Matt Moore's Tear me down provided a sound track to my prayer
Matthew 25:40 - “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
These words provided the basis for Mother Teresa to see Jesus in the distressing disguise of all those around her. She gave each individual her complete attention as though adoring her saviour.
This thought has combined with another to truly distress me this week. I have written before about how Ed Stetzer spoke at district council and God spoke to me in his words. He convicted me of my distaste for working class culture, my pride and prejudice. For what ever reason, God has placed me in a village of people who worked in factories, and convenience stores and farms, who shop at wallmart and use questionable grammar. I am not in Ann Arbor or Northfield. I am not an Episcopalian or an academic, though my mind and preferences might be at home there. I truly love those He has given me charge over. But can I love their culture? Can I minister effectively with in it? Or do I try to make them enlightened espresso drinking conteplatves?
Enter Mother Teresa. Her unflinching acceptance of the poor of a culture not her own strikes me. Can I? Can I abandon my self, pride, and preference to love Christ in those around me?
I prayed this after noon for that kind of love. I have never been so over come with such unpleasant emotion before, not as an adult any way. I wailed in desperation, I felt nauseous. It was like a child at the end of a tantrum who can no longer cry properly, red-faced, choking and gaging on their tears. If anyone had come into the church then, they would have thought something was not right with me and they would have been right. I’m not sure what it was. Was it my being torn down? Was it a war with some spirit who would have kept me down? Was it the burden for the people? It strikes me now as I write, the cries of agony and the physical pain and nausea were perhaps like Jesus would have felt - in the garden - looking over Jerusalem - on the cross when he said, “I thirst.” It was an utter desperation.
Oh God my I truly see only you in the faces of my village. May I see only you in the distressing disguise of the working poor. May I see only you in walmart. See only your thirsting lips in place of the profane and ungrammatical. Change me, and break me!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Saints of service
At first thought one might place Mother Teresa in the Social Justice stream of Christianity. As I think on her life though, I see a mix of influences, Holiness and Contemplative, but the most predominate being the Incarnational life.
“The Incarnational Stream of Christian life and faith,” says Foster, “focuses upon making present and visible the realm of the invisible spirit. This sacramental way of living addresses the crying need to experience God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life” (237).
In his appendix, Foster lists Mother Teresa as an example of Social Justice, but I find her actions more directed toward making the love of God manifest to the poor, making His Kingdom felt, than addressing the underlying causes of injustice. She made this sacramental way of life an entry point to the life of the Spirit and experienced it hand in hand with the contemplative life, calling her sisters “Contemplatives in the wold,” all the while demanding a high standard of holiness, determined to offer saints to Jesus.
Mother Teresa seemed always to hear Jesus calling her beyond herself. From her “second vocation to the poor,” to her abandoning her preferences and comforts to become a world media figure she was growing and stretching always. In her later years she perhaps took so hard a line on holiness she may have bordered on legalism were in not for her persistent love.
Mother Teresa would readily recognize the grace of God in her life from an early age. As young Agnes Bojaxhiu, daughter of Drana, grew up, her mother was a constant source of Formation for her. “At least once a week Drana would visit an old woman who had been abandoned by her family, to take her food an clean her house. She washed and fed and cared for File, an alcoholic woman covered with sores as if she was a small child” (Spink 7). Agnes accompanying her mother to visit File would create a powerful model for her as she later ministered to the poorest of the poor, lonely and forgotten. Her visits to the shrine of the Madonna of Letnice as a child would provide a conteplative basis for her life. She would identify herself always with the contemplative Thérèsa of Lisieux.
She was completely grounded in the institutional Catholic Church, first receiving formation in the Loreto order then creating the Missionaries of Charity as a Catholic Order. She was completely devoted to Catholic orthodoxy and the Pope, yet she ministered to, and cooperated with people from every creed.
Teresa always saw the political workings as the hand of God. She did not get involved in politics except to call for peace and love, trusting the leaders to do their duty in the end. She saw the crumbling of Communism as an opening door to spread tender love to the poor in those lands. Her ministry was not restricted to those who agreed with her, even staunch atheists would cooperate with her in Cuba, the Soviet, and other places.
In a wold of growing affluence and separation from the poor, her ministry to the poorest of the poor as though each one was Jesus in “distressing disguise” was and remains a prophetic word. She did much to proclaim the kingdom of God without preaching or giving an “altar call.”
Is there a difference between a saint and an ordinary person with an extraordinary desire and willingness to serve God? Mother Teresa was in her energy and determination a human dynamo, perhaps an extraordinary human power, but her formation in the selfless way of Christ, her consistent treatment of each individual as Christ in disguise shows her to be a saint. We are all called to such saintliness.
Elaine Martin is another such saint. Her faithfulness and fruit show her devotion to God. Her life of service to people shines as an example of the compassionate life. She grew up in a Lutheran home and appreciated her mother’s efforts to instill in her a spirituality.
It wasn’t until she went through a divorce that she began seeking a deeper relationship with God. Through a divorce support group at a church she found the depths she sought, along with the in-filling of the Spirit. The loneliness of the single life, the pain of divorce and concern for her family has been a challenge for her. She moved back to the Sebewaing area to be with her father before he died, caring for him, and praying him to Christ.
Over the years she has felt God call her to “come along side” individuals needing care and support. She has been a live in aide for many people. As a single woman she is surprised by the way God works, over recent years the people she has been directed to have been men. Sometimes her supportive relationships have raised eyebrows but she has remained faithful to do what God has called her to do.
She is a free spirit, at home anywhere with God. She goes where ever the Spirit directs her, so no one church has had a claim on her, though she lists many that have had a strong impact on her spiritually.
She is a prayer warrior and offers her devotion to God along with the person she is serving. She often makes use of the daily scriptures from the Book of Common Prayer we print in our bulletin, reading and praying with her neighbor each day. She is in her seventies and her neighbor, who she is serving is in his eighties. She remains vigorous and her service and support have been meaningful to me as her pastor.
