The Prayer Room--11/30/14--First Sunday of Advent

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NRSV)

So it's not quite December yet, give it a few hours, but today is the day when Christians of many traditions begin to look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ with the Christmas holiday.  It's the first Sunday of Advent.  During Advent the focus of Christian tradition is twofold.  First we wait in anticipation of the commemoration of the Incarnation which we celebrate on Christmas, but we also focus on being ready for the second Advent, hopeful for the return of Christ to the world.

I have many memories of Advent from growing up.  My family gathered around an Advent wreath every night reading devotions, looking up Bible verses, and singing Christmas songs as my younger sister and I took turns lighting the candles.  Not observing this custom in recent years has left me feeling somewhat empty throughout the holidays, so I'm really looking forward to returning to the practice this year.

As we move through the Advent season peace and reconciliation are going to be on my mind a lot. We've all seen the consequences of violence, discrimination, and hatred sprawled across our tv screens in recent days and weeks, and for me it's only natural to turn to Him named as the Prince of Peace for help. I invite you all to join me in making these central themes of your spiritual discipline this season and I ask God's blessing on all of us as we make our way through the next four weeks.

JOYS AND THANKSGIVINGS:

--My uncle Greg got some good news this week as full body scans revealed no further cancer in his body.  He still has a spot in his brain that needs to be dealt with, but his doctors seem to be cautiously optimistic that this can be done.

--For those who will be taking time out of their own lives and holiday celebrations to serve the poor and needy in this season of so much abundance, yet so much need.

--For the blessings that most of us receive day in and day out, things that we can easily take for granted: food, shelter, heat, electricity, health, and safety.

--For this season of Advent, when we can work to make ourselves more like the man whose birth we celebrate and whose return we hope for.

CONCERNS AND PETITIONS:

--For the people of Ferguson, Missouri and those affected by the events in that community, that the people and the police can work together toward meaningful reconciliation, reform, and healing in that deeply scarred place.

--For those people who still feel the sting and injury of discrimination based on race, gender, creed, sexual orientation, or any other facet of their life.

--For all of us in community around our town, state, nation, and world, that we can work together to end these types of discrimination and violence, eventually bringing out healing and the peace of Christ.

--For men and women in the armed forces who will not be spending the holidays with family this year.

--For those observing the disciplines of Advent, that it may bring joy and meaning to their lives.

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR: We ask that your Holy Spirit move among each and every one of us throughout the holiday season, showing us ways to better ourselves and the world around us.  Help us to live the principles of your Kingdom, as modeled by Christ, throughout Christmas and the days beyond.

MIGHTY GOD: We ask that you give us hearts for worship, hearts for you alone during this season of Advent.  Help us see the paradox of the Creator of the Universe being born into our broken and damaged world in a simple, dirty stable to a young and bewildered couple.  

EVERLASTING FATHER: Draw us closer to your side as we wait in joyful hope to celebrate the birth of your son.  Give us comfort when sad, guidance when directionless, and grace and forgiveness when we fall short of the ideal in which you call us to live.

PRINCE OF PEACE: Bring your peace and healing to all who are torn by violence, discrimination, hate, and war.  Help us as your children to work tirelessly in your name to bring about this peace and your Kingdom.

We ask all these things in the name of JESUS CHRIST, who taught us to pray:

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 us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.

A-men.

Thanksgiving 2014

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NRSV)

It's a little after 9 AM on Thanksgiving morning, and I'm sitting here with what will probably be the first of a couple of cups of coffee.  I didn't sleep well last night, so I got up early and watched the sun creep over the Wasatch mountains to the east.  I work nights, so that's not a sight I see very often.  It was very beautiful though.

I think it's easy for Thanksgiving to either become a cliche or disappear totally as it's swallowed up by the enormous glut of greed that kicks off the "Christmas shopping season."  When we do still take the time to gather round the table as family and friends, often we make a show out of talking about what we're thankful for, but I wonder, do we really consider it?  I'm not sure that I do.  It seems in our society we always WANT more and more.  Even when I pray I have a much easier time coming up with things that I WANT from God as opposed to be being grateful for what I do have.

So I tried to give it some serious thought as I sat here this morning.  Of course I'm thankful for all the things that we so easily remember: my family, my friends, the roof over my head, the food on my table, my job, and the things I do for fun.  However I also came up with two other things that I may not have thought about much over the last couple of years.

The first of these things that I'm thankful for is the mistakes I make in life.  Now this might sound a bit on the odd side, but it's true.  I think that in our mistakes we see the biggest opportunity for growth and learning.  Certainly it's not always easy to learn from mistakes.  Sometimes it takes a huge effort, and that it something I lack occasionally.  I hope to change that both now and in the future though. Through recognizing mistakes and the powerful opportunities that they can present, I believe that there is a great chance to latch on to large strides of personal growth.

The second thing is the love of Christ that I've rediscovered in recent months.  It has helped my change my attitude on so many fronts, or at least given me the potential to change it.  I've started to see the world through the lens of Christ's love and mercy, both for me and for others, for the first time in a few years.  In recent years I was always a negative Nancy, a troll so to speak.  I was that guy who would jump on twitter or facebook on Thanksgiving morning and and try to give everyone a guilt trip over certain facts of American history.  You know the kind of person I'm talking about.  "Oh that's nice that you're having a huge meal today, celebrating the fact that your ancestors wiped out a whole people." In my mind, I was giving people perspective.  In reality what I was doing was turning people off to me and anything worthwhile that I might have had to say.  I was so negative all the time.

