Ask Pastor Dan

Let's talk about Idolatry: Lectionary Reading for October 11th

2020-10-07T14:30:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite parts of being a Pastor was nearly always the novelty... you never knew what any individual week was going to bring to the table and it was pretty darn fun. Still, sometimes it's good to have a rhythm, and for me, the process of Sermon writing was my favorite rhythm. It would start with reading the texts on Monday, taking a solid guess at what the Holy Spirit was up to and then submitting my bulletin based on that guess.

Then, the real fun would start.

For the next couple of days, in the midst of the other work of being a Pastor, I would live in those texts, often walking to the Sanctuary to walk around, trying out phrases, reading the text aloud (which can REALLY change how you read) and seeing what ideas would jump up. Often, those ideas followed the initial line of thought for the bulletin somewhat... but occasionally, the impulse would go in another direction entirely.

I usually started those sermons with an apology that what the people were about to hear would NOT be following the expected course they'd read in the bulletin. Some of them would roll their eyes at me, others would lead forward. Typically, if the Holy Spirit interrupted my usual rhythm to take me in a different direction, the result was pretty good, at the very least, they knew it would be interesting.

Here are the texts for October 11th!

Exodus 32:1-14

The Text:

With Moses delayed coming down from the mountain after receiving the 10 commandments, the People of Israel assume that he is dead and get started with the idolatry, with Aaron melting down the people's gold belongings (many of which were probably "gifts" from the Egyptians when they fled Egypt) and making a golden calf. God informs Moses of this and decides to wipe the people out, and start over again from Moses. Moses then pleads on the People's behalf and changes God's mind.

The Take:

It's worth pointing out here that Israel's seemingly shockingly quick descent into idolatry probably was not MEANT by the people as an abandonment of the God who saved them. You have to remember that only Moses had really spoken directly to the LORD at this point, and the storm on the mountaintop when he received the Ten Commandments gave them more than enough reason to believe that Moses was dead. In the loss of their previous reminder of the presence of God, they turned to another... in admittedly a way Aaron at least should have seen was a really bad idea, but you also have to remember they had to this point in their lives been second class Egyptian citizens, and in the chaos since their exit from Egypt, it's reasonable to assume that they hadn't been caught up on details such as how THEIR God, unlike others they had known, was not about idol worship.

God and Moses then descend into what can only sound to us now like a pair of parents arguing over their children. If you are a parent (and have a partner in that endeavor) you likely WELL know what it is to go home and have your partner inform you of what YOUR child did in your absence. That context is worth remembering... I have occasionally muttered to my wife "That's it, this time I kill her," about our daughter, but that is never the meaning, and my wife never has taken it as such. It's frustration voiced in hyperbole, not murderous rage. (Let me step away from the keyboard to confirm that she knows that... yup, confirmed!)

This isn't to say the LORD is above violence according to the authors of Exodus... we're just a few plagues out of Egypt, after all, but huge mistake I think a lot of people make in interpreting the Old Testament is the fact that the Hebrew people were funny, liked jokes (especially puns) and in general had nuance... it's stodgy old white people who've done everything they could do to drain all humor and color from the source material.

So while it is certainly POSSIBLE that God was just about to go down the mountain and wipe out the Hebrews once and for all, it's at least worth a second to consider that something else might have been going on.

Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23

The Text:

This is a psalm about our previous text, and skipping right over the parents quarrel it goes straight to the sins of the Israelites and gives praise to God for being Merciful. It cuts straight to the quick of the Hebrews as well, naming their calamitous misrepresentation of God as the sin it is, and taking a moment to again praise God for patience in the face of such a colossal mistake.

The Take:

This is another text that you probably read in a very serious way, thereby missing out on a lot of the tone that is just screaming out at you if you allow yourself to hear it.

You. Mistook. Your GOD. The one who SAVED you. From EGYPT. You mistook that GOD for a gold Bull. A creature that eats GRASS. YOU THOUGHT YOUR GOD WAS A BULL.

I mean, if you allow yourself to hear the incredulity the psalm, it can totally shape how you read the whole text, and as the psalmist sings on behalf of Israel, it reads somewhat like a VERY apologetic spouse thanking their partner for the forgiveness offered when they had done something incredibly stupid.

Philippians 4:1-9

The Text:

So the middle part of this text probably rang familiar for a number of readers, it's a fairly famous text, and often ends up in "memorize these texts" collections. Focus on the good. Do not worry about the bad, but raise your concerns before the Lord. Always rejoice for what has been given, and hope for the good of all. This famous text is then couched in the midst of some closing exhortations, two members of the church in Philippi have been quarreling and Paul asks them to get along, and urges the people of God to focus on the truth, and to push for it, to push for the good.

The Take:

It's easy to read this is a Biblical "don't worry, be happy" but there's a bit more meat to it than that. It takes work to find the positive, it takes work to seek the truth. It takes work to bring a quarrel to a close and it takes work to remember to give praise to God in the midst of hardship and toil. The joy, truth, and peace being extolled here is NOT a passive acceptance of the status quo but instead a work of discernment, identifying the good, the pure, and the true, and holding THEM up as the model for your life, rather than whatever happens to be at hand.

Matthew 22:1-14

The Text:

The parable of the Wedding Banquet, where the Master of the House prepares a wedding banquet (hence the name) and invites guests, only to receive a number of excuses, and so throws wide the doors to let everyone in to be sure the banquet is well attended, but then still requires a certain decorum from those in attendance.

The Take:

This one sure can be a doozy, eh? Widely seen as a parable of the slow expanding of the phrase "The People of God" this text has taken on some anti-Semitic baggage over the years, often used by Christian Pastors as a sort of "taking of the torch" from the Jews by the Gentiles. It's worth pointing out that the original invitees are never UNinvited, their refusal to commit is simply shown as a reason to throw wide the doors. Anyone with qualms over such a reading may feel free to take it up with Jesus in John, where he says plainly, "Salvation is of the Jews."

Matthew itself is widely called the Gospel to the Jews, intended as a Christological apology to the Hebrew people in a time of chaos and transition, so you're not making wild assumptions when you say that Matthew's intention likely was NOT "Oh well, no more Jews" in the kingdom.

The end is telling, though. Here the doors are, open wide, but then the Master sees an invited guest who did not dress appropriately, and has them bound and thrown out. Here IS an invitation lost... you can't just show up, you need to make an effort.

The Takeaway:

I find myself struck here by a running theme of calling out the "People of God" for inappropriate behavior as it relates to God, namely, mistaking our God, creator of Heaven and Earth, for something that God is not.

When we look at Idolatry, we often see it as this dumb thing. What are those people doing, worshiping a lump of metal! We looks especially at the sin of the Hebrews in Exodus in such a dismissive way. "Hah, God had JUST helped them escape from Egypt and now already they're making up a new God to follow and giving that God credit? How dumb can you be!?"

But when we treat the sins of the People of God that way, we minimize the risks. They were dumb, we are not, and so we fail to take the warning of the text at face value.

Some might have been surprised at my minimizing of the sin of the Hebrews in the Take on that particular text, but I did so because it is important to keep in mind what really happened. The Hebrews had reason to believe that Moses was dead, and Moses, to that point, had been their most visible reminder of the presence and commandments of God. In their minds, they probably weren't replacing God... they were replacing MOSES.

But Moses was a flesh and blood guy who spoke with the LORD and could tell them when they were going right or wrong, a Prophet. An Idol had no opinions, had no agenda, was an empty object upon which the desires and biases of the people could be projected, and thereby deified. They took the living, breathing God and replaced God with an inanimate lump of gold, in the image of a creature which, while powerful, was also non-threatening.

I think that sin is one that is not only understandable in our modern context, but also prevalent. Many of our older representatives of the LORD have moved on and in their place we have placed Idols. We tell ourselves we are still worshiping the same God, but in place of a God with desires, drives, and commandments, we have started worshiping something inanimate, something unchallenging, something that permits us to project our own angers, fears, and biases upon it.

In North America today, that idol is often Americana, a rose-colored glasses version of an old America which was once "great." We lionize our old morality, our old religion, our old social structure as a better time, and as that gilded material starts to harden in the mold we start to see any deviation from it as a deviation from the will of God, even when God's scriptures again exhort us to seek out what is good, true, and pure, we instead cling to the status quo, to what is familiar. We say the word God, we sit in buildings we call Churches, but all the while we worship nostalgia, rather than the God announced in the scriptures.

And because we have learned to worship what is familiar, what is comfortable, it never occurs to us that we might be called upon to CHANGE ourselves as we answer God's call. And when God sees us, no different at the banquet table than we had been at any time in our lives and asks why we didn't even think to wear our Banquet robes, we have no answer.

Because the idols we worshiped never told us to change, it never occurred to us that we might need to.

When You Just Can't Pray for Trump

2020-10-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

A lot of my colleagues, some of them good friends, have posted their prayers or calls for prayers over the health of the President and the First Lady on their walls today. I want to acknowledge that this is, in fact, a Christian response. We should always hope and work for the well being of any member of God's creation, and not let their actions dictate our own.

That said, today, the going on that count is not easy. For me, and I know for others as well. There is distrust (Is this real, or just another lie from the pathological liar?) there is worry (How many more people will he endanger with his reckless behavior?) there is anger (Well, well, well, if it isn't the consequence of your own actions.).

We're supposed to show empathy, sympathy for him and his family, wish them well, and pray for them. And well, I... as a sinner, it is true... I just can't.

Part of it is compassion fatigue. 2020 has been a royal mess. I've lost good friends this year for a myriad of reasons. I know of good people who have been hurt and are continually being hurt largely by Trump's decisions. And so for Trump's utterly irresponsible and frankly criminal response to Covid to land so thoroughly in his lap... I find myself utterly unwilling to spend my energy praying that the man be spared the consequence of his repeated and ongoing actions.

And yeah, it's hypocritical. After all, Salvation itself is Christ saving us from our repeated and ongoing actions. It's not particularly healthy, either... much like his taxes, Trump has repeatedly failed to pay rent for the space he's occupied in my head for the last 4 years. Forgiving him, praying for him, letting him go might be a mentally healthy decision on my part, but I'm not there yet. (It's also worth remembering that his crimes have most affected the poor, the immigrants, the people of color, which makes them absolutely not mine to forgive.)

So I look now to those like me. You've heard it from me... praying for your enemies, for those who hurt you, can be freeing, liberating. It's a way to let them go (and, as Jesus adds, pour some hot coals on their heads in the process) and let your actions not be affected by such negative influences.

But if you can't, you need to know that you are covered, as well. A full third of the Psalms are Psalms of rage at the enemies of the People of God, rage at those who hurt them, who persecuted them, who tore them down over and over and over again. Those Psalms did not mince words, did not back away from the rage, did not spend six paragraphs on the need to forgive and pray for the health of those who hurt them.

Your rage, your hurt, your fear, your desperation are all real. And they are not invalidated by an inability to spare much sympathy for the author of our current crisis who is assured to get the very best of medical care that he permits his doctors to administer. Our tax dollars will pay for his wellbeing, so its okay if you're not ready to spend your mental energy on it as well. We're in a Pandemic, and spoons are limited.

So if you just can't pray for Donald Trump, pray for those who also suffer due to his action and inaction, but who lack such a comprehensive safety net. Share your love with those around you, give aid to those who truly need it. And if your anger demands to be heard, to be vocalized, remember that not only does the Bible understand such actions... it helpfully provides a script, should you need one.

A New Plan: Lectionary for October 4th

2020-09-30T19:16:00.001-05:00

Hey there, everyone! A LOT has changed since the last time I posted, for me, for the world at large.

2020 has been a real dumpster fire of a year, though it hasn't been without some bright spots. The biggest bright spot for me right now is that my family has recently purchased a house, making us homeowners for the very first time, which is very, VERY exciting!