Mother Teresa also challenges me. The service of the poorest of the poor, not just as though they were Christ, but actually seeing the suffering Christ in them, is a thought is forming and shaping me. I am wrestling lately with how meet the needs of the blue collar culture I am in. Mother Teresa challenges me to love them, though I gravitate to the intellectual and liberal postmodern crowd, she challenges me to see Christ wearing the blue collar garb of the workers in Sebewaing. Lord help me find ways to serve like Elaine and make of me a saint in the mold of Mother, with eyes only for you.
“The Incarnational Stream of Christian life and faith,” says Foster, “focuses upon making present and visible the realm of the invisible spirit. This sacramental way of living addresses the crying need to experience God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life” (237).
In his appendix, Foster lists Mother Teresa as an example of Social Justice, but I find her actions more directed toward making the love of God manifest to the poor, making His Kingdom felt, than addressing the underlying causes of injustice. She made this sacramental way of life an entry point to the life of the Spirit and experienced it hand in hand with the contemplative life, calling her sisters “Contemplatives in the wold,” all the while demanding a high standard of holiness, determined to offer saints to Jesus.
Mother Teresa seemed always to hear Jesus calling her beyond herself. From her “second vocation to the poor,” to her abandoning her preferences and comforts to become a world media figure she was growing and stretching always. In her later years she perhaps took so hard a line on holiness she may have bordered on legalism were in not for her persistent love.
Mother Teresa would readily recognize the grace of God in her life from an early age. As young Agnes Bojaxhiu, daughter of Drana, grew up, her mother was a constant source of Formation for her. “At least once a week Drana would visit an old woman who had been abandoned by her family, to take her food an clean her house. She washed and fed and cared for File, an alcoholic woman covered with sores as if she was a small child” (Spink 7). Agnes accompanying her mother to visit File would create a powerful model for her as she later ministered to the poorest of the poor, lonely and forgotten. Her visits to the shrine of the Madonna of Letnice as a child would provide a conteplative basis for her life. She would identify herself always with the contemplative Thérèsa of Lisieux.
She was completely grounded in the institutional Catholic Church, first receiving formation in the Loreto order then creating the Missionaries of Charity as a Catholic Order. She was completely devoted to Catholic orthodoxy and the Pope, yet she ministered to, and cooperated with people from every creed.
Teresa always saw the political workings as the hand of God. She did not get involved in politics except to call for peace and love, trusting the leaders to do their duty in the end. She saw the crumbling of Communism as an opening door to spread tender love to the poor in those lands. Her ministry was not restricted to those who agreed with her, even staunch atheists would cooperate with her in Cuba, the Soviet, and other places.
In a wold of growing affluence and separation from the poor, her ministry to the poorest of the poor as though each one was Jesus in “distressing disguise” was and remains a prophetic word. She did much to proclaim the kingdom of God without preaching or giving an “altar call.”
Is there a difference between a saint and an ordinary person with an extraordinary desire and willingness to serve God? Mother Teresa was in her energy and determination a human dynamo, perhaps an extraordinary human power, but her formation in the selfless way of Christ, her consistent treatment of each individual as Christ in disguise shows her to be a saint. We are all called to such saintliness.
Elaine Martin is another such saint. Her faithfulness and fruit show her devotion to God. Her life of service to people shines as an example of the compassionate life. She grew up in a Lutheran home and appreciated her mother’s efforts to instill in her a spirituality.
It wasn’t until she went through a divorce that she began seeking a deeper relationship with God. Through a divorce support group at a church she found the depths she sought, along with the in-filling of the Spirit. The loneliness of the single life, the pain of divorce and concern for her family has been a challenge for her. She moved back to the Sebewaing area to be with her father before he died, caring for him, and praying him to Christ.
Over the years she has felt God call her to “come along side” individuals needing care and support. She has been a live in aide for many people. As a single woman she is surprised by the way God works, over recent years the people she has been directed to have been men. Sometimes her supportive relationships have raised eyebrows but she has remained faithful to do what God has called her to do.
She is a free spirit, at home anywhere with God. She goes where ever the Spirit directs her, so no one church has had a claim on her, though she lists many that have had a strong impact on her spiritually.
She is a prayer warrior and offers her devotion to God along with the person she is serving. She often makes use of the daily scriptures from the Book of Common Prayer we print in our bulletin, reading and praying with her neighbor each day. She is in her seventies and her neighbor, who she is serving is in his eighties. She remains vigorous and her service and support have been meaningful to me as her pastor.
Mother Teresa also challenges me. The service of the poorest of the poor, not just as though they were Christ, but actually seeing the suffering Christ in them, is a thought is forming and shaping me. I am wrestling lately with how meet the needs of the blue collar culture I am in. Mother Teresa challenges me to love them, though I gravitate to the intellectual and liberal postmodern crowd, she challenges me to see Christ wearing the blue collar garb of the workers in Sebewaing. Lord help me find ways to serve like Elaine and make of me a saint in the mold of Mother, with eyes only for you.
Distressing Disguise
Several months ago I was wrestling with the idea that Jesus could be found in the hurting around me when I wrote:
Now as I encounter Mother Teresa's conviction that we find Jesus in "Distressing disguise" around us, I rejoice in confirmation of the idea. It isn't some wild fantasy I was entertaining when I asked "could it be?" but rather a truth revealed to saints through the ages - a truth I have come to embrace and is shaping me.
I can’t understand the image of Christ as stranger. How could he come to those beloved disciples on the road to Emmaus unrecognized? How could he be naked, poor, imprisoned, and we not see him there? How could he, my dear heart, be the stinking, cursing, drunk and homeless? Could he be my neighbor John who riding is bicycle home from the bar, at two AM, went over the handlebars and broke his nose? Could it have been Jesus I drove home with tears in his eyes and pain in his body? It is hard for me to see Jesus there, not because I don’t think he would stoop so low, but because I love him and don’t want to see blood pour from his nose or tears from his eyes. What would it mean to see my Jesus in all those around me? Is he there in people I know, and who don’t even know him, or just in strangers? Does he visit in the familiar as well as the strange? Perhaps he does, perhaps his incarnation is both in us as his hands and feet and in the fleshly suffering of those around us. Perhaps his paschal mystery continues in all who are hurting, naked and abandoned, just as his advent happens in us as we engage them in service and hospitality.