Don't get me wrong, I still am sometimes, but I have noticed a marked improvement.  When love and mercy for everyone started to become my focus more and more, I started to find meaning in places that I never knew existed, even on a holiday that ignores some pretty dark moments in history.

In the end things in the past should be remembered so that we can indeed learn from the mistakes we've made, but beginning to see the world through love and mercy instead of constant negativity allows us not only to remember the past, but to shape the future in ways that are good for everyone. Through this we can exchange guilt and derision for reconciliation and forgiveness, and for that I'm truly thankful.

I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season!

The Prayer Room--11/23/14, Last Sunday After Pentecost

A man kneels and prays at a makeshift memorial for Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. (Photo: CBS News)

Many of us will turn our hearts to Thanksgiving this week, and we should definitely do that. Most of us will never know what it's like to be truly hungry.  Many of us will never know what it's like to not have a roof over our heads.  Many of us will never be a victim of violent crime.  Those of us who are fortunate in these and other respects should give thanks for the blessings in our lives.

But we need to remember that this isn't the same for everybody.  In particular I'm thinking about the people of Ferguson, Missouri.  Most of us will be familiar with the events of August 9, 2014, when Michael Brown, an African American teenager, was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer.  This sparked racial tensions throughout not only the Ferguson area, but in different places all over the country as well.  It also raised the specter of violence in our society and concerns about the legitimacy of the use of deadly force by police officers.  In short, this incident has become about more than just the particular facts of the case.

Look, I don't know what happened.  I wasn't there, and I haven't seen the evidence.  Perhaps the only person who REALLY knows is officer Wilson himself.  However, this doesn't make the questions that have been asked and the issues that have been raised less valid.  The issues will have to be faced and these greater questions will be have to be answered going forward.  They're not going to go away. 

Many people believe that the church has a role to play here, not only in the larger sense of confronting these big issues, but in the smaller sense of helping the community of Ferguson throughout the days ahead.  The grand jury that will decide whether or not to indict officer Wilson will be announcing their findings soon, likely in the next couple of days.  Most legal experts have said that they don't believe that Wilson will be indicted for killing Brown, and it's quite likely that this is going to cause a great deal of strife in that community which has already been through so much.  There might be some pretty bad things going on there while most of us focus on turkey, football, and family this week.  I pray that this won't be the case, but I fear it will be. 

So I ask that we all keep the people of Ferguson in our prayers and thoughts this week and ask Christ to bring about peace in this situation.

JOYS AND THANKSGIVINGS

--For family and friends that gather around us and support us not only in the good times, but in the bad.

--For the blessings that we each receive in our lives every day and every year.

--For those who will be working to provide a thanksgiving dinner to people who are homeless or less fortunate.

CONCERNS AND PETITIONS

--For those who don't have family and friends, or who are separated from them for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

--For those who will be experiencing the first Thanksgiving after losing a loved one.

--For those who will be traveling throughout the week.

--For the people of Ferguson, Missouri, as they try to cope with the ramifications of the events taking place in their community.

--That Christ will grant us his peace and help to look past race, gender, sexual orientation, and the like and see the humanity in each and every one of his children.

Book Review: "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" by Eric Metaxas

I've been on an extraordinary journey over the last few weeks, as I've hinted at in a few other entries. I've been reading the book "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" by Eric Metaxas and participating in a class at church based on the book. It's a remarkably well written story about someone who was perhaps one of the most remarkable people of the last century: German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Of course for those of you not familiar with Bonhoeffer, he was much more than a pastor, as the title of the book suggests.  He was an integral part of the German resistance inside the Nazi state itself.  He worked to smuggle Jews out of the country, which led to his arrest in 1943.  He was also a member of the conspiracy that worked to attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler.  The conspiracy culminated in the failed "Valkyrie" operation in July 1944. His connection to this, and other plots against Hitler, was discovered and he was executed in April 1945, just about three weeks before the fall of Germany.

Of course, to really get a feel for the man, one must understand his family and culture.  That's where Metaxas begins with the book.  Bonhoeffer's family was an old, aristocratic one.  His father was considered to be the preeminent psychiatrist in Germany.  One of his brothers became a scientist and studied alongside Albert Einstein himself.  Another brother was killed fighting for Germany in Word War I. He had another brother who was a high ranking lawyer in German society.  His mother was highly intelligent as well, and she was great musician.

This family and culture raised young Dietrich to be a thinker, and to think about all sides of different issues and problems.  He eventually decided to become a student of theology, which was a slight disappointment to his psychiatrist father and physicist older brother, but they supported him.  He would eventually make a name for himself in the Christian world.  He traveled a lot and studied/served a pastor in Spain, the United States, and London.  He also published several books on theology, some of which have become modern classics.

Bonhoeffer was in Berlin was Hitler came to power, and he and his family opposed him and the Nazi party from the start.  It came to a head in the 1930s when the Nazis, through state action and propaganda, succeeded in making the German Lutheran church a organ of the state that disseminated the Nazi viewpoint and sanctioned the discrimination of Jews.  Bonhoeffer and some other pastors set themselves against this and broke away from the main German church.  For a time, Bonhoeffer even ran an illegal seminary to train pastors for this "Confessing Church."  Eventually it all became too bothersome for the Nazis and the Gestapo shut it down.