The bad news is the reason why we NEEDED to buy a house... for the last couple months, I have not been the pastor of a church. My call at First Presbyterian Church of Weyauwega ended a while back, not too long after my last post, due to a number of reasons. This has worn on me over the last couple months, and while I was given a fairly generous severance package, it has been hard, over the last little bit, to think of myself as a PASTOR in the midst of all of this.

One of the things I miss most about the Pastor life was the regular routine of working Lectionary Texts while doing other things during the week. The other things will be different now, more raising my daughter, fewer committee meetings, but I think, on recommendation from friends and my therapist, that I am going to try to reactivate Ask Pastor Dan as a home for such musings until such a time as I am doing it professionally for a church again.

Now, I've stumbled on this kind of thing before... there are probably at least six or seven Pastor Dan "reboot" posts over the course of my timeline, but hey... let's give it a shot, and see what we can come up with, yeah?

So let's get started. These are my gut-reactions to the lectionary texts for October 2020. If you'd like to read the texts I am reading, you can always find them here.

Exodus 20: 1-4, 7-9, 12-20

The Text:

The Ten Commandments! You've probably heard of these before, either in Sunday School or on a stylized image of stone tablets on a sign in a yard to show someone just how serious about Biblical Law somebody is.

The Take:

Not a whole lot to be said about the Big 10 that hasn't been said before, though I do feel that these days they are almost more interesting in what they omit than in what they forbid. "Thou Shalt Not Be Gay" isn't on here, you'll notice. "Thou Shalt Not Have Abortions" is also absent, though of course so-called Pro-Life Advocates would try (VERY erroneously) to group that under the murder bit. So often, the Ten Commandments are used as this shorthand for classical Christian Morality, but when you look at them, and then at the "sins" the Evangelical church concentrates on, you see the two have very little in common.

Psalm 19

The Text:

A Psalm of praise that focuses a full third of its length to the praise of the Law of the LORD. It gets quite effusive, and while Ancient Hebrew did not have punctuation, if they did, you would expect this to be full of exclamation points.

The Take:

As a younger Biblical Exegete, texts like this always got me nervous, but these days I find I take a great deal of comfort in them. So often, I find people bending over backwards to show how hateful actions are, in fact, loving actions, and this text reminds me that the law of the LORD is actually very straightforward. It says what it says, it doesn't say what it doesn't say, and if you're gonna spend all your time beating around it, do you really love the Law as much as you claim to?

Phillipians 3:4b-14

The Text:

Paul being Paul! This is a solid brag from the Apostle, but a brag with a point, pointing out that as a Pharisee and a Zealot, if ANYone could claim to have achieved greatness through the law, it would have been him.

The Take:

This is the great debunking of works based righteousness, with Paul coming out and saying, straight out, that no one reading the text could have a greater claim to works based righteousness than he himself, and so we should take his full meaning when he says that works based righteousness, that is, the claim that we have achieved something by being better practiced in the law than others, is in fact wasted time compared to the Love of Jesus Christ, the act of attempting to pay your way when your ticket has already been punched. He clarifies that this is not an excuse to be mediocre in your faith, instead,

Matthew 21:33-46

The Text:

The parable of the Wicked Tenants! This is a meaty one. A landowner buys a field, plants, builds a wall, then hires tenants to tend to the land. They go on to earn their title, killing the slaves, servants, and even ultimately the Son of the landowner when he sends them to collect his due.

The Take:

The lesson, of course, is that those who are put in a position of stewardship, and abuse their power to hurt the servants of the Master and deny him his due, are of course due for punishment. This is one of the parables that, in the broader context, gets the Temple Authorities to start plotting against Jesus.

The Takeaway:

So at first glance, in picking texts, the Gospel Passage here would seem to be the odd duck out, right? Three texts examining the roll of the Law, and then a condemnation of temple officials. Because the Parable includes the death of the Son of the Landowner, we often think of it as a prediction of Christ's Crucifixion and leave it at that, but looking at all the texts together, I think a strong theme very quickly presents itself.

Temple Authorities, here representing clergy, church officals, and other such positions, have long been the arbiters of God's law to the people they serve. Yes, we worship the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it is Christ, ultimately, who holds the power to condemn, but in practical terms, it is these interpreters, amongst whom I number still, as a Presbytery Moderator, who often serve as the day to day arbiters.

And yet? We often screw that up royally. Just look, for instance, at the take on the Ten Commandments themselves. How out of sync with the stated goals of most Evangelical churches are they? And yet, in the name of upholding a twisted version of "the Law," so many people cause so much harm, wounding and even killing the servants of God who remind us of the laws simplicity, and yet again for those who remind us that it is not, ultimately, adherence to the Law that determines our righteousness.

So what do those who stand on images of the law, but abuse it, and twist it away from the Lawgiver's Son to serve their own needs deserve?

Of that, there is very little need to interpret.

The Danger of Looking Back

2020-05-15T14:09:00.001-05:00

I've found myself thinking a lot about Lot's wife, lately.

If you're unfamiliar with the story, during the destruction of Sodom, the only ones willing to stand against the culture of rape in the city, Lot and his family, are evacuating as the city is destroyed. They are warned not to look back, but Lot's wife does, and is promptly transformed into a pillar of salt.

I always hated that story. First off, the role the story of Sodom plays in the Church's long history of homophobia makes you want to skip it entirely, and the callus attitude to this unnamed woman who simply wanted to look back at her home as it was being destroyed always bugged me in Sunday School.

Years later, I've thought a lot of the claims made in 2nd Timothy concerning all scripture being God-breathed and useful. I used to have such arguments with my friends over that passage, but in more recent times I've found a great deal of comfort in it... I still don't believe it equals inerrancy, but the USEFULNESS of passages is always good to look for... and I think I have finally found the usefulness of the woman who became a pillar of salt.

As we sit in this time of Covid, we see a country being ravaged, not only in terms of health, but in terms of economics and social cohesion, and like Sodom, it becomes increasingly difficult to see our predicament as anything beyond the consequence of our own actions. Having embraced a culture of rape and xenophobia, the culture of Sodom was destroyed, and likewise, having accepted a culture of personal license, partisanship, and profit at all costs, we are being devastated, with warnings of worse to come unless serious changes are implemented.

Despite the repeated failings of those in positions of leadership, America's battle with Corona virus is not without its victories, and yet even as the curve started flattening, so many are eager to fling the doors wide again, and attempt to return to the status quo, even as it continues to burn down around them.

We've been shown, it the abruptest of terms, how our way of life is flawed, and opens us up to tragedy and destruction. And yet, so many of us just want to go back to the way it was before. As I watch the numbers of those infected increase in every state that reopens prematurely, including my own home of Wisconsin, I start to see the lesson;

It is natural to long for a return to a state of normalcy. But when that state is literally being actively destroyed by its own sins and failings, even those who escaped the initial destruction can be pulled back into it if they decide to turn back to that status quo.

From what I have read of those suffering from Covid-19, instantaneous transformation into an inert pile of salt might actually be the preferable consequence.

The Problem with the Salvation Army

2019-11-25T12:43:00.004-06:00

If you hang around the right corners of the internet, you've undoubtedly encountered at least an article or two on why participating in donation drives with the Salvation Army, either by ringing the bells for them or by donating to a bell ringer, can be deeply problematic, mostly driven by the simple fact of the disrespect of the Salvation Army towards the LGBTQIA+ community.

In reaction to this, the Salvation Army at the National level and numerous smaller regional levels have responded, not by recanting their theology condemning lifestyles outside of the monogamous, married, cishet norms, but by attempting to assure all that their theology ALSO respects the image of God and so they should welcome all to their shelters.

Defenders of the SA often point to those statements, shrug, and say; "Just because they disagree with a lifestyle doesn't mean they won't help." And for some members of the SA church, that might be true. But there is a problem... Churches are ultimately a collection of individuals, and in emergency situations, the flaws of an individual will often UNSTOPPABLY take precedence over any kind of national, umbrella policy.

If you have been badly wounded, and an EMT arrives to give aid, if they choose not to due to a "disagreement" with your lifestyle, there is no appeal. Sure, another source of help MIGHT arrive, but in an emergency, you are often completely at their mercy. That's why proposed laws in favor of the "religious rights" of emergency care providers are so deeply dangerous: in a critical moment, there is no time to argue about lifestyle or constitutional rights. You need help now, and if they refuse to provide it, you are out of luck.

For all of their National and or regional posturing on people from all walks of life being deserving of help, the fact of the matter is that the Salvation Army's theological stance towards the LGBTQIA+ community compromises their capacity to give Christ-like emergency aid on a FUNDAMENTAL level. For every caregiver who understands that their own, personal beliefs on appropriate relationships should not interfere with offering the love of God to another, as repeatedly commanded in the scriptures, those who do not understand that are still placed in a position where they will turn away someone in need, and in that moment, the money the organization has been given has been misused. These aren't isolated incidents, but instead inevitable consequences of the theology behind the Salvation Army.

Even with all of the good that they do (and they do a LOT of good for a lot of people) such a fundamental flaw should be a dealbreaker. Your money is better spent going elsewhere than their kennels, your time is better spent doing things other than ringing their bells, because despite their PROBABLY good intentions, the fact is that until they finally reevaluate who they are on a fundamental, theological level, their ability to provide aid to those in need will be tainted in a way that shouldn't be ignored in the name of the Christmas feel-goods.

When participating in any charity work, especially in areas concerning emergency care, it is vitally important to understand the underlying ideologies at work. With religious organizations, that means knowing their theology. And if their theology condemns the lifestyles of a group most likely to find themselves in need of emergency shelter, food, or other care, then they are a bad choice to provide said care.

You wouldn't put someone who vocally despises animals in charge of a pet shelter. How much more careful should we be when it comes to the care of those who bear the very image of God?

A Parent's Calling

2019-11-02T14:00:00.002-05:00

"My daughter just came out of the closet to me as a Lesbian, and I don't know what to do."

I hadn't been PLANNING on doing Pastoral Care. I was just getting a haircut. But the Lord tends not to care much about days off or personal schedules, and this man, likely attending a church that wouldn't be particularly jazzed about this state of affairs, heard that I was also a Pastor and thought he'd try me out first.

His daughter, his little girl, his perfect princess... a lesbian. His stylist had just shook her head and said something to the tune of "Well, kids these days are different," and he looked at me, clearly expecting a sermon on the failings of a parent and a command to get his daughter back in line.

He certainly wasn't expecting the first thing I said: "First of all, Congratulations."

The room froze. I feel somewhat fortunate that I hadn't said it right as my stylist was making a clip or I might have lost some blood. He stared at me like I had just turned into a duck. "What?"

"Your daughter. She came out to you. That means that, somewhere along the line, you did something in your parenting to give her reason to believe, or at least hope, that her Dad would be loving and understanding with that information. Not everyone manages that. So Congratulations. Somewhere along the line, you did the right thing, fulfilling the baptism vows you made, and you can see that now. Well done."

The room stayed quiet for a bit. Haircuts resumed. "But... what do I do?"

"What you've been trying to do for her whole life." I said with a smile. "Love her, support her, and show her that the trust she just put in you was well placed. There are folks who might bad mouth her, attack her, treat her as lesser for who she is. If anyone had done that to her up to now, what would her Daddy's response have been?"

"I'd have punched them in the teeth."

I laugh. "Or at least make sure they are VERY much aware that your daughter, a beloved child of God, deserves their respect, and that if they can't show that respect to her, they certainly shouldn't expect any from her family. You're proud of her, and if they can't handle that, that's on them, not on her."

He nodded a bit, had a bit of a smile on his face. "Always told her not to settle."

