RETURN TO THE DESERT

This blog began to get its focus when I was driven from the leadership of a congregation, in the spring of 2006. It took a long time for me to be able to write anything with any clarity. (Meaning there were times, especially in the first months, when I could barely put two sentences together coherently — a long "come down" from the life of an award-wining journalist.)

On the other side, the fact that it has taken seven years to re-start any  significant writing is probably "a good thing," insofar as I have been able to take time and  think about things. 

I still believe that I hold a fairly orthodox Christian approach to life and faith. But my thinking has arisen out of serious questioning of what the Christian faith has become, in comparison to what Jesus taught, in both is speaking and his doing. A lot has been considered in that particular train of thought; I only understand a bit of it. But it seems to be centred in the long-understood differences between Jesus and Paul of Tarsus, and also in the differences in the gospels.

I was able, in the spring of 2012, to return to the work of pastor, which I can say I truly love. Subsequently, I have been asked to take on additional responsibilities, from time to time. 

There are some books which have influenced me significantly. They are listed in the "Reflective Reading"  page (below the header for this blog). I would encourage you to find and read these books. Some may be available in local libraries. 

One other thought. I have given some thought to taking this blog private. I have decided not to do that immediately. I'll give you fair warning if I make that decision.

Anyhow, that is the re-start of this blog.

Peace and joy, friends!

Rob

Footnote

Though I normally use a Bear persona with my blogs, that will not be the case here. The "Bear Bio" note is gone. The writer is "Rob," who signed this post. Just so you know.

MOVING FROM THE DESERT

IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONSOLIDATE MY WRITING,

THIS BLOG IS BEING MOVED "ARCHIVE" STATUS.

If your want to see what I am and doing currently,

please check Chrome on the Range,

which continues to be my primary blog.

Thank you.

FINISHED THIS SERVICE PROJECT

As anticipated, I concluded my service to our congregation on June 30th. I had one more commitment — leading worship for Third Avenue U.C. on July First — Canada Day — and that went well, too.

Our minister, B, started working part-time in July, and will be back full time in September. (Before I left, I arranged things in such a way that he would not even have to work full-time in August, as well.)

I am glad I had the opportunity to serve our congregation (and our neighbouring congregation as part of the "package").

I found that I was much more relaxed in my work, and that things came together for me in very different ways from how I had experienced them in the past. The ideas were a bit sharper, and were n to as hard to put together. I also felt more natural, just getting up and talking to people. But then, for the first time, I was not taking a full text into the pulpit, as I had in the past. That felt very affirming, that I could trust my mind.

I also felt I had a much better grasp on things which were happening in the congregation. Not necessary happy things. But things which were important.

Would I do it again? Probably. If I were needed. But to tell you the truth, I like being retired. I realize that I am not as young as I used to be, and I like a more relaxed approach to life. Particularly when I can give more time to my reading and writing, and hobbies, and family.

BACK TO WORK

Despite all the craziness in church, I have gone back to serving a congregation. And coming out of retirement to do it. This is only for a while, since our minister is on medical leave, and will (I hope) be back by September.

There is a very real difference between sitting in a pew and being "up front." The building hasn't changed. The people around me are the same, since this is the congregation with which I regularly worship. But the viewpoint is different. And the expectations are different. People expect, reasonably, that I will have creative thoughts to share with them about how we behave as Christians in the 21st century. And I keep working these things out, myself. And sharing what I can.

I must admit that, while this has been challenging, it has also been exciting. I feel that I have finally come to the maturity I had hoped to reach as a minister. I have been working on this for a long time. I was getting close to this just before I ran into health problems. Now, I'm healthier, and happier. And the pieces are coming together. I'll write more about this in coming weeks.

Overall, this has been a good experience. While I am sad that our minster is unwell, at least I have been able to help with some things that I can do. This is, after all, how a church works; people share various skills, and those complement each other.

In July, the church closes, and we worship with a neighbouring congregation. So I will be on holidays. In August, we open again, and carry on. I expect things will be good.