In 1939, as Hitler had begun attacking and annexing his neighbors to the east, war looked likely. Bonhoeffer's friends throughout Europe and the USA managed to get him a teaching position in New York City.  He once again left Germany to come to the States.  His friends and family were hoping that he would be safe there during the coming war and could return afterward to help Germany rebuild and reform it's church.  However after less than a month, Bonhoeffer decided that it was not God's will that he sit safe and sound in New York while the people of Germany suffered.  He returned to Germany in the summer of 1939.

As World War II broke out the Bonhoeffer family was in a position to know about the various atrocities committed by the Nazis from the onset.  One of Dietrich's brothers in law, Hans von Dohnanyi, worked in the Abwehr, the German military intelligence arm and was keeping a file on all of the things the SS and others were up to.  He passed all of this information on to Dietrich and his family.  Later, Dietrich decided that the only thing to do was to join the Abwehr himself.  However he and many others were not agents of Germany at all, but members of a conspiracy that meant to assassinate Hitler.  Bonhoeffer took many trips to countries in Europe trying to get the British and the Americans to support the Abwehr conspiracy, but he never quite managed it.

The Gestapo soon found out about his involvement in "Operation 7," in which 7 Jews were smuggled out of Germany and into neutral Switzerland.  He was arrested in 1943 and was housed in a military prison called Tegel.  In 18 months there he became what was basically a prison pastor, working with both guards and inmates.  He also wrote many letters to friends and family that were preserved and published after his death and the end of the war.

However his time was up after an outraged Hitler survived the assassination attempt of July 20, 1944. The SS squeezed everyone they could for information on the Abwehr conspiracy and they eventually found the secret file that Bonhoeffer's brother in law was keeping on the subject.  It implicated Bonhoeffer as well as another one of his brothers and two of his brothers in law. In early April, 1945, excerpts from the diary of the head of the Abwehr were found and brought to Hitler.  Bonhoeffer and many others were mentioned by name.  Hitler ordered that all of them be executed.  Bonhoeffer nearly avoided this fate through a weird case of mistaken identity, but he was eventually transported to Flossenburg concentration camp and was executed by hanging at dawn on April 9, 1945.  The Flossenburg camp doctor witnessed the event and marveled at how bravely Pastor Bonhoeffer walked his own way to the gallows.  His bother Klaus and two brothers in law were also executed for their role in the conspiracy.

This marker rests at Flossenburg in the field where Bonhoeffer and other members of the conspiracy were hanged on April 9, 1945.  Bonhoeffer's body was burned and no remains were ever recovered.

Of course there is much more to Bonhoeffer's life than what can be covered in a summary and book review, which is why I highly recommend that you read Eric Metaxas' book for yourself.  It's a big read, clocking in at over 570 pages, but it's really worth it. If you're intimidated by big books, there is an abridged version available. It's not a hard read though.  Metaxas writes in a style that flows well and reads more like a story than a measured out biography.  In fact, even though the reader knows that Bonhoeffer dies in the end, there are some places where Metaxas really makes you feel like he was going to get out of it by the skin of his teeth.

It is possible that some of you out there may take exception to my glowing praise of Metaxas' work. He's come under some heat recently about some of his statements about America possibly going the way of the Nazis.  Look, I don't know all that much about what he believes politically, but he's certainly entitled to his opinion.  I can disagree with him and still respect him as an author and a thinker.  It must also be kept in mind that Bonhoeffer was a fairly conservative thinker himself, though Metaxas doesn't present him as dogmatically so.  All in all it's definitely a 5 star read and a very inspiring book.

Statue of Dietrich Bonhoeffer at Westminster Abby in London, in the gallery of Modern Day Martyrs.  Martin Luther King Jr also has a statue in this gallery.

The Prayer Room: 11/16/14--23rd Sunday After Pentecost

"Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice." (Psalm 141:2. NRSV)

So another week has come and gone, another week during which we all try to live our lives the best way we see fit.  How did you do this week?  For me, well, I've earnestly sought God and I hope through his grace that I can continue to be an even better person, both for myself and hopefully for those around me.  The more I think about it, the more that I realize that it's a process.  It's not a lesson that ever finishes.  We should each continue to learn and grow in our lives.  

There are a couple of specific things on my mind this week though.  Just this morning IS militants released another one of their videos portraying the murder of innocent people.  In this case, one of those pictured was Abdul-Rahman Kassig, and American aid worker and convert to Islam that had been working to help refugees on both sides of the Syria-Turkey border.  Apparently the video also showed the execution of several captured Syrian soldiers.  You'll forgive me if I didn't watch it to verify these facts.  I'll be offering prayers for Mr. Kassig and his family in the coming week, and I hope that you will join me not only in praying for them, but for all the people who are stuck under the rule of IS and their families as well.

Closer to home, I'd also ask for prayers for my uncle Greg, who I mentioned in last week's entry as a veteran.  He was diagnosed with lung cancer a year or more ago.  He ended up being given access to some experimental treatments that seemed to have been very successful at dislodging the cancer.  He is doing well, but goes in for some scans to check his progress later this week. This understandably causes our family a bit of anxiety, and I ask that you keep him, and us, in your thoughts this week.

