I am guilty as anyone! Athletics holds such an important place in my life and has for so many years. My junior high & high school years were spent preparing for, recovering from, or dreaming about the game - basketball, baseball, soccer, football. There is no telling how many miles, dollars, and hours were expended on athletic pursuits. All the way through college, the majority of my time and identity were intimately tied to athletics. Countless relationships & memories were the direct result of my participation in basketball. Not the least of theses was my relationship with my dad and men at church. I cannot underestimate the good that came into my life & the influence I was able to have was incredible.
However, the American culture of sports is not all it's cracked up to be! Chap Clark in his book Hurt - a reflective multi-year study of American youth culture - argues that youth today are experiencing a "systemic abandonment" from the adult generations. In other words, young people are detached from previous generations and forced to basically raise themselves. Clark argues that athletics is one of the main ways that adults "abandon" youth. We equate "spending time with our children" with taking them to and from practices and ballgames. In doing so, we offer them no alternative to a culture which idolizes athletics and permits them to sense their worth via their performance. The premium on athletics is astounding!
As I write this post, sportcasters are hyped up about Brett Favre's return to Lambeau Field as a Minnesota Viking. Words and phrases like "He's a traitor" are thrown around by fans full of pure hatred and disgust for a man they adored for almost two decades. Lines are drawn along superficial boundaries (i.e. sports teams) and "allegiances" are shifted with the drop of a hat. I fully admit that I don't have a favorite team that I follow. And, say, Packer fans freely admit that non-Packer fans cannot understand their passion and allegiance....I think I'm okay with that! I don't think I want to understand something that draws lines and defines relationships based on a game - a temporary and short-term sport. It is not athletics that I take issue with; It has much to offer in terms of work ethic, perseverance, teamwork, etc. It is, however, an attitude and perspective that allows sports to take such an important place that other more important items are ignored.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Updates...
- We brought Bryan home with us from the hospital on Thursday. He is doing well and we are (re)adjusting well to life with a newborn. Garrett & Luke are in Elkhorn with my parents for a week or so & enjoying time on the farm. Bryan didn't sleep all that well (as in not much at all) last night but he is adjusting okay. I have already changed several poopy diapers (go me) and he is a pooping machine!
- I am on vacation until Tuesday. I was blessed with 9-10 days off from work for the birth and adjustment at home with the newbie! Soaking up as much time as possible while I have it.
- On Tuesday I start probably the toughest three month stretch of the year. I start out with Orthopedic Surgery during November and I have mixed emotions. On the one hand, I am in Detroit, MI to do orthopedic surgery and this is the area of medicine I am most passionate about. However, ortho service is one of the most time-consuming services and will require me to be away from the family for a great deal of time. After a month of orthopedics, I spend December downtown in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and then January downtown doing orthopedic trauma surgery -- all very hard and time-consuming months.
- We are really enjoying our church - Rochester Church of Christ - and have really enjoyed exploring small groups and meeting the people there.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
What a Day!!
Today Bryan David Stephens made his grand entrance into the world at 4:12 pm as a 9lb, 20.5 inch bundle of joy. Jenn was in labor for about 4 hrs or so but only had to push for 10 minutes before his melon surfaced. Everything went smoothly and Jenn and Bryan are both doing well. Bryan got to meet Garrett and Luke within about 4 hrs of birth and we had flashbacks to Garrett's assault on Luke a little under 2 years ago. However, both boys were amazingly sweet and though there was certainly jealousy, there was no overt hostility. My parents are in town staying with the boys at our home and they have been such a blessing.
Admirers & Followers
Sunday morning Patrick and Adam co-preached on the centrality of the resurrection for those who claim to be Christ-followers. Though we often associate the cross as the primary symbol of our faith, this is in fact wrong. The primary symbol of Christianity is an empty tomb - the symbol that tells the world the power of death has been defeated once and for all & Satan has been humiliated and relegated to fighting a battle he knows he will one day lose. For us as Christians, we claim this man Jesus as our Lord and the bearer of good news for the entire world.
And yet Stanley Hauerwas is correct in saying that many Christians are content to be admirers of Jesus rather than followers - and there is a huge difference. After all, what's not to admire? Jesus is a man of compassion, strength in difficult situations, love, joy, generosity, and humility. He performs amazing miracles of healing and restoration to people regardless of socioeconomic status. He stood up to and challenged the religious and political leaders of the day. How can you not like this man? However, what does it mean to follow this man? When Jesus stands up against the oppression of the poor and calls his followers to treat the poor as they would Jesus, I can no longer simply applaud Jesus for his compassion but must in turn show compassion. It is one thing to admire Jesus for taking his cross and dying for the people who hate him. It is another thing to take up one's own cross and follow his example, even if it means dying for those who hate you.
Admirers sit on the sidelines and clap. Followers get in the game.
And yet Stanley Hauerwas is correct in saying that many Christians are content to be admirers of Jesus rather than followers - and there is a huge difference. After all, what's not to admire? Jesus is a man of compassion, strength in difficult situations, love, joy, generosity, and humility. He performs amazing miracles of healing and restoration to people regardless of socioeconomic status. He stood up to and challenged the religious and political leaders of the day. How can you not like this man? However, what does it mean to follow this man? When Jesus stands up against the oppression of the poor and calls his followers to treat the poor as they would Jesus, I can no longer simply applaud Jesus for his compassion but must in turn show compassion. It is one thing to admire Jesus for taking his cross and dying for the people who hate him. It is another thing to take up one's own cross and follow his example, even if it means dying for those who hate you.
Admirers sit on the sidelines and clap. Followers get in the game.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Cass Park - Part 2
How do you solve a problem that is 140 square miles big? These questions and more were asked by several of us who traveled to the heart of Detroit to Cass Park - one of the most economically suppressed areas in one of the most the United States. Staring at the trash-strewn park across the street from the majestic Masonic Temple and a nationally renowned high school, it is difficult to ward off the fffeeling of despair and hopelessness about what can be done in the face of such difficult circumstances.
What is call of Jesus and the cross in the face of money and power? What exactly are we supposed to do against such odds? A friend stated that he thought there was "a better chance of ending world hunger than saving Detroit!" Our faith says that the creator of the universe has a preferential option for the people of Cass Park. Our eyes and ears tell us that the rich are getting richer at the expense of the powerless with nothing to stop their advance. Faith states that the people of Cass Park possess the divine imprint of God. And yet the people of Cass Park live, breathe, and die in the obscure shadows of a world that could care less.
And yet amidst these insurmountable odds, there is encouragement. I am encouraged when I hear that a local college plans to purchase a house in an urban area for students to live and engage the community around it with the good news of Jesus. I am encouraged when I hear a young lady passionate for kingdom justice say she would like to move into the Cass Park area. That is encouraging, though so little in the face of so much!
What is call of Jesus and the cross in the face of money and power? What exactly are we supposed to do against such odds? A friend stated that he thought there was "a better chance of ending world hunger than saving Detroit!" Our faith says that the creator of the universe has a preferential option for the people of Cass Park. Our eyes and ears tell us that the rich are getting richer at the expense of the powerless with nothing to stop their advance. Faith states that the people of Cass Park possess the divine imprint of God. And yet the people of Cass Park live, breathe, and die in the obscure shadows of a world that could care less.
And yet amidst these insurmountable odds, there is encouragement. I am encouraged when I hear that a local college plans to purchase a house in an urban area for students to live and engage the community around it with the good news of Jesus. I am encouraged when I hear a young lady passionate for kingdom justice say she would like to move into the Cass Park area. That is encouraging, though so little in the face of so much!
The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed...
Monday, October 19, 2009
Cass Park - Part 1
Yesterday I traveled to downtown Detroit, MI to a trash-covered spot of grass known as Cass Park. For the past three years a group from Rochester Church of Christ has taken food to the homeless population every month. On the third Sunday of every month, suburbanites pile into vans, cars, and SUVs to make the 30 minute commute to the "hood" of Detroit. We pile out of our cars, strike up our grills, serve the homeless a hot meal with a drink, and spend roughly 2-3 hours visiting & praying with the people who call that area home.
It was a beautiful fall day! The sun was shining amidst the dark realities that frame each day of these people's lives. As we served chicken casserole, rolls, and drinks to approximately 100 men, women, & children (the youngest was 4 years old), the ever-widening chasm of rich people getting richer and the poor people getting poorer was blatant. Surrounding this park that is known as one of the roughest areas of Detroit (always in the running for the least safe place in the continental US) are signs of incredible wealth and prosperity. The Masonic Temple, a majestic building adorned with unique architectural emblems of the Masons and castle-like towers. The building is owned by the family of the Little Caesar's empire (they also own the Detroit Tigers & the Detroit Red Wings). They also own much of the real estate surrounding Cass Park & there have been discussions of this family buying Cass Park to turn into a new arena for the Red Wings. Across the park on the opposite side is Cass Technical High School - one of the premier high schools in the entire nation. Boasting a new building with the most up-to-date technology and touting impressive stats of accomplishments and accolades, hundreds of homeless live literally across the street.
In the shadow of these structures live the very people Jesus came to serve. When Luke says "Blessed are the poor," the faces of Marcia, Little Bit, Greg, John, Darrell, & Norm come to mind. Faces marked by years of hard lives, bad decisions, substance abuse, despair for the future, and in some the absence of dignity robbed from them at no fault of their own. I asked John what it was like to live down here and his response: "You guys blow in here and the blow back out. Be glad. Be real glad!" Little Bit, a lifetime homeless lady and friend to many in our group, wept over the need to continually ask for help. The day before (Saturday), she found a friend of hers dead in his apartment.
What is there to be done about a situation like Cass Park in the midst of a city like Detroit? Who is willing to advocate for the poorest of the poor and look after their interests? How do you solve a problem that is 140 square miles large (the size of the city of Detroit proper)? What do terms like justice & the kingdom of God & incarnational ministry look like in this context?
It was a beautiful fall day! The sun was shining amidst the dark realities that frame each day of these people's lives. As we served chicken casserole, rolls, and drinks to approximately 100 men, women, & children (the youngest was 4 years old), the ever-widening chasm of rich people getting richer and the poor people getting poorer was blatant. Surrounding this park that is known as one of the roughest areas of Detroit (always in the running for the least safe place in the continental US) are signs of incredible wealth and prosperity. The Masonic Temple, a majestic building adorned with unique architectural emblems of the Masons and castle-like towers. The building is owned by the family of the Little Caesar's empire (they also own the Detroit Tigers & the Detroit Red Wings). They also own much of the real estate surrounding Cass Park & there have been discussions of this family buying Cass Park to turn into a new arena for the Red Wings. Across the park on the opposite side is Cass Technical High School - one of the premier high schools in the entire nation. Boasting a new building with the most up-to-date technology and touting impressive stats of accomplishments and accolades, hundreds of homeless live literally across the street.