CRAZINESS IN CHURCH

Think of the following occupations: florist, deep sea welder, fire fighter, taxi driver, minister (member of the clergy), police officer. If you were to list them from most to least dangerous to your health, and most risky in terms of people to whom one would sell life insurance, where would those occupations fit? In the "most dangerous" category — deep sea welder and minister — both just a bit behind crab fishermen.

I just about dropped off my chair when I read that.

But it comes from research done by a number of clergy, on clergy. The information I read began with one pastor following with some statistics from a member of his congregation who sold life insurance. Here are some "fun" numbers.

    * 48 percent of clergy think their work is hazardous to their family’s well being.
    * 80 percent of pastors say they don't have enough time with spouse and that ministry has a negative effect on their family.
    * Clergy have the 2nd highest divorce rate among professions.
    *46 percent will experience burnout or depression that will make them leave their jobs.
    *70 percent say their self-esteem is lower now than when they started their position.
    * 40 percent report a serious conflict with at least one parishioner every month.
    * 75 percent report they’ve had significant stress-related crisis on at least one occasion in their ministry.
    * 58 percent of pastors indicate that their spouse needs to work to supplement the family income.
    * 56 percent of pastors’ wives say they have no close friends.
    * Pastors working less than 50 hours per week are 35 percent more likely to be terminated.
    * 40 percent of pastors considered leaving the pastorate in the past three months.

In response to the statistics, I think of my own experience in ministry. A number of those statistics reflect my life as a church leader, including the "significant stress-related crisis on at least one occasion in their ministry." Which is why I'm on disability, and have been for five years. 

But, there is another side to this. I also spent almost 17 years serving a wonderful congregation of loving and interesting people.

(To be continued)

LAMENT FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010

This is something which I have already posted on my "Chrome on the Range" blog. But it is a truly spiritual issue, so I'm noting it here.

PRAYER FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO

Masaru Emoto is a Japanese researcher and author who has done studies on the power of thought on water. He has offered this prayer:

To whales, dolphins, pelicans, fishes, shellfishes, planktons, corals, algae and all creatures in Gulf of Mexico:
I am sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you. 

Thanks to Nancy at Life in the Second Half for sharing this. 

BIBLICAL AND POST-BIBLICAL (GREEK) CHRISTIANITY

One of the challenges I face (indeed, we all face), when we read the "New Testament" in the Bible, is the matter of context. A lot of the Biblical material is based in Greek philosophy. If you don't understand Greek philosophy — particularly Plato and Aristotle — you'll have trouble figuring out what the New Testament writers were saying, particularly outside the gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.

We all live in a specific context. Our 21st century context is radically different from that of the New Testament writers and their ethos of Greek philosophy. And, as in everything else, much gets lost in translation.

I find it increasingly frustrating to have to deal with the Greek philosophy, which influenced the Christian Church well into the middle ages (and in some cases, right up to today). I'm not alone in that. When the Renaissance came along, people were thinking "outside the box" of Greek philosophy — and the battle lines were drawn along that front. (The people who say it was "science versus religion" do not understand the deeper philosophical context that motivated the battle.)

Today, there is much science can tell us about life. which is good. And there is much, particularly about relationship, which science cannot, at this point, measure. Love is one of those items; "compassion" (if you prefer that word). Neither of those is logical or based in science, yet we dare to believe in them.

All very interesting.
√

CONTEMPORARY RELIGION

It was the great Reformed theologian Karl Barth who once observed, for spiritual leaders, that they ought to preach (or teach) "with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other."

I keep turning that idea around in my head, as I work as an ethicist. It seems that need to speak to the real questions that people are asking, or think they are asking.

One of the frustrations that I find is that, when people talk about Christianity, they often have little or no idea of what basic Christianity is about. They have the strangest notions in their heads -- and link to Christianity things that are completely foreign to that understanding of life or the world.

Now that's a challenge.

√

REPLY TO SNOWBRUSH

Fellow Blogger "Snowbrush" is a delightful person, who writes thoughtfully, passionately, and beautifully.

One of the challenges in his life is his relationship with God, about which he has been vocal. And I have no qualms about sharing his ideas with you.

As someone who is a Pastor by training and service, I encourage people to think reflectively about their lives, what is important to them, and why it is important.

The following is my reply to "Snowbrush's" writing on his relationship with God. Y0u can find it on his site, or you can simply read it here.