Finally I have something more personal.  The upcoming holidays are always a little tough on me because my job is doing merchandising for a large retail company.  I've been doing it for 17 years now, and over the years having to go through the rigmarole surrounding Christmas and retail has largely destroyed any good feelings I have for the season.  I'm going to try to change that this year. I'll be doing a personal advent regimen that I'm really excited about (more on that in future.)  Also, my sister and youngest nephew will be coming for Christmas.  This will be the first time in years that my mom, dad, my sister, and myself are together for Christmas, and I'm really looking forward to it.  I humbly ask that you will keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I try to change my attitude this holiday season.

Here are some other things that are on my mind this week:

THANKSGIVINGS

--For things that bring enjoyment and enhancement to our lives, such as music, sports, books, relationships, etc.

--For the ease of access to information which can educate us and help us lead better lives.  

--For the food and drink that we eat and enjoy, remembering that many do not have this same luxury.

PETITIONS/INTERCESSIONS

--For those living under the rule of IS or other tyrannical regimes.

--For the family of Abdul-Rahman Kassig, who has recently been murdered by IS.

--For those who continue to risk their lives and freedom to help others in need throughout the world.

--For those whose jobs will keep them apart from their families over the holiday season.

--For those who will be traveling in the coming weeks.

Little Gems: The Light That Shines on All

 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5: 14-16, NIV) Photo: Eric Vogt

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most central documents in Christianity and is perhaps the most important, detailed discourse of Christ.  The verses cited above follow the famous Beatitudes given to begin Matthew 5, and as we worked through them yesterday in our class with the pastor, they really struck me.

Christians often speak of Christ as the Light of the World, and that's true enough, but here Jesus is doing something different.  He's passing on the responsibility.  He's bringing us in on it.  His message is clear as well, he doesn't only want us to be the light, he doesn't want us to hide it.  The "City on a hill" image has long been used in Christian thought, and has often been linked with the United States. I'm not overly fond of that linkage personally.  However, the image itself holds.  Pastor Gary and several members of our church just returned from a trip to Greece, and he talked about how all the cities had an "acropolis" which means "high point"  These high points not only let people in the city see who or what was coming , but it was a place where all the people in the city could see and perhaps come for refuge.  The acropolis could not be hidden.

The second image is of a personal light, and what one does with it.  In the first century CE people often used small, oil based lights or "lamps" to light their homes in the darkness.  It wouldn't do much good to light one of those and put a bowl over it.  You couldn't see it, and the light wouldn't get out to do what it was intended to.  Instead, one would put it on a lamp stand where it could illuminate as big an area as possible.

So what is it that light is intended to do?  What's the purpose?  One way we use light is as a beacon, like the city on a hill.  The smallest light in the dark will draw people to it.  We're all familiar with lighthouses on the coast being used in this same way.  We also use light to illuminate darkness.  We don't use oil lamps anymore for the most part.  We flip the switch, and the light bulb fires up, dispelling the darkness from all but the darkest corners of a room.

And just what is this light of Christ that we are meant to take forward, that we're meant to be?  For some today, it's the light of judgement.  I saw these verses, and their companion verses about salt, being used to motivate Christians before the elections, their primary purpose being to promote candidates who wish to shoot down marriage equality and benefit the rich powerful over the poor and needy.  

Of course this is the exact opposite of what Christ promotes.  To me the Light of Christ is the light of love, the light of compassion, the light of acceptance to anyone and everyone no matter their circumstances.  To be light of Christ means to help to the poor, not to just wait for someone else to do it or to just tell them to "stop being lazy."  To be the light of Christ is recognize that none of us are perfect, not others, not ourselves.  To be the light of Christ is to meet others where they are in life, and minister to them in love and compassion and allow them to minister to us in return.  To be the light of Christ is to love everyone, including your enemies and those who disagree with you.

Perhaps the most important aspect of light is this: it shines on everything.  It is not selective.  The light of Christ is meant to be for all: regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, race, or creed.  The idea isn't to go to people of other faiths, or people of no faith, and tell them to accept the light or burn in hell.  The idea is to live your life as an example of things that Christ valued and invite others to join you.  Love and compassion are still love and compassion whether they are exhibited by a Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist, or anyone else.  

This light also means justice and equality for all.  This includes extending social justice and civic benefits to everyone.  Period.  Love everyone and treat them as equal and as people of value.  Plain and simple.

Whether you're religious or not, Christian or not, how can you be this kind of light, the light of love and acceptance in the world around you?  We're coming into a season that will be full of joy and abundance for many, but also full of desperation and heartache for so many others.  I encourage all of you to join me in trying to be a light to these people.  It just might make somebody's day or even save a life.

The Prayer Room--11/09/14, 22nd Sunday After Pentecost.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I in 1914.  Four years later, on November 11, 1918, the Armistice at Compiègne went into effect at 11 AM, Paris time.  This signaled the end of the fighting in western Europe between Germany and the Allies, and for all intents and purposes was the end of first world war.  This day was later set aside, both by the USA and other countries, as a day to honor those who had served in the military.

