Pendulums, Spectrums and Slopes

Listening to a recent podcast left me thinking about pendulums. Tony Jones traveled to Denmark and Norway and was doing an interview turned podcast. During his introduction he noted the differences in the cultural relationship between church and state in Norway. Tony noted the difference between a social democracy and a liberal democracy. For instance in Norway the Lutheran Church is the State church. But in the United States there is no State church. The comparison helped crystallize something I have been thinking for some time. In fact, David and I were talking about this very thing a couple of weeks ago and the thoughts made their way into the sermon this past Sunday, the sixth Sunday of Easter.

Our particular denomination, during my formative years educationally and in terms of training, spent an inordinate amount of time with comparisons. Leaders regularly warned of the slippery trajectory taken by “other” denominations once making “liberal” concessions. Since we take great pains with local church autonomy and priesthood of believers, the rallying cry intended to attract the attention of individuals (churches and pastors) to join the movement keeping from leftward drift. This post is not about the particular doctrinal moves many suggested would lead to liberalism. Instead, this post intends to suggest we need to be honest about our particular spectrum as the pendulum inevitably swings and we worry about slippery slopes. Read more

Van Gogh and Old Women

Brenna recently wrote a post referencing Len Sweet’s Soul Salsa. One of Len’s chapters contains a reference to Van Gogh’s painting of the Church at Auvers. My interest in Van Gogh was piqued reading Len’s reference to Van Gogh in Soul Salsa a number of years ago. I have continued to grow in my interest and reading of Van Gogh. I have a large framed print of The Church at Auvers hanging above my computer desk. I have used this piece a number of times in speaking occasions, including sermons.

Some time back I purchased Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh edited by Irving Stone. The work is an edited collection of Vincent’s letters to his brother Theo. It is quite a fascinating read.

In the very first letter he notes,

“If one really loves nature, one can find beauty everywhere.

He proceeds to describe his newly planted garden. In an interesting turn to talk about love. He writes, “No woman is old.” Read more

Accepting Unacceptable Behavior

Conversations often take unexpected turns; especially when the subject is one’s life story. Predictable left the building long ago. Some things do not change. Listening to parents talk about their children brings few surprises. Our children are grown, at least they think they are. We learned not to be too surprised by anything when they were younger. Growing up meant adjustments and not just on the part of the children in the family. Hearing stories today reminds us of experiences shared not long ago. Despite the lack of surprise when it comes to young people, I am still occasionally taken back by the stories I hear from adults.

A series of recent stories reminded me of an incident Patty and me encountered in Colorado late last summer. We grabbed dinner before we would take in a play. Nearing the end of our meal a young family came into the restaurant. They seemed to be enjoying their meal as we left. Overcast and cool we decided to sit in the car and read as we waited for time to enter the theater. Not long the young mother and her youngest son emerged from the restaurant. The young boy was obviously in trouble. He shouted as his mother. He threw rocks. A number of people walked up and down the sidewalks and witnessed the manner in which this young boy treated his mother. She exercised incredible patience.

An older gentleman had been observing the incident. He may well have been a grandpa. Evidently he endured enough of the public spectacle. He spoke from across the street telling the mother she allowed unacceptable behavior. Many parents prefer not to spank their children. Parents must still decide how to provide discipline and enforce acceptable behavior. Methodologies may well be diverse but at some point a child must learn what is acceptable. Clearly this behavior was not.

Rather than focus on the behavior of the child the connection to these recent stories centered on the one who accepts the unacceptable behavior. Somewhere along the way someone in authority or power likely convinced another their behavior, the one in power, was somehow acceptable. Sadly in the narratives I listened to the behavior that had been accepted left the person accepting treatment less than human. The effects have been devastating.

The bright spot in these stories have been the experience of redemptive relationships. A husband, a friend, another family member, a church committed to cultivating these redemptive relationships alter the narrative; the stories are changing. Slowly but surely unacceptable behavior is shunned in favor of the experience of being fully human.

We who follow Jesus must advocate for redemptive relationships where people are treated as human beings, never less.

The Idealogical Fix

Yesterday we wrapped up the first Educators and Clergy Conference titled, “Educators and Clergy, Working Together for Great Public Schools.” The final presenter was Dr. Tom Boyd. Passionate. Articulate. Inspiring. Challenging. I am certain others could add their own superlatives in response to Dr. Boyd.