"Good job, Dad." I give him a little fist bump. "Make sure she hears that before she goes home. And if you said anything between when she told you and now that might make her think you love her less, apologize for it quick, and make it right. We all make mistakes."

He got up and paid, and my stylist went back to trying to tame the incredible puff of hair I'd allowed to accumulate on my own head. "My niece..." she said, hesitantly. "She's a Lesbian. But her Dad doesn't know."

I look up at her sadly. "That's her choice."

"But he could..."

"It's her choice. He must not have made her think he could handle it. But she did tell you?"

"Yeah, ages ago. Back when she was in college."

"Does she still talk to you?"

"All the time! What should I do?"

"Talk to her. And love her. If she needs more help, she'll let you know. Oh, and by the way..."

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations, Aunt. Good job."

----------------------------

Sin and the Idolatry of the Pro-Life Movement

2019-06-06T16:11:00.001-05:00

For some time now I have found myself frustrated by a repeated pattern in inter-church relationships. This is the repeated abdication of sin by progressives as a concept, wherein we defend those labeled as "sinners" by the conservatives, and refuse to call out conservatives on their own sinful behavior, usually in the name of unity.

Despite the frequency with which the conservative wings of the church throw around the term, Sin is a fairly complicated subject. The scriptures make clear that there isn't a list of actions which define the concept of sin in its entirety, certain activities that, if avoided, assures someone of a sin free life. Yes, there are actions that can be sinful, but context always matters. For instance, the Ten Commandments list murder among the Thou Shalt Nots, and yet the people of God in Scripture are, from time to time, called upon to kill.

It's also important to note that not every commandment of God is a Thou Shalt Not. There are also quite a few Thou Shalts, making it possible to sin by inaction as much as by inaction. And as always, context matters. We are repeatedly called upon to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for those in need, but giving to feed an addiction, or to empower an abuser, are not in following with the message of the Scriptures either.

All of this to say that in order to really talk about Sin, one must be willing to admit to its all encompassing nature and complexity. An act that seems sinful on the surface might be commanded by God, an act that seems righteous might be a heinous crime before the Lord.

This, of course, is often the problem with preaching about sin. A preacher faces their congregation, wanting to teach them the right way, and people in general want more of an answer than; "Well, it's complicated." To assure people that such a thing as righteousness and sin still exist, preachers often reach for examples that seem the most rock solid, a bedrock of morality upon which their congregation can build, (forgetting, of course, that such a bedrock has already been laid in Christ.)

And for the past century or so, the best sources of this bedrock sin has been the LGBTQIA+ community and... Abortion.

I mean, how much clearer could it be? We're talking about babies. Don't you love babies? Don't you want to protect them, especially from someone so horrible as being willing to kill them from within their own bodies? It's typically a pretty easy sell, and so we are provided with a rock-solid example, and even better, more than half of our population aren't even physically capable of committing it, so little worry of pointing an uncomfortable finger at someone you depend upon for money.

Now, that alone is bad enough... after all, Sin is something we all struggle with, and so building a theology of Sin around such a specialized action that has no direct bearing on the lives of a majority of your congregation is not just cowardly from the perspective of the preacher, its directly harmful to others, allowing us to separate the world into "Righteous" and "Sinners" instead of the Biblical view, where we are all Beloved Sinners.

The appeal is obvious, of course. Not only do you get to assert your authority by being "tough on sin," you can rally your congregation into xenophobia, giving them an other to target their aggression at, never mind the fact that the repeated Scriptural Command towards the "other" is to care for them and protect them.

But it hasn't even stopped there. Actions taken on behalf of the pro-life movement have repeatedly abandoned the commands of the Scripture in the name of the end justifying the means, to the point where, in the faith life of many so-called Christians, opposition to Abortion has supplanted worship of Christ as the single most important aspect of their faith. (Thou Shalt Have no Other Gods Before Me.)

We've all seen it. Undercover videos falsely doctored to portray workers at Abortion Clinics or Planned Parenthood as trafficking in the bodies of slaughtered fetuses. (Thou Shalt not bear false witness.) Snipers killing Abortion providers, clinics shot up. (Thou shalt not Kill.) Women simply seeking affordable healthcare being called whores, screamed at, profiled and attacked. (What you do to the least of these, you do to me.)

But it goes deeper. Repeated debates over the start of life skip over the fact that the individual who is pregnant, has undoubtedly started life, and who also undoubtedly bears the image of God, is treated as nothing more than an incubator for the fetus, their own humanity and rights almost utterly ignored at the very heart of the debate, transformed into bystanders in their own bodies.

Can one build a scriptural argument against abortion? Certainly. But sacrificing every other Christian ideal in pursuit of that single, highly debateable, point of theology is the very definition of idolatry. And I'm not talking about the cutesy "is it idolatry for our kids to spend so much time on social media" crap that circles these days. It is literally replacing your God with a single concept, a concept that so supercedes your faith that any other command is trumped in the life of faith.

We've been bad at naming such behavior as sin. And that needs to change.

A Biblical Speculation on Gender

2019-05-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

So what DOES the Bible have to say about Gender?
-Alex

------------

Ahhh, the first question of the new regime! Thanks for writing in, Alex.

My answer is (say it along with me, those of you playing at home) complicated, but before I begin, there is something I should make clear. The Bible has very little to say about the concept of gender at all. It acknowledges that genders exist, uses the concept of gender to differentiate people from each other, and uses words like man, woman, boy and girl, but never shows a great deal of interest in defining those states.

Now normally, in such a situation, I would simply tell someone to stop looking at the Bible for answers to the question. However, there are people bound and determined to either name the Bible as the reason to target people on the basis of gender (never mind those outside of the cisgender paradigm) or to use it for wild speculation on the subject, and frankly, it's far past time progressive Christians stopped abdicating our Holy Book to the opposition, so by golly, I'm gonna speculate as well.

The Bible is a supremely odd document, made all the more so by the nature of its creation, even if you hold it is as holy: It is a Divine Work produced through Sinful Instruments. Discernment of God's will through the use of the scriptures requires just that: discernment. It takes work, and it is something you can get wrong. You have to learn to differentiate between an Act of God and the opinion on that act given by a flawed person.

For instance, while it is possible to find passages that insinuate that women should not be in positions of leadership, the mere fact that women repeatedly are shown to be placed in positions of leadership by ordination of the Holy Spirit, we can conclude that those saying such a thing is impossible were in the wrong: If the Almighty chooses a Woman to lead all of Israel, the opinion of the Author of Timothy will have to take a back seat.

So lets see what clues we can put together.

The oft quoted "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!" refers to the creation story in Genesis 2, and tries to depict that dichotomy shown as a prescriptive model for human relationships. That's flawed in several respects. First, the catastrophic end result of the Adam and Eve story hardly serves as an endorsement of the cis-het relationship, secondly, the existence of two distinct genders does not rule out the possibility of others, but maybe most important is the simple fact that Genesis 1 exists, as well.

In the first chapter of Genesis, the creation of humanity is shown to be wildly different from the presented dichotomy of chapter 2. Whereas in chapter 2, male is created, then followed by the distinct female, in chapter 1 creation is simultaneous. Individuals are not named and followed, but rather the entire species is formed, not male OR female, but Male AND Female, as part of the Imago Dei, or the image of God.

(For those who wonder, I quote latin only to attempt to appear intellectually impressive.)

So to be in the image of God is to be male AND female.

Now, that's quite a claim. Let's see if we can find more than one passage (translated from the notoriously grammatically wobbly Ancient Hebrew) to give us such an idea.

Well, if we're looking at the idea of Image of God as something to base our understanding of gender on, how is God described. Plenty of male and father language, to be sure, but also more than a little female language as well. For instance, take Sophia, or Mother Wisdom, who is often associated with the second person of the Trinity before the Incarnation of Jesus. Take references to God breast-feeding God's people, and even giving birth to them and having labor pains!

At the end of the day, it becomes fairly clear that if we are to base our assumptions on gender from the clues to be found in the text, one must conclude that to bear the Image of God is to be gender-fluid, at least for us as a species. Sure, instances of definite males and females exist, but you could raise a real rabbinical argument over whether such a person can bear the entirety of the image, or just their own, smaller part.

Beyond that, things get even weirder. Take Eunuchs. A lot of people like to use reproduction as the final indicator of gender and identity but the Bible firmly denies such a stance, with people who either castrated themselves or were castrated by others still being seen to fully bear the image of God. This is also the closest the scriptures come to commentary on the idea of transgender... alterations to ones physical gender identity are expressly NOT condemned.

So... all that said, what do we know about the Bible and Gender? As I said at the beginning, not much. None of this is actual commentary on the idea. At no point did a prophet sit up in bed and feel the spirit compelling her to define the nature and roles of gender in society, and so any attempt to USE the Bible to do as much is based, at best, on speculation, and honestly, you're better off using other sources (such as, say, Science, or the actual experience of people outside of the cis-het paradigm) to inform yourself on the subject.

But if you are going to use the Bible to speculate, one can only land at the conclusion that the Bible (and by extension, God's) concept of gender is far bigger and more complex than a species easily divided into man OR woman. And of course, we must never forget that whatever the Divine view of gender is, the Divine view of the oppressed, downtrodden, and outsider is clear... they are to be loved, welcomed, and treated as we would like to be treated.

So maybe DON'T throw them into the street for being who they are because of the Bible. Because I don't know who taught YOU Sunday School, but thats definitely NOT what the Bible says.

Sabbatical... what?

2019-05-21T10:44:00.000-05:00

So, the Blog has been basically dead for more than a year. I've intended to kick it off again multiple times over that time but never really felt I had the motivation... a lot of my posting that normally would have gone here happened elsewhere, like on my Facebook page or elsewhere. But today I find myself in a situation I never really believed I'd get to...

I'm on Sabbatical. For the next three months, I won't be attending church meetings, planning services, or writing sermons.

This isn't a vacation, or at least, it isn't meant to be. While rest and recreation ARE on the menu, it is meant as a time of rejuvenation, of stirring up the old brain cells and seeing what I have to share, with the hopes that the reading and writing I do during that time will give me new inspiration for when I return to my more regular work in August.

Getting a Sabbatical is an incredible act of generosity from the Church. A lot of pastors don't get them, and the burnout rate shows the repercussions of that. Even so, this is the first time that my specific church has offered one, and I know that some people are uneasy about the practice.

So, this seemed an excellent time to return to blogging, partially as a way to show people what I am doing and what I am thinking about (as for the next three months I am literally being paid to think and accountability is always a good thing), but also to give myself an outlet for the kind of expression that I am used to having as a pastor.

All that to say, I'm looking to get Ask Pastor Dan up and running again! As always, if you have questions for me about faith, life, or the church, feel free to ask them, and watch this spot as I try to dust off the ol' wheels and get the blog going again.

God Bless... and here's to a good sabbatical!

Reader Question: Dinosaurs in Heaven?

