2/9/12
1/23/12
Christian Community without Church
Maybe the title should read "Your Community is Your Church."
No budgets, no offerings, no buildings, no insurance, no politics.
Meet regularly with those that help you to live more meaningfully, with people who challenge you, and inspire you. Carve out some intentional space to work together on being more loving, to seek wisdom, to pray.
Share your stories. Listen. Serve together. Laugh together. Love and be loved.
Read books, challenge your thinking. Help each other through the hard times, help each other keep perspective.
Try out different churches if you want something to discuss. Or stay completely away from churches. Go camping, hiking, rock climbing.
Church is seeking the most important things in life with others, in community.
Maybe you are doing all this already. The important thing is to be intentional about growth and inspiration. Thats church at its best.
And loving others is more important than ever.
No budgets, no offerings, no buildings, no insurance, no politics.
Meet regularly with those that help you to live more meaningfully, with people who challenge you, and inspire you. Carve out some intentional space to work together on being more loving, to seek wisdom, to pray.
Share your stories. Listen. Serve together. Laugh together. Love and be loved.
Read books, challenge your thinking. Help each other through the hard times, help each other keep perspective.
Try out different churches if you want something to discuss. Or stay completely away from churches. Go camping, hiking, rock climbing.
Church is seeking the most important things in life with others, in community.
Maybe you are doing all this already. The important thing is to be intentional about growth and inspiration. Thats church at its best.
Jesus is still the center of my life.
The Bible is still my favorite book.
Christian community is my real church.
Jesus without Justification
How does Jesus death change our standing before God? How does the death of the good absolve the guilty? People have given me lots of explanations, but they all seem far fetched, don't they? (If they don't seem so to you, by all means, believe them.) Others say that we just have to accept that it does, even if we don't understand it, because God said so. Maybe He did, but its not clear.
I'm okay with admitting that we don't know how it all works, as long as we're not dogmatic that only Christians will be saved. Because maybe Jesus died to show us ultimate love, and we're meant to follow His example. If the example and teachings of Jesus are compelling, then people who tend to question the magic of justification can still find immense value in Christianity.
Jesus said He is the way the truth and the life, and that no one can come to the father except through Him. He is love, the ultimate truth, the way to live. I believe that. I am a Christian because I believe in the teachings of Jesus and because His story informs my understanding of meaning.
If the life of love that Jesus exemplified through life and death is meant for an example, then those who have had a hard time developing a "personal relationship" with Him can stop guilt tripping themselves into spending more time reading the Bible and praying in order to become His buddy. God will show up in our lives when He wants to, and I believe He does, but not because of some kind of personal piety formula. Maybe God created us primarily for relationships with each other, and it is by serving each other that we serve Him, as Matthew 25 suggests. Then if we don't experience God close we don't have to wonder what's wrong with us, and we won't have to try to convince atheists (who sometimes do a better job of loving than Christians) that their beliefs will damn them. Maybe salvation isn't based on a technicality.
I'm okay with admitting that we don't know how it all works, as long as we're not dogmatic that only Christians will be saved. Because maybe Jesus died to show us ultimate love, and we're meant to follow His example. If the example and teachings of Jesus are compelling, then people who tend to question the magic of justification can still find immense value in Christianity.
Jesus said He is the way the truth and the life, and that no one can come to the father except through Him. He is love, the ultimate truth, the way to live. I believe that. I am a Christian because I believe in the teachings of Jesus and because His story informs my understanding of meaning.
If the life of love that Jesus exemplified through life and death is meant for an example, then those who have had a hard time developing a "personal relationship" with Him can stop guilt tripping themselves into spending more time reading the Bible and praying in order to become His buddy. God will show up in our lives when He wants to, and I believe He does, but not because of some kind of personal piety formula. Maybe God created us primarily for relationships with each other, and it is by serving each other that we serve Him, as Matthew 25 suggests. Then if we don't experience God close we don't have to wonder what's wrong with us, and we won't have to try to convince atheists (who sometimes do a better job of loving than Christians) that their beliefs will damn them. Maybe salvation isn't based on a technicality.
Jesus is still the center of my life.