Seeing our neighbors and strangers as Jesus can be difficult precisely because we cannot see Jesus as coming to us in the form of a sinner.
Now as I encounter Mother Teresa's conviction that we find Jesus in "Distressing disguise" around us, I rejoice in confirmation of the idea. It isn't some wild fantasy I was entertaining when I asked "could it be?" but rather a truth revealed to saints through the ages - a truth I have come to embrace and is shaping me.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Music Appreciation
Reflect on the fragmentation of spirituality in [modern development] comparable to the ecclectic diversity today in musical tastes (there are no groups today like the Beatles; there are no theologians like Karl Barth). Does this simply mean everyone picks and chooses what they think best for themselves? How do we avoid a consumer approach to spirituality?-Mojo
Mojo's music metaphors reminds me of my class in music appreciation. The goal was to expose us to the musics of other cultures. As a stupid freshman I thought it wise to share my roommate's cd set rather than get my own. Now I kick myself every time I want to hear the Islamic call to prayer or a Chinese aria. Over the years my musical tastes have broadened. Some of the pop music I listened to as a teen, I can't stand. At the same time I have grown to appreciate hardcore and bluegrass simultaneously (though country is still devil's work).
The myriad options provide opportunities for growth and expression. To be honest, when I think of the fractured and many spiritualities, their quarrellings and shopping patrons, my stomach knots up. I feel nauseated much I like I feel when listening to country.
The point is that we can explore and appreciate the wide world of music (or spirituality). That is not to say we have to completely throw out our preferences, I will always have a special place in my heart for Jazz, Big Band and crooners, but I have found classical to enrich my life. Were I to turn my nose up at all these expressions (country accepted) I would fail to embrace the wonders of life. In spirituality I can also get stuck in one favorite genre the expense of all others, only to serve my preferences. It is then that I replace "disciple" with "consumer."
The myriad options provide opportunities for growth and expression. To be honest, when I think of the fractured and many spiritualities, their quarrellings and shopping patrons, my stomach knots up. I feel nauseated much I like I feel when listening to country.
The point is that we can explore and appreciate the wide world of music (or spirituality). That is not to say we have to completely throw out our preferences, I will always have a special place in my heart for Jazz, Big Band and crooners, but I have found classical to enrich my life. Were I to turn my nose up at all these expressions (country accepted) I would fail to embrace the wonders of life. In spirituality I can also get stuck in one favorite genre the expense of all others, only to serve my preferences. It is then that I replace "disciple" with "consumer."
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Saint Francis and saint Trask
Foster himself places St. Francis squarely in the Charismatic stream, citing him as a prime historical example. “I commend Francis of Assisi to you as a model of charismatic jubilee” (106). Jubilee sums up the beautiful sense of joy found in St. Francis. From Le Jongleur de Dieu to whimsical songs to brother Sun and moon, to his own child like wonder and perpetually simple faith, joy filled the Franciscan spirit. It was also jubilee in the sense of the freedom. The emancipation from the dark ages, and the freedom granted in supernatural works. His was a strange mix of celebration and asceticism -- they found their home together in his constant practice of simplicity. Simplicity as Foster notes brings freedom and joy.
From the horrors of war, a year of captivity and a year of convalescence stirred and transformed something deep within Francis. His family and friends may well have seen it as a break with reality, for he through off the imposed reality of this world with the clothes off his back and began a quest to enter fully into the reality of the Kingdom of God. Foster notes his longing for transformation, quoting his poem to the virtues:
Francis was gregarious and influenced by the wandering troubadours and jugglers who entertained from town to town. Even as a young man and a soldier, Chesterton notes, “Francis was one of those people who are popular with everybody in any case; and his guileless swagger as a Troubadour and leader of French fashions made him a sort of romantic ringleader around town” (41). That is his transformation wasn’t in his character as much as in whom he served. As he through himself into the service of God with characteristic abandon, he traded French fashions for a hair shirt, but he remained a ringleader, romantic toward God and His creation, and a Jongleur de Dieu.
With beauty Chesterton describes the time and world of Francis. The world was emerging from the dark ages, a time of penance and purging from pagan naturalism. St. Francis emerged into a world that was clean and ready to receive his songs of praise for creation and her Creator. His joyful asceticism was a release from the harsh practices of the previous age. H e renounced the emerging wealth of the renaissance with an adventurous and generous spirit. He fought in the crusades not with an army, but alone with God, hoping to convert the radical Islamists. On his return he found even his own movement too tame, beginning to own property, albeit in common.
Francis is also an example of the incarnational life. He valued the material world and the ways he could see God in the world around him. As my friend Ken notes, Francis saw the wonder and miracle in the world around him. Is it any wonder then that the miraculous followed him? Francis seemed to see the world through spiritual eyes. He could identify the wonders and miracles in the world around, he could see creation as brother and sister. In his simplicity and holy foolishness, he saw the reality of the Kingdom around him. In his mind there may not have been much dividing the natural from the supernatural. His life was the adventure of the true Kingdom invading the world of men, so he had to live according to the values of that Kingdom come what may.
This week we were on our own mendicant adventure with a Franciscan flavor, trusting God for our every need. We went to our District Council without any money to rely on. There in the midst of God’s wonderful provision for us, I found great joy celebrating the lives of saints who had persevered in ministry. Allow me to submit one such saint as a further example of the Charismatic stream, Thomas E. Trask.