2018-03-06T11:49:00.002-06:00

My question (which you’ve answered before) is whether there are dinosaurs in heaven. But you’re view on animals in general going to heaven (both pets and things people are scared of like snakes) would make an interesting post. -Nikki

--------------------------------- You're not wrong, Nikki! Thanks for writing in. There have been some people with some very, very strong opinions on the subject of whether or not there will be animals in heaven. You may even be familiar with an internet meme where a Catholic Church and a Cumberland Presbyterian church get into a church sign debate over whether or not animals get into heaven. (Sadly, I must be the bearer of bad news and report that the meme in question is, in fact, fake. The pictures are photoshopped. The debate itself, however, has actually happened.) One of the things that a lot of people are surprised to learn is that we have very little information on what heaven will be like, or even what general form it would take. Some have this vague idea of people with wings sitting on clouds but that view is born entirely from pop culture, with very little Biblical backing save for the vague concepts of Elijah, and later Christ, being "taken into the clouds." So whenever someone tries to tell you definitively that the Bible says heaven will be one way or another, (like the fake Presbyterians from the meme) you can feel safe laughing them off. There is no authoritative view on the matter, which then moves us in this answer into the realm of guesswork, but educated. You see, part of the problem is that it is never entirely clear that heaven, insofar as we are talking about the eschatological destination of the saved, is a "place" separate from earth. The perception of the afterlife as some kind of disembodied spirit realm separate from bodily existence, for example, would have been entirely foreign to the Jews of Jesus' time, though such an idea fit really well with gnostic principles that Christianity started picking up after the writings of Paul. Another very real possibility is that heaven is, in fact, Earth, but Earth made perfect, purified and restored, not to primitive Eden but with human advancements incorporated while easing out our hard edges. That restored world, I believe, would certainly include animals, even extinct ones like Dinosaurs, all in the state of perfection that allows wonder while precluding fear. All this to say that yes, I believe there will be dinosaurs in heaven. And it will be awesome.

Reader Question- Concerning Profanity

2018-01-11T21:51:00.000-06:00

You talk shit about Trump swearing, but I know for a fact that you swear, too, so stop acting like such a high and mighty libtard. -Anonymous
Well, THAT didn't take long. I made a Facebook post about Trump calling other countries "shitholes"... oh, about fifteen minutes ago as of the writing of this particular sentence, and then this question appears in the Blog Inbox, the first time it's been used in a while now. It's actually fast enough that I somewhat expect that maybe I'm being trolled by a friend, and if that's true, well done, you got me.

But if this is on the straight and level, or at least as much as a reader question using the word "libtard" unironically can be, then it shows a fairly common misconception I've noticed before and worth taking a question on now, so thanks, anon.

So here it is, the big secret: Liberals like me don't really care all that much about profanity.

I do swear. Not too terribly much, but I am a huge believer in the power of words, and I have found that a well placed f-bomb can get the point across far better than a hundred other words, and just think of all that time saved! So allow me to set your heart at ease... our problem is not that Trump is a potty mouth. Our problem is that he denigrates people.

You see, the whole impetus behind the concept of "political correctness" is not that some words are good and others are bad... it is that some words treat people as less than human, and we'd really wish you wouldn't do that. That is why, for instance, it actually ISN'T a big deal when some people of African descent call each other the N word, but is a big fucking problem when YOU do it. Because when they use the word, it's as between friends, or with some other layer of understanding.

When you do it, Mr Anti-Political Correctness, it's racism, a word designed to cause pain and used for that purpose.

That's how language works, how it has always worked. Context always, always, ALWAYS matters.

This is kind of similar to when people acted like Clinton supporters were being hypocrites for being mad about "grab them by the pussy" but being fine with Clinton supporting Beyonce, even though she was, and brace yourself here, a woman who is occasionally sexy in public.

It's not that sex should never be spoken of. It's that there are many, many lightyears between a proud embrace of sexiness and a brag of sexual assault.

Now, to get ahead of the Biblical rant, yes, the Bible does encourage us to see that what comes out of our mouths is glorifying to God, and I have no doubt my grandmother would be several kinds of horrified by the post already. But I've believed for awhile now that we make a mistake when we combine the concept of profanity with the Biblical concept of swearing.

For one, "swearing" as it exists in the Bible was primarily a way to invoke the name of God in order to force God to back you up. "as God is my witness," and that sort of phrase are examples, even if rarely meant that way anymore. This falls squarely under "Do not put the LORD your God to the test" commandments... God is not your dancing monkey, and people who attempt to force the hand of the almighty do not do particularly well in the scriptures.

So, as a rule, I do not call for God to back me up by providing a sign, or striking someone dead, or attempt to bargain to force God's hand. That is swearing, that is taking the LORD's name in vain. But if what comes out of my mouth is meant to mirror the cleanliness of my soul, then I believe that referring to the homes of many of God's people as "shitholes" is worthy of some serious anger and derision. Similarly, I wish people were more angry about "grab them by the pussy" or "They're Rapists," or "Bomb the Shit out of them."

If folks passed statements like that by without second thought, but are bothered about the fact that I wrote "fuck" in this blog, then the exact natures of God's exhortations concerning our language are going to need a LOT more work.

Reader Question: Charity Protocol

2018-01-03T10:32:00.003-06:00

Do you feel charity should be denied if the person asking for the charity is taking advantage or, like Faustina, do you think charity should be given completely (as much as you can) without concerning yourself with the truth of their situation or intentions (as any sin would be on them not you)? -Bob

Kicking off a new year of Questions! Thanks for this one, Bob! It wasn't the first one I got, but it was the one that really caught my attention right off the bat, especially in a time surrounding the holiday season, where charity is simultaneously everywhere and stretched to its breaking point. The Biblical perspective on charity is not complicated. If they are hungry, feed them. If they are cold, warm them. If they are sick, comfort them. To do so is as if you did it for Christ himself, to ignore them is like ignoring Christ. So it is always GOOD to be charitable... that isn't up for debate. As it happens, it is also rather practical; give aid because once you needed aid, and one day you or one of yours will need it again. Sort of a social safety net built right into Biblical law.
Where things get complicated is in the actual carrying out of the command to be charitable. There is a lot of need in the world, and unlike in the society that Biblical law was crafted to build, the government and religion are not basically one and the same. We've long learned why that's a bad idea (see basically any Biblical King, even the supposedly good ones) but it does create a situation where attempts to provide for those in need are fractured, and so no one group is capable of addressing ALL need. My church has limited funds, and yet this year we have found ourselves more swamped with requests for aid than ever before. Our designated "Agape Fund," a discretionary fund that allows me to give aid to those who ask for it, is supposed to last the year, and had never, before 2017, been fully used. This past year it got tapped out in MAY, and had to be renewed to handle emergency need.

The philosophy of the Agape Fund is one of no questions asked. I get a name and an address, but I don't verify stories or take a peek at the car that brought them. (Some of my Elders do... which has led to some conversations.) Aid given freely and without question... once every six months. It comes from a place that I landed in about fifteen years ago... when it comes to small time needs, some food, some gas, etc, I'll help anyone once. I don't know their lives or circumstances, and in general assume that small requests are, by their very nature, extraordinary. Fifty dollars isn't a solution to any systemic problem, but it can help in a tight spot, which is the sort of help I and my church can give.

So when do we give aid, and to who, since we clearly can't help everyone who needs it?

I do feel that, with small time aid, it is a waste of time to spend time vetting the person who came for aid. Do your best and trust them to use that aid appropriately, end of the story.

When the aid gets bigger, or the need more repeated, then responsibility on vetting grows if only to make sure that this is the best use of limited resources. You also need to consider which need your goal is... do you keep one house warm for a winter, or supply emergency food or gas for twenty?

These are not questions with easy or obvious answers. Coordinating with other charitable sources in the area to try to cover as many different needs and areas as possible would be helpful, though not always possible. As for those taking advantage, one of the things I have noticed as someone who as worked with charities is that "they are taking advantage" is A) not nearly as prevalent as some think and B) a lot harder to determine than some would guess. The nice car they drive doesn't mean they didn't have grocery money. In an age of predatory credit, a person's possessions aren't always an indication of their actual means.

At the end of the day, I do not think it is ever WRONG to give charitably. But wisdom in that giving can see to it the aid actually goes where it is needed, and it is far better to make a choice on what kind of giving you intend to do, if only to assure that those in need are able to reliably find you when you can help them, and to assure that you are able to offer the help you are able to give.

What We Do With Evil

2017-10-03T10:54:00.001-05:00

"Evil" is a loaded word.

In his address to the nation following the shootings in Las Vegas, Donald Trump referred to the act as an "act of pure evil." I suppose I can get on board with that. The sentiment has been echoed in other quarters and over and over again I get the impression that when acts like the Las Vegas shooting are called evil, what is meant is that they were incomprehensible, unstoppable acts, the sort of thing that is the unfortunate and inevitable, the kind of thing you just hope and pray will never affect you, or the ones you love, directly.

Obviously, such a chaotic, random, overwhelming thing would be ludicrous to try to legislate against, right? How do you legislate against evil? So folks offer their thoughts and prayers, toss up a quick; "there, but by the grace of God, go I..." and walk on, saddened, but unchanged. How much more so must that be the case when what we face is "PURE evil?"

Which is curious, because that has not, in my experience, been the reaction to other things I have heard similar camps call "evil."

It must have been news to the LGBTQ community that evil couldn't be legislated against, as they have centuries of being called evil and centuries of resulting legislation to look at. Likewise, when we name terrorists evil, we raise our walls and write our laws against them, even if it means leaving refugees, the victims of the very evil we fear, out in the cold in the process.

When "evil" is queer, we act. When "evil" is muslim, we act. When "evil" is of color, we act. When "evil" concerns a woman's body, we act. When "evil" is a matter of speech or expression, we act.

But when "evil," even "pure evil," is a white man with guns... nothing. Over and over and over again.

I am very much aware that I have very different definitions of evil than many of the people I am referring to, here. I do not believe, for instance, that homosexuality is evil, nor do I believe that Muslims are. But here we are, finally in agreement. The shooting in Las Vegas is pure evil. We've crossed the aisle, we're on the same side... only to find that this is the kind of evil that no one wants to confront, the only one that legislating against would be "plainly ludicrous."

I'm sure you can understand why that would be frustrating.

When Faith Fails

2017-09-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, I spent a few days in a Pediatric ICU while my daughter struggled to breathe.

The whole incident started when her mother and I picked her up from Daycare. She'd just gotten up from a nap and her breathing was visibly labored. She'd had a cold for a while but we'd never worried about it... her doctor had listened to her lungs and said that everything was fine. Suddenly, it wasn't.

This led to a cascade of events that had me holding her in an emergency room so that the doctors could snake a tube down her nose to suction mucous out of her lungs, an action that visibly hurt and panicked her as she coughed and choked. Then the Doctor came in and said she would need to be transferred to a children's facility, and not the one nearby, because she need an ICU unit.

My world stopped. Suddenly we'd gone from a scary breathing situation to an intensive care situation while my little girl cried and clawed at me to help her and... I just couldn't.

I said a prayer, in that moment, that I have revisited with the Lord several times since, the type of prayer I have never prayed before. It went on for awhile, but the basic thrust of it went as follows:

"Lord, this one isn't negotiable. If you make me watch my daughter die gasping, you and I are done."

I learned, later, that Katrina was never really in that much danger. Her O2 levels never fell dangerously, and the ICU was needed more for its monitoring capabilities in case things got to that point. Regular breathing treatments (fought by her every step of the way) and a high powered oxygen flow saw to it that she was safe until the asthmatic reaction her body had to whatever virus she carried had relaxed and she was able to comfortably breathe on her own. She had an amazing team of child care specialists watching over, including doctors, nurses, Respiratory technicians, even child life specialists who helped make her feel at home in the strange environs of the PICU.

But you could have fooled me at the time. Her whole tiny body seemed to clench to get breaths in, and I guess all I really heard from the Doctor was "ICU." The people taking care of her seemed to be torturing her. When they came to load her up for the trip, her mother and I worried she wouldn't make it. I was terrified that I was saying goodbye.

Now, I want to be clear that I do not attribute her survival or even her recovery to my prayer. I don't think that she was divinely scheduled to die and then I prayed in anger and God was all; "Oooh, wait, Dan seems serious, we'd better rethink this plan..." I don't think the world works that way, and I certainly don't think that the parents whose children DID lose their lives around the world that day experienced that heartbreaking loss because they failed to threaten God appropriately, whatever that would mean.

