At its general convention in Anaheim this week, the Episcopal Church
of the United States lifted a moratorium on ordaining openly gay men and
women as priests and bishops. The moratorium had been imposed earlier
in the decade, following the ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson of New
Hampshire, the first openly gay bishop. Some churches in the worldwide
Anglican communion had opposed Robinson's ordination as contrary to the
scriptural teaching regarding homosexuality, and several parishes and
dioceses within the Episcopal Church had objected as well. Over the
past few years, however, several things have changed. First, the
attitude toward homosexuality within the U.S.--for example, as reflected
in nationwide views concerning gay marriage--has changed. Second,
ongoing dialog between the Episcopal Church and representatives of more
conservative members of the Anglican communion has failed to yield a
consensus position on the subject. Third and perhaps most importantly,
many of those within the Episcopal Church who were most opposed to
accepting gays and lesbians as fully equal before God have left the
Episcopal and attached themselves to more conservative Anglican bodies
in Africa or Latin America, leaving the field to the more liberal
elements of the Episcopal Church. What will be the implications of this
move? Undoubtedly the Episcopal Church will lose some additional
parishes and perhaps dioceses, but probably most groups that were going
to leave have already done so. Second, other U.S. denominations such as
the Lutherans (ELCA) and Presbyterians (PCUSA) may move to be more
inclusive of homosexuals. Third, other Anglican communions,
particularly in Europe, may take steps in the direction of more
inclusiveness. Fourth, the GLBT community may view the Episcopal Church
more positively and see it as a place of spiritual acceptance and
support. In today's reading from Jeremiah, the prophet rails against
shepherds who have scattered God's flock. "Woe to the shepherds who
destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD." God, says
the prophet, will raise up new shepherds to comfort, feed, and protect
God's flock. All too often the church has waged war on itself and on
those it should have been nurturing. As a result the church is
fragmented, and people without a church home sometimes view it as
irrelevant, or worse, antagonistic toward them. Fortunately, that's not
the whole story. Ecumenism is a dominant movement within today's
church, an attempt to invite dialog and cooperation among the various
self-identified Christian groups. Since the start of the ecumenical
movement about a hundred years ago, increasing numbers of Christians
have begun to realize that the beliefs and practices that they have in
common is more important than those that divide them. They've also
started to see that love for one another, despite honestly held
differences, is conducive to church growth, not only numerically but
also spiritually. God calls us to be shepherds who unite the church and
who gather the scattered flock together, especially those who have been
told for years that they cannot fully participate in the life of the
church.
Psalm 23 (first published 20 July 2003)
My earliest memory of the Twenty-Third Psalm is as a passage read at my
grandfather's funeral when I was seven years old. When we arrived at the
graveyard, I discovered that the first part of the psalm was carved on his
headstone: "The Lord is my shepherd." That funeral was my first
experience with death, and it was both frightening and sad. Somehow,
though, the words of the psalm brought a little bit of comfort. My
experience with the Twenty-Third Psalm is hardly unique. Countless people
throughout the centuries have found encouragement by reading or hearing
this, perhaps the most famous of biblical passages. James Sanders, in his
book Canon and Community, discusses the reasons for a book being
accepted by a worshiping community as part of its canon. One of the most
important factors in that process involves the concept of
relecture, or re-reading. Books that lend themselves to being
"re-read" in different settings over a long period of time are more likely
to become canonical than those whose perceived value is limited in time or
space. The psalms in general fit well into that category, and Psalm 23 in
particular has offered people comfort and hope in many different settings.
Throughout our lives we have many people who act as our "shepherds":
parents, school teachers, Sunday School teachers, pastors (so-called from
the Latin word for shepherd), camp counselors, bosses, government leaders,
and others. Some of these shepherds are good leaders, and others leave
much to be desired. We develop our own leadership skills by observing and
imitating--or avoiding--the characteristics of those who lead us. The
psalm reminds us that God is the best kind of leader, because like a good
shepherd, God cares deeply about his sheep. What are the characteristics
of the shepherd in this psalm? The shepherd creates a peaceful
environment for the sheep and provides for their needs. He offers
refreshment and guidance. He protects and comforts the sheep. When we
have the opportunity to lead others, in whatever capacity, Psalm 23 offers
a portrait of an effective leader. Too many people today seek leadership
positions for the wrong reasons. Some are in it for the money; others
seem to enjoy exercising their authority over other people. Some leaders
have good intentions, but they just don't care that much about the people
they lead. Obviously parents will feel closer to their children than
employers will to their employees, but good employers will have real
concern for their employees. CEOs whose only concern is to satisfy the
stockholders and line their own pockets are not good leaders.
Politicians who gain office and then spend their time paying back
political contributors are not good leaders. Parents who push their
children to excel in their own (the parents') areas of interest are not
good leaders. On the other hand, managers who show those they supervise
that they value and listen to their advice are good leaders.
Political leaders who support causes that benefit the world's neediest
people, even if it costs them votes, are good leaders. Parents who teach
their children how to make decisions as they grow up, then don't interfere
with their adult children's decisions unless asked, are good leaders.
What kind of leader are you?