In the shadow of these structures live the very people Jesus came to serve. When Luke says "Blessed are the poor," the faces of Marcia, Little Bit, Greg, John, Darrell, & Norm come to mind. Faces marked by years of hard lives, bad decisions, substance abuse, despair for the future, and in some the absence of dignity robbed from them at no fault of their own. I asked John what it was like to live down here and his response: "You guys blow in here and the blow back out. Be glad. Be real glad!" Little Bit, a lifetime homeless lady and friend to many in our group, wept over the need to continually ask for help. The day before (Saturday), she found a friend of hers dead in his apartment.
What is there to be done about a situation like Cass Park in the midst of a city like Detroit? Who is willing to advocate for the poorest of the poor and look after their interests? How do you solve a problem that is 140 square miles large (the size of the city of Detroit proper)? What do terms like justice & the kingdom of God & incarnational ministry look like in this context?
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Monday, October 05, 2009
Great Communion
Yesterday I attended the correcting of a 103 year old separation between branches of the Stone-Campbell Movement - Churches of Christ, Christian Churches, & Disciples of Christ. This year marks the 200 year anniversary of the Declaration & Address - a document written by Thomas Campbell that laid the groundwork for our movement. All across the nation, churches from these streams of the Stone-Campbell Movement united for a communion service together. We met at Rochester Church of Christ with several other churches from our area for a little over an hour of worship time, singing, scripture reading, prayer, and communion! It was a great experience to have lived to have experienced the restoration of such long-standing divisions. I couldn't help but look at my sons thinking how they had no idea how significant this moment was in our history and how I hoped they would not have to live in the midst of the divisions that have marked our past. Praise God for what happened yesterday at the Great Communion!! For more information, please see www.greatcommunion.org
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Day-Tight Compartments
At ACU Summit, I was introduced to a man more fascinating than most I have encountered. William Osler lived in late 19th & early 20th century and the more I learn of him, the more I learn of his (direct) impact on my life. Expected to go into ministry, he shifted courses and pursued medicine instead attending medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Osler would go on to attain the pinnacle of multiple fields. He chaired four different medical colleges. He was widely published in philosophy and theological papers. He took a job as Physician-in-Chief at the newly founded Johns Hopkins Hospital and revolutionized the way medicine was taught, insisting that doctors learn by exposure to patients in the wards of the hospitals (i.e. This is the guy responsible for creating medical residencies!!). He once said that
Having accomplished so much in one life he was invited to speak at the Sillman Lectures (a very big deal then) at Yale University. The Yale students wrote him and asked him if he would address them separately the night before the main lectures. They asked him how one man was able to accomplish greatness in such a diversity of fields - medicine, philosophy, theology. He agreed and gave perhaps his greatest speech. He called it "Way of Life." He told them the key to his success was the ability to live in what he called "day-tight compartments." One must focus one's energies on the day in front of them believing firmly that "This is the day the LORD has made" and we must "Rejoice and be glad in it."
"To study and treat disease without books is like sailing uncharted seas, but to study and treat disease without patients is to never have gone to sea at all."
Having accomplished so much in one life he was invited to speak at the Sillman Lectures (a very big deal then) at Yale University. The Yale students wrote him and asked him if he would address them separately the night before the main lectures. They asked him how one man was able to accomplish greatness in such a diversity of fields - medicine, philosophy, theology. He agreed and gave perhaps his greatest speech. He called it "Way of Life." He told them the key to his success was the ability to live in what he called "day-tight compartments." One must focus one's energies on the day in front of them believing firmly that "This is the day the LORD has made" and we must "Rejoice and be glad in it."
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Well, Its Been a While
It has been a while since my last blog post so I thought it good to update our world.
- I just finished a month of General Surgery, a month that reinforced my high opinion of orthopedic surgery and my low interest in dealing with poop (which is a big part of general surgery). I started a new month of Family Medicine which is the greatest schedule of all time. My attending works two full days per week, two half days per week, & takes Wednesdays off. How rough is that!!
- Jennifer is now 35 weeks along in the pregnancy and she is wonderfully miserable about right now. Baby Bryan is doing well and we will have another ultrasound in a couple of weeks. The doctors are planning on inducing him on October 27ish if he doesn't come before that. We will be delivering at Troy Beaumont Hospital in Troy, MI.
- I am scheduled to take another round of Board Exams on October 13, yet another reason I have not had time to blog. This will be COMLEX Step 3 for me. The tests just keep coming!
- The boys spent a little over a week in Elkhorn with my parents a couple weeks back and loved time with their Grandy & Nonna. Jenn's parents flew up here last week for a few days and Jenn's mom (Granna) got to stay for about a week or so and really enjoyed time with the boys.
- Garrett is now starting to learn to write and go through some preschool books that Jenn bought. It is amazing how much he is soaking up right now! The other day he told me he needed to be changed because he was funky! :)
- Luke is 18 months and becoming more adorable by the day! He is becoming more and more opinionated and vocal about such. He is still much more laid back than Garrett was.
- We are loving our church - Rochester Church of Christ - and officially placed membership last Sunday. Jenn has gotten involved with several of the ladies there at church and I have gotten to teach a few Sundays in the adult classes. We really love being there!
- I spent a few days at ACU Lectureships/Summit this year and surprised my dad who received the Towel Award for long-time service as a minister. My brother David came down from Denver and we all got to hang out for a few days with each other and with friends and family in Abilene!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A Week Without Kids
Check out my wife's posting on her blog about our week without the boys! I can't say it any better! I pasted it below or you can check out her blog at...
www.missionalmama.blogspot.com
A few weeks ago my in-laws offered to take the boys for a few days so that I could catch up on some rest and prepare for baby Bryan's arrival - i.e. organize and unpack our remaining boxes. Little did I know that they would take them for 9 days. Granted I have been apart from Garrett for a week and Luke for a few days at a time, but 9 days! I knew that I needed the rest and that they would love the grandparent time on the farm, but these have been the longest 7 days I have had in a long time! I have missed them terribly and talk about way too quiet around the house. I'm in no way complaining, for the rest and break from dirty diapers and potty training has been wonderful! :) But it has also given me a fresh perspective on the blessing of our children and how much they shape, teach, and love me. It is easy to forget during long days without adult interaction and the constant cleaning up after two little guys under the age of three just what an incredible gift they are. We have an amazing role in shaping and forming these little people given to our care yet at the same time I never realized how much they shape and form us too. As parents we ask different questions and are forced to face our tendencies toward selfishness through the training of behaviors and attitudes forming in our kiddos' lives. They force me to consider on a regular basis what it means to speak and act like Jesus. They help us grow and change as we encounter our weaknesses mirrored in their attitudes and actions. I have a new heightened awareness of how incredibly precious the teachable moments are throughout our days together. I have a renewed desire to watch more carefully for those moments instead of slipping into the survival mode of just trying to make it through the day. This week has also made me realize again the brevity of life and time. During the process of organizing our home dvds I couldn't believe how quickly they have grown and changed. Time seems to speed up the older I get. People always say that these years will fly by and be gone before you know it, but it is hard to remember sometimes on those long survival days. I think about those who have lost a child to sickness or tragedy and how they can't ever forget the preciousness of each day. I prayed this week would be a time of refreshment and renewal as well as transformation (which often hurts) and I believe ABBA has answered that in reminding me of the gifts around me that I too often take for granted. Lord, remind me daily of the unbelievable gifts you have given me in my children and show me how I can embrace the time I am given with them as moments to learn and share your love. I use the phrase often, "all life is ministry" - I truly want to live that out in my mothering. I pray that somehow these little guys will encounter the amazing transforming love of Jesus in our lives as we constantly wrestle with what it means to live according to the Kingdom if God and not according to the world and culture around us. In one of my phone conversations with Garrett during the week, my 3 year tells me that Luke, his 18 month brother is not listening and that he needs to teach him to listen! :) Oh dear! Lord, teach me to listen....I don't want to miss out on the teachable moments You bring throughout the day! Thank you that you are a patient Father!
www.missionalmama.blogspot.com
A few weeks ago my in-laws offered to take the boys for a few days so that I could catch up on some rest and prepare for baby Bryan's arrival - i.e. organize and unpack our remaining boxes. Little did I know that they would take them for 9 days. Granted I have been apart from Garrett for a week and Luke for a few days at a time, but 9 days! I knew that I needed the rest and that they would love the grandparent time on the farm, but these have been the longest 7 days I have had in a long time! I have missed them terribly and talk about way too quiet around the house. I'm in no way complaining, for the rest and break from dirty diapers and potty training has been wonderful! :) But it has also given me a fresh perspective on the blessing of our children and how much they shape, teach, and love me. It is easy to forget during long days without adult interaction and the constant cleaning up after two little guys under the age of three just what an incredible gift they are. We have an amazing role in shaping and forming these little people given to our care yet at the same time I never realized how much they shape and form us too. As parents we ask different questions and are forced to face our tendencies toward selfishness through the training of behaviors and attitudes forming in our kiddos' lives. They force me to consider on a regular basis what it means to speak and act like Jesus. They help us grow and change as we encounter our weaknesses mirrored in their attitudes and actions. I have a new heightened awareness of how incredibly precious the teachable moments are throughout our days together. I have a renewed desire to watch more carefully for those moments instead of slipping into the survival mode of just trying to make it through the day. This week has also made me realize again the brevity of life and time. During the process of organizing our home dvds I couldn't believe how quickly they have grown and changed. Time seems to speed up the older I get. People always say that these years will fly by and be gone before you know it, but it is hard to remember sometimes on those long survival days. I think about those who have lost a child to sickness or tragedy and how they can't ever forget the preciousness of each day. I prayed this week would be a time of refreshment and renewal as well as transformation (which often hurts) and I believe ABBA has answered that in reminding me of the gifts around me that I too often take for granted. Lord, remind me daily of the unbelievable gifts you have given me in my children and show me how I can embrace the time I am given with them as moments to learn and share your love. I use the phrase often, "all life is ministry" - I truly want to live that out in my mothering. I pray that somehow these little guys will encounter the amazing transforming love of Jesus in our lives as we constantly wrestle with what it means to live according to the Kingdom if God and not according to the world and culture around us. In one of my phone conversations with Garrett during the week, my 3 year tells me that Luke, his 18 month brother is not listening and that he needs to teach him to listen! :) Oh dear! Lord, teach me to listen....I don't want to miss out on the teachable moments You bring throughout the day! Thank you that you are a patient Father!
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Feast
What if Jesus really meant what he said? What would it mean if Christ-followers truly believed his message and chose to do daring things in the name of Jesus?
These questions and more are explored in a new book by a good friend of mine Josh Graves. He is a minister at Otter Creek Church in Nashville, TN and is currently finishing up his Doctor of Ministry degree at Columbia Seminary in Georgia. The name of his new book is The Feast: How to Serve Jesus in a Famished World and it is now available for purchase. I also recommend Josh's blog at www.joshuagraves.com.
These questions and more are explored in a new book by a good friend of mine Josh Graves. He is a minister at Otter Creek Church in Nashville, TN and is currently finishing up his Doctor of Ministry degree at Columbia Seminary in Georgia. The name of his new book is The Feast: How to Serve Jesus in a Famished World and it is now available for purchase. I also recommend Josh's blog at www.joshuagraves.com.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Liberation Theology & Health Care
There are many voices in the health care debate. Many voices come from places of power and influence with much at stake to lose in the scuffle. One voice however comes from the margins because its voice rests among those who have no voice and who have already lost so much at the hands of the powerful. Liberation theology (as a formal theological discipline) originated in the 20th century from a brilliant priest still serving today in the Peruvian mountains among the poorest of the poor in that region of the world.