The Bible is still my favorite book.
Christian community is my real church.
And loving others is more important than ever.
Bible without Infallibility
People often say, If the Bible is not infallible then what is your standard? You're making yourself your own standard for truth.
First of all, infallibility does not solve the problem, because we all interpret things based on our own upbringing and experiences. Secondly, even if that were not the case, the idea that our standard is either the Bible or ourselves is a false dichotomy. There are other valid external sources that can cross reference the Bible, including our tradition, community, other religions and their texts, and most importantly, God Himself, the Holy Spirit.
God also created us with a conscience, and even though its an internal source, I think its valid to let it weigh in when we question things in the Bible, like genocide.
The Bible is a great book. It is a reliable historic document. It contains narrative that brings meaning to millions, and I'm deeply grateful for it. Infallibility does injustice to the idea of art, and of narrative. We do not ask the painter if what they painted is true, but we ask ourselves if it is beautiful. The Bible is a very beautiful and moving history of ideas about God.
Jesus is still the center of my life.
The Bible is still my favorite book.
Christian community is my real church.
And loving others is more important than ever.
1/16/12
Value in Christianity without Christianity
I've been having lots of conversations with people who grew up Christians but who are now doing their own thing. I'd say I have a real in depth heart to heart about it with someone at least once a week, often more than that. I find similar themes running through the different stories people are telling. It doesn't scare me that they don't go to church anymore, or they haven't read the Bible in a while. What bothers me is that they tend to see things so black and white.
They mention a few things that bothers them about church or the Bible, (things I agree with) and then conclude by admitting that they just stopped being interested. Stopped attending. Stopped reading. Stopped caring.
I guess I can't blame them. I can't expect them to have the desire to intentionally and earnestly seek for the beauty and value of Christianity when so far in their lives they've found it loud and irrelevant.
But it doesn't have to be so black and white. I'm arguing for a middle way. A way between fundamentalism and agnosticism. It is possible to have an authentic and meaningful Christian experience without holding on to much of what you were taught growing up.
For me, I'm asking the same questions. I've had the same disillusioning experiences. Its what caused me to leave the ministry. But maybe its because I held onto Christianity until so late in life that keeps me searching. That may sound naive, but most people I'm talking with gave it all up in high school, at a time when their critical thinking faculties were not as mature as they are now. They haven't looked back since. If they did, (and its my goal to help them) I think they could find a lot of value in Christianity.
They could find:
Value in Jesus, his compelling example, and his revolutionary teachings.
Without being disillusioned with their inability to build a meaningful personal relationship with him, while being unable to understand the complicated and unlikely magic of how his death supposedly solves the problem of sin.
Value and immense meaning in the Bible, as a historical and literary masterpiece, containing thousands of years worth of different people's views of God, written by people who spent time with Jesus.
Without the contradiction of the love of God with the infallibility of the Bible. Without genocide and the corollary to infallibility that demands that every part of the Bible is equally applicable, valuable, and preachable, as every other part. Without infallibility's demand that God is responsible for some of its despicable material.
Value in Christianity.
Without putting down other religions. Without only Christians being saved. Value in Islam, value in Buddhism.
Value in Christian community.
Without church. Without budgets and bureaucracy. Without obligations and guilt trips. Without lists of complicated and unlikely-to-be-true doctrines. Without opinionated sermons masquerading as God's word for you today. Without expensive buildings and insurance. Without pretentious shows and inauthentic piety. Without petty theological arguments and dysfunctional gossip.
Value in Religion.
Without coercion.
Value in ideas about God.
Without proof.
Value in pursuing the meaning of life that transcends our understanding.
Without arrogance, compulsion, anger, greed, and pretense.
But how? they always ask me, in those conversations. How can you have one without the other?
Thats the topic of my next blog.
They mention a few things that bothers them about church or the Bible, (things I agree with) and then conclude by admitting that they just stopped being interested. Stopped attending. Stopped reading. Stopped caring.
I guess I can't blame them. I can't expect them to have the desire to intentionally and earnestly seek for the beauty and value of Christianity when so far in their lives they've found it loud and irrelevant.