As we come across Veteran's Day this year, 2014, the service and sacrifice of men and women in the armed forces is heavily on many of our minds.  The events that followed 9/11/01 shaped our country's history and spawned a new age of Veterans.  Instead of being a day when we often thought of World War II, Vietnam, or Korea, now we have young men and women who are returning from, and dying in, places like Iraq and Afghanistan.  Whether you agree with these wars or not, whether you agree with policies that helped bring them about or not, the uniform and the sacrifice of the American marine, soldier, sailor, airman, or coast guardsman should be revered and respected.  In the last year we've found out that not all of these men and women have been receiving the care that they should when they get home, and that should be something that all of our politicians should be desperate to fix.

So as we enter this week ahead, I invite you to join me in prayer for these men and women, and their families.  Let's not forget the sacrifice of those in the service now or those that came before.  I would like to mention both of my grandfathers, both long past from this earth:

Walter D. Carter, US Navy, World War II
Edward L. Moore, US Army, World War II

Also I'd like to mention some other friends and family who have served, or are currently serving:

Greg Pierce--US Navy, my uncle.
Jeff Newsom--US Air Force, Afghanistan.  Jeff was the best man at my wedding,
Greg Miller--US Army, Afghanistan.  The Millers are great friends of ours, and I remember Greg as just a little kid!  Here he is receiving the Purple Heart from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in 2011:

THANKSGIVINGS:

--That we live in a land where we are indeed free to practice our beliefs

--For the willingness of men and women to put their lives on the line for our country.

--For elections and the peaceful transition of power in our country.

CONCERNS AND PETITIONS:

--For veterans who are homeless or who otherwise are not receiving the kind of post action care that they need.

--For the families and loved ones of those who have been lost in recent military actions.

--For men and women in the American uniform still stationed throughout the world, many of whom will not spend the Holidays with their families and friends back home.

How To Tell If Your Religious Freedoms Are Under Attack

Some folks have really been making hay recently by trotting out an argument that religious freedoms in the United States are under attack from the vile, tyrannical federal government.  Of course, these people are pretty much all Christians, as I'm sure you'd be hard pressed to find all that many Americans that really care about the freedoms of religions other than theirs. So I decided to sit down and think critically about it, to really examine how religion works in our society and whether this claim has any merit to it.  The argument is out there, and those that are making it are loud, but is it really happening?

Let's start by examining some things that we might expect to happen if our government was attacking religious freedom, and ask if these things are happening.

1. Has the government taken an official stand for or against any particular religion?
One might expect that in an attack on religious freedoms, the government or agents of the government might take a stand for or against particular faiths.  For instance, if Christian freedoms were under attack, the federal government might make a law banning Christianity and it's practices, or they might issue a statement denouncing the faith as a whole.  Perhaps the government decides to officially endorse Hinduism over Christianity, or even atheism over Christianity.  Of course this hasn't happened and isn't happening.  The first amendment prohibits congress from making laws with respect to religion.

2. Can you go freely practice your religion where you want and when you want?
Throughout history governments that have attacked religious freedom have prohibited the free and open exercise of religion.  The Christian church in particular has had to operate underground in many places over the years.  So, can you go to whatever church you want, when you want without the government sanctioning or arresting you?  Sure you can.  I get up every Sunday and go to Community United Methodist Church.  Nobody prevents me from doing so.  There aren't cops sitting outside the church saying that I can't go in, or arresting me for wearing a cross necklace in public. Congress opens sessions with prayers, usually Christian, as do many government agencies throughout the country.  The Ten Commandments are emblazoned throughout the country.  The President proclaims a national day of prayer every year.  Do you honestly think those things would be happening if religion was under attack?

3. Do agents of the government try to intimidate you in religious settings?
Are there FBI agents sitting in your church parking lot giving you a cold stare from behind their official looking shades while you go into your church?  Do uniformed guards enter your church and watch from the back?  Do police officers take names or license plate numbers from people who go to church?  Maybe these things happen in the minds of black helicopter conspiracy theorists, but you know where they don't happen?  In the USA. Well I don't doubt that the government watches various Islamic elements, but if you see an FBI agent giving you the stink eye as you walk into your church, ward, or synagogue, snap a picture, send it to me, and we'll talk.

4. Are religious leaders thrown in jail or otherwise sanctioned for questioning the government?
Oh hey, we might have something here!  What about those pastors from Houston that had their sermons subpoenaed for being anti-gay?  Well, when you drill down into it, it's not that simple. These pastors had been part of a drive to collect signatures that would have required the city to put a controversial non-discrimination ordinance on the public ballot.  It was found that these signatures did not totally meet the City of Houston's requirements for a petition drive, and thus most of them were disqualified.  A lawsuit was filed against the city in regards to the disqualification of the signatures.  In the process of gathering evidence about the process of gathering signatures, the City of Houston subpoenaed the records that five pastors and their churches had in relation to the petition drive and the ordinance itself.  The original subpoenas did ask for sermons, but after they were served, the City itself agreed that they shouldn't have done that, and refiled the subpoenas without the request for sermons.  Later, after meeting with various clergy members, the mayor of Houston, an openly gay woman, agreed to withdraw the subpoenas altogether.  So, as you can see, this wasn't the City of Houston coming down on pastors for being anti-gay.  It was the City of Houston seeking to defend itself against a lawsuit brought by some of the people who had organized the petition drives. Imagine that.  Maybe next time the people who collect the signatures should dot all their "I's" and cross all their "T's".