Tom Trask celebrated his fiftieth year as an ordained minister this week. Until last summer he served as General Superintendent for the Assemblies of God in the United States. He is a consummate preacher, though not using the method of expository preaching I value most. His preaching relies entirely on the anointing of the Spirit. Prayer and a spiritual reading of the text is important to him as he prepares.
He lived the adventure of ministry that my family is enjoying now. He planted a church in Northern Minnesota in 1956. He made no money as the church’s pastor, so he had to work. His father, also a minister in Minnesota, told him to get a job that was simple enough that he could do while still focussing on God - on his call.
He began to work for a Jewish businessman, W.R. Feldman. After struggling through months of slim income, Fledman approached Trask. “I’ll pay for your management training, if you come back to work for me,” he said, offering a large salary.
Trask said he would pray about it. Fledman was incredulous, “Pray about what? I know what they’re paying you!”
Trask responded, “The church is not my boss, God is my boss.” After praying Trask felt he had no option but to turn Feldman down, believing that he had been “bought with a price.”
Complete trust in God for his financial security combined with a discipline of giving, giving him experiences like St. Francis. One thanksgiving he had no food for his family. He didn’t have money for groceries, but in desperation he got in to his car to head to the store. As he was pulling out a man in a pickup truck pulled in behind him.
“Are you that pastor, Trask?” He asked. When Trask said yes, he said, “I have something you will need for tomorrow.” He proceeded to take two bags of groceries out of the back of his truck. Trask never saw the man before or since, convinced that angels sometimes dive pickups.
Giving continues to be an important discipline for him. As he rose in the ranks of the church and made more money, he increased his giving, until last year he was able to give away %70 of his income. Though he can also strangely value nice cars and manicured lawns as evidence of God’s provision to those around us.
Early in his ministry an older minister told him, “Tom, ask God to put you on a schedule and keep that schedule.” Rising early to engage in disciplines of prayer and study became important for him through out his life, as did “creating a family altar.” He recalled as a child his parents gathering the family before school and praying, “God keep Tom, keep Roy, Keep Patty.” Such times of prayer and worship with his family were important disciplines for him.
Looking back on his 52 years of ministry, Trask says, “Enjoy the adventure, because it was meant to be enjoyed.”
The faithfulness of Saint Francis and saint Trask in the adventure of the kingdom is a great inspiration to me. Like Francis this week I have been challenged to give and entirely trust in God for my family’s provision. It has been wonderful to see him work in us. Dropping the last of our money in the offering plate and then seeing God replenish that amount or give even more for us to give has been hilarious and wonderful. I can appreciate the joy of Francis as he danced naked through the forest, free from possessions but rich in God.
As Elaine and I were Ordained this year, the example of those who have gone before has been powerful as well. I appreciate Tom Trask’s example of faithfulness and demonstration of how this heroic trust and that we can actually make it through the adventure. After we were ordained, and hands laid on us symbolically passing the anointing, Tom Trask kissed my cheek. I accept from the Spirit Trask’s blessing.
From the horrors of war, a year of captivity and a year of convalescence stirred and transformed something deep within Francis. His family and friends may well have seen it as a break with reality, for he through off the imposed reality of this world with the clothes off his back and began a quest to enter fully into the reality of the Kingdom of God. Foster notes his longing for transformation, quoting his poem to the virtues:
Hail, Queen Wisdom! May the Lord preserve you
With your sister holy pure Simplicity!
O lady holy Poverty, may the Lord save you
With your sister holy Humility!
O lady holy Charity, may the Lord save you
With your sister holy Obedience
O al you most holy virtues,
May the Lord save you all,
From Whom you come and proceed (Foster 104).
Francis was gregarious and influenced by the wandering troubadours and jugglers who entertained from town to town. Even as a young man and a soldier, Chesterton notes, “Francis was one of those people who are popular with everybody in any case; and his guileless swagger as a Troubadour and leader of French fashions made him a sort of romantic ringleader around town” (41). That is his transformation wasn’t in his character as much as in whom he served. As he through himself into the service of God with characteristic abandon, he traded French fashions for a hair shirt, but he remained a ringleader, romantic toward God and His creation, and a Jongleur de Dieu.
With beauty Chesterton describes the time and world of Francis. The world was emerging from the dark ages, a time of penance and purging from pagan naturalism. St. Francis emerged into a world that was clean and ready to receive his songs of praise for creation and her Creator. His joyful asceticism was a release from the harsh practices of the previous age. H e renounced the emerging wealth of the renaissance with an adventurous and generous spirit. He fought in the crusades not with an army, but alone with God, hoping to convert the radical Islamists. On his return he found even his own movement too tame, beginning to own property, albeit in common.
Francis is also an example of the incarnational life. He valued the material world and the ways he could see God in the world around him. As my friend Ken notes, Francis saw the wonder and miracle in the world around him. Is it any wonder then that the miraculous followed him? Francis seemed to see the world through spiritual eyes. He could identify the wonders and miracles in the world around, he could see creation as brother and sister. In his simplicity and holy foolishness, he saw the reality of the Kingdom around him. In his mind there may not have been much dividing the natural from the supernatural. His life was the adventure of the true Kingdom invading the world of men, so he had to live according to the values of that Kingdom come what may.
This week we were on our own mendicant adventure with a Franciscan flavor, trusting God for our every need. We went to our District Council without any money to rely on. There in the midst of God’s wonderful provision for us, I found great joy celebrating the lives of saints who had persevered in ministry. Allow me to submit one such saint as a further example of the Charismatic stream, Thomas E. Trask.
Tom Trask celebrated his fiftieth year as an ordained minister this week. Until last summer he served as General Superintendent for the Assemblies of God in the United States. He is a consummate preacher, though not using the method of expository preaching I value most. His preaching relies entirely on the anointing of the Spirit. Prayer and a spiritual reading of the text is important to him as he prepares.
He lived the adventure of ministry that my family is enjoying now. He planted a church in Northern Minnesota in 1956. He made no money as the church’s pastor, so he had to work. His father, also a minister in Minnesota, told him to get a job that was simple enough that he could do while still focussing on God - on his call.
