. Now don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t think the church has adequately addressed issues of heterosexuality, let alone issues of homosexuality, and I do think we must address them and address them well, but my reaction when seeing the article (long before ever reading it) was… “ho hum… another sexuality article.” Which felt exactly like “ho hum… another evolution article.”

The feeling surprised me. I have my own personal agnosticisms regarding how the church ought to handle sexuality issues, but I didn’t expect that response. I find myself wondering if we’re teetering on the brink of coming to the same approach toward non-heterosexuality that many of us have come to with evolution. (An intentionally moderate view that probably terrifies people in both extremes).

hmmm… I wonder.

Grace and Peace,

`tim