Floyd Cox came up with his own working title for the event, “Teachers and Preachers Sitting Down for a Conversation.” The central feature of the two-day event was conversation. Round table discussions gave teams the opportunity to explore the implications of material a variety of presenters brought for consideration. Great conversations characterized the event.

Dr. Boyd noted we live in a day where the “idealogical fix” rules the day. The expression is much like the design of the Apple iPod. Designing a personal music player to avoid music pircay led Apple to develop a player designed for “one way” communication. Once music is put on the iPod it does not come off without losing it. Sure there are workarounds, but the hassle is great. The “idealogical fix” is the kind of experience where conversation is one way. No one is willing to talk if you do not already agree.

Many at the event wondered if presenters were not singing to the choir. Dr. Boyd noted the choir is the best place to begin. He humored us with the reminder some choirs are not very harmonious. So, with the choir we began. We began with those who agree on the need for conversation. Certainly there will be nuances that could create tension and even conflict. That is not all bad so long as we maintain the goal of conversation and avoid the idealogical fix. Admittedly this is hard for preacher types - we always think we are right about everything.

I am glad Bruce invited me to be on the planning team. I am grateful for the hospitality extended by Dr. Dottie Hager and the OEA team she assembled. May the conversations continue. May we work for great public schools.

Partnerships and Collaboration - Better Public Schools

This evening the first Educators & Clergy Conference sponsored by the Oklahoma Education Association got underway in Norman, OK. The time invested in planning and preparation proved valuable as the evening was both inspiring and challenging. Who could not be excited about getting together with a group of people who share a common dream to invest in students and communities? What’s more, we should discover the realities that churches and schools “can” partner. There is no need for the adversarial role painted by misunderstandings about the “separation of church and state.” The primary challenge will come in overcoming fear by learning appropriate boundaries for a healthy relationship. Educators face the reality of doing more than ever and being blamed for outcomes they really cannot control.

I am excited about the possibilities.

“We Just Go to Church.”

We shared an interesting conversation in Bible Study this morning. Jim Henderson suggests a potential shift in metaphor helps reshape our understanding of disciple-making (a.k.a. “Evangelism”). Often we do not make adjustments based solely as a result of argument. We need an accompanying picture - a new metaphor.

In the course of our discussions Mike told of a conversation where he was describing what we do in our “Wednesdays Are for Others.” One response he got, quite profound, noted, “We just go to church.”

If the Church is a sign and foretaste of the Kingdom of God then there must be more going on than “just going to church.” Yet, too many suffer from the need for a new metaphor. In fact, when Church is a place you go rather than who you are, we miss the people Jesus loves the most, to borrow from Jim Henderson.

It is very easy to talk about “others” as “lost.” Conversations most helpful turn on what Henderson describes as “missing.” Questions abound for us to engage others regarding what may be missing in their lives. It will not happen without relational connection. It is far easier to stand aloof, at a safe distance, and declare what another is. We risk missing those who are missing when we fail to work from a position as fellow human being than from a posture of insider, something smacking of elitism. Nothing reeks worse  than spiritual arrogance.

Despite the tendency toward polarities - either/or - we really need the combination of declaration/announcement and relational engagement. We need the metaphors of both Luke 4 and Luke 19. We mustn’t need to choose between the two.  It really must be more than, “We just go to church.”

The Edge of the Inside Pt.3

Ever coach? Quite a few years ago I was “drafted” to coach high school girls basketball. Experience? Played a little. Love the game. Still play on occasion. Maybe the Superintendent thought I possessed the right temperament. He did not see my mentor grab me around the neck years before informing me, “I will be the only one getting technical fouls here.” I was the “youth pastor.”

Years later I reflect on that experience. We won our district. We went on to get impaled by a well-oiled machine. We could do nothing to stop the onslaught. Our little band of freshmen and a couple of upperclassmen could not hold up under the barrage. I learned some things about life. I learned some things about the life of a coach.