Liberation theology hinges on a fundamental belief: God has made a preferential choice on behalf of the poor & therefore it is the church's responsibility to do so as well. Liberation theology points to the numerous and repeated incidences in scripture where God chooses the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized for his work. He chooses widows, children, prostitutes, younger brothers, fishermen, uneducated, tax collectors, etc for his work. Jesus' incarnation was as a poor, homeless carpenter's son born on the backside of nowhere. God's preference for the poor and marginalized is a statement of solidarity with those society dehumanizes and deems less important. It is a choice to stand with the marginalized directly opposed to the cultural impulses that seek to strip people of their dignity.
Implications...(if the church were to take this seriously)
Liberation theology hinges on a fundamental belief: God has made a preferential choice on behalf of the poor & therefore it is the church's responsibility to do so as well. Liberation theology points to the numerous and repeated incidences in scripture where God chooses the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized for his work. He chooses widows, children, prostitutes, younger brothers, fishermen, uneducated, tax collectors, etc for his work. Jesus' incarnation was as a poor, homeless carpenter's son born on the backside of nowhere. God's preference for the poor and marginalized is a statement of solidarity with those society dehumanizes and deems less important. It is a choice to stand with the marginalized directly opposed to the cultural impulses that seek to strip people of their dignity.
Implications...(if the church were to take this seriously)
- The church must identify those groups which are dehumanized by society, even if the church morally disagrees with them, and stand with them against the cultural oppression. This is easy(er) when we view the oppression context as the rich white man oppressing the poor black man. This is much more difficult when we look at other groups our society deems as less than human (i.e. homosexuals, those on welfare, etc.) and hear God calling us to stand with them against the societal impulse to reject them.
- In any debate, it is the church's responsibility to insure the voice of the poorest of the poor is heard and heard well. When the marginalized are silenced by contemporary culture on issues that directly affect them and thus dehumanized, the church is to be the place where that voice is heard, listened to, and encouraged to be spoken.
- In doing either of the above-mentioned options, the church risks (and fully expects to receive) the ire of both Christendom-bound churches as well as those in positions of power and influence. The church must be willing to engage passionately in pursuits of justice that place it directly in the line of fire from many sides. To reach this point requires a redefining of the good news of Jesus as the arrival of the kingdom of God rather than a simplistic opportunity for eternal destiny.
- Regarding the health care debate specifically, I find myself in a difficult position. As a white male in a field of powerful, wealthy individuals I am part of a long line of oppressors now called to join the oppressed. Health care is an industry based on economics that does its best to avoid and repel the very people liberation theology (and much of scripture) call the most important. The implications of such a belief - not only on my own life but also hospital systems, medical companies, and the entire industry - shake the very foundations of this field called health care.
Liberation theology is very interesting to me. It is a discipline that is easy to agree with intellectually but very difficult to live out the implications of viewing Jesus, the church, and the world through its lens. I am new to the exploration of Liberation Theology but I hear rings of truth and gospel and passion for issues that matter within its community. As we go forward on the issue of health care and seeking the kingdom of god and his justice in all things, the voice of the poorest of the poor may in fact be the voice needed the most.
Blessings...
Monday, August 24, 2009
Partners in Health
Paul Farmer, MD is a very influential man who has spent most of his life at the intersection of medicine, social justice, anthropology, and politics. The majority of his work has been in Haiti though certainly not limited to there. A recipient of his medical degree (M.D.) as well as a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard, he started an organization called Partners in Health whose purpose is to provide a preferential health care for the poorest of the poor. PIH is now an international organization with active health care outposts in multiple continents. If you are interested the website is www.pih.org .
The model PIH uses when entering a country is based on these principles taken directly from their website.
Blessings...
The model PIH uses when entering a country is based on these principles taken directly from their website.
As the debate continues, here is a voice on behalf of the poor for the sake of the poor that is not just rhetoric but passionate action.1. Access to primary health care
A strong foundation of primary care is critical to successfully treating specific diseases, such as AIDS. People seek care because they feel sick, not because they have a particular disease. When quality primary health care is accessible, the community develops new faith in the health system, which results in increased use of general medical services as well as services for more complex diseases. Therefore, PIH integrates infectious disease interventions within a wide range of basic health and social services.2. Free health care and education for the poor
The imposition of user fees has resulted in empty clinics and schools, especially in settings where the burden of poverty and disease are greatest. Because both health and education are fundamental routes to development, it is counterproductive (not to mention immoral) to charge user fees for health care and education to those who need these services most and can afford them least. PIH works to ensure that cost does not prevent access to primary health care and education for the poor.3. Community partnerships
Health programs should involve community members at all levels of assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation. Community health workers may be family members, friends, or even patients who provide health education, refer people who are ill to a clinic, or deliver medicines and social support to patients in their homes. Community health workers do not supplant the work of doctors or nurses; rather, they are a vital interface between the clinic and the community. In recognition of the critical role they play, they should be compensated for their work. PIH doesn’t tell the communities we serve what they need—they tell us.4. Addressing basic social and economic needs
Fighting disease in impoverished settings also means fighting the poverty at the root of poor health. Achieving good health outcomes requires attending to peoples’ social and economic needs. Through community partners, PIH works to improve access to food, shelter, clean water, sanitation, education, and economic opportunities.5. Serving the poor through the public sector
The work of PIH has three goals: to care for our patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world.
A vital public sector is the best way to bring health care to the poor. While nongovernmental organizations have a valuable role to play in developing new approaches to treating disease, successful models must be implemented and expanded through the public sector to assure universal and sustained access. Rather than establish parallel systems, PIH works to strengthen and complement existing public health infrastructure.
Blessings...
Friday, August 21, 2009
Ask Bob
Ever since the debate (at least this go around) began over what to do with the health care crisis, I have had an undefinable churning in my stomach about both sides' arguments. I often have this sense of unrest and uneasiness about things until I find someone with a similar unrest but with the words to articulate it. On this issue, one of those people is my friend and cousin, Bob Lawrence. He is a man I respect greatly because of his passion for Jesus Christ but also because of his intellect and insight into issues that matter. He is a family medicine physician practicing in Nome, Alaska with his wife and four children. I recently Facebooked him to ask him his thoughts on the health care crisis. This is his reponse.
When you look at the details of what is being called reform, you'll see the parties are not talking about real reform of a system but of mere rescue of a failing system. I personally think it looks more like an insurance company bail out than any kind of re-forming of the way we provide health care.More fuel for the fires of conversation that expose the darkness that envelops our world, our minds, and our hearts. Blessings...
Reform would mean going back to the drawing board. We would start with the center of health-care being the patient and the provider then we would re-build practices, hospitals, and services that guard the trusted relationship between the patient and the provider. If you peel away the layers of our current system you find that patients and providers exist only to support a business relationship between practices and third-party payers.
Regardless of where the reform discussion goes, remember that on the first day of medical school you married every patient that entrusts you with their care. Somewhere along the line, probably many times already, the third-party sirens of the insurance and medicare industry will lull your colleagues into an affair. Over the years, many docs find themselves trapped in a business relationship with these third-party payers wishing desperately they could return to their first love...the patient.
I personally think there is no good solution to the health care crises outside of Christ. The true problems result from greed in the hearts of men, and only the Lord can address that issue. This is why mission-minded hospitals, to the extent they stay mission-minded, seem to perservere.
Also remember that it really doesn't matter if we are more capitalistic in our heath-care system or more socialistic in our approach. In each case, someone will be discriminated against. A capitalistic system discriminates against the poor, but a socialistic system discriminates against those who cannot contribute to the society and therefore impoverished by status (the young, old, and handicap). In either case, a good government must ensure there are protections for those who cannot speak for themselves and would otherwise be discriminated against. In the absence of such protections, we must be the voice of the poor in policy discussions and keep an "option for the poor" in our practices.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Heart of the Matter
Brian McLaren blogged a couple weeks ago on Sojourners with a very challenging letter to all those, conservatives and liberals alike, regarding the spirit which people have entered into debate over health care reform. I hope you find it as insightful as I did. The actual post is on www.blog.sojo.net or can be found through the Sojourners website if you don't want to read this insanely long blog post :)
An Open Letter on Health Care to Conservative Christians in U.S.
An Open Letter on Health Care to Conservative Christians in U.S.
Dear Friends,
Although today I would not call myself a political or social conservative, I am grateful for my heritage as an evangelical Christian: My faith is rooted in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I honor and seek to live in harmony with the scriptures, and I love to share the good news of God’s love with others. Since my teenage years when I decided to follow Jesus, I have pursued wholehearted discipleship, and my life has been shaped by that commitment. After completing graduate school and teaching college English, I became a church planter and pastor and served in the same congregation for 24 years.
But for almost that many years, I have been growing more and more deeply troubled by the way so many from my heritage in conservative Christianity – in its evangelical, charismatic, and Roman Catholic streams – have allowed themselves to be spiritually formed by various conservative political and economic ideologies. It’s been disturbing to see how many Christians have begun to follow and trust leaders who live more by political/media/ideological codes than by moral/spiritual/biblical ones.
As a result, I sometimes think that Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Fox News may now influence many conservative evangelicals, charismatics, and Catholics more than Billy Graham, Rick Warren, T.D. Jakes, Pope Benedict, or even the four gospels.
Now in a free country, people certainly have the right to choose their ideology. But Christians of all sorts, I think we all can agree, have a special calling – to increasingly harmonize our lives (including our lives as citizens) with the teaching and example of Jesus. My concern is that many of my sisters and brothers, without realizing it, have begun seeing Jesus and the faith through the lens of a neo-conservative political framework, thus reducing their vision of Jesus and his essential message of the kingdom of God. As a result, too many of us are becoming more and more zealous conservatives, but less and less Christ-like Christians, and many don’t seem to notice the difference.
Thankfully, many Christian leaders are far more thoughtful and nuanced in their integration of faith and public life. They don’t jump on talk-radio’s latest conspiracy theory bandwagons, nor do they buy flippant talk of “death panels” or inappropriate comparisons to Hitler and so on. But still, so many of them remain silent about what’s going on, and thereby grant it tacit approval.
I too was silent for a long time during my years as a pastor. But during the lead-up to the Iraq War, as I saw how little discernment was being exercised regarding the moral logic of pre-emptive war, I began taking risks that I hadn’t taken before. I was similarly moved to speak out when, in the aftermath of Abu Ghraib, relatively few Christians in America took a stand against torture. (In fact, according to survey data, Southern white evangelicals were the group most likely to support doing unto others as they would never want done to themselves.) And when I heard Christians (mis)using the Bible to argue against environmental responsibility, again, I could not be silent.