Now, certainly throughout American history there have been various pastors and religious leaders who have engaged in acts of civil disobedience and been arrested for it.  Martin Luther King Jr comes immediately to mind.  However, what you don't see is pastors or religious leaders being arrested or fined for preaching various things from the pulpit or having legal gatherings in public.

5. Is the government attacking the central principles of your faith?
For Christians, the central ideas of the faith are that Jesus Christ was the son of God, that he died for the forgiveness of sins, and that he rose from the dead and ascended back into heaven.  Belief in this gives the Christian salvation through grace.  Has the government attacked any of these ideas?  Is there a law somewhere that says "Believing in Jesus Christ is a crime?"  Nope.  Again, if you have proof of any of these laws existing in the United States, pass it along and we'll talk.

Now of course, there could be MANY other things that might happen if the government was honestly attacking religion.  But come on, don't you think we'd at least see one of things above happening if it were a problem?  The United States has long been a place where people are left to do as they please, and that includes practicing religion as they please.

So what religious liberties are really being threatened then?  Where does the argument come from? Of course it's all about homosexuality.  There's a bee in many peoples' bonnets because of the striking down of gay marriage bans.  People think that they have a right to a religious belief that homosexuality is wrong and that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

They are right, of course.  They definitely have the right to believe that.  Churches even have a right to preach it if they so choose.  You can also believe in all sorts of other things like alien anal probes or the thought that one human being is inferior to another because of their gender or the color of their skin.  Nobody's going to throw you in jail for any of those beliefs.

The issue arises when you try to give a particular religious belief the force of law and use it to discriminate against others.  You can believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Your church is free to practice that as well.  What is generally being held (with the exception of the 6th circuit) is that you don't have a right to inject that belief into the government and use it as a tool to deny civil benefits to gay people and same sex couples.

Religion and government, they're different.  Church and state, they're separate.  Why is this so hard to understand?

Look.  The President is a Christian.  You may not think he is, but he is.  In fact, EVERY PRESIDENT has been a Christian of one flavor or another.  I couldn't put an exact number to it, but I bet that upwards of 90 percent of lawmakers and judges in this country are Christians. We LITERALLY run the place.  Which is just another reason why the argument that Christians are being discriminated against seems totally incoherent to me.

As a final thought, don't assume that all Christians think like you do.  The Bible was pro slavery in many places, we don't do that anymore.  Many, if not most denominations have done away with various teachings about women.  I'm proud that the United Methodist Church ordains women.  Many of us have also moved away from those ancient teachings on homosexuality as well.  Why do many Christians feel the need to cling to those few verses?

In the end, just because the government doesn't agree with you doesn't mean you're being discriminated against.  As Christian blogger and missiologist Benjamin L Corey puts it "One doesn’t become the victim of bullying when they’re told that they can’t make others the victim of bullying. That doesn’t even make sense." He also says: "Being persecuted for our faith is different than being persecuted because we’re acting like jerks."  I urge you to read some of his thoughts on the issue here
and here.

I hate to disappoint guys like Phil from that duck show, Rick Santorum, and apparently Eric Metaxas (who is a fantastic writer, but I just can't agree with him politically), but the Nazis aren't coming for you.  Barack Obama isn't going to show up on your doorstep in jackboots and a brown shirt and haul you off to jail.  It's sure fun to use fear as a weapon to drive your agenda though, isn't it?  Christians should know better.

Church and State: Can the Church Be Too Nationalistic?

What happens when the church and the government, or the church and political parties, become close bed fellows?  This is something that's been on my mind a lot over the last couple of weeks for two reasons.  First, those of us in the United States have elections coming up tomorrow, and second, I've been studying the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who was executed by the Nazis in 1945 for his role in a plot to kill Hitler as well as being openly against the way the Nazi party had co-opted the Christian Church in Germany.

This is a huge issue in today's United States, whether you like it or not.  You can be the most irreligious person on the planet, but if you live in the USA, the interaction between the Government, particularly political parties, and Christian churches has an effect on you.  You may or may not think it should be that way, but for now anyway, it is.  The question before us now is: can it go too far, or perhaps has it already gone too far?

Let me give you a little background on what I'm talking about with Bonhoeffer, the Nazis, and the German Church of the World War II era.  In March 1933, the German Reichstag passed what was known as the "Enabling Act," granting then Chancellor Adolf Hitler plenary powers over the German state.  With these powers in hand, he and the Nazi party dismantled the machinery of state and all political opposition.  They also went to work on the church in Germany.  In April of that year, various protestants in Germany (likely Nazi stooges) began to advocate for a "German National Church."  This came to pass over the summer as the machinery inside the German church became steadily Nazified.  There was even a broadcast plea from Hitler to German protestants calling on them to join this movement.  Eventually one of Hitler's cronies was installed as the head of this new church as the "Reichsbischof."  In late summer of 1933, the new "Protestant Reich Church" adopted the "Aryan Paragraph" which included tossing out any clergy with a drop of Jewish blood or any clergy who was married to anyone with a drop of Jewish blood. The seminaries in Germany began cranking out pro-Nazi clerics, and with all of this in place Hitler and the Nazis had full control over the German church.  Throughout the Third Reich era it would be used as a propaganda arm for the Nazi government, an indoctrination center, and a tool to further eliminate Jews from German society.