- - - - - - - - -

This is a very provocative post. Provocative in the sense of thought-provoking.


I feel really happy for your grandfather. I feel really sad for your father. Having had to fight my own demons, even in my teens, I may understood something of your father's plight.


As for the rest, just about nothing resonates at all. I just don't get it. I suppose that's because I'm a Canadian, and live in a very different context than yours.


• "Respect" resonates.

• I wouldn't give John "a pass"

• I'm surprised that you said so little about the prophets of Israel with their demands for justice and compassion -- including the prophet Jesus.

• I'm a little concerned that you quote things out of context, and that you have missed the literary style in some of what you've been quoting.

• And I'm not sure that you recognize that people have tried to do good things, but used unhelpful methods, and rally messed things up.


I'm really touched by your comment that

"If you were to be marooned upon that proverbial desert island, what one book would you take? I would take the Bible. It’s long; it contains a lot of interesting stories; a good bit of poetry; some history; some wisdom; and it spans many cultures and centuries. I can’t say that I love the Bible, but I sure do like it a lot—I just wish that people didn’t take it so seriously."


Indeed, as you say, the Bible is both a book and a symbol. And it is essentially story -- story and mystery. But I would argue that most people don't take the Bible seriously enough.


I realize that you've got a chip on your shoulder when it comes to God. That's who you are, and I'm not about to try to change that -- because only you can make that change.


The older I get, the more questions I have, and the better answers I find. I hope you keep asking better questions and finding better answers.

Hen Buddhism and the Art of Human Maintenance. (3)

Lee says:

Sunday, 15 March 2009
A reflection of the bigger picture.

In a comments to the last post, Rob-bear issued an implied challenge for me to say something nice about religion.

And it is true enough that people 'fault find' as a default position.

And it is a parent's mantra to accentuate the positive and not the negative.

But (don't you just love that word?) it's not easy.

In many ways the church is a microcosm of the broader community where good work is done by individuals and local groups but the higher up the power pile you go the more removed and more impersonal the public face.

Undeniably, people in most churches and denominations do well and mean well. Regardless of their faith. Community aid, charity, meals on wheels, visiting the sick and the poor, running telephone help-lines and such like. They honestly and earnestly apply their faith's doctrine of good.

Undeniably churches provide a sense of community and belonging and acceptance that many people find missing in their lives in other spheres.

The trouble with this is it is dull. If I blogged about the thousands of selfless acts of care and charity performed every day I would lose all my readers. Both of them.

The other thing is the Church puts itself out there. There are hundreds of tennis clubs around the country, full of people fervently playing tennis, raising money, looking after members, rebuilding club houses, holding meetings and generally being tennis clubs. They do not try to tell people that they are wrong for playing cricket, basketball or football. And you hardly know that they are there.

Churches would be left alone if they left alone.


Rob-bear says:

1. Regarding "the trouble with this is it is dull."

Actually, it's only dull to people who are dull. It's essential to the needs of others (especially the desperate), or those who really care about the needs of others.

2. Regarding the "hundreds of tennis clubs around the country, full of people fervently playing tennis, raising money, looking after members, rebuilding club houses, holding meetings and generally being tennis clubs."

And how many very private tennis clubs open their doors -- unconditionally and continually -- to people who are not part of the club -- week, after week, after week? Like the church that fed "street people" every Sunday morning (as well as other times).

3. Your commenters remind me of how many self-centred and socially unaware people there are in our world. Sadly. 'Tis the curse of the modern age.

{My argument with Lee here is that, like many other people in our time, he has fallen pray to the assumption that good = dull. It is a position which causes us to reinforce bad news and ignore good news. That, in turn, promotes a negative view on society, which often degenerates into outright cynicism. It was assumption and process with which I was constantly struggling as a journalist (and still do), as a matter of journalistic ethics. That is compounded by the problem of self-centredness, which I have already mentioned. I do recognize Lee's concern if he wrote about "the thousands of selfless acts of care and charity performed every day I would lose all my readers." I would simply suggest that, as a matter of ethics, that he make his reporting more "balanced." Unless he has a particular axe to grind, which seems to be the case.}

Hen Buddhism and the Art of Human Maintenance (2)

Lee says:

Saturday, 14 March 2009
A response to Rob-bear

Rob-bear makes a fair point in my earlier post, that ‘organised religion’ has done much good in the past.