Now, in the debate about health care, I am similarly disheartened to see the relative silence of thoughtful Christian voices as counterpoint to the predictable rhetoric of the more reactive voices. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been getting mass e-mails and Web links from evangelical and charismatic organizations that present frightening and outlandish claims about what President Obama is planning to do regarding health care. I’ve checked into these claims, and in case after case, they are simply false. They’re based on rumors spread by certain dramatic radio and cable-tv personalities, but they are not based in truth.
Again, people are free to disagree humbly and respectfully with their fellow Christians and their government. (As readers of my books know, I take this freedom seriously in my own life). But we Christians, it seems to me, have a high calling – to be radically committed to integrity and civility, even (especially) with those with whom we disagree. God, after all, is merciful, generous, and kind to “the just and the unjust”: How can we not have that same obligation regarding those with whom we disagree? Even if others resort to dirty political tricks and distortion of the truth through exaggeration and fear-mongering, we simply cannot. At the very least, we should be seekers of truth, seekers of wisdom, not consumers (or purveyors) of propaganda – even if it comes from members of our own political party and people who quote a lot of Bible verses (often out of context). We have a higher calling.
So, without going into health-care reform specifics (which is still difficult to do, since there are many fast-changing proposals in play and the process of developing a vote-able proposal is far from over), I would simply like to plead with conservative Christians – conservative evangelicals, conservative charismatics, conservative Catholics, and so on – to take a stand for integrity and civility in the health-care debate, alongside and in solidarity with those of us who love Christ just as you do, but do not rally around the conservative political banner.
If you take this stand, you will be heard by your fellow conservatives in ways that some of the rest of us can’t be heard. And lives could be saved as a result of our joint calls for Christian integrity and civility: We’ve already seen what happens when people translate religious and ideological passion into violent action. Recalling the words of that great 19th century British conservative Edmund Burke, think of what could happen in the next few years if too many good conservative people sit back and do nothing … while less scrupulous and more desperate conservative people whip their followers into a frenzy through fear and inaccurate information.
I will continue to speak out on these issues as I have done in the past. But I don’t expect the most extreme Christian conservatives to listen to me much. Since I was an outspoken supporter of President Obama’s candidacy, and since before that I was equally outspoken against torture, against the invasion of Iraq, for environmental stewardship, etc., many of them have written me off (sometimes with quite spicy language). But if you are a conservative Christian who cares about integrity and civility in communication and debate, perhaps they will still listen to you when you call them to a higher standard. I hope you will take the risk of speaking out with that in mind.
As my friend Jim Wallis recently said so eloquently in his last blog post on health care, we may have honest differences with our fellow Christians on the issue of health care and many other issues too, but even in our differences we can agree that debates should take place in the light of truth and civility, not in the shadows of misrepresentation and prejudice.
Be assured, I am no uncritical supporter of health-care reform. I am no more in favor now of rushing into expensive health-care reform without sufficient debate than I was a few years ago when we rushed into an expensive pre-emptive war without sufficient care and discernment. I’m eager, like many of my conservative friends, to see the kind of reform that encourages small business and entrepreneurship. I’m interested in the kind of reform that reduces the power of both unaccountable mega-corporations and unaccountable government bureaucracy. I’m eager to see the kind of reform that doesn’t pave the way for powerful health insurance companies to do to the public in the next few decades what “too big to fail” Wall Street debt-repackagers did to us over the last few. I’m eager to see the kind of reform that in the long term reduces rather than increases our growing national debt, and that truly helps our poorest neighbors without creating reductions in real service for our more prosperous neighbors.
Getting the kind of reform we need won’t be easy, especially with so many powerful interests spending huge amounts of money to achieve their own ends, with too little concern for justice, the common good … or the truth. That’s why, for there to be the kind of debate that produces good results, we who call ourselves Christians – conservative or otherwise – need to stand for full integrity in communication, whatever our political leanings. We need to be sure that the best arguments on both sides are heard … not being satisfied to compare “our” best with “their” worst, as unscrupulous politicians and media personalities so often like to do, and not reducing the views of others to absurdity, even if we disagree with them vehemently.
The moral authority of Christians has been severely compromised in our culture in recent years. The most serious kinds of sexual scandals have rocked the Catholic, evangelical, and charismatic communities, not to mention financial scandals, ugly denominational lawsuits, and high-profile divisions. Studies have shown that some kinds of Christians are not only more likely to support torture – they are also more likely to hold racist views, to engage in domestic violence, and to end their marriages in divorce. No wonder young people are turned off as never before to a hypocritical face of Christianity that radiates shame, anger, and judgment rather than grace, love, and truth.
Even if we disagree on health-care reform and other political issues, I hope we can agree that it is time for us to start walking – and talking – more worthy of the calling to which we have been called, to use Paul’s words, to speak the truth, and to do so always in love. Or as James said, we must remember in this fire-prone political climate that the tongue can set off tiny rhetorical sparks that create huge flames of unimagined and unintended destruction. It can spread a false wisdom that sounds good on the surface, but beneath the surface is driven not by love but by bitter envy and selfish ambition. In contrast, he said (3:13 ff),
The wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise of harvest of righteousness.
Wise and needed words to guide us in the weeks and months ahead as health-care reform is debated for better or for worse. May both the debate and the outcome bring us to a better place.
By the way, if you’d like to do some fact-checking about the health-care debate, here are some faith-based sources that I believe can be trusted to avoid uncritical and inaccurate reporting about health care. I understand they will be offering correctives to rumors and misinformation in the months ahead.
http://blog.faithinpubliclife.org/
http://www.sojo.net
http://www.catholicsinalliance.org/
Monday, August 17, 2009
While we were on vacation, we visited our wonderful friends Mike & Sara Darling in Paducah, KY and though I thought we were there for quality time with friends, it soon became apparent there were other motives working in our midst unbeknownst to us - motives of torturing people they consider good friends for long periods of time (at least 20 minutes) with photo after photo!! The nerve :) Love ya Sara. If you would like to view these photos you may do so at www.darlingbydesignphotography.com along with many other wonderful photos! Thank you guys!
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Kingdom & Healthcare I
Jim Wallis is a man with a prophetic voice in our world today with convictions formed and shaped by God's call for justice now. He is a terrific author and one of the primary voices of reshaping the form of Christian faith and values within the larger marketplace & political realm! He (and other writers) have produced an essay discussing the issue of health care reform designed for use in churches and small groups. It is called the Healthcare Toolkit and offers a very challenging perspective and call on Americans to radically change the health care system. It is found at www.sojourners.com. What follows are my thoughts and interactions with his position.
Wallis' views the world (and health care) through a lens of intense passion for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. The prophetic call for justice by Jeremiah, Amos, & Isaiah shapes his ministry as the founder of Sojourners, an organization exploring the intersection of faith, politics, & culture.
He grounds his argument on the concept of imago dei - that every human regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status is created in the image of God himself. All people have dignity because of their creator and deserve to be treated as such. Therefore, to deny care to a fellow human because of money (or any other reason) essentially denies them their divinely appointed status. The caregiver who refuses the care ascends to a precarious place of power in a worldview where economics displaces empathy & people are reduced to numbers. Wallis taps into the prophetic pulse of Jesus himself and argues the church is commanded to seek the good of the "least of these" & to further allow large interest groups to lobby lawmakers into preserving what is in their best interests is an injustice. He argues for reform that would allow the poor (deserving or not) a means to attain care consistent with their intrinsic worth.
Wallis' views the world (and health care) through a lens of intense passion for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. The prophetic call for justice by Jeremiah, Amos, & Isaiah shapes his ministry as the founder of Sojourners, an organization exploring the intersection of faith, politics, & culture.
He grounds his argument on the concept of imago dei - that every human regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status is created in the image of God himself. All people have dignity because of their creator and deserve to be treated as such. Therefore, to deny care to a fellow human because of money (or any other reason) essentially denies them their divinely appointed status. The caregiver who refuses the care ascends to a precarious place of power in a worldview where economics displaces empathy & people are reduced to numbers. Wallis taps into the prophetic pulse of Jesus himself and argues the church is commanded to seek the good of the "least of these" & to further allow large interest groups to lobby lawmakers into preserving what is in their best interests is an injustice. He argues for reform that would allow the poor (deserving or not) a means to attain care consistent with their intrinsic worth.
I was once asked by a good friend if I thought "health care was a right." I replied that I didn't know. To some degree I am still unsure. However, a portion of my uncertainty (not sure what size portion) is directly tied to the "rights" language - words so closely interwoven with a western sense of entitlement. And yet when I try to view the issue of health care reform through the kingdom of God, as a caregiver I cannot refuse proper care to a person for any reason and call myself a follower of Jesus.
Maybe others can delineate the political issue (with all its economic consequences) from the moral issue to care for the hurting person in front of you. I assume the former allows us to "dehumanize" people in the name of efficiency & sustainability. There is no face on the uninsured hurting with the former. And yet there are the clear economic consequences (for hospitals, doctors, nurses, etc.) of doing everything for free. But how can I even think about supporting a political position that blatantly ignores those most in need? The lines are very blurry here (at least for me). I have very serious questions about the current proposal but insofar as my objections are based on possible personal consequences (i.e. less income), they are sinful. My primary questions about the proposed bill have to do with the quality of health care and involvement of the government in the patient-physician decision-making process? I do think reform needs to happen. But I'm not sure how!
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Imago Dei & The Emergency Room
I understand why emergency room doctors and staff become calloused over the years! I have completed five shifts or so in the emergency room and I must confess the deep theological problems that this has created within my soul - problems more of praxis (actually doing what Jesus called us to) than anything else.
The ER is one of those unique locales where the frailty of humanity is encountered at all places on the spectrum - coughs and colds, suicide attempts, high-speed car accidents, heart attacks, and drunks...many, many, many drunks!! ER staff have a front row seat at one of the most interesting shows in the world. Noone knows who is about to walk through that door, what problem they will present with, or what or who caused their predicament. It could be the "Drinking Olympics" and the subsequent foot-race that went awry. Or maybe it's the guy who was stabbed by his ex-wife with a pair of scissors. Or maybe it's the lady who punched her garage door!
The crux of the matter is this: What does it mean to be a Christ-follower in the face of tremendous stupidity and self-inflicted harm done repeatedly with no perceived end in sight?
ER docs (and staff) call them frequent flyers and other less complimentary names. And yet God calls them good...he created them and deemed them good. They as much as I are created with the divine imprint of the creator of the universe and deemed worthy of intrinsic inesteemable value! And yet I must admit I struggle with this tension. Jesus came to create a new humanity with a new lens through which to view the world in which we live and the people we cohabitate this planet with. And though I confess Jesus as Lord and know his way to be a way of love, peace, compassion, and justice, I struggle to keep this lens on all the time, especially with the drunks who seem to have nothing better to do than be stupid, hurt themselves, and come to the ER.
How do I continually, consistently, and compassionately care for those who seem to have no interest in their own well-being? How does a Christ-follower maintaina Christ-formed lens and avoid the judgmental, hateful, and arrogant spirit so prevalent and so easy to adopt?
