On the Doctrine of Being - thank you Mr. Reznor

I am a fan of music – not just any music, but good music, the kind that transcends time and space and launches the hearer into a sublime setting of being. My spin on music has often been called arrogant and elitist – very similar to my fondness finely crafted ales, Americanos, and films – yet to me, my opinion seems honest and tested. Not long ago I went back and gave a good listen to Johnny Cash’s last album but paid special attention to the tone and attitude of the Man in Black’s relation to the words he was crooning. As he covered Trent Reznor’s Hurt I was struck by the profundity of a particular line: “What have become, my sweetest friend, everyone I know goes away in the end.” I’m sure Trent had a particular reason for that line and if I am lucky enough to have a conversation with him someday, I might ask him what he was implying. Nonetheless, I hear that line and it becomes something to me – something honest and tested. Yet, the “sweetest friend” is not a person but an entity, an institution, a thing –to me, it is the local church.

It seems that we have entered a season where ecclesiology has become the doctrine of choice amongst writers, teachers, bloggers, pastors, tweeters, facebookers, and manic street preachers. Every generation lives in a world where particulars of theology need to be wrestled with, fleshed out, debated, argued, rethought, re-examined, and reconditioned. Life is lived in reaction – the pendulum of thought and action sways from one extreme to the other, always rising to the surface when it is absent in daily life.

I remember as a teenager recognizing that eschatology was keen to the church – youth group was filled with presentations of “experts” back masking Iron Maiden albums and trying desperately to convince me there was subversive, Hollywood agenda bent to turn me into a devil worshipper, Frank Peretti wrote some fabulous novels (or discipleship curriculum – depending on whom you ask) regarding spiritual warfare that scared the nevaluw (read your Hebrew/Aramaic from Daniel 2...) out of me, and evangelism was about asking people, “If you died tonight do you know that you would be in hell?” The devil, demons, hell and Ozzy Osbourne were popular and the doctrine of the end times was the filter to see world. Wait, maybe not much as changed: Ozzy is even more popular in his elder years and Hell as a subject is all the rage – if you believe in such a place…

Anyway, today in 2011, ecclesiology seems to be the new filter by which we process the world. Endless questions are being raised: What is the Church? What is the pastor? Does the Church need a pastor? Do we need a building? Are we better off meeting in homes like the Acts Church? What authority is necessary for Church life? Do we need elders? Deacons? Is it about program? Relationships? Discipleship? Missions? Can we meet online? Do we need to meet each week? Is Sunday the only day of corporate gathering? What are the sacraments? Are they “sacred” or is everything “sacred?” When do we administer them? What about membership – is it needed anymore? Is it possible to discipline anymore? How big is orthodoxy? How wide is it? How deep is it? What about orthopraxy? What are the essentials of our faith? Ought we embrace creeds? What about denominations – have they run their course? What about Independent churches – is it theologically sound to be “independent?” What is “Emergent?” What is “Traditional?” What is “Evangelical?” What is “Mainline?” What is “Liberal?” What is “Conservative?” And what about all those loud voices in our world: TV preachers who want your seed money, conservative radio hosts who want you to believe there is no room for social justice in the local church, liberal bloggers who want you to quit the church– take your ball and go home, pastors who rethink the reality of hell, pastors who gossip about pastors who rethink the reality of hell, Christian radio that supports positive and encouraging expressions but leaves little for those who are hurting or lamenting, and a myriad of other noises, voices and trumpets.

Church by definition, according to the Greek term ecclesia, is rooted in the gathered assembly and the Acts 1 and 2 church seemed to get that much. The line in chapter two that stumps me is the idea that they had everything in common. I’ve raised that profound ideal in groups and wondered aloud if it is possible to have all things in common. The literalists speak confidently that it is not literal and seek some understanding that allows their “type A” brains to maintain while the idealists dream of utopian communities where the “common” is not an ideal but an unmoving norm. Either way, the “common” becomes very uncommon. Yet even as I write these words I long for a better answer. Perhaps the idea of “assembly” is the foundation of having ALL in common, because it is only in the plurality of the assembly, that the “all” in its inherit plural form, can live, breath and find its being. To me, the great attack on ecclesiology is not from the outside, but by those who remove themselves from the “all” and try to live it independently of one another – where one group tries to live without the other, where one group draws the proverbial line in the sand and lives as a divider of God’s people, where one group determines who is on what team – as if it were a cheap game.

Ecclesiology needs to be centered in humility and optimism – two character traits inherit to a fully functioning assembly. Without humility and optimism we are left with arrogance and trite criticism. What if all church leaders spent 2012 seeking humility and optimism for their communities – how different would our churches look? Yet, you and I both know that will never happen. Didn’t you know, it is nearly impossible to get the “All” to center on anything in common – that seems to be true and tested…and in the end, she seems to just go away - the sweetest friend.

the last day of vacation

The last day of vacation is always the worst. On the one hand, you don't want the trip to end because you are enjoying the rest, the pool, the grand canyon, and the drinks with the little umbrellas in them. Yet, on the other hand, your mind is already back home contemplating work, the messy house, and the pile of details that have collected in your absence.