As he states, it has been responsible for providing many medical services over the ages.

It has also been responsible for the creation of many schools. Initially the Church gained great power by being the only people who could read and write. In later years, it found value in running schools and teaching.

Not for just itself but because it then had control of the curriculum.

Rob-bear did not mention art – the Church has been responsible for some magnificent architecture, art and music.

I could now go into a long list of things that the Churches did over the years that were truly atrocious but that would be missing the main point I want to make.

My gripe is with the Church today. It’s actions now.

The Church and its supporters must take this view, too. Why else would they be chasing converts? The Bible is full of calls to repent; implying that you can leave your past ways, good or bad, and follow the new.

So, my gripe is with the new.

Irrespective of how they behaved in the past, good or bad, what are they doing now?

If what they do is good, I will praise it, but if what they do amounts to idiocy then I feel no compulsion to be a quiet observer.

◊◊◊

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice,
but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
- Elie Weisel.


Rob-bear says:

Thank you for taking me seriously.

What's happening today?

• Meals for people who don't have food. (I remember going to a church in another community for Holy Communion. Sunday service was held in the chancel. When I arrived (a bit early) the back of the nave was still full of "street people," finishing their breakfasts. Similar things happen in my community.)
• Housing for those who don't have any -- including the building of housing units if nobody else will build.
• Support networks, for those who feel friendless.
• Counselling, for free!
• Etc., etc., etc.

These things, of course, rarely make it into "the media," though they are commonplace. That's why many of these activities remain virtually unknown. Often, such actions take place in a community context, where churches (Protestant and Catholic) work together, many times side-by-side with non-church groups, to provide a broader and more effective service. I speak from personal experience.

And I don't think this is just a Canadian phenomenon.

You said, "If what they do is good, I will praise it." So, . . .


{The one thing I would add in passing is that I agree entirely with the quote from Elie Weisel. As long as we're protesting something worth protesting, not a straw man.}

Hen Buddhism and the Art of Human Maintenance.

This is the first of three conversations between Lee and me. This material originally appeared on his "Hen Buddhism" blog. It appears here with his permission -- yes, as a ethicist, I do consider things like confidentiality and intellectual property rights -- and try not to violate either.


Lee says:

Friday, 13 March 2009
Jesus wept.

A story that was on the go before I went a-wandering comes from Brazil. The time line is as follows.

* A nine year old girl is raped by her step-father.
* He had been abusing her since she was six.
* BTW: He also abused her physically handicapped 14 year old sister.
* The nine year old becomes pregnant to him, with twins.
* It was considered by medical authorities that the girl, weighing less than 80lb, was at risk.
* The pregnancy was terminated at 15 weeks.
* The Catholic Church promptly excommunicated the mother and the doctor.
* The Catholic Church felt no need to excommunicate the step-father.
* Brazil's President and Health Minister both condemned the church's decision.
* The Pope supported the church's decision.

What are they thinking?

"Jesus wept" (John 11:35) may be the shortest verse in the King James Bible but his followers certainly give him much to weep over.

One of the 'virtues' touted by believers is that religion is the source of human morality; clearly this idea needs some more work.

Rob-bear says:

I get God, and faith. I don't get stupidity, religious or other. Religion ≠ stupidity.


{The process as outlined by Lee, and confirmed through other sources, is totally lacking in any kind of justice, compassion, or human decency, as far as I can see. I'm outraged -- as is Lee. Of course, this is the same organization whose leader believes that condoms are not the answer to Africa's fight against HIV/AIDS, and that condoms actually increase the problem. Huh?}

The Bible in it's Context

For many centuries, Christians have struggled with a problem at the core of their faith -- the meaning of the Bible. The biggest problem has arisen from taking the Bible out of its original context. I hope this shed some light on the context, and how to build a faith within that context.

1. The Bible is Story First and foremost, we need to remember that much of the Bible circulated as unwritten stories for ages. That's true of key portions of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Eventually the stories were written down, and edited, and re-edited, and translated, re-edited, and copied, and re-edited some more.