I am talking to you about this because people have regularly asked me to talk about a time when my faith failed, and two weeks ago, it did. I was scared, I was angry, and so I looked at a being I believe to be all knowing and all powerful and then THREATENED that being. I made an ultimatum, I put my God to the test. You're not supposed to do that, and I did.

That prayer did have it's upsides, of course. Normally when I get that angry or scared my strategy is to leave the situation until I calm down, and while I did go into the hallways when I felt I was on the verge of irrational action, channeling all that anger at God when I did kept it from going at, say, my wife, or the nurses, or even poor Katrina. But in the time since that prayer I have found my relationship with God to be a bit more awkward, like after a huge fight with a friend or loved one when things seem to be normal again but what was said in anger seems to hang hovering over everything else.

I know that God loves and forgives me, just as I know that God loves and watches over my daughter. We'll be fine, and maybe when I've had time to really process everything that happened and was said, I will find my strength to be stronger for it.

But for those who want to know if my faith ever falters; yes. Sometimes it does.

Reader Question: Loving the Alt-Right

2017-08-16T10:25:00.002-05:00

You always talk about love. Aren't you supposed to love the Alt-Right, too? -Anonymous
-----------------

I've had a few messages from "Anonymouses" (Anonymi?) lately, and this was the nicest (and best spelled) of the bunch, so we're going to answer this one, partially in hopes that this will stay a family friendly show.

Yes, it is true, I harp on and on about the importance of loving one another. It's a key part of my theology it applies to everyone. I will admit I am not the best at actually following through, but yes, I am supposed to love members of the alt-Right as much as any other subset of humanity.

But what exactly that means isn't quite so clear cut as people seem to think.

The Alt-Right has a fascinating (and horrifying) mindset in which they feel that they are free from the consequences of their actions. They march with torches in Charlottesville and are "surprised" that people don't take kindly to it, or that businesses do not want to have employees who are viewed, nationally, as racists. They harp on endlessly about the First Amendment and rarely in cases where the First Amendment applies, but nearly always to make the point; "What I am saying should not have negative consequences for me."

They are led in this currently by the American President, a man who clearly thinks that he can do whatever he wants with no negative consequences, and actively tantrums when that proves not to be the case. He did it during the election, he's doing it now, we've grown so used to it that it hardly even gets any mention anymore. It's like an old dog who can't stop peeing on the floor, eventually you just sigh, pat him on the head and clean up the mess. Cute for an old pet, worrying for a sitting President.

It even seems like that desire for freedom from consequences pushes the "anxieties" that get so much press in the forming of these groups. Trouble finding a job, or not getting enough respect in the job you have? Nah, it's probably nothing to do with you, it's the Jews keeping you down, or the blacks, or the immigrants, or the liberals, the faults of the world landing squarely on everyone else.

(Hey, Dan, wasn't this going to be about LOVING them?) Yeah, yeah, I'm getting there.

Love is a powerful force. It is, I suspect, the strongest force in the world. But Love, done correctly, isn't about giving people what they want, but what they need. The tantruming toddler wants cake for lunch, but mommy gives him vegetables. The drug addict just wants another fix, but loved ones send them to counseling and treatment.

There was a powerful article out there about the family of an alt-right marcher who begged him to give up his hateful ways, and warned him that until he did, he was no longer welcome with them. That's hard, hard love. I don't know if I could do it with my daughter. But they saw that their son needed to recognize that his actions had consequences, and that marching with groups like "Unite the Right" was indeed a harmful action, rather than the "peaceful gathering" they claimed they wanted.

We don't love the Alt-Right by caving to their demands, or by ignoring them until they go away. They are on a truly awful path, one customed designed to take angry young people and militarize so they can be used to victimize others. We love them by calling them on their horribleness, removing their leaders, de-radicalizing them and helping them to reintegrate with a society built on diversity and hope, rather than anxiety and fear.

They want their cake. But if we love them, we need to give them vegetables.

White Supremacism is ALWAYS violent.

2017-08-13T12:43:00.002-05:00

Let's be completely clear. There is no such thing as a peaceful White Supremacist rally. The moment the Swastika and the Confederate flags are displayed the event becomes inherently violent, because those flags represent extreme violence towards others; both of them representing genocide and slavery.

(And before you take issue with me putting them together like that, you might first take issue with the fact that they both keep showing up at these rallies. You can say two people aren't friends, but when they always attend the same parties...)

You cannot have a "peaceful, reasonable" discussion when one side thinks that genocide and slavery are acceptable outcomes. There is no compromise with hatred.

And by failing to condemn the actions of the alt-right, by clinging to a concept of "well, both sides..." Donald Trump's failure, yet again, to be a voice against terror when that terror is carried out by white people against his political enemies is the only indication anyone should need of his unsuitability for office.

The Myth of Conservative Christianity

2017-07-27T12:17:00.002-05:00

Some folks have noted that I don't seem to be posting all that much, or really at all, lately. A big part of that is a choice on my part to be less angry, as my anger was started to seriously leak out at people who didn't deserve it, or at least, at people who didn't deserve the extreme depths of it that they were receiving.

In that silence (excuse the occasional Facebook post not limited to ANF) I had hoped to hear other ministers speak against the various atrocities coming out of the Washington these days, and while voices are present, they are largely drowned out by a very vocal contingent of pastors who seem to see it as their personal duty to advocate for every action the White House makes.

It reminded me of the Theological Declaration of Barmen, which chilled me. Adopted in 1934, the Declaration was written mostly by theologian Karl Barth as rejection of the theology of the "German Christian" movement, a movement that saw the church as little more than an extension of the Nazi Party.

You can find the full text of the document here. It isn't very long. What it represents is simple enough: German Christians were more and more acting as if their faith was beholden to the government, and used platforms like pulpits to advance the governments goals.

It worried me because we very much see it in modern Churches today, where preachers often seem to have TWO tasks... not only the preaching of the scripture, but explaining how that scripture conforms to the ideology of the Republican Party.

It isn't even very subtle. Back during the election, when Donald Trump had a tape released where he boasted about sexually molesting women, Pat Robertson went right on TV and said; "Well, at least we know he isn't gay!" This supposed pastor who has often held sexual propriety as the most important of Christian morals advocating for an admitted sexual predator because he was the Nominated Candidate for President of the Republican party!

History is a valuable teacher in this kind of situation, and unfortunately the history of Nazi Germany is very useful. It was actually very simple... religious leaders found that they had gained a greater hand in the government than they had previously, and when one gains power, one typically wants to hold on to it. So bit by bit, point by point, they placated out of control government figures until the whole of their message had become dedicated to propping up a political platform.

People often forget that there was a time when the Church, while very present in American Life, was not particularly active in government. Separation of Church and State were taken very seriously. But with the advent of Ronald Reagan and the so-called "Moral Majority" Evangelical Christian leaders started finding themselves invited into the halls of political power, and they liked it. And so what at the time was an alliance of convenience with the Republican Party became what is today almost a fused being... it can be difficult tell where the Evangelical Church ends and the Republican Party begins. And as the Republican parties actions become more and more unconscionable, the harder the Evangelicals work to hold up the myth that the GOP is, in any way, shape, or form, following a recognizable Christian ideology.

And heaven help the Pastor who doesn't maintain that image. Pastor find that their congregations demand that they stay "fair and balanced" if they do not adhere to GOP protocol, while those who do are let loose to bash all enemies of the conservative machine.

So let me be clear. In a great many ways, the GOP has so far deviated from any recognizable interpretation of the scriptures as to be almost anathema to them, and yet, Evangelical Pastors across the country are apologizing for them and calling for Christians to be loyal, not to Christ, but to the Conservative movement, to the detriment of their own faith.

83 years ago, German Theologians from many disparate denominations recognized the threat such theological adherence to a political ideology posed, not only to the church, but to the nation. And now, it's happening here.

I'm not telling you that you can't be a good Republican and a good Christian. But when you require your pastors, and other theological leaders, to maintain the myth that to be Christian and to be Republican are synonymous terms, you are following a path that led, ultimately, to the kind of destruction that made the Nazis the Nazis.

Christians are called worship God with all of hearts, minds, and strength. I know that it is easier to believe that voting a certain way is the "Christian" way, but that is very, VERY dangerous thinking. It has led to horrible consequences before. And it can happen again.
I

Saturday Ramble- Who is Deacon?

2017-06-03T01:48:00.000-05:00

This is a short story, based in the universe of the Matrix, that I wrote back in college and have done some updating on ever since. I stumbled on it again tonight and thought it did a decent job of showcasing an aspect of my faith, specifically, how I move forward with the knowledge that, for much of the Church's history, people have used it as a tool towards decidedly non-faith based ends.

Hope you enjoy it as a change of pace!

----------------

The tall halls of the Cathedral captured the voice of the priest, scattering it through the cavernous sanctuary. The morning Mass was read with feeling, and those faithful who had come listened intently. Messages of peace and joy washed over them, and they basked in it, feeling the comfort of the Words of God. The host was shared, and one by one they left, after confessing, some moving back to the altar to complete their penance. Life continued as it always did, day by day, week by week, until the building was nearly empty.

One of the confessionals opened, and a tall man stepped out, his neck circled by the clerical collar that denoted him a priest. His eyes, dark and deep, lifted up to large stained glass windows, holding visions of saints throughout time. At the front was the crucifix, in all of its morbid glory. Flanking it were scenes of Christ's birth and resurrection. Time seemed to slow, as if he, for a moment, was experiencing the timelessness of God. As it passed, he shook his head and looked back to the floor. "It's not right." He whispered to himself. He looked again at the crucifix. "This isn't the world you wanted us to have."

"Talking to yourself again, Father Daniels?"

The priest turned to see a man decked in colorful robes, the attire of the local Archbishop. He shook his head. "Not to myself, your grace, but to God."

The Archbishop nodded. "Prayer is the armor of our kind, Father Daniels. You always seem particularly distressed after your time in the confessionals. It is difficult duty, I know, to bear not only your own sins but the sins of others. Yet others learn to cope with it, in time. You've been wearing the collar for nearly a decade, now. Why are you still so consumed by this duty?"

The priest shrugged. "Perhaps I merely refuse to let myself grow used to anything. Sin is as much sin now as it was when I was first ordained. But it all feels so wrong... it always has. I'd hoped I would be calmed in my vows, comforted by the strength of the church. But now it seems to me that the church has only magnified my awareness of it. Comfort has been lacking."

The Archbishop looked the priest up and down. "Walk with me, Father." The priest nodded, and they began walking out of the sanctuary. "The world is a fallen place, Father Daniels. Many of our order grow so overwhelmed by the sins that they see that they close their eyes to it after a time. They live in it, blinded. They go through the motions, hoping maybe to help others, but they are largely ineffectual because of their refusal to see the truth."

They stopped in the Archbishops office. "You are one of the few who never blind themselves, who refuse to let this darkened world absorb them. This is as much a strength for you as it is a burden. You have borne the burden for nearly ten years. You have not, however, learned to wield the strength. Look at me, Father."

Slowly, the eyes of the priest raised to those of the Archbishop. They were bright eyes, blue as the sky with a sparkle that had not dimmed after decades of ministry. Yet they were housed in a face lined with age, wrinkled and worn with the passage of time. The face was tired, yet held a smile that hinted at the energy still housed in the eyes. "I am old, Father. I suspect my time is passing. The Cardinal has sent word that another is to be chosen, one who may in time rise to the level Archbishop, though that takes time. I have chosen you, and have sent word of my decision to him."

The priest stood still, shocked. "But... I am still full of doubt, your grace. Surely you need someone stronger, whose faith is more refined..."

The Archbishop laughed softly. "We all have our doubts, Father. Those who say they have none are those cloaked in the world, who refuse to admit it for what it is. You will do well. Now I recommend prayer time for you, more than ever. It is vital that you find your strength... for the burden will never stop growing as long as you live."