But it doesn't have to be so black and white. I'm arguing for a middle way. A way between fundamentalism and agnosticism. It is possible to have an authentic and meaningful Christian experience without holding on to much of what you were taught growing up.
For me, I'm asking the same questions. I've had the same disillusioning experiences. Its what caused me to leave the ministry. But maybe its because I held onto Christianity until so late in life that keeps me searching. That may sound naive, but most people I'm talking with gave it all up in high school, at a time when their critical thinking faculties were not as mature as they are now. They haven't looked back since. If they did, (and its my goal to help them) I think they could find a lot of value in Christianity.
They could find:
Value in Jesus, his compelling example, and his revolutionary teachings.
Without being disillusioned with their inability to build a meaningful personal relationship with him, while being unable to understand the complicated and unlikely magic of how his death supposedly solves the problem of sin.
Value and immense meaning in the Bible, as a historical and literary masterpiece, containing thousands of years worth of different people's views of God, written by people who spent time with Jesus.
Without the contradiction of the love of God with the infallibility of the Bible. Without genocide and the corollary to infallibility that demands that every part of the Bible is equally applicable, valuable, and preachable, as every other part. Without infallibility's demand that God is responsible for some of its despicable material.
Value in Christianity.
Without putting down other religions. Without only Christians being saved. Value in Islam, value in Buddhism.
Value in Christian community.
Without church. Without budgets and bureaucracy. Without obligations and guilt trips. Without lists of complicated and unlikely-to-be-true doctrines. Without opinionated sermons masquerading as God's word for you today. Without expensive buildings and insurance. Without pretentious shows and inauthentic piety. Without petty theological arguments and dysfunctional gossip.
Value in Religion.
Without coercion.
Value in ideas about God.
Without proof.
Value in pursuing the meaning of life that transcends our understanding.
Without arrogance, compulsion, anger, greed, and pretense.
But how? they always ask me, in those conversations. How can you have one without the other?
Thats the topic of my next blog.
11/30/11
11/1/11
Rock Climbing *Gang*
I watched the movie BRA BOYS again, this time with Josh Littel and Travis Pyke. Bra Boys are a surfing gang in Sydney Australia. They are from poor neighborhoods, they get into a lot of trouble, but some of them end up professional surfers.
One neat thing that they do is take at risk kids on surfing trips around Australia. If the kids don't charge the waves, they have to find their own way home.
I guess "gang" is a really negative term. But we're trying to start a rock climbing "club" here in Chattanooga. We want to take kids climbing, hiking, mountain biking, etc., to get them outside and involved with a better community, to teach them skills, and help them fall in love with beautiful Chattanooga.
I was reading a book called "A Framework for Understanding Poverty," and it was saying that poverty is more than a lack of financial resources. Its also a lack of emotional resources and support systems, among other things. The lack of emotional resources tends to prevent them from making good choices in response to crisis. Instead, crisis usually leads to self-defeating behavior like alcohol, drugs, and violence.
The best way for kids in poverty to develop emotional resources is to have caring mentors.
Thanks to Elisa for her help and the use of her camera. Thanks to Josh Littel and Eric Schnell for equipment and belaying. Hopefully more pictures to come!
One neat thing that they do is take at risk kids on surfing trips around Australia. If the kids don't charge the waves, they have to find their own way home.
I guess "gang" is a really negative term. But we're trying to start a rock climbing "club" here in Chattanooga. We want to take kids climbing, hiking, mountain biking, etc., to get them outside and involved with a better community, to teach them skills, and help them fall in love with beautiful Chattanooga.
I was reading a book called "A Framework for Understanding Poverty," and it was saying that poverty is more than a lack of financial resources. Its also a lack of emotional resources and support systems, among other things. The lack of emotional resources tends to prevent them from making good choices in response to crisis. Instead, crisis usually leads to self-defeating behavior like alcohol, drugs, and violence.
The best way for kids in poverty to develop emotional resources is to have caring mentors.
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| Treetree Rappels After Reaching the Top |
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| Benita is more than halfway up her successful climb to the top |
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| Meemee was the first of the girls to go. She made it all the way! |
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