One of the words we (all Christ-followers) must avoid is just. Such a short, simple word that is so insignificant on the surface...until the word is more fully examined and understood. In the ER we say things like "He's just a drunk bum" or "She's just a druggie and a pillseeker." Just is such an inherently reductionistic word because it takes a good creation of God - a human being created in the image of God - and instantaneously robs them of their dignity. When someone is just a drunk, they are no longer fully human but now defined by their fault and pigeon-holed into a certain class of people that are substandard. Though I understand they have robbed themselves of their own dignity with their own decisions, this is no excuse for people like to me to treat them as such and affirm their often self-proclaimed and society-labeled status.
God has called us to be just people - people who love His justice and His mercy; He has not called us to dehumanize people with our rhetoric and to rob them of what he has placed within them. Though I understand the calloused hearts, it is exactly those impulses that the cross calls me to reject!
This is hard. I confess my participation in this and seek forgiveness for where I have been a accomplice.
The ER is one of those unique locales where the frailty of humanity is encountered at all places on the spectrum - coughs and colds, suicide attempts, high-speed car accidents, heart attacks, and drunks...many, many, many drunks!! ER staff have a front row seat at one of the most interesting shows in the world. Noone knows who is about to walk through that door, what problem they will present with, or what or who caused their predicament. It could be the "Drinking Olympics" and the subsequent foot-race that went awry. Or maybe it's the guy who was stabbed by his ex-wife with a pair of scissors. Or maybe it's the lady who punched her garage door!
The crux of the matter is this: What does it mean to be a Christ-follower in the face of tremendous stupidity and self-inflicted harm done repeatedly with no perceived end in sight?
ER docs (and staff) call them frequent flyers and other less complimentary names. And yet God calls them good...he created them and deemed them good. They as much as I are created with the divine imprint of the creator of the universe and deemed worthy of intrinsic inesteemable value! And yet I must admit I struggle with this tension. Jesus came to create a new humanity with a new lens through which to view the world in which we live and the people we cohabitate this planet with. And though I confess Jesus as Lord and know his way to be a way of love, peace, compassion, and justice, I struggle to keep this lens on all the time, especially with the drunks who seem to have nothing better to do than be stupid, hurt themselves, and come to the ER.
How do I continually, consistently, and compassionately care for those who seem to have no interest in their own well-being? How does a Christ-follower maintaina Christ-formed lens and avoid the judgmental, hateful, and arrogant spirit so prevalent and so easy to adopt?
One of the words we (all Christ-followers) must avoid is just. Such a short, simple word that is so insignificant on the surface...until the word is more fully examined and understood. In the ER we say things like "He's just a drunk bum" or "She's just a druggie and a pillseeker." Just is such an inherently reductionistic word because it takes a good creation of God - a human being created in the image of God - and instantaneously robs them of their dignity. When someone is just a drunk, they are no longer fully human but now defined by their fault and pigeon-holed into a certain class of people that are substandard. Though I understand they have robbed themselves of their own dignity with their own decisions, this is no excuse for people like to me to treat them as such and affirm their often self-proclaimed and society-labeled status.
God has called us to be just people - people who love His justice and His mercy; He has not called us to dehumanize people with our rhetoric and to rob them of what he has placed within them. Though I understand the calloused hearts, it is exactly those impulses that the cross calls me to reject!
This is hard. I confess my participation in this and seek forgiveness for where I have been a accomplice.
Friday, August 07, 2009
4 Years Ago
Yesterday we celebrated our 4th anniversary and spent the night down at the hotel at Paris Landing State Park. It has been a wonderful (and very busy) four years of life. We have managed to have 2 1/2 children (Bryan will be here in November). We have moved 5 times and lived in 4 different states. We have completed medical school with basically no income. We have worshipped at four different churches. Crazy!!
4 years ago yesterday I made the best move of my life and married my best friend. I love you Jenn! Here's to forty more...years, not kids! :)
4 years ago yesterday I made the best move of my life and married my best friend. I love you Jenn! Here's to forty more...years, not kids! :)
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Kingdom of God & The Healthcare Debate (Intro)
Much ink, time, and press have been given lately to the current healthcare crisis - healthcare costs skyrocketing out of control, prickly questions about whether healthcare is a right and if it is then is healthcare equality also a right (i.e. Should the US Senators and the homeless man recieve the same level of care?). Words like "efficiency" & "limited resources" & "socialized medicine" & "market-driven" swirl around in a storm of power plays, barbed rhetoric, and ridiculous complexity. There is much confusion about what the new bills in the House & Senate do and don't do and there is no shortage of opinions at all places along the spectrum. If I were to be honest about where I am on the spectrum...I have no stinking idea!!
In the coming weeks I will try to honestly portray the tensions that reside within my mind and heart about what option (if such an option exists) that is consistent with the kingdom of God. I live in world - i.e. Medicine - as a physician that at least in my opinion is very opposed to any such reform bills being passed. Some objections are purely financial and greed-driven - the perceived ability to earn more money, etc - while others put forward concerns about the quality of care that will be given.
I also live in the world of theology and the kingdom of God and seek to be defined first and foremost as a disciple of Jesus Christ and no other. Justice for the poor and the least among us is an absolute non-negotiable in the eyes of God. He has proven repeatedly that he dislikes it when the rich oppress the poor and perpetuate injustice.
Christians are equally divided on this issue with perspectives from all corners claiming to be doing the will of God. What in the world is going on? I have no intention of trying to answer all these questions (or any of them for that matter) in this blog but I do hope to portray one man's honest perspective and questions about our current situation. I pray that whatever is done with these posts will be only helpful and conversation-provoking. One thing I am certain of is that wherever there is slander from any side, it does not reflect the image of Jesus.
Blessings...
In the coming weeks I will try to honestly portray the tensions that reside within my mind and heart about what option (if such an option exists) that is consistent with the kingdom of God. I live in world - i.e. Medicine - as a physician that at least in my opinion is very opposed to any such reform bills being passed. Some objections are purely financial and greed-driven - the perceived ability to earn more money, etc - while others put forward concerns about the quality of care that will be given.
I also live in the world of theology and the kingdom of God and seek to be defined first and foremost as a disciple of Jesus Christ and no other. Justice for the poor and the least among us is an absolute non-negotiable in the eyes of God. He has proven repeatedly that he dislikes it when the rich oppress the poor and perpetuate injustice.
Christians are equally divided on this issue with perspectives from all corners claiming to be doing the will of God. What in the world is going on? I have no intention of trying to answer all these questions (or any of them for that matter) in this blog but I do hope to portray one man's honest perspective and questions about our current situation. I pray that whatever is done with these posts will be only helpful and conversation-provoking. One thing I am certain of is that wherever there is slander from any side, it does not reflect the image of Jesus.
Blessings...
Emergency Medicine
Well...I survived my first month of my internship. 35 days of Internal Medicine taking care of everything from electrolyte imbalances to heart attacks to ruptured intestines to anxiety attacks. I did six shifts of inhouse (we actually have to physically be in the hospital - yeah it stinks) call and the best part...all my patients survived! At least when I left them they were alive and that's kind of the point. Now I am doing Emergency Medicine. In the next 35 days I have 16 twelve hour shifts...(do the math and that'a alot of days off - yeah that rocks) and the best part...no deaths yet!! And I do stress the yet aspect! The goal is to make sure that at the end of your shift, your patient(s) are still breathing and if they are, it's been a good day...because now they are someone else's problem :) Just kidding but shift work is kinda nice!
Anyways, this post is part to let you know what's new in my world and part to justify why I haven't written in a while. Everything is going well. We are adjusting to life in Motown (burbs really) and settling into a routine. Look for more soon!
Anyways, this post is part to let you know what's new in my world and part to justify why I haven't written in a while. Everything is going well. We are adjusting to life in Motown (burbs really) and settling into a routine. Look for more soon!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Who Are We?
Churches of Christ are in an interesting position. The theological spectrum - traditional to progressive - has seemingly never been wider as cultural forces continue to wreak havoc on both the theology as well as the attendance of denominations nationwide. And yet a disturbing trend is beginning to appear. As many churches of Christ move farther away from the traditional stances (a good thing) and hermeneutic (way of interpreting and applying Scripture), many have taken pride in what we have left behind and yet seem to have no legitimate alternative to replace it. We know what we are against but what are we for? If we are not churches that fight over issues of worship forms or eternal designations, what are we willing to be passionate about and intensely pursue? Are we willing to pursue issues of justice and peace, causes of community involvement and development, or cultural engagement with postmodern youth? There is certainly a place to critique our heritage and its faults, but I assumed that "progressive" churches had moved past berating our ancestors to a "better" place. But after listening to many churches whose goal seems to be "not being a traditional conservative COC" the question has to be asked: "If we are becoming progressive, what are we progressing toward?" And "Is it really progress?" I would love your thoughts...
Friday, June 12, 2009
Religulous: "Religion + Ridiculous"
My wife and I finally broke down and watched the movie (one among many) that is causing an outcry from so many religious groups - Bill Maher's 2008 documentary Religulous. As I watched the movie I found myself both crying and laughing, disgusted and intrigued, ashamed and enthralled, appalled and captivated.
For those that haven't seen the film, Maher's quotes include...
His film asks penetrating questions like "Why is faith a good thing?" He stands in front of St Peter's Square in Rome and asks if the power and wealth represented by the Vatican was really what Jesus intended? He confronts a wealthy televangelist with the stark contrast between his life and that of Jesus. He identifies the dissonance between Christianity and Nationalism - the bedfellows of God & Country. He questions the "arrogant certitude" of religious people.
When he finished his monsoon of attacks on religion, I was heartbroken at the representation that Jesus has in this world. It almost seemed that Bill was enthralled with a Jesus who stood for the poor, challenged the powerful and wealthy, and offered a new way of living but Bill wasn't seeing it lived out. He observed the stupidity and irrelevance that characterizes so much of Christianity today and asks how this is good news for the rest of the world. As I waded through the sarcasm and mockery, I found a prophet - a voice asking followers of Jesus "Are you really good news to the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, and the entire world?" "Or do you live in a land focused only on the hereafter and unwilling to engage in honest discussion about tough issues like evolution, homosexuality, wealth, and justice?"
Maher is advocating that the answer to bad religion and bad theology is no religion or theology at all! Get rid of them! I disagree. The solution to bad theology is good theology, not jettisoning all theology. The solution to a screwed-up religion is to replace it with a healthy one - to recapture the essence of Jesus of Nazareth and proclaim his kingdom. Hopefully this call will be heeded by those who claim Jesus as Lord.
For those that haven't seen the film, Maher's quotes include...
"Religion must die in order for man to live."Not exactly a flattering portrayal! Throughout the film Maher's cynical and sarcastic interactions with some of the most fanatical people I have ever seen reveal both a distasteful mockery of religion and a surprisingly accurate critique of much of Christianity. He talks in depth about his own journey - growing up with one Catholic parent and one Jewish parent - and in doing so offers a very insightful glimpse into a perspective shared by more and more people in the United States. He describes his early church experience as "vast stretches of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror."
" Religion is detrimental to the progress of humanity."
Religious people make a "virtue out of not thinking."
Religious leaders are "intellectual slaveholders."