He began to work for a Jewish businessman, W.R. Feldman. After struggling through months of slim income, Fledman approached Trask. “I’ll pay for your management training, if you come back to work for me,” he said, offering a large salary.
Trask said he would pray about it. Fledman was incredulous, “Pray about what? I know what they’re paying you!”
Trask responded, “The church is not my boss, God is my boss.” After praying Trask felt he had no option but to turn Feldman down, believing that he had been “bought with a price.”
Complete trust in God for his financial security combined with a discipline of giving, giving him experiences like St. Francis. One thanksgiving he had no food for his family. He didn’t have money for groceries, but in desperation he got in to his car to head to the store. As he was pulling out a man in a pickup truck pulled in behind him.
“Are you that pastor, Trask?” He asked. When Trask said yes, he said, “I have something you will need for tomorrow.” He proceeded to take two bags of groceries out of the back of his truck. Trask never saw the man before or since, convinced that angels sometimes dive pickups.
Giving continues to be an important discipline for him. As he rose in the ranks of the church and made more money, he increased his giving, until last year he was able to give away %70 of his income. Though he can also strangely value nice cars and manicured lawns as evidence of God’s provision to those around us.
Early in his ministry an older minister told him, “Tom, ask God to put you on a schedule and keep that schedule.” Rising early to engage in disciplines of prayer and study became important for him through out his life, as did “creating a family altar.” He recalled as a child his parents gathering the family before school and praying, “God keep Tom, keep Roy, Keep Patty.” Such times of prayer and worship with his family were important disciplines for him.
Looking back on his 52 years of ministry, Trask says, “Enjoy the adventure, because it was meant to be enjoyed.”
The faithfulness of Saint Francis and saint Trask in the adventure of the kingdom is a great inspiration to me. Like Francis this week I have been challenged to give and entirely trust in God for my family’s provision. It has been wonderful to see him work in us. Dropping the last of our money in the offering plate and then seeing God replenish that amount or give even more for us to give has been hilarious and wonderful. I can appreciate the joy of Francis as he danced naked through the forest, free from possessions but rich in God.
As Elaine and I were Ordained this year, the example of those who have gone before has been powerful as well. I appreciate Tom Trask’s example of faithfulness and demonstration of how this heroic trust and that we can actually make it through the adventure. After we were ordained, and hands laid on us symbolically passing the anointing, Tom Trask kissed my cheek. I accept from the Spirit Trask’s blessing.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The power of popular piety
The actions of Napoleon and Alexander, on whose words the events seemed to hang, were as little voluntary as the actions of any soldier who was drawn into the campaign by lot or by conscription. This could not be otherwise, for in order that the will of Napoleon and Alexander (on whom the event seemed to depend) should be carried out, the concurrence of innumerable circumstances was needed without any one o which the event could not have taken place. It was necessary that millions of men in whose hands lay the real power -- the soldiers who fired, or transported provisions and guns --should consent to carry out the will of these weak individuals, and should have been induced to do so by an infinite number o diverse and complex causes (342).
Tolstoy penned these words when weighing the causes of the Napolianic wars. In War and Peace he asserts that there was an inevitability to the mechanism of war, it was in the breast of the masses and not concentrated in those deemed leaders.
The most important aspects Holt brings out in his treatment of modern Church history in his book Thirsty for God is the movement of the people in pietism. Between the days of reformation and enlightenment there was a resurgence of personal piety. This apparently resonated with Holt. Many of the spiritualities he explores are expressions of personal piety and devotion. This is evident in the modern resurgence of centering prayer and contemplation, a renewed interest in Spiritual Disciplines, even devotion to Mary.
...The Marian doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church is a prime example of spirituality leading theology, not vise-versa, for it has been popular devotion that has run ahead of official dogma and led the popes eventually to make pronouncements about the Blessed Mother, notably about her immaculate conception, in 1854, and her assumption to heaven, in 1950 (160).
It is the power of personal piety that led the way for doctrinal changes in the church. How much was Luther, Zwingli, Huss and other reformers indebted to their personal piety and the popular piety of the cultures that produced them?
To me this reinforces the idea that if we want to impact church history in the future, the place for us to turn is to the fire of our own personal devotion. If we want revival we must turn our own lives resolutely and fearlessly to God!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Give me Sebewaing or I die
Ed Stetzer’s seminars at district council really have me thinking. He told of how John Knox prayed “Give me Scotland or I die.” Do I care that much for the people God has given to me?
Stetzer also talked about the propensity for pastors to have demographic lust and community envy. He asked us, can we pastor in a culture that we don’t really like? In a church that doesn’t do things the way we want them too? Is it about our preferences or reaching the culture in which we are placed?
Wow. We just saw the church planters line up in front. One couple is planting to the pomo intellectuals in Ann Arbor. I leaned over to Elaine and said, “If we move to Ann Arbor when I’m working on my doctorate, lets go to that church.” I don’t really like blue collar culture. I hate going to walmart. Yet here I am in Sebewaing. I know that this is where God has called me. He has given me as a gift to these people and more important to me, he has given them to me.
God forgive me. Birth in me a love for my culture - for my city. May I be able to pray with my whole being, “God give me Sebewaing or I die. Give me Unionville or I die.”
Steve Bradshaw set out slips of paper with the names of towns and their populations - places that had no A/G church. As I was praying and wrestling with my lack of love, I saw Bay City pop 36,817. I knelt down by it. I placed my finger tips on it, praying for Bay City. I had a burden for Bay City. What does that mean? What do I do with this slip of paper? Do I lay it on the altar and relinquish it to God, saying Lord, send laborers into this field? Do I see this as a sign that I should leave here and plant in Bay City or is it a case of culture envy? I knelt there, my fingers caressing the paper for many minutes. I don’t know what to do with Bay City. The paper I left there on the floor. I feel God calling me to love my people, to love Sebewaing, to figure out how to effectively minister to blue collar culture and then maybe my people and I can do something about Bay City.