Not all German Christians were thrilled with this.  One of these was a young pastor and theologian named Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Bonhoeffer and others broke away from the Protestant Reich Church and formed what would be known as the "Confessing Church."  These Christians contended that any government regime, including a dictatorship, had limits when it came to the church.   They renounced the Reich Church and their interpretation of Christianity.  This was of course, illegal. Bonhoeffer and others were persecuted for this, and some were even sent to concentration camps, including Bonhoeffer himself.  Bonhoeffer had also become a courier with the German resistance and was allegedly linked to Operation Valkyrie.  This was discovered and he was eventually executed by hanging at Flossenburg concentration camp in April 1945, just two weeks before the camp was liberated by Allied forces.  His body was never found.

Now I'm not saying that Christianity in the US is becoming Nazified.  The example of the German Church in the Third Reich is obviously an extreme case, but I am concerned that we are seeing elements of the politicizing of churches in our country.  This is problematic on a couple of levels. First off, the United States Constitution specifically set up the government as a separate entity from any religious organization.  Some conservative Christians disagree with this, but it's true.  The word "God" does not exist anywhere in the US Constitution.  However, the use of religious litmus tests for candidates and making laws about the establishment of religion are expressly prohibited.

As a part of this, churches and religious organizations in the USA are allowed to operate as charitable organizations that pay no taxes to federal, state, or local governments.  They are meant to be apolitical entities.  Questions have arisen in recent years as several churches have not only taken high profile positions on specific proposed laws, but they have also given church (tax free) money to interest groups fighting for or against these laws and have also began to advocate for or against these laws from the pulpit.  Now, this might be one thing if churches were out advocating for the poor, the homeless, the sick, and the dying, you know like Jesus did, but instead much of the church in America seems overly preoccupied with LGBTQ people.

This came to a head in Houston, Texas, in recent weeks.  Some churches in Houston had been gathering signatures that would require the city to put a controversial non-discrimination law on the ballot for public referendum.  The mayor of Houston, an openly gay woman, met with clergy members and came to believe that some pastors were advocating against the law from the pulpit. Five pastors, 4 men and 1 woman, had their recent sermons subpoenaed by the city as they sought to determine if this had actually taken place.  There was an immediate outcry against this by religious groups and conservatives, and the mayor decided to recall the subpoenas.  I will admit that even as a very liberal minded Christian, this made me a bit uncomfortable, and perhaps seemed a bit heavy handed.

However, this is an interesting test case for our nation in which churches have became more and more politically orientated, particularly in Conservative political circles.  I'm not trying to pick on conservatives here, but let's face it, you don't really hear people wondering if the American church is going too far in advocating liberal policies, do you?

Should the church have any role in politics?  Should the church somehow function as the "conscience of the state?" If it should, should there be limits?  Where should the line be drawn on these limits? Can our churches become too nationalistic?  These are important questions that we will continue to face in the years ahead, and as I mentioned earlier, the way these questions are answered will affect both religious and nonreligious people alike.

In order to illustrate my opinion here, I turn again to Bonhoeffer.  In 1933, in the midst of everything that was happening in Germany, he wrote an essay entitled "The Church and the Jewish Question." In this essay, he argued that the church should indeed be the conscience of the state, and he described three ways that the church can interact with the state.  I'll list them here as illustrated in Eric Metaxas' book "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy."

1. The Church can ask the state whether it's actions are legitimate and in accordance with it's character as the state, i.e. it can throw the state back on it's responsibilities.  

2. It can aid the victims of state action.  The church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community. "Do good to all people."

3. The third possibility is not just to bandage the victims under the wheel, but to jam a spoke in the wheel itself [to stop the state from perpetuating evil]. Such actions would be direct political actions.

These things are in line with what Bonhoeffer believed about Christianity.  He believed that as Christians, we are required to speak out for those who cannot speak.  He believed that this was the very least that the Bible requires of us.

My opinion is based on these three assertions and the belief that Christ requires me to speak out for those who cannot speak, for those who do not carry the power to influence government, those who cannot escape the crushing wheel that Bonhoeffer speaks of.  Yes, the church has a role in politics. Yes, the church should function as a conscience of the state.  However, yes there should be limits. Churches should not be aiding specific agendas of political parties.  The church should not be pushing the perceived moral absolutes of the ultra right wing on people whether they are Christians or not.  This was not the concern of Christ.  The role of the church is to advocate, and advocate strongly, for the those whom Christ advocated for: the poor, the needy, the sick, and the dying.  These people are becoming more and more ground down under the wheel of the moneyed elite and their powerful political interests in our country, and for the most part, the church is not even asking if that's the right thing to do or aiding those who are damaged by our system.  I would prefer to see Christians drive a spoke into the wheel of the political machine myself, and that's how I vote.  Instead much of the Christian church seems to be caught up in advocating against certain ideals that don't fit their archaic version of morality. much of which Jesus himself had nothing to say about.  In my mind, we've become distracted from the real purpose.  Much of what passes as "Christian advocacy" these days is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Republican party and their ultra right moral agenda. People are not asking what Jesus might say or think, they're too busy buying up books from the Duck Dynasty guys, who seem to be prophets and spokesmen for a new generation of Christians who care about nothing more than money, fame, and strict adherence to an Old Testament morality.