So he prayed. He prayed so hard and long that when he finally returned to his small apartment, the only light came from the dim street lamps that lined the road, or, upon entering, the screen of his computer. He sighed, tossed his jacket onto his bed, sat at his computer, and began searching.

Once, a priest in search of knowledge would have been forced to travel to a monastery, or perhaps even Rome to peruse the wisdom of the ages, written down by generations of saints, scholars, and scribes throughout the millennia of the church. Now, it was all there at his fingertips, thousands upon thousands of records and observations, a behemoth of tradition available with the click of a mouse.

He had spent ages here, reading the works of Origen, Macrina, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil, Aquinas, Augustine, looking for answers, not even certain of his questions. When he tired of his reading he would enter chatrooms, discussing what he read with anyone who happened to be around. His alias, Deacon, was well known in these rooms as a nearly bottomless source of knowledge, and yet as a seeker, striving to discover something. No one was sure of what he was looking for, though... him least of all.

Dawn was drawing close when he found himself alone in a chatroom with only one other occupant, by alias of Carpenter. They had been exploring the mysteries of the Church for hours, and Deacon felt that it had all been worthwhile, despite the fact that he would face yet another day without sleep, hardly a rare occurrence.


It was drawing near time to log off, and the priest smiled as he typed.

Deacon: Well, I'm going to have to be going soon, it's been good to talk with you.

Carpenter: And you as well. Can you answer a question for me?

Deacon: I can try.

Carpenter: What is it that bothers you, on the nights when you come here?


Deacon leaned back and pondered his answer for a moment. It was a question rather more direct than the kind he usually fielded, but after such a long conversation he felt he owed it to Carpenter to answer.

Deacon: Sometimes the world just doesn't feel right. The people I meet there seem fake, and so I come here. People like you feel more real somehow.

There was a long pause, and Deacon began signing off, when Carpenter responded.

Carpenter: You're right, you know, about the world. Few your age recognize it.

Deacon: What, too young?

Carpenter: No, too old. Meet here again tonight?

Deacon leaned forward, intrigued. No one had ever asked him to meet again, they usually asked their questions and left, like those who came to confess. He was a moment answering.

Deacon: Sure. I'll see you then.

Carpenter: I look forward to it. Be careful... do not let it sneak up on you.

Deacon: What?

Carpenter: The world. It has you. I'll talk to you tonight. (CARPENTER has signed off.)

Their discussions did not end after the following night, or the one after. For weeks he met with Carpenter online nearly every night, discussing not only the inner workings of the Bible or theology, but the world itself, the huge trap that it could seem at times. Though he still hardly slept, when he did sleep it was as if the hour or so he’d had was enough to last him weeks. Energy unlike any he had known since taking orders began to fill him, and he channeled almost all of it into his work. His homilies became clearer, more driven and focused. Soon, people were waiting in line for hours to enter his confessional, and on the days he gave mass they would fill up the pews like never before.

Old Archbishop Carter only smiled the more brightly, and would occasionally drop comments that his marshaling of strength seemed to be going well. Father Daniels could only bow, say the archbishop was far too gracious, and head back to his apartment, eagerly awaiting his next talk with Carpenter. Then, one day as he entered his apartment, he realized that he wasn’t alone.

“Hello, Mr. Daniels.” The invader was a nondescript man in a black suit with a black tie and sunglasses, slightly balding. Sunglasses, in the dark of night with no lights in the apartment.
“Father.”

“Excuse me?” The suit said, appearing somewhat taken aback. Apparently, he wasn’t used to being interrupted.

“Father Daniels, not ‘mister’. I’m a priest, you see.” he pulled back his coat to show his clerical collar. The suit smiled.

“Ahh, yes, of course. A man of the cloth. My apologies. Father Daniels, then. Hello.”

“Hello,” Daniels replied. “And what is your name?”

“Gray. Agent Gray. I assume that this is a normal hour for you to get home?”

“Typically, yes. Why, is something wrong?”

“All in good time. Please, sit down. This might take a while.” He gestured to the chair by the computer, and Daniels moved to it, but didn’t sit. “You see, we are aware that every night for almost a month now, you have met online with a certain person who goes by the on-line handle of Carpenter. True?”

“Yes... and?” Daniels frowned. There was something very wrong going on here, but he couldn’t figure out what, exactly.

“This... individual... is dangerous. Extremely so. He is a stalker of sorts, an on-line predator. And I’m afraid this he has picked you as his next target.”

“Me... why?”

“Because you crossed his path. He hunts people. Befriends them, gains their trust, and then acts. He’s killed at least five so far that we know of, and possibly many more. You must have been a prime target for him, however. We understand he has a certain something for men of the cloth. We think he might have been... affected... by all that unpleasantness in the mid-90's.”

The priest gave that the frown it deserved. The “unpleasantness” deserved far worse a name, and he did not appreciate the flippant attitude towards it. Besides... Carpenter was a friend. Or was he?

Agent Gray’s smile didn’t even flicker. “Anything you may think you know about this entire situation is utterly irrelevant, Father. Now, please sit down.”

Again, that sense of wrongness pervaded Daniels’ senses. It was as if the man before him lacked... something. The emptiness that came from him made him seem as cold as the computer on his desk. Daniels sat.

“Thank you. Now, it was only through lucky chance that we managed to locate you before he struck, Father. We have been utterly unable to trace him, however, if he follows his normal pattern, he may soon ask you to meet him. Agree, then call this number immediately.” Gray handed him a folded piece of paper. “Tell us when you are meeting him and when. Then, we will give you further instructions.”

“We? Who is we?”

“The people who are trying to protect you, Father Daniels.”

“What if you’re wrong about Carpenter?”

“We’re not. Good day, Father.”

After Gray left, Daniels spent a long time staring at his computer. All I have to do is not log on for a while, and maybe he’ll give up interest. That way he stays safe, and I can’t be accused of aiding or abetting. But he had promised to meet... and Carpenter had never even mentioned a Real World meeting. If he suddenly did... then what?

Ultimately, it was the promise that made him log on. Even if Carpenter was a criminal, Daniels had not broken a promise to anyone in two decades, and did not intend to start now. That night he moved much as normal through the various chat rooms and theology sites. But Carpenter was not in any of them. For the first time since that night long ago, Carpenter broke his promise to meet. He would be nowhere to be found on-line for the next three days.

Daniels sighed to himself. He had been in the confessional for going on five hours, but the last of those who needed to confess was now entering the darkened booth. Mentally giving a quick prayer for patience, the priest turned his attention to the task, and waited for the confessor to speak.

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been... a very long time... since my last confession.”

Daniels nodded, though he knew the confessor couldn’t see it. “What is it that brings you back to the confessional after so long an absence?”

There was a pause, then; “I broke a promise, Father. A promise to a good friend. And now I am here to confess and make reparations, if I may.”

Another sigh. “The promises we make to men and to God are very important, but to truly make amends, you should go to see your friend.”

“I have, Deacon.”

The priest’s eyes snapped open wide. “Carpenter?”

“Please just listen for now. I know that you have been visited by them, and though I don’t know what they told you about me, I can guess that it was scary, and perhaps nasty as well. Believe me when I tell you that whatever they led you to believe about me, the truth about them is far worse. They are...”

“...soulless.” The realization filled his mind even as the word passed his lips. That emptiness, that lack of human warmth, was what he had felt that night in his apartment.

Silence. “Yes,” Carpenter said softly. “How did y... never mind. There is no time. I am about to ask you the most important question that you have ever been asked, and you will have to decide your answer quickly.”

“Okay,”   Daniels said tentatively.

“For months now, you and I have discussed the nature of the world. The world is broken, wrong, fallen as you have said. You have felt it, felt the despair of those within it, seen the soullessness of those who uphold it. But you do not understand what it is, and without that knowledge, you cannot begin to address the heart of the problem.”

A deep breath. “I came here today to offer you the opportunity to learn about it, and then to do something about it. But it is a one way street, and once you set foot upon it there is no turning back. If you refuse, we will never meet again, to protect both of us. You will go on to great things in this church, if it is permitted. If you join me, all I can offer is the truth, and the opportunity to do something about it.”

The silence was deafening. In the distance, thunder penetrated the thick cathedral walls. Carpenter spoke. “Tonight, when you leave this building, you may chose the life you know. In that case, go home, and go to sleep, and believe whatever you wish. I will fondly remember our conversations. However, should you choose to look even deeper, go the old Marington bridge, and be there by 2 am. I will meet you.”

The confessional door opened quickly. The priest leaped from his own booth, but only saw a dark silhouette passing through the doors. He chose not to follow... and then set to a far more difficult choice.

It would be raining... Father Daniels thought through shivers as he huddled back against one of the rails, his soaked coat pulled up above his collar to hold in what warmth was left. Despite the ongoing downpour, he couldn’t blame all of the shivers on the wet. He was more scared than he had ever been before in his life. For the fiftieth time he considered just walking into the night, disappearing and throwing the Agents a bone, far too late for them to capture Carpenter.

Yet... he couldn’t deny what he had felt from them. Gray had called them his protectors, but the cold void inside of the men in dark suits had been undeniable. He had known depravity before, had stared into the eyes of some truly evil people while administering Last Rites, but each of them had possessed something, some dredge of humanity. But these... Agents... nothing. He remained on the bridge.

The fear wouldn’t go away, though, and desperately he reached out to the old ways to fight it. He began reciting the Our Father, over and over again, like he hadn’t done since he’d been a small child afraid of the dark. To his great amazement, it worked.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.

Calmness, and a strange warmth, flowed into him like he’d been drinking rich hot chocolate. Surprised, he opened his eyes to see a beat up old car pull to a stop in front of him. A door opened and a voice he recognized as Carpenter’s came out. “I apologize for being late... we must hurry.” With a last twinge of caution urging him to flee, Daniels nodded and stepped into the car...

And found himself facing the barrel of a shotgun, held by a tall black man sitting in the front passenger seat. The driver was intent on driving in the wet conditions, and it took Daniels a moment to look away from the large weapon before him.

“C-carpenter, w-what is this?”

“I apologize, Deacon, but it is necessary for the moment. You are more dangerous to us right now than you can imagine. The Agents work quickly sometimes. We don’t think that you’re bugged, but we can’t afford to take the risks.”

Suddenly the driver spoke. “Scan complete... he’s clean. Maybe they’re getting sloppy.”

The tall black man shook his head. “They don’t get sloppy. They were expecting us to make another on-line contact first... didn’t want to spook us off. They might be watching us right now.”

“Then nothing has changed,” Carpenter said gruffly. His bright red hair came as a bit of a shock over the dark sunglasses and black longcoat. “Your, ah, guardian there is Cephas, and you have to forgive his tension. You will understand it soon. Ah, we’re here. Quickly, now.”

Daniels found himself getting ushered out of the car and pushed into an incredibly decrepit looking warehouse. Carpenter navigated his way through the stacked boxes, speaking almost absentmindedly. “This is one of our safe-houses... we’ve managed to keep it quiet for some time, so we’re as safe as we can be right now. We stay constantly on the move, however, so I fear I have no time to give you a tour. Now.”

Suddenly he spun on heel and was facing the poor priest, holding two cups that he had taken from on top of one of the boxes. They were not particularly ornate, but Daniels gasped as he recognized them... simple as they were, they were undoubtedly eucharist cups, and the smell of wine could be detected even through the heavy must of the room.

“Last chance, Deacon. I told you a long time ago that you were right about the world, that it was wrong in a way that you have always sensed, but could never define. The truth is far more horrific than anything you could imagine, anything that I could simply tell you. This is your chance to learn it, and join us in fighting it. You have sensed the emptiness of the Agents... it is them and their kind that we stand against, that we fight.”