His film asks penetrating questions like "Why is faith a good thing?" He stands in front of St Peter's Square in Rome and asks if the power and wealth represented by the Vatican was really what Jesus intended? He confronts a wealthy televangelist with the stark contrast between his life and that of Jesus. He identifies the dissonance between Christianity and Nationalism - the bedfellows of God & Country. He questions the "arrogant certitude" of religious people.
When he finished his monsoon of attacks on religion, I was heartbroken at the representation that Jesus has in this world. It almost seemed that Bill was enthralled with a Jesus who stood for the poor, challenged the powerful and wealthy, and offered a new way of living but Bill wasn't seeing it lived out. He observed the stupidity and irrelevance that characterizes so much of Christianity today and asks how this is good news for the rest of the world. As I waded through the sarcasm and mockery, I found a prophet - a voice asking followers of Jesus "Are you really good news to the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, and the entire world?" "Or do you live in a land focused only on the hereafter and unwilling to engage in honest discussion about tough issues like evolution, homosexuality, wealth, and justice?"
Maher is advocating that the answer to bad religion and bad theology is no religion or theology at all! Get rid of them! I disagree. The solution to bad theology is good theology, not jettisoning all theology. The solution to a screwed-up religion is to replace it with a healthy one - to recapture the essence of Jesus of Nazareth and proclaim his kingdom. Hopefully this call will be heeded by those who claim Jesus as Lord.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Stuff
We have alot of stuff! As we prepare for our fifth move in under four years of marriage, we are engaging in the ritual of packing. And as we pack we discover things we haven't seen since last year and haven't used in the past two years...if ever! This year we are joining some friends to do a yard sale and as Jenn and I go through our junk we are having some very interesting conversations about what stuff we are willing to part with. It is amazing how attached we get to certain items that may or may not be of any use but are retained "just in case I ever need it."
For example, my mountain bike. I cannot remember the last time I rode it. I cannot ride it because the chain has rotted (because I haven't ridden it). And yet I love my bike! I paid hundreds of dollars for that bike! All I can do with my bike is look at it and think "I have a really nice bike! I ought to ride that some time" but my wife dared to ask me about selling my bike! How dare she!! I am amazed that as we struggle financially through the tough times of finishing a life lived on student loans and the time of making a salary still well below the poverty line, I turn aghast at getting rid of my bike! Enter Holy Spirit... ( I really hate being convicted)
For example, my mountain bike. I cannot remember the last time I rode it. I cannot ride it because the chain has rotted (because I haven't ridden it). And yet I love my bike! I paid hundreds of dollars for that bike! All I can do with my bike is look at it and think "I have a really nice bike! I ought to ride that some time" but my wife dared to ask me about selling my bike! How dare she!! I am amazed that as we struggle financially through the tough times of finishing a life lived on student loans and the time of making a salary still well below the poverty line, I turn aghast at getting rid of my bike! Enter Holy Spirit... ( I really hate being convicted)
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also! ~ Mt6:19-21So, if anyone is interested I have a (really tall) TREK 4500 Aluminum Frame Men's Mountain Bike with front and rear shock absorbers that will be for sale tomorrow morning! We'll see what happens...
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. ~ Mt6:24
Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice... ~ Mt6:33a
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Is God Just?
Today was a difficult day! The sermon today came from Joshua 6-7 & dealt with the stories of Jericho's fall and Achan's sin. Though these stories (more so Jericho than Achan's stoning) have been ever present in my upbringing, today the Spirit (I think it was the holy one) put before me once again the issue of justice. But today was different because the question lay not with instances of human violence &indifference but rather acts of violence ordered directly by God!
How do you reconcile this God (YHWH) with the message and person of Jesus Christ? I understand taking sin seriously and maintaining the covenant with his people, but ordering the massacre of women and kids, grandmas and grandpas, babies and little boys (probably some of them around my sons' ages)? And then Jesus comes along as the full embodiment of God in the flesh with "Love your enemies" and "Blessed are the peacemakers" and "Let the sinless one throw the first stone." How do these go together? I understand the communal identity inherent within the ancient time period (totally foreign to an individualistic, consumer-driven society of the USA) but.... is that really just? When Jesus calls us to "Seek first God's kingdom & God's justice" with peace and love instead of hate and sword, what are we to do with these stories?
A fundamental assumption of the scriptural narrative is that God is the same and that Jesus is the embodiment of that deity in its fullness! And yet God remains free - free from my preconceived notions of what he should be doing with his time and his universe and his creation! (He has yet to ask my opinion on any of that!), free from our doctrinal boxes that seek to describe him, free from the limitations of our understanding and intellect, free to be the "I AM." I don't have any answers; just alot of questions - hard but honest! Today was a tough day!
They devoted the city [Jericho] to the LORD & destroyed with the sword every living thing in it - men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys. (Joshua 6:21)I am not sure how many sermons I've heard give the "point" of these stories in phrases like... "God takes sin very seriously and therefore we need to take sin more seriously too" or "If you listen to God things will go well for you, but if you don't, remember Achan." I know that there is some truth embedded in those statements but the fundamental issue of my struggle is much deeper.
Then Joshua...took Achan, son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons & daughters, his cattle, donkeys, and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the valley of Achor. Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today!" Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. (Joshua 7:24-26)
How do you reconcile this God (YHWH) with the message and person of Jesus Christ? I understand taking sin seriously and maintaining the covenant with his people, but ordering the massacre of women and kids, grandmas and grandpas, babies and little boys (probably some of them around my sons' ages)? And then Jesus comes along as the full embodiment of God in the flesh with "Love your enemies" and "Blessed are the peacemakers" and "Let the sinless one throw the first stone." How do these go together? I understand the communal identity inherent within the ancient time period (totally foreign to an individualistic, consumer-driven society of the USA) but.... is that really just? When Jesus calls us to "Seek first God's kingdom & God's justice" with peace and love instead of hate and sword, what are we to do with these stories?
A fundamental assumption of the scriptural narrative is that God is the same and that Jesus is the embodiment of that deity in its fullness! And yet God remains free - free from my preconceived notions of what he should be doing with his time and his universe and his creation! (He has yet to ask my opinion on any of that!), free from our doctrinal boxes that seek to describe him, free from the limitations of our understanding and intellect, free to be the "I AM." I don't have any answers; just alot of questions - hard but honest! Today was a tough day!
Friday, May 29, 2009
It's a Boy!!
Today we had our ultrasound and our little bundle of joy went spread eagle for the camera and showed off his turtle for the world to see! It is quite the incriminating picture and one that could possible show up in a graduation video somewhere down the line. I would post it but our scanner doesn't work. Oh well! Everything looks good and we are thrilled not to have to buy girl stuff...yet. I get to avoid the pink stuff for a little while longer!! :) Though I do keep wondering...maybe God keeps giving me boys because he knows that I don't want a girl that looks like me!! Hmmm....
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Not-So-Deep Service & Deep Justice
Let me share with you something I ran across recently. The book is Deep Justice in a Broken World: Helping Your Kids Serve Others & Right the Wrongs Around Them by Chap Clark & Kara Powell (Zondervan 2007). The authors juxtapose (compare & contrast) service and justice with intent of pointing Christians to pursue "deep justice." (pp. 15-16)
Service makes us feel like a "great white savior" (or black or brown or other skin color) who rescues the broken. Justice means God does the rescuing, but often he works through the united power of his great and diverse community to do it.
Service often dehumanizes (even if only subtly) those who are labeled the "receivers." Justice restores human dignity by creating an environment in which all involved "give" & "receive" in a spirit of reciprocal learning & mutual ministry.
Service is something we do for others. Justice is something we do with others.
Service is an event. Justice is a lifestyle.
Service expects results immediately. Justice hopes for results some time soon but recognizes that systemic change takes time.
The goal of service is to help others.The goal of justice is is to remove obstacles so others can help themselves.
Service focuses on what our own ministry can accomplish. Justice focuses on how we can work with other ministries to accomplish even more.
Service is serving food at the local homeless shelter. Justice means asking why people are hungry and homeless in the first place - and then doing something about it.
Service makes us feel like a "great white savior" (or black or brown or other skin color) who rescues the broken. Justice means God does the rescuing, but often he works through the united power of his great and diverse community to do it.
Service often dehumanizes (even if only subtly) those who are labeled the "receivers." Justice restores human dignity by creating an environment in which all involved "give" & "receive" in a spirit of reciprocal learning & mutual ministry.
Service is something we do for others. Justice is something we do with others.
Service is an event. Justice is a lifestyle.
Service expects results immediately. Justice hopes for results some time soon but recognizes that systemic change takes time.
The goal of service is to help others.The goal of justice is is to remove obstacles so others can help themselves.
Service focuses on what our own ministry can accomplish. Justice focuses on how we can work with other ministries to accomplish even more.
Service is serving food at the local homeless shelter. Justice means asking why people are hungry and homeless in the first place - and then doing something about it.
Kingdom Justice
Jesus came to bring good news...to the poor. He called that good news the kingdom of God & said it was at hand. He invited everyone to enter it & experience life to the fullest! He lived complete love, perfect holiness, and radical justice. He demands the same of his followers. So, as his apprentices, we seek kingdom life & kingdom justice...now!!
What an awesome story and an awesome calling!!
"We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, but we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"We can do no great things. We can only do small things with great love." ~ Momma T
"We are called to play the Good Samaritan on life's roadside...but one day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that a system that produces beggars needs to be repaved. We are called to be the Good Samaritan, but after you lift so many people out of the ditch you start to ask, maybe the whole road to Jericho needs to be repaved." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
When Gandhi was asked whether or not he was a Christian, he would often reply, "Ask the poor. They will tell you who the Christians are."
What an awesome story and an awesome calling!!
"We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, but we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"We can do no great things. We can only do small things with great love." ~ Momma T
"We are called to play the Good Samaritan on life's roadside...but one day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that a system that produces beggars needs to be repaved. We are called to be the Good Samaritan, but after you lift so many people out of the ditch you start to ask, maybe the whole road to Jericho needs to be repaved." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
When Gandhi was asked whether or not he was a Christian, he would often reply, "Ask the poor. They will tell you who the Christians are."
Journey of Justice
What is justice? A word? A concept? An ideal? A pursuit? Much easier to demand than define. Very complicated yet essential. Incredibly difficult yet important. A journey not taken alone but with people of all races, genders, socioeconomic classes, etc.
The word in the New Testament for righteousness & justice is the same word. The "rightness" and perfection of God flows directly from His very essence. God is defined by justice - a justice far beyond our comprehension yet with very clear parameters. God hates the oppression of the poor. Though he does not favor the poor, he is favorably disposed toward them because he knows that it is the poor who are often exploited, oppressed, and trampled on by those in places of power and prestige. The poor are not to be exploited. The orphans and widows are not the be ignored. God always hears the cry of the oppressed...always! 'Let there be justice' is the rallying cry of prophetic voices through the ages from Amos to Martin Luther King, Jr., Isaiah to Ghandi, & embodied perfectly in the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. God's story in Scripture explodes with God's concern for justice and his response when it is ignored.