The Bible is the story of how God and God's people learned to understand each other, and how they got along (as in how the people got along with God, and how they got along with each other). And sometimes the people and God didn't get along very well, from the human perspective.

Sometimes the people misunderstood God; sometimes God got annoyed with the people (at least, from their perspective). And sometimes the people didn't get along with each other. Sometimes people experimented with wild, weird, and wonderful ideas -- some of which were helpful, and some of which weren't. You'll see it all. But don't get too worried about that. Most of it is useful in helping us sort out our faith, our understanding of God -- both in terms of what is helpful, and what is not helpful.

2. Respect the Details, but Don't Get Hung Up in Them Given that the Bible is story, there are a variety of literary styles and authors. The literary styles include allegory, legend, myth (which brings us to the myth-truth paradox), poetry, personal and not-so-personal letters, personal and group history, etc. Like any story, the details lead to the "punch line" -- which is the whole point of the story. Read the story from the beginning to the "punch line"; interpret the story backwards from the "punch line" to the beginning, in order to understand the story's details, and see how they fit into the stories.

And if the whole thing confuses you, just relax, set it aside, and come back at another time. Or, if you know someone who might have some ideas to share, someone you trust, go ask. If that person is a good teacher, the first question will be, "What do you think it means"? The Bible is a community book; it takes a whole village to raise a child, and to understand the Bible.

3. The Bible Helps Us Understand God, but Understanding the Bible Isn't the Same as Experiencing God That's a reality that a lot of people miss. And it messes up their potential for a fuller relationship with God and each other. Remember, it's a story about a developing relationship, just the the one we have with God,individually and together.

Happy reading! And happy discoveries/epiphanies along the way!

The Rubber Meets the Road

The space of almost a year between the first two postings is unintentional. But, as St. Anthony learned in the desert, wisdom does not necessarily come quickly, or according to our timetables. Not that I have true wisdom, but I'm moving along on my pilgrimage through the "desert" we call the 21st century.

I have believed for a long time that two key elements are involved when the "rubber" of faith meets the "road" of life.

The first is "hermeneutics." Simply put, that's the way we translate old ideas into new thoughts. God does not change; the eternal wisdom is just that — eternal. But our thought forms and our language do change over time. And since our understanding of God depends on our language and thoughts forms, the way we understand and talk about God changes over time, too. It is especially important to note that, if people who know little or nothing about our faith are going to understand what we are saying.

The second key element is "ethics." This discussion of our values leads to action. The earliest Christians did not just sit around thinking and talking about Jesus. They did not spend all their time in prayer. They were out in the world, going about daily life, influenced to the core by their experience of Jesus. They "talked the talk" about Jesus and what he meant to them. But they also acted on their beliefs, and those actions changed the world.

In the beginning . . .

This blog came to life through my very traumatic experiences at the age of about 60. The immediate result of those experiences was that I have been unemployed since then. I have tried to get back to work on a couple of occasions, but those have never lasted more than a few months.

My life situation forced me to reconsider everything I believed. Now, I am slowly re-discovering my identity.

• I still believe in God, though our relationship has changed, for the better.

• I still trust the wisdom of the Christian scriptures. But I think if we had more respect for the scriptures, and didn't try to make them into something they are not, we'd all be better off. I also realize that there is more to the to the work of the Spirit of God in the world than is (or can be) contained in Christian Scriptures. Which means I can and look elsewhere for wisdom -- and often find it.

• I still think the church is important, as the collection of faithful people. But I think that it has become institutionalized and imperial in its approach. That has become problematic (some might even say "demonic"). The British evangelist John Wesley once observed that, "the world is my parish." If that is true, then Christians need to be active in the world, not just in the church. That activity in the world was a crucial part of the life in the early church (i.e., in the period right after Jesus; indeed, for the first 300 years).

• I believe my identity continues to be ethical, perhaps even "prophetic," as well as thoroughly pastoral (based on a deep and abiding care for others). Part of my work includes discovering places in the world (though not as much in the church) where I can speak God's human and humane truth (in both circumspect and direct language) in ways that "the world" can hear it. For that, I am, and will be, thankful.

That's where I begin.