Ephesians 2:11-22 (first published 20 July 2003)
Blacks and whites in America and South Africa, Israelis and
Palestinians, Indians and Pakistanis, Hutus and Tutsis, Bosnian Serbs and
Muslims, Russians and Chechens--the history of the world is filled with
hatred and conflict of one group of people for another. The original
reasons for the hatred are often buried deep in the past, far beyond
living memory. Yet the hatred lives on, sometimes for centuries. On
those rare occasions when one set of conflicts is resolved or set aside,
it seems that another is always ready to rise to take its place. In
nineteenth century America, people whose families had lived in the U.S.
for generations looked down their noses at the recently arrived Irish and
Italian immigrants. Now that the Irish and the Italians have finally been
fully integrated into society, this new group now focuses its hatred and
xenophobia on Hispanics, Arabs, and South Asians. Perhaps the saddest
part of this debacle is that, at least in many parts of the world,
Christians are often participants in the antagonism between one group and
another. The first century relationship between Jews and Gentiles was as
poor as any the modern world can boast, but the book of Ephesians offers
hope that humanity can move beyond its differences, it prejudices, and its
hard feelings over events of the often forgotten past. That hope lies in
Christ, who modeled reconciliation before his disciples and the world
during his lifetime. And in his death, he effected reconciliation not
only between groups, but between all people and God. Christ is portrayed
as a peace-offering to God, one that is able to break down all the
barriers that humans raise between themselves. Christ is our peace, not
our truce. During the Hundred Years War, England and France would
frequently declare a truce for a month or two, allowing each side to rest
and regroup in preparation for fresh slaughter. Christ is our peace, not
our armistice. The armistice at the end of World War I signaled a
cessation of fighting, but it did nothing to ensure that fighting would
not break our again. On the contrary, despite the efforts to form a
League of Nations, the political situation in Europe only worsened, and
fascism took root in Germany and Italy, leading to World War II. Christ
is our peace, not our ceasefire. The Korean War ended with a ceasefire
that still stands uneasily today. The ceasefire is maintained by tens of
thousands of troops on both sides of the demilitarized zone, and
violations of the ceasefire occur on a regular basis. The peace that
Christ offers is real, deep, and permanent. As followers of Christ,
Christians should make every effort to bring about peace by encouraging
reconciliation between individuals, groups, and nations. Groups like
Reconciliation Networks of Our World are doing just that: bringing people
together to forgive and receive forgiveness, pledging to work together to
end war and injustice. Unfortunately, for every Christian who is working
for peace, it seems there are a hundred supporting conflict, hatred, even
war. Waging war is quick and easy; waging peace is slow and
time-consuming. Nevertheless, it is what Christians are called to do.
How can you wage peace? Invite someone from a different culture or who
speaks a different language into your home, and visit theirs as well.
Get to know them and you will realize that you have more in common with
them than you thought. Encourage your church to partner with a church
with a different ethnic background in your own city. Have pulpit
exchanges. Have joint worship services, sometimes in your church,
sometimes in theirs. Get involved with organizations that work for peace
and reconciliation. Donate money, and donate your time as well. Christ
broke down the walls that separated us from one another and from God, but
his followers have rebuilt many of those walls. It's time for us to tear
down all those walls. It's time for us to wage peace.
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 (first published 20 July 2003)
When I was growing up, I often went on youth retreats with my church. These retreats were highly regulated affairs. For a weekend retreat, we'd arrive around 8:00 Friday night, unpack, eat supper, and have a Bible study before bed. We woke up early the next morning, had a brief morning devotional before breakfast, followed by worship, an intensive Bible study, organized recreation, and lunch. In the afternoon we had more recreation, more Bible study, and half an hour of free time before we had to go back home. I'd return home exhausted. Most of the adult retreats I've been on with various churches have been about the same. Somewhere along the line, many Christians have forgotten that the purpose of a retreat is to rest, relax, and spend time with God. It's certainly possible to meet God in worship and Bible study, and even in recreation, but it's not the only way. In fact, it may not be the best way. In my own experience, I've had more deep encounters with God when I was by myself than when I was with a group. I don't need someone to plan out my entire day in order to orchestrate a meeting with God, and I didn't when I was a teenager, either. Jesus understood the need for quiet, the need to separate himself and his group of followers from other people for periods of rest and refreshing. We don't know everything Jesus and his followers did on their retreats, but it's interesting to see what Jesus didn't say. He didn't say, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and study the Bible," or "Come away . . . and let's worship God for hours." He said, "Come away . . . and rest for awhile." We have many opportunities to serve people, and we should do so whenever we get the chance. However, our service will be more effective if we will take time to rest and recharge our batteries. What would an ideal weekend retreat be for me? Arriving at the retreat center, having the choice to eat meals with others or alone, determining when I went to sleep and got up, walking, reading, sitting, praying, singing, as the Spirit led. I see real value in church staff retreats, marriage retreats, deacons retreats, choir retreats, and other "working retreats," but they should really be called sometime else. A "working retreat" is an oxymoron. A retreat is for rest, not work. For most people, it will be about solitude, or perhaps spending time as a couple, not group dynamics. However, terms like "staff retreat" are probably too firmly fixed in a church's vocabulary to be changed easily, so we probably need to come up with another word for the kind of retreat that is characterized by rest and unstructured time alone and with God. I have a word in mind. When I was in Boy Scouts, after I had been a member for quite a while and had advanced in rank and responsibility, I was inducted into a group called the Order of the Arrow, a service organization. Part of the initiation ceremony involved all of the new inductees going into the woods, a little ways away from the main campground, and spending at least an hour alone in silent contemplation. This period of quite reflection was called the vigil. It harkens back to the medieval Christian practice of observing holy days with special, personal times with God, also called a vigil. Christians about to embark on a difficult journey, or people facing a hard decision, would often engage in a vigil as well. In 1982 Kemper Crabb produced an album called The Vigil (a great album, now available in CD), and the songs on it were based on the theme of a knight spending time with God before beginning a quest the next day. To become healthier Christians, we need fewer "retreats" and more vigils.