I am relatively new to this journey. Justice has not been my passion. For whatever reason, a disconnect has existed between my faith and the impetus to engage in social issues such as poverty, oppression, international human rights causes, etc. For that I am truly sorry. Though i am certainly not where I need to be, I freely admit that I believe I am now cognizant of God's intentions for justice moreso than I have ever been before. My eyes and ears are continually being opened to the work that is before us. From this day forward, I commit to seeking justice and pray for the courage to go wherever God may take me.
The word in the New Testament for righteousness & justice is the same word. The "rightness" and perfection of God flows directly from His very essence. God is defined by justice - a justice far beyond our comprehension yet with very clear parameters. God hates the oppression of the poor. Though he does not favor the poor, he is favorably disposed toward them because he knows that it is the poor who are often exploited, oppressed, and trampled on by those in places of power and prestige. The poor are not to be exploited. The orphans and widows are not the be ignored. God always hears the cry of the oppressed...always! 'Let there be justice' is the rallying cry of prophetic voices through the ages from Amos to Martin Luther King, Jr., Isaiah to Ghandi, & embodied perfectly in the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. God's story in Scripture explodes with God's concern for justice and his response when it is ignored.
I am relatively new to this journey. Justice has not been my passion. For whatever reason, a disconnect has existed between my faith and the impetus to engage in social issues such as poverty, oppression, international human rights causes, etc. For that I am truly sorry. Though i am certainly not where I need to be, I freely admit that I believe I am now cognizant of God's intentions for justice moreso than I have ever been before. My eyes and ears are continually being opened to the work that is before us. From this day forward, I commit to seeking justice and pray for the courage to go wherever God may take me.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Angels & Demons
To the chagrin of the conservative religious folks, I risked corruption of my mind today and took my beautiful wife on a date to see the new Tom Hanks movie Angels & Demons based on Dan Brown's book. It made for some very interesting conversation over dinner!
Faith & Science
One theme that was front and center throughout the movie was the tension between religion and science. Without giving away too much of the movie, the Catholic Church is forced to revisit its stance on scientific advancement and acknowledge its poor track record. One does not have to be a history buff to recognize the dismal stance of the church on anyone with a scientific belief that would in any way challenge their authority - Copernicus, Galileo, etc.
One statement in particular garnered my attention: "Science and religion are not contradictory but rather two different ways of telling the same story." As a physician and a minister, this particular debate is very close to my heart. And yet these questions of faith and science are not simply historical hobbies but are brought the forefront in our day of stem cell research, human genome mapping, research into a possible genetic basis of homosexuality, eugenics research, etc.
How does the catholic church - not just the Vatican - respond when our scientific prowess marches forward at incredible rates creating new ethical dilemmas almost daily? Theological issues such as how we view the Bible and its "inspired" status, how we view truth & who can possess it, and ultimately how we view God are all wrapped up in the conversation. Often we ask the Bible questions it was never designed to answer and God is reduced to a "God of the Gaps" (Belief in God is there for those parts of the universe we don't understand). And yet, the god revealed in Scripture is the creator of the universe and the source of all truth - scientific, theological, psychological, philosophical. All truth is God's truth! I love Rob Bell's statement that when Jesus says "I am the way, the truth, and the life," he is essentially stating that he leads us into all truth. The world is created through him and faith in him allows us to pursue truth wherever it rests!
Church & Power
Much ink has been spilled in refuting the historicity of Dan Brown's claims but to me those arguments are simply nauseating. It's a novel, not a history book. Let it be a novel and take it for what it is. And though it is fiction, it does offer a very pointed critique of the religious world.In the same vein as the DaVinci Code, this movie offers a very poor picture of the Roman Catholic Church. Both of these movies beg the question: To what lengths will the church go to maintain its current position of power, wealth, and prestige?
It is no secret that the Roman Catholic Church commands an enormous amount of power and wealth in our world and especially in the religious world. The storyline of both movies has to do with a secret the church wants to keepunder wraps and the steps it takes to prevent those secrets going public. When the church of Jesus Christ jumps in bed with power and wealth, what happens? When the center of your faith is a man who willingly gives up his power and position in exchange for death as a criminal, how like Jesus can a church be when money and power are involved?
In the USA, the church has been moved to margins of society and no longer holds a place of widespread respect. We as the church have a very fundamental question to answer - What do we do now? Do we try to get that place in society back or do we embrace our new wilderness and explore what God has for us? It is the question of liminality.
If you are still reading thank you! I would love to know what you think. Blessings...
Faith & Science
One theme that was front and center throughout the movie was the tension between religion and science. Without giving away too much of the movie, the Catholic Church is forced to revisit its stance on scientific advancement and acknowledge its poor track record. One does not have to be a history buff to recognize the dismal stance of the church on anyone with a scientific belief that would in any way challenge their authority - Copernicus, Galileo, etc.
One statement in particular garnered my attention: "Science and religion are not contradictory but rather two different ways of telling the same story." As a physician and a minister, this particular debate is very close to my heart. And yet these questions of faith and science are not simply historical hobbies but are brought the forefront in our day of stem cell research, human genome mapping, research into a possible genetic basis of homosexuality, eugenics research, etc.
How does the catholic church - not just the Vatican - respond when our scientific prowess marches forward at incredible rates creating new ethical dilemmas almost daily? Theological issues such as how we view the Bible and its "inspired" status, how we view truth & who can possess it, and ultimately how we view God are all wrapped up in the conversation. Often we ask the Bible questions it was never designed to answer and God is reduced to a "God of the Gaps" (Belief in God is there for those parts of the universe we don't understand). And yet, the god revealed in Scripture is the creator of the universe and the source of all truth - scientific, theological, psychological, philosophical. All truth is God's truth! I love Rob Bell's statement that when Jesus says "I am the way, the truth, and the life," he is essentially stating that he leads us into all truth. The world is created through him and faith in him allows us to pursue truth wherever it rests!
Church & Power
Much ink has been spilled in refuting the historicity of Dan Brown's claims but to me those arguments are simply nauseating. It's a novel, not a history book. Let it be a novel and take it for what it is. And though it is fiction, it does offer a very pointed critique of the religious world.In the same vein as the DaVinci Code, this movie offers a very poor picture of the Roman Catholic Church. Both of these movies beg the question: To what lengths will the church go to maintain its current position of power, wealth, and prestige?
It is no secret that the Roman Catholic Church commands an enormous amount of power and wealth in our world and especially in the religious world. The storyline of both movies has to do with a secret the church wants to keepunder wraps and the steps it takes to prevent those secrets going public. When the church of Jesus Christ jumps in bed with power and wealth, what happens? When the center of your faith is a man who willingly gives up his power and position in exchange for death as a criminal, how like Jesus can a church be when money and power are involved?
In the USA, the church has been moved to margins of society and no longer holds a place of widespread respect. We as the church have a very fundamental question to answer - What do we do now? Do we try to get that place in society back or do we embrace our new wilderness and explore what God has for us? It is the question of liminality.
If you are still reading thank you! I would love to know what you think. Blessings...
The Irresistible Revolution
A week ago my wife bought me a graduation present for $1.25. Now typically I am the cheap one of the family but this was a very well spent $1.25. She bought me the book The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne (Zondervan 2006). WOW! It has been so long since a book has challenged and convicted me in the way that Shane is able to. He and a group of friends are the founders of the The Simple Way (www.thesimpleway.org) in Philly - an experiment in Christian community, justice, and solidarity with the poor. I can't remember ever reading about someone who took Jesus so seriously as does Shane. His divine calling and his call to the church are shaped by living amidst the people on the margins, those Jesus came to live with and join ranks with. He offers a clear alternative to the "American civil religion" siding in favor with the radical nature of the kingdom of God. It is unbelievably challenging! And yet I wonder how much more radical he is than Jesus. I must confess I do not so easily see the radical nature of Jesus' teachings as I do Shane's. The religion of comfort, safety, and complacency so permeates American churches (including my own) and American Christians (including me) that it is difficult to imagine taking the steps that Shane has taken to put Jesus into practice.
I am about 2/3 through the book and would highly recommend (with strong cautions for the faint of heart and mind) to engage his book with an open mind knowing ahead of time it will convict you and challenge you.
Blessings...
I am about 2/3 through the book and would highly recommend (with strong cautions for the faint of heart and mind) to engage his book with an open mind knowing ahead of time it will convict you and challenge you.
Blessings...
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Losing Our Religion
I just watched a story by Dan Harris on abcnews.com that reports on a stunning trend among the youth in the United States. Since 1990, the number of young people - Generation X & Y - who claim to not be part of a religion has skyrocketed from 5-10% in 1990 to 30-40% according to some new research out of Harvard University. In the interview, the researcher states that American youth have grown increasingly opposed to the association between religion and the conservative political right. He states that they are not atheist but rather view faith and politics through a radically different lens than their parents' generations. A new generation refuses to accept the conservative social agenda - primarily abortion & homosexuality - as the stance a "good Christian" should take.
There is no doubt the landscape of American religion has changed drastically and by all indicators will continue to do so. Politics is an area of such varied positions and opinions, all of which seem to be lightning rods of intense debate. Religion and Politics is even more controversial! For many years the Republicans have had a monopoly on church-goers. It is common opinion that one who confesses Jesus as Lord cannot (at risk of the fires of hell) vote for someone who is pro-choice & pro-homosexuality. Issues such as poverty, war, environment, and others have taken a back seat to "The Big Two." As I continue to study and explore what it means to be part of the kingdom of God, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that God's people are called to see a larger picture from a very different perspective. God very much cares about the poor, victims of war, and the environment. He also cares about life from its earliest beginnings to its final breath. He cares about sexuality - both hetero and homo - and demands that both be submitted to him. Yes homosexuality is a sin but so is adultery. And I would be willing to wager that more harm has been done through heterosexual sin than has ever been done through homosexuality. It is interesting to read as the Republican party tries to reinvent themselves in the midst of such widespread religious turmoil.
What does this mean for the kingdom of God? Well, God is certainly not a Republican and personally I have no stake in insuring the future of either dominant political party. However, I do have a stake in the kingdom of God. I am passionate about navigating the intersection between the kingdom of God, the church, and American culture. As the role of church in our society changes, it is an incredible opportunity for the church to reevaluate its identity and mission amidst changing times. I am excited about the future and look forward to exploring what the kingdom of God looks like in the 21st century.
There is no doubt the landscape of American religion has changed drastically and by all indicators will continue to do so. Politics is an area of such varied positions and opinions, all of which seem to be lightning rods of intense debate. Religion and Politics is even more controversial! For many years the Republicans have had a monopoly on church-goers. It is common opinion that one who confesses Jesus as Lord cannot (at risk of the fires of hell) vote for someone who is pro-choice & pro-homosexuality. Issues such as poverty, war, environment, and others have taken a back seat to "The Big Two." As I continue to study and explore what it means to be part of the kingdom of God, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that God's people are called to see a larger picture from a very different perspective. God very much cares about the poor, victims of war, and the environment. He also cares about life from its earliest beginnings to its final breath. He cares about sexuality - both hetero and homo - and demands that both be submitted to him. Yes homosexuality is a sin but so is adultery. And I would be willing to wager that more harm has been done through heterosexual sin than has ever been done through homosexuality. It is interesting to read as the Republican party tries to reinvent themselves in the midst of such widespread religious turmoil.