A pregnant pause. The priest looked around as if expecting one of them to step out from behind the boxes. He was also uncomfortably aware of Cephas behind him, still holding that shotgun... a silent executioner? He couldn’t tell.

“Once you make the choice to walk with us, however, your old path will end. You will no longer be welcome in the Cathedral, you will never become a bishop or arch-bishop. You will never again be the quiet priest in the parish. You will still serve your parishioners, but in a very different way than you have ever imagined. It is time for the choice.”

Carpenter lofted the cup on the left. “This is the cup of forgetfulness. If you drink from it you will fall asleep, wake up tomorrow in your bed, and never hear from us again. The Agents will visit you again, but you will never need to fear for your life... they will know upon visiting you that you can no longer lead them to us.”

He then raised the cup on the right. “This is the cup of truth. If you drink from it you will remain awake, indeed, you will become more awake than you have ever been in your life. You will see the world for what it is, and then we will see how you handle it. You will never again have a home in this world, you will be hounded, chased, and maybe killed. Everyday we face death... but we will face it together. It is not the easier option. It is time to choose... time is pressing.”

Seconds ticked by. The priest took a deep breath, and then took the cup on the right. It wouldn’t be until long after that he knew why... desperately afraid as he had been... the sense of warmth gained from reciting the Our Father had never left him the whole time with Carpenter.

Dreams followed, visions, flashes, nightmares. Nightmares too real to be true. Too real to be of the world. For days, Deacon (Father Daniels no longer) was lost in a nightmare of truth. He awoke with a horrible choking sensation, a breathing tube protruding deep into his lungs. His skin was surrounded with a disgusting goo, and he pushed out, his strangely weak arms pushing through an odd rubbery substance to win free, violently pulling the tube out. He dreamt (real or otherwise, he didn’t know) of falling and sliding, of struggling with strange machines that prodded and poked him, nightmares of horrible darkness and even more horrible light.

Dreams, nightmares... the truth.

The tall halls of the Cathedral captured the voice of the priest, scattering it through the cavernous sanctuary. He knelt before the altar and the sepluchure, his prayer as heartfelt as it was simple. He closed as he always did with the Our Father, basking once again in the quiet warmth as he crossed himself and stood, sunglasses clasped in hand. He had never felt comfortable wearing them here.

“Enjoying your favorite program again?”

Deacon turned slowly to face his mentor. Carpenter appeared much as he had the first time Deacon had ever seen him, bright red hair blazing in contrast to pale skin and dark clothes. Deacon knew his own appearance had also changed little- the attire a bit more loose, ready for action, but otherwise unchanged, dark clothes offset by a white collar at the neck.

“It is... peaceful... to come here. A nice break from the bustle of the ship. We have arrived?”

“We will be docking soon. The elders have already radioed ahead, asking that you be ready. They are quite eager to meet you, after all the talk about your abilities has spread.”

Deacon frowned at that. His abilities were greater than average, though Carpenter still managed to win four out of seven sparring matches. His true skill seemed to lie in fighting the rogue programs that rose up... the vampires and werewolves occasionally used by the underworld to keep both the humans and the overlords off balance. Against them, Deacon fought with a fury and skill that surprised his companions. Not a few times had his ‘abilities’ thwarted the underworld’s attacks, the reason they had been summoned home. Home, though Deacon had never seen it before. The Last City.

“I’ll be honored to meet them, I’m sure. I just think I could be doing more out there.”

Carpenter nodded. “You will learn to cherish these visits, in time. They are certainly rare enough, and so worth treasuring.” His eyes again scanned the room around them. “I’ve always meant to ask you, my friend, and the elders surely will. Why do you return to this place? Why do you still wear the collar, after all you have learned about the world since you took your vows?”

There was another long pause. “When I took those vows, I often wondered about my faith. Did you know that?” There was an empty pause, Deacon took it as a negative before continuing. “I always wondered whether I was serving the right cause. It all could have been fake. Jesus. The cross. It could have all been lies, controls. A scheme to harness the energy of countless people.” he looked around. “But there was always a strength here... a place where people found themselves, and so became more. I knew before that men had used the gospels to aim people. Then I learned that machines had done so, as well.”

Deacon smiled. “There have always been those who would use the church to achieve their ends. There were even some who succeeded. But they all passed away, and the church remains. Now, it rests in the hand of the machines, but one day, when the war ends, the machines will pass away. And if I am spared... the church will continue as well. God lives... the more I see, the more I learn, the more sure of it I am. I took my oaths unaware of the true nature of the world, but I took them for life. Believe it or not, old friend, I am more sure of them now than anything else.” And with that, the cathedral melted away into the waiting white of the construct.

“We are docking,” Cephas’ voice echoed through the sterile emptiness.

“Understood,” Carpenter replied, and without another word, the two of them awoke from the empty dream. Yet it seemed, to Deacon, that a quiet Amen seemed to fill the void as they left it.

Beast Question: How Do You Read the Bible?

2017-05-08T10:39:00.001-05:00

How do you read the Bible? ...it's a bunch of words all jumbled and it looks like a dictionary and it looks like some of it isn't even English.-Beast-----------------

For the record, Beast didn't actually send me this question. He doesn't think of me as his pastor and probably doesn't know I write this blog. I'm pretty certain his name isn't even Beast. But he did ask his Mom the question, and she mentioned it on Facebook, and I thought, hey, questions like that are basically what this blog is for. So Beast, if you see this, thanks for asking the question, because I've been thinking about how to answer it all morning!

So the Bible is confusing to read for many reasons. It is very old, and written in languages that no one speaks anymore. Since those languages died out, it has been translated over and over again, and not always the same way, and so depending on whose version you read, the words will be different, which means the meanings are different.

Even if you focus on just one version, it can look like a mess to read. The text is usually pretty densely packed (making it look like a dictionary, as you said) and there's also a bunch of numbers scattered through it. And yes, some of it isn't in English, even when you're supposedly reading an English translation. So what gives?

But maybe the biggest part of why the Bible is hard to read is the fact that it isn't a book. Sure, it LOOKS like a book. We bind it and sell it like a book. It's frequently called the highest selling Book of all time. Even the word, bible, comes from the Latin biblia, which means book. But the Bible ISN'T a book. It's a library, or collection of books.

When you flip through the Bible you'll frequently come upon what look like chapter headings, titles like Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, 2 Kings, 3 Peter, etc. These aren't actually chapters, like you would expect in a normal book, but actually little books themselves, written by different authors at different times about different things. They aren't all stories, either. In the Bible you'll find stories, letters, books of law, books of poetry, books of philosophy, books of prophecy, even books of erotica.

So when you read the Bible, if you just read it from beginning to end like a normal book, you're gonna get confused. Not so bad as if you read a Choose Your Own Adventure Book (ask your Mom) the same way, but it still won't make a whole lot of sense.

So there is your first clue on how to Read the Bible, pick one book at a time and read that. When you finish, remember that the next one you read is a completely different book. Even though it might be about the same thing.

Oh yeah, that's another thing. Sometimes the Bible tells the same story more than once, just from a different perspective or according to a different author. For instance, the Gospels (or the books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) each tell the same story: the life story of Jesus Christ. But while there are similarities all four share, they also diverge from each other wildly, reflecting the different perspectives of the different authors.

This is going a bit long so I'll sum up with some (hopefully) helpful hints.

1- The numbers you see weren't originally there and aren't part of the story. The Bible has been printed so many times and in so many languages that for people to find where someone else was reading in the scripture would be almost impossible. Page numbers wouldn't work, and sometimes the words are almost completely different. So instead we used the number headings (called Chapter and verse) to make it clear where exactly we are reading. They are fairly universal, so even with very different translations, you'll be able to find the same part and look at how different people read that passage. So if you read a line that you can't really understand, you could always look up the same line in a different translation (there are a bunch available for free online) and see if that one clears it up for you.

2- The authors of the different books don't always agree with each other. For instance, the prophet Nehemiah felt strongly that Jews shouldn't marry foreign women. But the author of the book of Ruth (we don't know their name, sadly) wrote a story about how one Hebrew married a woman from another country, and she ended up being the great grandmother to Israel's greatest king!

3- About the language. Sometimes you'll come upon a word that you don't know, even if you try to look it up in the dictionary. This is for a couple of reasons. A lot of the time, the story will translate it for you, later. (Even though the languages these were written in is very old, sometimes the language the people who lived it spoke was even older.) There are a few words, however, that aren't translated anywhere. These are words that are so old that we have no record of them existing anywhere except in the Bible, and so we can't translate them... we can't find them anywhere else to figure out what they mean!

Reader Question- Concerning Suicide

2017-04-27T11:33:00.000-05:00

Where do we go when we commit suicide? I want the truth! -Me

---------------------

This is the first question I have received in a while, and I have to admit that I spent a couple hours wondering if it was best to answer it at all. Discussion of suicide in general terms (as in, talking about the concept, rather than one specific instance) can be problematic in that you never know what narrative it will fit into. If I write the answer as if I was talking to someone grieving a suicide, it will be heard very differently by someone in the ideation process, and vice versa, and lead to me seeming to give an answer I didn't intend to.

I should also make it clear that I am not the "Me" asking the question. So if anyone is worrying if I am the one questioning the consequences of suicide, let me put those fears to rest. I'm not suicidal, or even particularly depressed.

That handled... okay, let's do this.

The church has a history of treating suicide as an unforgivable sin, but this has always been more a theological construct than a Biblical imperative. While there are Biblical characters that commit suicide (King Saul in the Old Testament, Judas Iscariot in the new) theological speculation on the fate of people who have committed suicide is absent in the scriptures.

One particularly popular line of thought was that suicide counted as murder, but as you died before you could repent your murder, you went to hell. So the idea was never so much about the severity of suicide itself as it was about the mechanics of absolution. Over time, this simple theological construct evolved into an imperative, and suicide was viewed as unforgiveable in its own right, likely in a misguided attempt to dissuade people from doing it.

If you read me all that much you know that I do not buy the idea of someone being condemned simply because of a hiccup in the divine paperwork. Just as I do not believe a baby would be condemned because no one could find water to baptize them in before they died, I don't believe that suicide is a go straight to hell card.

Short version of the truth you're asking for, I believe that people who commit suicide, just like everyone else, is covered by the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, and that we will see them again in a much happier state of grace.

That said, I do believe that suicide is a sin, one of the most selfish acts a person is capable of. The scars left behind on all who knew them and loved them are incredibly traumatic, and can even cause "ripple effect" suicides, where the same people they hurt are then inspired to end their own lives to escape the pain caused by that first death.

In a way, I see how the early church came to the conclusions it did. They didn't have the psychological tools that we have today, but they did see the pain and trauma suicide caused and were led to an almost inevitable conclusion... whatever else this act may be, to cause so much harm and so much pain even to those not killed must be some variety of evil.

So I suppose that is the answer to the question. I believe that the saving power of Jesus Christ extends to suicides just as I believe it extends to everyone. But I will also always condemn it. Just because something won't send you to hell doesn't make it a good idea.

Top 10 Ways to Improve your Faith Life (If that is something you would like to do.)

2017-04-18T00:44:00.002-05:00

1- Picture your best friend in the world. Now imagine that they have really angered you. I mean, made you angry in a way only our very best friends our capable of. What do you say to that person? If you wouldn't be uncomfortable saying that to God, there is plenty of room for your faith life to improve. If you are comfortable saying it, when you get angry, don't quote the ontological argument. In that moment, yell at God. Scream if you need to. God'll still be there when you're ready to come back.

2- The Bible told you to have faith like a child. Anyone who ever told you that meant unquestioning obedience has clearly never been around children. Question everything. A faith that is written in stone is dead.