This is all leading to a national, American brand of Christianity, and that frightens me.  We have begun to cloak the cross of Christ and the Bible in the Stars and Stripes.  Want proof?  Click here.
This process attempts to connect our history specifically to Christianity, which is exactly the opposite of the secular republic set up by the Constitution.  This leads to Americans feeling superior to other Christians and non Christians alike and is resulting in negative and un-Christlike behaviors towards many people including poor people, gay people, and Muslims.  A couple of months back, one of the Duck Dynasty guys was on Fox News saying that ISIS members should be converted to Christianity or killed.  Many Christian circles have become hotbeds for anti-Muslim sentiment, and in this climate, I fear that we are only one terrorist incident away from having that sentiment explode into some very nasty outcomes, outcomes that might be sanctioned and advocated for by many Christians in our country.  In the end, is it all that different from earlier times?  Is wrapping the Bible in the Stars and Stripes really any different that wrapping it in the Swastika?

THE GERMAN PATRIOT'S BIBLE connects the teaching of the Bible, the history of the Reich, and the life of every German. Discover Biblical truths that formed the foundation of the Reich's values and how they apply to today's culture. Experience spiritual milestones in Reich history with beautiful, full-color insert pages. Examine the intersection between Reich history and the Christian faith through unique articles spotlighting the people and events that have made the Reich great.

Does reading that make you even a little bit uncomfortable?  Does that sound like something the Nazi propaganda machine might have put it out?  Does it sound like a Bible for the Protestant Reich Church?  All I did was take the paragraph on the "American Patriot Bible" and switch the word "American" with "Reich" or "German."  It makes me sick to my stomach.

That is what I have to say on all of this.  You may disagree or agree with me.  You may think I'm flat out crazy and reading too much into things, but the reality is that these questions and issues will continue to face our country for awhile to come.  They WILL have an affect on all of us no matter which faith we belong to, and even those of us who don't belong to any faith.  These questions are worth asking and it's a conversation worth having.  I've told you what I think, what do YOU think?

The Prayer Room--11/02/14, 21st Sunday After Pentecost; All Saints Sunday

"For once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.  Live as Children of Light--for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true."--Ephesians 5: 8-9

Greetings and peace to everyone in the name of Christ!  I really enjoyed doing the "Prayer Room" post from last week and I got some notes on Twitter from a couple of folks who liked it as well.  So here we are again, coming to the end of another Sunday but the beginning of another week in which we all have joys, thanksgivings, struggles, and shortcomings.  I invite you to join me in turning all of theses over to the love of Jesus.

I've had two things that have been on my mind in recent days.  The first of which I'm sure has been on many of your minds as well.  This is the election coming up on Tuesday for those of us in the United States.  I've been thinking about it even more as I've been reading and studying about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and how Germany, under control of the Nazi Party, basically co-opted the church in Germany in the 1930s.  This has really led me to ponder the relationship between church and state. There will be more about that on the blog in the coming days, but for now, let's just keep the country in mind as we go to the polls on Tuesday.

The other thing that's been on my mind is terminal illness.  Specifically I've been reading about this young woman in Oregon, Brittany Maynard, who had decided to end her own life after being diagnosed with incurable brain cancer.  Today her life ended.  She had been working as an advocate for the "right to die" movement and her story had been controversial in some circles.  Even now, when it's all over, there are people who are judging this woman, mostly on religious grounds, saying life "isn't meant to be ended on our own terms."

Look, I'm not a theologian, nor do I pretend to know the mind of God on this or any other issue, but I can't imagine being in the place that this young woman was.  Personally, I fear death to such an extent that I don't think I could ever do something like that, but I really can't argue with a person who wishes to pass peacefully and spare themselves the final, horrible stages of an illness like that. Whatever our positions are on this issue, the truth is this:  the decision was hers alone to make.  I believe that what Christ would have us do in regards to this situation is to have compassion for her and for her family and friends as they cope with the loss of their loved one.  That should be something that we can all get behind.

So with those things being said, here is some of what I'll be bringing to God in the coming week:

THANKSGIVINGS
--For the changing of seasons. In the beauty of autumn, we can start to grasp the cycle of life and renewal that takes place every spring.

--In honor of All Saints Day, let us give thanks for the men and women of faith who have gone before us and helped shape our lives in Christ.

--For the right to cast a vote in our republic.

CONCERNS AND PETITIONS
--For our country as we go to the polls, that somehow, when all of this is done, that the people who represent us can find a way to work together for the common good and overcome petty, partisan politics.

--For Brittany Maynard, may she rest in peace, and for her friends and family as they go through this time of loss.

--For all those who are terminally ill, they may find comfort and peace in their lives, and for their families as they struggle side by side with them.

--For the people who continue to suffer from the Ebola virus, and for the men and women who take it upon themselves to treat them.

--For charity and aid workers who will be working throughout the holiday season to help others in need.

"I know that I shall one day see the goodness of the Lord, when God will wipe away our tears and death will be no more.  I know the my redeemer lives, that I shall rise again."--Scott Soper, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives."

"Father, guide us this week and help us live as Children of Light in a world of darkness. Make us imitators of Christ and hear us as we pray as he taught us:

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 us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.

Amen."