What does this mean for the kingdom of God? Well, God is certainly not a Republican and personally I have no stake in insuring the future of either dominant political party. However, I do have a stake in the kingdom of God. I am passionate about navigating the intersection between the kingdom of God, the church, and American culture. As the role of church in our society changes, it is an incredible opportunity for the church to reevaluate its identity and mission amidst changing times. I am excited about the future and look forward to exploring what the kingdom of God looks like in the 21st century.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Kingdom Justice
Mt 6:33 ~ Seek first the kingdom of God & his justice... ~ Jesus
Over the past year or so, God has been doing something in my mind & heart that stirs up passion and intensity that I haven't experienced in a long while. My understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ and God's purpose and intentions for all of his creation has undergone a transformation that I could not have imagined. In short, viewing the kingdom of God inaugurated in Jesus of Nazareth as the good news of God has reinvigorated my faith and passion for the truth of God, wherever that may lead me! In revisiting the New Testament, I am amazed at the number of time Jesus references the kingdom (121 times according to the concordance) compared to the church (3 times). Whatever Christlikeness is to look like, it must engage and be shaped by the kingdom of God. Jesus taught people to pray - "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." He told his followers to "seek first the kingdom of God and his justice." The more I read of Jesus the more I am enthralled with the man and his mission. When asked to pick sides on a debate, he chose to reframe the questions and issue(s) at hand offering an alternative from left field forcing everyone to revisit and rethink their perspectives from a kingdom viewpoint. What does this look like? I don't know for sure but I have never been so excited about being a Jesus-follower before!!
Jesus came to bring good news...to the poor. He called that good news the kingdom of God & said it was at hand. He invited everyone to enter it & experience life to the fullest! He lived complete love, perfect holiness, and radical justice. He demands the same of his followers. So, as his apprentices, we seek kingdom life & kingdom justice...now!!
Over the past year or so, God has been doing something in my mind & heart that stirs up passion and intensity that I haven't experienced in a long while. My understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ and God's purpose and intentions for all of his creation has undergone a transformation that I could not have imagined. In short, viewing the kingdom of God inaugurated in Jesus of Nazareth as the good news of God has reinvigorated my faith and passion for the truth of God, wherever that may lead me! In revisiting the New Testament, I am amazed at the number of time Jesus references the kingdom (121 times according to the concordance) compared to the church (3 times). Whatever Christlikeness is to look like, it must engage and be shaped by the kingdom of God. Jesus taught people to pray - "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." He told his followers to "seek first the kingdom of God and his justice." The more I read of Jesus the more I am enthralled with the man and his mission. When asked to pick sides on a debate, he chose to reframe the questions and issue(s) at hand offering an alternative from left field forcing everyone to revisit and rethink their perspectives from a kingdom viewpoint. What does this look like? I don't know for sure but I have never been so excited about being a Jesus-follower before!!
Jesus came to bring good news...to the poor. He called that good news the kingdom of God & said it was at hand. He invited everyone to enter it & experience life to the fullest! He lived complete love, perfect holiness, and radical justice. He demands the same of his followers. So, as his apprentices, we seek kingdom life & kingdom justice...now!!
- What does this look like for an orthopedic surgeon?
- How can I participate in and seek first the justice of God when interacting with my patients, our current healthcare situation, and fellow healthcare personnel?
- Justice is so much easier to demand than it is to define. How do I remain humble and continually submit my thoughts and desires to God's spirit?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Family Business Updates
Here are some of the new things going on in our world...
- Jenn is pregnant...again! We're apparently having trouble with the whole birth control thing :) She is due on November 3. We find out boy or girl on May 29 at our first ultrasound.
- I graduate from medical school on Saturday May 16, 2009...Now I have to get a stinking job! And Jenn refuses my request to now be called "Doctor" from now on! What's up with that!!
- We are buying our first home! We will be living Shelby Township, MI in a great home near the Rochester Hills Church.
- Garrett will turn 3 years old in July. Luke is almost 14 months old (on the 19th).
- We are packing up our house in Elkhorn to prep for the big move. Ugh..
Graduation Day!!
Four years have passed so suddenly it begs the question of what happened! Well - two children, a pregnant wife, six-figures worth of debt, thousands of miles traveled, four moves, and countless hours spent in hospitals later, it sure as heck seems like something happened! This Saturday I will join my classmates in Kansas City for our graduation from medical school where we will celebrate the achievement of surviving medical school. We all - men & women - will don our dresses of lofty achievements and receive our 60 seconds of glory as we strut across the stage smiling, shaking hands, hugging necks, receiving compliments and praying all the while we do not trip on our dresses! And after we have picked up our $205,000 piece of paper we will exit the stage as...doctors! Hmmm.... Four years later and all that work...it just seems anti-climactic.
I guess it's all in the perspective! We will be told how wonderful we are and how proud people are of us only to find out that the real work remains. For every compliment and hug that is shared, there are millions of people who frankly do not care. They don't care because priorities like obtaining food, water, shelter, & medicine in order to make it through the day obscure their need to celebrate the greatness of our achievement. They don't care because their struggle to survive make our whines about the struggle of long nights studying over the past four years. They don't care about our terminal degrees because they would be happy with an elementary level education but cannot afford it. They do not care about our enormous loan debts or our earning potential because they live on $2 per day. They don't care...
I have not intended with this writing to downplay the significant milestone that a medical school graduation represents. It is a wonderful accomplishment that very few will ever attain. I have intended, however, to put graduation day in perspective - a point of view that allows the cries of millions (if not billions) of people around the world who will be born, live, & die in the shadows of a world that more often than not will never acknowledge their existence. We too often allow pomp & circumstance to subdue the harsh realities of our world - starvation, disease, death.
Can we/I hear their cries for help? Will we stop long enough in the midst of the accolades and busyness to listen to the deafening cry of those who wonder if anyone will hear their cry and act on their behalf?
These are my thoughts. Do with them what you will....
I guess it's all in the perspective! We will be told how wonderful we are and how proud people are of us only to find out that the real work remains. For every compliment and hug that is shared, there are millions of people who frankly do not care. They don't care because priorities like obtaining food, water, shelter, & medicine in order to make it through the day obscure their need to celebrate the greatness of our achievement. They don't care because their struggle to survive make our whines about the struggle of long nights studying over the past four years. They don't care about our terminal degrees because they would be happy with an elementary level education but cannot afford it. They do not care about our enormous loan debts or our earning potential because they live on $2 per day. They don't care...
I have not intended with this writing to downplay the significant milestone that a medical school graduation represents. It is a wonderful accomplishment that very few will ever attain. I have intended, however, to put graduation day in perspective - a point of view that allows the cries of millions (if not billions) of people around the world who will be born, live, & die in the shadows of a world that more often than not will never acknowledge their existence. We too often allow pomp & circumstance to subdue the harsh realities of our world - starvation, disease, death.
Can we/I hear their cries for help? Will we stop long enough in the midst of the accolades and busyness to listen to the deafening cry of those who wonder if anyone will hear their cry and act on their behalf?
These are my thoughts. Do with them what you will....
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Fixing Things
Tonight was an interesting night! At church we discussed the book unChristian and its top six critiques of American Christianity.
- Hypocritical: We give off a polished image but look no different than rest of the world.
- Too Focused on Conversion: We target non-Christians and are more interested in conversions than we are discipleship and faith formation.
- Anti-Homosexual: We are bigoted and focused on fixing their problem while ignoring ours.
- Sheltered: We live in a naive bubble isolated from the world and suppress curiosity.
- Too Political: We are assumed to be right-wing Republicans with a conservative agenda.
- Judgmental: People doubt that we care about them and are more concerned with being right than loving them.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Orthopedic Surgery?
I'm gonna be a surgeon!! Not what I planned or expected but orthopedic surgery is the reality set before me after the match. Never in a hundred years would I have anticipated the shift in careers that has occurred over the past 10 months - oncology to cardiology to family med to er back to cardiology back to family med & er until finally orthopedics. The journey has been long and hard but so worth it. As of last week I matched at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Orthopedic Surgery. The next five years of my life will be spent in Detroit, Michigan learning to do surgery and manage orthopedic issues. I love orthopedics but it is still so weird to think of myself as a surgeon. If I ever turn into a snob, you have my permission to slap me :) We are excited and scared and nervous about what lies ahead but that is okay. My wife is warming up to the idea (no pun intended) and we look forward to what God has in store in the days ahead.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Spirituality & Culture
On Sunday nights for the past three weeks, I have been facilitating a class on Spiritual Formation & Discipleship. We have done a spirituality type survey that revealed very interesting tidbits of information about the Sulphur Well Church. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the majority of the people who took the survey (about 40-45) are feelers rather than thinkers; they relate to God through experience, contemplation, or social action rather than intellectual dialogue!! Hmmm. Well in my rational, intellectual relationship with God, I found that to be interesting because our tradition is one that does not lend itself to emotion - it has actively suppressed emotion in fact. Thus the notion that nearly 2/3 of the people relate to God on some level other than intellectual was a very intriguing tidbit of info for my intellectual mind to think about! Oh the implications...
Also, we discussed last week the issue of liminality and the ridiculous amount of change going on the in the culture around us. As our world changes at every level, churches are struggling to deal with the chaos in a manner that is healthy, honest, and helpful for the body as a whole. As we brought up the idea of our current liminal state - this in-between state of having left behind a world with a superficial coating of Christianity and looking forward at a world where we aren't sure where we are headed or what it will look like when we get there - the anxiety in the class was unnerving. Some wanted to return to a by-gone era and longed for the "good-ole-days." Others were excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Others weren't sure what to think but one thing was evident...There is an undercurrent of unspoken and unaddressed anxiety, confusion, and fear within our churches that does not know what to do with the changes in our culture. They want a place to "vent" their frustrations and yet be brought back to the reality of God at work in our midst despite the uncertainties. I underestimated this need as the facilitator of this class and it jumped up and bit me unexpectedly. This next week should be equally as interesting. Until next time...
Blessings....
Also, we discussed last week the issue of liminality and the ridiculous amount of change going on the in the culture around us. As our world changes at every level, churches are struggling to deal with the chaos in a manner that is healthy, honest, and helpful for the body as a whole. As we brought up the idea of our current liminal state - this in-between state of having left behind a world with a superficial coating of Christianity and looking forward at a world where we aren't sure where we are headed or what it will look like when we get there - the anxiety in the class was unnerving. Some wanted to return to a by-gone era and longed for the "good-ole-days." Others were excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Others weren't sure what to think but one thing was evident...There is an undercurrent of unspoken and unaddressed anxiety, confusion, and fear within our churches that does not know what to do with the changes in our culture. They want a place to "vent" their frustrations and yet be brought back to the reality of God at work in our midst despite the uncertainties. I underestimated this need as the facilitator of this class and it jumped up and bit me unexpectedly. This next week should be equally as interesting. Until next time...
Blessings....
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