Only a couple of times have I spoken at a School Board Meeting. On each occasion I remarked the job was thankless. Everyone in the stands can do better. Talent is really not a requisite, “My child will be the next (fill in your favorite hoop star here).” Aside from the fact that basketball takes both talent and sense, every parent believes the next all everything lives in a room in their house. I think my favorite line used was to assert, “I share the experience of a coach, everyone is an expert in my field.” I recently learned a couple of our local coaches will be opting for other vocations. Pressured? Likely.

It is hard for me to be critical of a coach having shared the “inside.” Sure, coaching is about proverbial “x’s” and “o’s.” But coaching is about much more. Sometimes coaches must not only advocate for their players, they must also be critical. The line is fine between the two. Walking that edge is a must.

Pastoring presents the same vocational setting. We advocate for members. We must also be critical from time to time. Some may object to the word critical and replace it with perceptions of judgmental. Really the better word may be critique. We must make honest assessments. On larger scales we must look at how things are or are not working with eyes intent to honesty lest we break the 9th commandment on ourself, and yes even our church. And let’s don’t begin considering our denomination.

Father Rohr helps when he writes,

All of these situations [Jesus wanted searchers more than settlers, prophets more than priests, honest journeys more than gatherings of the so called healthy. He had been taught well by his own Jewish exodus and exile.] are describing the unique and rare position of Biblical prophet - he or she is always on the edge of the inside. Not an outsider throwing rocks, not a comfortable insider who defends the status quo, but one who lives precariously with two perspectives held tightly together - faithful insider and the critical outsider at the same time. Not ensconced safely inside, but not so far outside as to lose compassion and understanding. Like a carpenter’s level, the prophet has to balance the small bubble in the glass between here and there, between yes and no, between loyalty and critique. The prophet must hold these perspectives in a loving and necessary creative tension.

Today it is very difficult to walk that line be you a coach, a parent or a pastor. Too much leaning one direction and the prophetic is jeopardized. Misunderstanding abounds. We live between the tensions of, “If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say it,” and answering the question, “Do I look good in this dress?” One binds us with silence and the other promotes deceit.

I have made criticisms of “old patterns.” Some have construed this as the pastor has come to some new enlightened position. And accompanying sentiment becomes, “We cannot follow for God has not told us.” I contribute to a blog which people misunderstand the same calls for accountability. Often I and others are told it better to just leave. However, the call is to abide both places - inside and outside - at least for me.

Father Rohr closes his article,

These prophets critiqued Christianity by the very values that they learned from Christianity. Everyone one of these men and women was marginalized, fought, excluded, persecuted, or even killed by the illusions they exposed and the systems they tried to reform. It is the structural fate of the prophet. You can only truly unlock systems from within, but then you are invariably locked out.

When you live on the edge of the inside, you will almost wish you were outside. Then you are merely and enemy, a pagan, a persona non grata, and can be largely ignored or written off. But if you are both inside and outside, you are the ultimate threat, the ultimate reformer, and the ultimate invitation.

My choice of the title for this blog reflects a growing self-awareness of the need and value for the prophetic position helping people understand exodus and exile, grace and mercy, love and forgiveness, and yes, the inside and the outside.

Thanks for reading.

Conversations between Clergy and Educators for Great Public Schools

“Bro. C” loved young people. For a good portion of his life he taught in a public school. He did not teach science, math or English. No, from his classroom on the south side of the “square” layout of Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City, Brother Carpenter taught Bible History. He also pastored in Oklahoma City. I sat in Bro. C’s class. It was always full. Some students took the class thinking it would be an easy credit. Others took it understanding no one could quite contextualize Bible History like Bro. C.

Confusion reigns when it comes to religion and religious practices in public schools. Too often I have been told how prayer has been taken out of schools. State sanctioned prayer has been taken out of schools. Voluntary prayer is still permissible. In fact, the local school board sets the agenda on these matters. Generally, their decision reflects the majority opinion of the constituency of the given district. Some make decisions based more on fear of what “might” happen despite support for voluntary prayer.

However, partnering with schools transcends the permissibility of public prayer. Educators and Clergy need to form partnerships as the demands of education, serving a-risk students, helping frazzled parents and hoping to create opportunities that come with a solid education should be the dream of all. Our teachers are often underpaid and under-prepared for the discontinuous change created by the whims of our culture. Clergy are often fearful of lawsuits or worse, negligent to the needs in their own communities. The atmosphere distracts us from the kinds of investments and resources needed to partner for the good of students. Together we could do more than we can apart.