Getting up from that time of wrestling, any doubts are gone. I am growing in love toward my community.
Stetzer also talked about the propensity for pastors to have demographic lust and community envy. He asked us, can we pastor in a culture that we don’t really like? In a church that doesn’t do things the way we want them too? Is it about our preferences or reaching the culture in which we are placed?
Wow. We just saw the church planters line up in front. One couple is planting to the pomo intellectuals in Ann Arbor. I leaned over to Elaine and said, “If we move to Ann Arbor when I’m working on my doctorate, lets go to that church.” I don’t really like blue collar culture. I hate going to walmart. Yet here I am in Sebewaing. I know that this is where God has called me. He has given me as a gift to these people and more important to me, he has given them to me.
God forgive me. Birth in me a love for my culture - for my city. May I be able to pray with my whole being, “God give me Sebewaing or I die. Give me Unionville or I die.”
Steve Bradshaw set out slips of paper with the names of towns and their populations - places that had no A/G church. As I was praying and wrestling with my lack of love, I saw Bay City pop 36,817. I knelt down by it. I placed my finger tips on it, praying for Bay City. I had a burden for Bay City. What does that mean? What do I do with this slip of paper? Do I lay it on the altar and relinquish it to God, saying Lord, send laborers into this field? Do I see this as a sign that I should leave here and plant in Bay City or is it a case of culture envy? I knelt there, my fingers caressing the paper for many minutes. I don’t know what to do with Bay City. The paper I left there on the floor. I feel God calling me to love my people, to love Sebewaing, to figure out how to effectively minister to blue collar culture and then maybe my people and I can do something about Bay City.
Getting up from that time of wrestling, any doubts are gone. I am growing in love toward my community.
Adventures in Asceticism
This week has been an adventure worthy of the Count of Monte Cristo. This time, however, the hero of the story was not Edmond Dantes, Though he had his extravagance and dramatic timing. No, the hero wasn’t me either. God is the hero of this (perhaps every) good story.
We set off for district council with little money but some great assets. Brad Trask had graciously offered us Brighton Assembly’s Missionary House. As hard as we tried to share the blessing, we couldn’t find anyone else to stay with us, so we had this big beautiful house to ourselves. Our parents were going to stay at FaHoLo campground in Grass Lake and watch our kids in their bus.
We thought if worse came to worse we could buy some food with our foodstamps and cook back at the missionary house. But we ha a problem there. I had cracked the card a few weeks back and Elaine called for a replacement. The card didn’t come until we had left. So the cash we had on hand was all there was. We were stressed, but we determined to trust God.
We went down to the campground Sunday night. Elaine and I were in the midst of a three day fast anticipating what God would do in us through ordination, so we only had to feed the kids. The next day we dropped off my suits at a dry cleaner (One Hour Martinizing which is no longer one hour, we were extremely lucky they let us have one day service.) That took the last of our money. In fact I had to borrow a dollar from money I had brought to restock the coffeehouse.
Later that day I had coffee with Professor Mojo, and classmates, Joe and Christy. We talked about St. Francis and other things spiritual. I was so hyped up on caffeine courtesy of Live Wired Coffeehouse (R&D) that I was talking a mile a minute. Christy prayed for us, that God would provide the money to get us back home. Will all our talk about St. Francis I was soon to find the joy of his simplicity and relinquishment.
That night my parents got in. They decided to celebrate our anniversary (a month early) and we went to the grocery store for supplies and a desert. They then wanted to get a pizza. We drove all around Jackson to find a place that was open. My parents felt so bad that they filled our tank for us! Then back at the bus we had desert and opened a card with a gift of $25!
Armed with gas and $25 we headed to council. Tuesday was our ordination luncheon and rehearsal. That night was the banquet we had already paid for, so our meals were covered for this day. Dave Williams laughed at the luncheon that he had intended to send us $100 after reading some comments we had posted about our desire to trust God with our finances and become even more generous. He was so tickled that we didn’t act like victims of our economy. We laughed with him, we thought it was silly, but nice, of him to think of sending $100 to us.
Wednesday was the offering for pastor appreciation - our pastor, the pastor’s pastor, Bill Leach. God had already given us a tank of gas and money. He was great! Elaine pulled the $20 bill out of the envelop with a sly delighted look in her eye. I nodded with a grin. The offering went by and we had $5 left.
The next day was the home missions service, where we celebrate church planting and other missions here at home. We love church planting and we love God and the way he was providing so we gave our last five dollars. After that service I was called over by one of the leaders in our district and was given a Pentecostal Handshake, that wonderful institution where the Spirit inspires someone to pass some cash along with the peace of a handshake. As if we needed further proof that God was taking care of us, I found in my hand five $5 bills, completely replacing the money that we had gotten rid of already! We were being blessed by a photographer with royalty free professional photos on a cd so we in turn blessed him with $20 of our money. I tell you we just couldn’t get rid of the stuff. To our surprise Dave Williams then made good on his ridiculous promise to give us some money. So we were then able to go out to dinner on a crisp $100 bill and put another $50 in the offering! We really couldn’t out give God as much as we tried. It was fun to try. I felt the joy of St. Francis dancing through the woods in nothing but a hair shirt having thrown even the clothes off his back down at his father’s feet. “Now I can truly pray, ‘My Father in Heaven,’” he said.
Dave talked about his early days in ministry as we prepared to take up that last offering. He talked about how God had challenged him to be generous. He was making almost nothing, but he decided to tithe to the district, then tithe again to his church and then give to missions before spending the rest. I laughed out loud and leaned over to Elaine and whispered, “That is ridiculous!” Ridiculous and fabulous! God had only in the last few weeks challenged us to the same thing! What fun this adventure is. O for the day when we can finally give it all away! And we can live free, in the joyful asceticism.