I planned on reading more this vacation but I have not. I planned on writing more this vacation but I did not. I planned on planning more this vacation but I resisted the urge. Instead, I shut down and stared out the window - and what a beautiful view it was.

Outside the rear window of my parents home in Mesa, AZ is the gorgeous view of Superstition Mountain - which was topped with fresh snow just a few days ago. It is truly a marvelous backdrop to your morning coffee. We visited the Grand Canyon which is beyond spectacular. I've now visited this National Park a half a dozen times and it never gets old. I am overwhelmed with the intensity of color, depth, size, and the awe inspiring creation of my Creator. We visited a local church a good friend of mine planted nearly six years ago and I was moved by their gathering, their focus, their commitment to celebrating, their staff and their vision for their local city. However, the best view I had was of my children. We played, we laughed, we sat, we snuggled, we swam, walked and we remained interconnected.

Superstition Mountain looks lovely this time of the morning but it is time to return home. Much as been recharged, much has been shut down, much as rested, but it is time to head back - I think my mind has already begun the journey home. See you on other side...

the risk of originality

I know it's hard to be original
In fact nothing scares me more
Because Jesus only lets me do
What has been done before

Sometime back, David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion and Headphones ilk) penned these interesting words in his song, "Selling Advertisement." Being original, if we are honest with ourselves, is a terribly lofty goal - I mean, honestly, discovering that thing, that idea, that thought, that movement that has yet to be displayed in the human race is impossible. Even as I write this, I seem to be channeling my inner-Nick Hornby, my inner-Rob Bell, and/or my inner-Dave Bazan for style, rhythm and content. Thus, writing about originality is not very original.

Being original is scary. Being belly-deep in that status quo is safe. Seeking the "new" or the "fresh" means that you have to embrace the width and depth of common thought (which is often narrow and shallow) to discover a missing or neglected component and pressing it for understanding. It's scary because the risk is unknown. Many will question its validity (Is this true?), others will question relevance (What does this have to do with me, here and now?) and some will question the motivation (What is he/she trying to do or prove?).

As one who spends a great deal of time reading and teaching the Scriptures, I find originality both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because the sacredness of the text, the depth of the text, and the art of preaching drive me to place of radical understanding and faith and I desire that the community taste and see that. It's a curse because some do want to go there - regardless of self-awareness, the status quo is safe and easy to swallow.

I've spent the greater part of fifteen years laboring in the local church as a pastor, listening to peoples stories and questions, reading and teaching the Bible, and seeking understanding around every corner. Along the way, I've observed a few things: 1) I am not always satisfied with what is on the surface - I want to know the story beneath the story and the story beneath that story. Deep within lies life beyond the status quo - it takes a great effort to get there but the fresh taste is remarkable. 2) There are others out there who want the same thing. They have listened faithfully in the pews for a lifetime but sense there is more to the narrative than three points that all start with the letter "s" and poem discovered by the preacher in last months Guideposts. They recognize the profundity and complexity of life and their palates are desiring foie gras in an institutional world muddled in dry Cherrios. 3) Finally, there are others who struggle with change. The "new" or "fresh" is fine every now and then, but why fix what is not broken. Being original can be perceived at best as being pedantic and at worst being egotistical. Thus, the originator must decide whether or not the risk is worth it and note whether or not their skin is thick enough to take the comments, the critiques, and the whispers of doubt.

The Scriptures have much to say about this topic. For example, the Qoheleth reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun which ought to inform us that there is nothing truly original - with some focused research, it can always be traced to another, in another time, in another context, with other results. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul spoke eloquently to his young prodigy Timothy, when he wrote that a time was coming when people would desire to gather teachers who would teach them what they wanted to hear to appease their itching ears and who would be willing to set aside truth for myth. Maybe this is what David Bazan was getting at: 1) being original means that you might not be what they want to hear and 2) we only do what Jesus lets us do (since he allowed it to be be done before).

Being original asks tough questions - here are some: 1) will there be others with you?, 2) is it worth sacrificing the rest?, 3) is that the role of the teacher?, 4) is this about faith seeking understanding or is this about you and your personal agenda?, 5) do you have thick enough skin to endure? The world seems to be teetering between the common and the new. Pressing to be original is scary - the easy route is to simply wade in the pool of the status quo and avoid risk even when you know you'll never swim outside the kiddie end of the pool. But really, you never really swim in the shallow end, you stand and walk. But are you swimming? Swimming is the act of taking your feet off terra firma and doing the unnatural. Perhaps that is the definition of being original...