The Oklahoma Education Association supplied with a grant from the National Education Association will sponsor an upcoming conference, “Educators & Clergy, Working Together for Great Public Schools.” Teams from school districts from around Oklahoma and surrounding states will gather in Norman, Oklahoma to initiate conversations around the theme working together for students. We will hear stories from a number of people regarding their particular church’s partnership with local schools.

I have been privileged to serve on the planning team for this event and am excited about the possibilities. In our community we enjoy great relationships with our local schools. Our partnerships run along a number of lines. I hope the dream of the OEA comes to fruition - that these conversations will spur great relationships and conversations for years to come. If you are an educator or clergy within driving distance of Norman, Oklahoma, consider registering for this event set for March 25-26.

The Edge of the Inside … Pt.2

“A door keeper must love both the inside and the outside of his or her group, and know how to move between these two loves.” (Radical Grace, April-June 2006,p.3)

Theology is not merely shaped by academic environs. The most precise articulations often betray the complexity of practical applications. Thinking through my own personal journey as pastor of a local church I find the incessant battle to both care with those we fellowship and to love the world in the way of Jesus to be one that eventually leads some to choose one over the other. We either leave the church feeling the “institution” just does not get it or, we bunker down fearing even the slightest encroachment of the culture in which we live - often blind to the very accommodations we have been making for years.

When we settle on our preferred sensibilities we often create a cultural chasm so deep and so wide as to exclude the possibilities to love our neighbors, as often they do not share the same sensibilities. On the other hand when we summarily dismiss the church we seem to have adopted an idealism that eventually even omits us from any close approximation of what it means to be the people of God and give in to an odd fatalism.

In his article, The Edge of the Inside, Father Rohr suggests in the image of Jesus as the door of the sheepfold we often miss the “in and out and find pasture.” Our interest is primarily focused on “in.” The need to follow Jesus both in and out creates a better picture of how the transforming work of Jesus prepares us for following Jesus into the world. Rather than view the world adversarially, the picture Father Rohr paints connects the commission to the disciples to leave representations of security, “baggage,” as they were sent to face the hospitality and hostility of those in “other worlds.”

For the local pastor to find the center of his given fellowship’s preferred location leaves him susceptible to missing the needed “other” perspective. To do so may mean missing the occasion to bring hope to the world or care to the soul. It really is a both/and rather than an either/or. Living in that space is difficult. It is far easier to settle in one location and become an expert there. It is at this place I found the following paragraph insightful,

To live on the edge of the inside is different than being an insider, “a company man,” or a dues paying member. Yes, you have learned the rules and you understand and honor the system as far as it goes, but you do not need to protect it, defend it, promote it. It has served its initial and helpful function. You have learned the rules well enough to know how to “break the rules” without really breaking them at all - “not to abolish the law but to complete it” as Jesus right puts it (Matthew 5:17). A doorkeeper must love both the inside and the outside of his or her group, and know how to move between these two loves.

More in Pt 3 Read more

Diversity in the Church … Bragging on My Brother

Paul and I have a mutual friend who knows us but not so much. Competition is generally the nature of sibling relationships. Trent, Paul and me could certainly be competitive. Even to this day we feel the twinge whether we are playing golf or angling for the most trout. However, we have learned over the years to be secure in our own skin. We may trade the winner’s cup on the golf course but when it comes to fishing I lose to them both.

Sometimes viewing life with others as a competition regarding who is better gets in the way of valuing the other. We face these battles in our personal, profession and pastoral lives.

One of the fun things has been to share a vocational experience with one of your brothers. I am not sure of the relationship between the Ascol brothers, but Paul and I shared  conversations about theology while in college sharing a summer job. We continued those conversations while in Seminary when Paul lived with us for a couple of  years. With the advent of technology, we generally keep up with one another and our theological musings regularly.

Paul recently offered a series of posts on diversity in the church. Dwight McKissic was so struck by it he asked Paul to make a presentation for a meeting. Word out of the meeting was it was a home run. I am not surprised. Both of my brothers are home runs.

Read Paul’s posts here - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 

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