Tuesday, December 20, 2005
HERITAGE THEATER SERMON FOLLOW-UP
1. Integrity. I noted that there is no modern Russian word for this concept. There was a word the 19th century novelists used.
The December 11 San Jose Mercury News carried an article titled 'Integrity' is Word of the Year. It was the most frequently looked-up word on the Merriam-Webster dictionary web site. Let's hope that is good news reflecting an interest in the word and concept rather than bad news indicating people don't know what it means. Merriam-Webster president John Morse takes it as good news. "I think the American people have isolated a very important issue for our society to be dealing with."
I also note that our satellite programming provider, Church Communications Network, will be broadcasting a program this spring titled Integrity: Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality.
2. I spoke of the major Christian role in disaster relief and benevolence. Cultural insitutions such as the YMCA and Red Cross have Christian roots. The YMCA was begun in London by George Williams in 1841 in order to substitute Bible study and prayer for life on the streets.
Henry Dunant was influential in founding the international YMCA in 1855 but went on to begin the Red Cross. He was interested in promoting international peace. As a young man he belonged to the Geneva League of Alms working to relieve poverty and illness. In 1859 he witnessed the 40,000 casualties of the Battle of Solferino. He joined in the relief efforts even writing friends for supplies. He wrote a book about the battle and the relief efforts which aroused interest and led to the founding of the Red Cross. In his old age he wrote, "I am a disciple of Christ, as in the first century, simply that."
A more recent group mentioned was Samaritan's Purse. Bob Pierce visted suffering children in Korea and wrote, "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God." He began Samaritan's Purse in 1970 "to meet emergency needs in crisis areas through existing evangelical mission agencies and national churches." It was a group of students from this organization who took a semester off and went to do hurricane relief and cut the trees mentioned in the sermon.
3. (Added Dec. 22) This is from USA TODAY.
Peterson is a retired African-American barber who lives on disability payments. His eyes are sad, his movement listless, his voice weak. His helpers were strapping white men from
Peterson and his wife couldn't afford to pay a contractor several thousand dollars to gut the one-story house, which sat in water for weeks after Hurricane Katrina inundated the working-class Gentilly district. So Peterson, who looks too frail to do spring cleaning, began trying to clear out the house himself. Then the Mennonites came by and offered a hand.
"I can't thank them enough," he says. But he also wonders when the professionals — city, state and federal agencies — will do their part. "They should be trying to repair the city."
Friday, December 16, 2005
CONNECTIONS
[This "Meditation" by John Donne written in 1624 speaks of connectedness in living, in the church, and in dying. When a parishioner died, the local church bell would ring. Donne begins by wondering if the ringing of the bell might be for him since he might be closer to death than he thinks. Here is the complete text.]
Perchance he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me and see my state may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that.
The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that head which is my head too, and ingrafted into the body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated.
God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another.
As therefore the bell that rings a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness.
There was a contention as far as a suit (in which piety and dignity, religion and estimation, were mingled) which of the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the morning; and it was determined that they should ring first that rose earliest. If we understand aright the dignity of this bell that tolls for our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours by rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well as his whose indeed it is.
The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute that that occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God. Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world?
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Neither can we call this a begging of misery or a borrowing of misery, as though we are not miserable enough of ourselves but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbors. Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did; for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction.
If a man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current moneys, his treasure will not defray him as he travels. Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it. Another man may be sick too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels as gold in a mine and be of no use to him; but this bell that tells me of his affliction digs out and applies that gold to me, if by this consideration of another's dangers I take mine own into contemplation and so secure myself by making my recourse to my God, who is our only security.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
SNOW
It was a reminder of the power of one in connection with the many. Each flake is unique. A flake is fragile and seemingly insignificant. The first flakes on the concrete porch don't even survive. The first flakes on the grass are not visible as they nestle down between the blades.
But then a hint of white begins to be noticeable. Then a dusting of white. Then a collection of snow on single blades of grass. Even the beach began to shift from tan sand to white.
The flakes kept coming and by the end of the day there was 6 inches of snow - enough to have to shovel and clean off the car and change the way you drive. Or enough to change your plans and make you stay home.
Snow is a great example of the difference we can make in conjunction with others. That is why God intended a church, a kingdom, a family of people. The apostle Paul is fond of the "body" metaphor. Each individual has a role and significance, but it is in all working together that the world is changed and God's work is accomplished.
This principle of Christianity is one that "works" in the world. It is a life principle. But the Christian key is not merely connection to one another, but the root connection to the source of life and strength - connection to God through his Son Jesus the Christ.
It is not only that we can do little alone, but we can do nothing eternal without connection to God.
John 15:4
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
"HONEY, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE BAPTISTS"
A new family moved in next door. They are from
As we are standing in the den my youngest daughter, who has an artistic interest, noticed a carving on the wall. It was a carving of an elephant’s head. “I like that,” she said to the new family. “Thank you,” the wife replied. “It’s one of our gods.”
Honey, I don’t think they’re Baptists!
The neighbors on the other side of our house are from an Asian country. The parents of one of the spouses live with them and they keep two chickens as pets. Our lots are small. It violates the deed restrictions. We can hear chickens from our bedroom.
There is a Buddhist temple on our street 6 blocks away.
A small church building a half mile away, that in one incarnation was a
A multi-cultural society is interesting, broadening, challenging, and, at times, frustrating.
You know, some days a Baptist would look pretty good.
Friday, December 02, 2005
URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
There was a recent article in the local paper raising the issue of wealthy communities subsidizing public school projects like a performing arts theater, etc. to the tune of millions of dollars.
The problem, of course, is that poor communities cannot do the same for their kids' schools. It is an issue because these are public schools and somehow public education ought to hold out the same opportunities for all.
And yet, surely the answer is not to make it illegal for rich parents to support their kids’ schools. To deny a theater to school “A” still doesn’t help school “B”. Or if we require a percentage of funds raised for one school to be shared by others, will this kill the philanthropy that helps at least some schools?
Yet something must be done for schools in poorer districts. A Harpers Magazine article on the demographic makeup and culture of urban schools cries out that something must change. (see Still Separate, Still Unequal:
Kozol cites these figures for recent years
LA: 84%
NYC: just under 75% - That is system-wide. For many individual schools the figure is 95% or more.
A particularly ironic fact is that in LA there is a school named for Martin Luther King, Jr. that is 99% Black and Hispanic.
In the Milwaukee MLK school it’s 99%
In the Cleveland MLK school it’s 97%
In the Philadelphia MLK school it’s 98%
In the Boston MLK school it’s 98%
The dream is still only a dream.
In urban schools the conditions of basics like water fountains and restrooms are often deplorable.
Perhaps most telling is the kind of curriculum and expectations found in such schools. One teacher calls it a “primitive ultilitarianism” which is based on Skinnerian (for B.F Skinner) rote training.
As the head of one school replied to the criticism that they were creating robots, “These robots are going to produce taxes” rather than snatch your purse or burglarize your home.
The socio-economic-demographic-family factors that underlie many of the problems are huge and complicated and bigger than a school can solve.
But read the article and weep - especially for kids who want to achieve.