We set off for district council with little money but some great assets. Brad Trask had graciously offered us Brighton Assembly’s Missionary House. As hard as we tried to share the blessing, we couldn’t find anyone else to stay with us, so we had this big beautiful house to ourselves. Our parents were going to stay at FaHoLo campground in Grass Lake and watch our kids in their bus.
We thought if worse came to worse we could buy some food with our foodstamps and cook back at the missionary house. But we ha a problem there. I had cracked the card a few weeks back and Elaine called for a replacement. The card didn’t come until we had left. So the cash we had on hand was all there was. We were stressed, but we determined to trust God.
We went down to the campground Sunday night. Elaine and I were in the midst of a three day fast anticipating what God would do in us through ordination, so we only had to feed the kids. The next day we dropped off my suits at a dry cleaner (One Hour Martinizing which is no longer one hour, we were extremely lucky they let us have one day service.) That took the last of our money. In fact I had to borrow a dollar from money I had brought to restock the coffeehouse.
Later that day I had coffee with Professor Mojo, and classmates, Joe and Christy. We talked about St. Francis and other things spiritual. I was so hyped up on caffeine courtesy of Live Wired Coffeehouse (R&D) that I was talking a mile a minute. Christy prayed for us, that God would provide the money to get us back home. Will all our talk about St. Francis I was soon to find the joy of his simplicity and relinquishment.
That night my parents got in. They decided to celebrate our anniversary (a month early) and we went to the grocery store for supplies and a desert. They then wanted to get a pizza. We drove all around Jackson to find a place that was open. My parents felt so bad that they filled our tank for us! Then back at the bus we had desert and opened a card with a gift of $25!
Armed with gas and $25 we headed to council. Tuesday was our ordination luncheon and rehearsal. That night was the banquet we had already paid for, so our meals were covered for this day. Dave Williams laughed at the luncheon that he had intended to send us $100 after reading some comments we had posted about our desire to trust God with our finances and become even more generous. He was so tickled that we didn’t act like victims of our economy. We laughed with him, we thought it was silly, but nice, of him to think of sending $100 to us.
Wednesday was the offering for pastor appreciation - our pastor, the pastor’s pastor, Bill Leach. God had already given us a tank of gas and money. He was great! Elaine pulled the $20 bill out of the envelop with a sly delighted look in her eye. I nodded with a grin. The offering went by and we had $5 left.
The next day was the home missions service, where we celebrate church planting and other missions here at home. We love church planting and we love God and the way he was providing so we gave our last five dollars. After that service I was called over by one of the leaders in our district and was given a Pentecostal Handshake, that wonderful institution where the Spirit inspires someone to pass some cash along with the peace of a handshake. As if we needed further proof that God was taking care of us, I found in my hand five $5 bills, completely replacing the money that we had gotten rid of already! We were being blessed by a photographer with royalty free professional photos on a cd so we in turn blessed him with $20 of our money. I tell you we just couldn’t get rid of the stuff. To our surprise Dave Williams then made good on his ridiculous promise to give us some money. So we were then able to go out to dinner on a crisp $100 bill and put another $50 in the offering! We really couldn’t out give God as much as we tried. It was fun to try. I felt the joy of St. Francis dancing through the woods in nothing but a hair shirt having thrown even the clothes off his back down at his father’s feet. “Now I can truly pray, ‘My Father in Heaven,’” he said.
Dave talked about his early days in ministry as we prepared to take up that last offering. He talked about how God had challenged him to be generous. He was making almost nothing, but he decided to tithe to the district, then tithe again to his church and then give to missions before spending the rest. I laughed out loud and leaned over to Elaine and whispered, “That is ridiculous!” Ridiculous and fabulous! God had only in the last few weeks challenged us to the same thing! What fun this adventure is. O for the day when we can finally give it all away! And we can live free, in the joyful asceticism.
Delight at District Council
Reflections of district council:
One of most meaningful aspects of District Council to me is the honoring of the saints who have gone before us. We may be of a tradition that does not understand or appreciate veneration of Saints, still we understand what it means to be a saint, and delight in the legacy that the heroes of the faith leave us.
The banquet on Tuesday night honors the saints who have been ordained ministers for 50 years. This year among the others our former General Superintendent, Tom Trask was also honored. Norm Muhling was honored as well as he prepared to leave the district office for retirement. With heart felt enthusiasm we applauded each with a standing ovation. My heart swelled with gratitude each time I stood applauding the life and faithfulness of these saints. My face must have beamed as I delighted in them. Norm said that this was the closest thing to hearing his own funeral eulogies that he had experienced. I chuckled, but looking back the feeling I had that night was much like the times I have knelt by a casket and meditated on the life of the one commended to God.
Ovations continued throughout the week as gratitude would well up with in us for saints we love dearly. We honored those ordained for forty years, we honored Bro. Leach’s love and leadership to our district and Bro. Trask’s years of service at headquarters. I could tell Elaine was getting a little tired of standing up so often, but I wasn’t, my heart would stand and clap much longer for those who showed the way, for those who love us with their ministry. At times they seemed embarrassed, at others moved to tears.
Thursday night it was our turn. Elaine and I were ordained Thursday, both of us. One of the things I love about the Michigan District is the way that, from our first introduction to the leaders of the district, we have felt like they actually cared about us. Jeff Kennedy said, “Of course, that is because we do.” I have felt like they have taken a personal interest in us, like they delight in us. Who are we to receive such love, such interest? Are we rising stars in the Assemblies of God? Are we success personified? Hardly! I have a suspicion that our leaders love all of us, they look on all of us with delight. Still under their gaze I feel like a star, I feel successful. I love it.
Well, Thursday night all of us being ordained were in the front row. I’d catch a glimpse of the eyes of our leaders. They were watching us worship, beaming, taking genuine delight in us! I wondered, like a child, caught up in their delight. Then I thought of The Father in heaven delighting over his children, dancing over us! They weren’t alone. Again the congregation swelled in gratitude. Perhaps it was the joy of a fresh bunch of saints being consecrated to ministry, we beginning the adventure those Tuesday night have nearly completed, but they stood and applauded us. I truly hope that those who I have stood and applauded this week also knew the feeling of delight that we had in them.