3- Every friendship is different. Some folks talk on the phone for hours, others go out to events, still others work side by side in silence for days at a time. Just because someone else's idea of praying worked for them doesn't mean it will work for you. Keep experimenting.

4- Religion (ideally) exists to offer tools to equip the faithful, but it is that life of faith, not the tool, that is important. If one form of religion is only hindering your faith life, drop it like a faulty tool and shop for a replacement.

5- Faith is meant to be a source of joy in the good times and strength in the hard times. If it does the opposite, then it isn't faith, but something else entirely.

6- If their version of God is a hateful, vindictive egomaniac and yours is a loving, powerful confidant, then you are worshiping different beings. You may share a religion, but you are not sharing a God. Ignore theirs, and stick to yours.

7- The most powerful evangelical tool in the world is the believer who is a better person because of what they believe. If after seeing your life people still need a sales pitch, then no sales pitch in the world will ever be sufficient. So spare them the pitch, and instead, work on being the joy they want to see.

8- Learn to embrace creation through recreation. A life lived with as much joy as possible is one of the greatest acts of gratitude we can offer to our deity or deities of choice. And if your deity or deities reject joy, then I recommend finding another one.

9- There will always be doubt. It will never go away. That is why we call it faith. If you learn to see it as a hindrance, rather than a failing, you will learn to navigate it, like someone learning to feel their way in the dark. And when your faith is bright and easy, remember your doubt when others struggle with it.

10- Any God worth the paper their holy writings are written on know you as you are. This includes all facets of you, from your physical ability to your gender to your sexuality to your mental capacity. So be honest in your faith in all things. It is a whole lot easier to be truthful with God (as we understand God) when we are equally capable of being truthful with ourselves.

And if that truth right now is that you simply do not have faith, then don't be afraid. Don't try to force it. Because a life of real, vibrant faith can be a powerfully rewarding thing, worth far too much to risk sullying it with cheap knock offs.

Be real in your faith, or lack of faith, to yourself, to others, to the world around you. Eternity isn't going anywhere.

Dealing with Anger

2017-04-18T00:42:00.004-05:00

So I have gone dark here lately, the longest hiatus from the blog since I started it. For a little while I was considering just being done with APD since the questions have more or less dried up and of late I was just wanting to rant about politics, and while there are times when that is necessary, I also didn't want it to define my role as pastor. There are a lot of people out there who need spiritual care, especially those who voted for Trump out of a sense of desperation, and I need to be able to serve my role to them, which is hard when they keep expecting me to beat them over the head with the politics of our time.

In the church I have had quite a few more people approaching me for spiritual counseling lately, and doing that has made me think it might be time to re-up the spiritual care aspect of the blog.

You all know my opinions, politically. Donald Trump, beloved of Christ though he may be, has created a political persona that is very nearly the antithesis of everything I believe a Christian should be and does so with the audacity to claim not just Christian love, but my own denomination. It seems like everything he does is an affront to both my religious understanding and my general desire to just be a good person.

For now, I will leave it at that, at least so far as this Blog goes.

On to the stuff the folks I know really need.

And as always, if you have questions, feel free to use the form, or to contact me via twitter or facebook!

Reader Question: Why all the Politics?

2017-01-31T10:14:00.001-06:00

I don't understand why you keep pushing your political views as a pastor. Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?

----------

This question is a combination of questions I have received lately, both in person and on-line. I'd like to make clear from the outset that I would like nothing better than to take a break from the politics. I was hoping to be done when the election came, and did manage to get a bit of a break as Trump secluded himself from the Press (though not Twitter) in the months that followed.

But in the bare handful of days since he took office, Trump has demanded my attention by being more diametrically opposed to the message of scripture than any President in history, and I do not say that lightly.

People are used to religion in politics being primarily issue driven. The most common example is abortion: churches in general have taken such a loud and heated voice on the issue that in many people's minds a candidates take on the issue determines whether or not they are a Christian candidate. I abhor that kind of thinking, not least because I am personally pro-choice.

If I had been a pastor during GWB's Presidency (alas, I was a mere college student/seminary student/intern during those years) things would have been different. I wouldn't have liked a lot of what he was doing, but it wouldn't have been a matter of everyday concern for me, certainly not the sort of thing I would have gone to war over every day. I disagreed with W on a lot of points, but for the most part they were ideological differences, not the sort of thing I would take to my pulpit because part of being a Presbyterian Pastor is a very strong awareness of our own sinful natures... I am not God, and just because I believe a thing doesn't make it true.

Which is why opposition to Donald Trump and his message of alternative truth, ie, just because he believes a thing means it IS true, is so important, the sort of thing I cannot stand down from, especially when people's lives are threatened by those actions.

Trump is not the first politician to lie, but I have never heard an administration so eager, when caught in a lie, to simply claim that all who disagree with them are the real liars, or to claim a concept such as alternative truth. But he claims the sun shone when it was clearly raining, that millions attended when the Mall was clearly empty, that Mexico will pay for a wall while proposing a tax that will be paid by Americans, and it becomes shockingly clear that truth has no place in the man's mind.

Trump is not the first politician to have a beef with refugees, but his thinly veiled Muslim ban (please don't argue with me on this one. The Ban on refugees affects Majority Muslim countries with the exception of their religious minorities, making it a ban on Muslim refugees.) is built on a claim of threat where the threat is wildly overblown, a boogey man to drive fear. A Christian is called to reject that fear, especially in the service of others.

Trump is not the first politician to have personal failings and skeletons in his closet, but he is the first where those failings are held up as virtues. His dishonest business practices are touted as "savvy," his tax dodging is touted as "smart," his treatment of women touted as "good ol' boy." And as his apparent hatred of Muslims inspires attack after attack of our Muslim population, as a Preacher my role becomes clear.

If Donald Trump ever does a thing that I think is in line with the values I am called to preach, I promise I will give him credit for it. But I have been paying very, very close attention and it hasn't happened yet.

As for separation of Church and State, the law requires that the State not give preference to any religion in it's law making. It doesn't say a darn thing about Pastor's speaking against the State so long as we do not try to make our churches arms of a political party. And I'm not. My opposition to Trump isn't about me being a Liberal or a Democrat, but about opposing behavior and policy so antithetical to everything I believe in.

In the meantime, as a Pastor, I will continue to advocate for minorities, for refugees, for the sick, for the wounded, for the prisoners, and for the downtrodden, as Christ commanded us to do. I will give that message to my people, to my family, and to anyone who will listen.

I get that people weary of the politics. As I said, I am, too. But the dangers posed by the Trump Presidency to the very concept of decency in the United States are clear. And I was hired to preach truth. If you don't want me to preach truth to the best of my ability, then you don't want me as your pastor.

Don't Assume That You're The Hero

2017-01-17T10:37:00.004-06:00

Folks who follow me in my various social media endeavors might have noticed that I never quoted Martin Luther King yesterday, nor did I share any memes that did so. There is a very simple reason for that... I don't think he's mine to quote.

I like to believe that, if I had been living and working when he was, that I'd have been an ally for him. But I can't be sure. I am accurately described as a moderate white protestant minister, a demographic frequently condemned by King as far too passive, hand wringing "allies" who were ultimately more hindrance than help to his cause.

It's nice to assume that if we were there when this stuff went down, we'd have been on the right side of history. But we are who we are because of where we stand in history, and looking at my own family in that point in time, I simply cannot assume that I would have seen the need to push for Civil Rights now, even if it came at the expense of public peace. I might have been an idle fretter, wringing my hands and urging people to just "get along."

I'll never know.

It's similar to the sentiment I get in Churches around Easter time, when everyone wants to cast themselves in the role of the allies who were horrified at Christ's death. It's nice to believe, but in the end, it seems far more likely that we'd have been among the ones shouting for him to be crucified.

There is far too much eagerness among white people in general to claim King as Their Hero. In the heated political climate of today, the spirit of King becomes co-opted as a patron saint of "the good Black Protester," with those perpetuating that image unaware of how the very thought is completely and totally racist.

Doctor Martin Luther King was a powerful figure precisely because he wasn't sweet and quiet. He was powerful, provocative, and impossible to ignore. If he were to suddenly be brought to today, if we got to meet, I'd hope he'd see who I am and how I work and consider me a victory of his movement.

If he is my hero, it is not in how he fought for Civil Rights, but rather in how he grabbed comfortable white moderates by the throat and DEMANDED that we stand for Justice, or stop calling ourselves his allies, a kick in the pants that I hope I am a small testimony to, even if the state of rhetoric from ministers today means he didn't entirely overcome old prejudices.

When it comes to Civil Rights, when it comes to how we protest and how minorities make their voices known, he does not belong to me, or any other white person, no matter what side of his battle lines we feel that we stand on. Because it is EASY to assume we'd stand with him.

But if we use him as a reason why others shouldn't stand, or as a metric to show that their standing is wrong, or even worse, to claim that there is no longer a need for people to stand at all... then we are, unequivocally, standing against him. And while that is our right, basic decency would demand that we not quote him as an ally while we do so.

Reader Question- So What Do We Do Now?

2017-01-11T10:01:00.001-06:00

I have had a small army of people ask that question, in one form or another, ever since the election. I've left them unanswered thus far because I really didn't know, either. There's no precedent for this, no historical guide we can follow. No President in HISTORY has ever been as underqualified as Trump, no President in history has ever been so defined by negativity as Trump, and no President in History has ever been as unPresidential as Trump.

It seems like every day we get new news of Trump's shocking behavior, and then, for those who read between the lines, we see the shocking behavior of Republicans in Congress whom I can only assume are using Trump's antics as a smokescreen. It is disheartening to say the least.

But as President Obama says Goodbye, it's time to move past the stages of grief, and into action, and here is what we do.

1- Ignore Trump. The greatest threats that Donald Trump poses are beyond our ability to control until the next election. This is NOT to say that he is harmless, far from it, but the biggest threat that Donald Trump poses is his amazing ability to command media time in one theater when our attention really should be in another. Trump is a Zaphod Beeblebrox... his job is not to hold power, but rather to distract attention from it.

2- Call your local politicians. Ask for statements. QUOTE those statements. Trump is untouchable to the average voter for four years, but congressmen and some Senators only for two. Let them know that we aren't watching the orange idiot, but rather them, and that when he is behaving like a child, we expect them to act like professionals, or they will be replaced.

3- Find Allies. I KNOW it seems like we're alone, but we're not. We're actually a majority, and more and more Republicans who voted for Trump for reasons beyond thinking he would make a good President are starting to regret those decisions. When you find a sympathetic ear from the other side of the aisle, try not to castigate them, but instead find the common ground (we are all in a terrible, terrible mess,) after all, and try to get them to join their voices to ours. They won't agree with you on many things, or even most things, but if we can agree that we have a calamity of a President and that Congress is behaving poorly behind him, that is enough to start with.

4- Don't waste your energy. We've all been in internet matches with people who wear blinders and sling angry memes rather than engage the conversation. Don't be one of them, and don't allow them to distract you. We can't browbeat people into being allies, and feeding the Trolls just gives them the jollies while wasting our time.

5- If/When the time comes, stand. I've said before that the worst part about Donald Trump, even more than his own crimes and the way he shields other politicians from scrutiny, is his effect on other people. The deplorables who use his election as an excuse to bully, or to sling hate at those they fear. When you see it happening, stand up to it. Defy it. Even if it is done with the flag of our government, defy it.

I hope it never comes to that. I hope the voices of Sanity in the GOP will join the Democrats in protecting Americans regardless of race, creed, or ideology. We just spent eight years under a President who was dedicated to justice, and it was nice. But the executive branch is now, at best, worthless to us.

So if it happens, we will have to stand ourselves.