Thank you, Father, for taking delight in us. Thank you for your saints, this wonderful family that you have given us. Thank you for the grace you gave those who have finished strong. Help us too. May 2058 find us faithful, if not already home.
One of most meaningful aspects of District Council to me is the honoring of the saints who have gone before us. We may be of a tradition that does not understand or appreciate veneration of Saints, still we understand what it means to be a saint, and delight in the legacy that the heroes of the faith leave us.
The banquet on Tuesday night honors the saints who have been ordained ministers for 50 years. This year among the others our former General Superintendent, Tom Trask was also honored. Norm Muhling was honored as well as he prepared to leave the district office for retirement. With heart felt enthusiasm we applauded each with a standing ovation. My heart swelled with gratitude each time I stood applauding the life and faithfulness of these saints. My face must have beamed as I delighted in them. Norm said that this was the closest thing to hearing his own funeral eulogies that he had experienced. I chuckled, but looking back the feeling I had that night was much like the times I have knelt by a casket and meditated on the life of the one commended to God.
Ovations continued throughout the week as gratitude would well up with in us for saints we love dearly. We honored those ordained for forty years, we honored Bro. Leach’s love and leadership to our district and Bro. Trask’s years of service at headquarters. I could tell Elaine was getting a little tired of standing up so often, but I wasn’t, my heart would stand and clap much longer for those who showed the way, for those who love us with their ministry. At times they seemed embarrassed, at others moved to tears.
Thursday night it was our turn. Elaine and I were ordained Thursday, both of us. One of the things I love about the Michigan District is the way that, from our first introduction to the leaders of the district, we have felt like they actually cared about us. Jeff Kennedy said, “Of course, that is because we do.” I have felt like they have taken a personal interest in us, like they delight in us. Who are we to receive such love, such interest? Are we rising stars in the Assemblies of God? Are we success personified? Hardly! I have a suspicion that our leaders love all of us, they look on all of us with delight. Still under their gaze I feel like a star, I feel successful. I love it.
Well, Thursday night all of us being ordained were in the front row. I’d catch a glimpse of the eyes of our leaders. They were watching us worship, beaming, taking genuine delight in us! I wondered, like a child, caught up in their delight. Then I thought of The Father in heaven delighting over his children, dancing over us! They weren’t alone. Again the congregation swelled in gratitude. Perhaps it was the joy of a fresh bunch of saints being consecrated to ministry, we beginning the adventure those Tuesday night have nearly completed, but they stood and applauded us. I truly hope that those who I have stood and applauded this week also knew the feeling of delight that we had in them.
Thank you, Father, for taking delight in us. Thank you for your saints, this wonderful family that you have given us. Thank you for the grace you gave those who have finished strong. Help us too. May 2058 find us faithful, if not already home.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Ordination revisited
As my (and Elaine's) ordination approaches (May 8th) I once again am troubled as to what this all means. Since it is not sacramental, like Sarah's beautiful ordination to the Episcopal Priesthood, what spiritual import can I expect?
Here is what the A/G's Position paper states:
Here is what the A/G's Position paper states:
This statement on the Assemblies of God view of ordination was accepted by the General Presbytery in 1976. Since then the licensed minister has been granted many of the benefits of ordination. I am still eager to experience the spiritual side. I guess I will go in expecting God to do something in the laying on of hands that he has set aside for me until this time. I think it would indeed be appropriate to fast as an expression of my expectation.The view of ordination in the Assemblies of God is predicated upon biblical principles and is consonant with the evangelical view. The following characteristics comprise the Assemblies of God view.
Ordination can be defined as the public ceremony by which the Movement acknowledges the divine call, commission, and qualification of a person to ministry in the Assemblies of God; extends its blessings, fellowship, and opportunities; receives his pledge of dedication, faithfulness, and loyalty; and invokes divine enablement for success in life and ministry.
Ordination is held to be spiritual and functional rather than sacerdotal. It is important as a public acknowledgment of God’s prior call and commission, but it is not essential. All Christians are equal, but ministers are set apart for special, full-time Christian service and leadership. When necessary, the laity can perform all of the functions of ministry except those for which the State requires an ordained minister.
Ordination is performed only after a careful examination of the candidate as to qualification on six essential points:
- The genuineness of his Christian experience;
- The sufficiency of his spiritual, moral, emotional, and social maturity;
- The reality of his divine call;
- The correctness of his doctrine;
- The adequacy of his preparation and practical abilities; and
- The acceptability of his allegiance to the Movement’s policies and programs.
Authority and power for ministry are conferred directly by Christ through the Holy Spirit, not through those who perform the ordination ceremony. No particular man or group is essential to the ordination process. Those who participate are dispensable instruments. The stress is upon an immediate spiritual connection with Christ rather than a historical episcopal (apostolic) succession. The living Lord of the Church is making direct, dynamic appointments in His body today.
Ordination is held to be of concern to the whole Church, not just the local assembly. This is indicated by the fact that the apostles, whose ministry was international in scope, presided in each of the five New Testament ceremonies of ordination. Therefore, in the Assemblies of God the ordination is conducted at district level by the superintendent with the imposition of hands and prayers of the District Presbytery. It is recognized by the Executive Presbytery of the General Council and is signatured by the general superintendent and general secretary. Also, since ministers participated in each of the New Testament ceremonies, presbyters and other senior ministers are involved in Assemblies of God ordination in the laying on of hands and prayer.
The Assemblies of God stresses the importance of the spiritual quality of the ordination ceremony as opposed to a formal ritual. Typical Assemblies of God ordinations include fasting, prayer, and the laying on of hands, preaching, a charge, and other elements which were seen in the New Testament ceremonies of ordination.
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