felix hominum

committing to the unknown

The mystery of man and woman in marriage is, according to St Paul, something to think about in regard to the relationship between Christ and the church.  Now I have a few people with whom I'm doing "pre-marriage counseling", which for the most part consists of coffee and conversation. 

There are two thoughts which I find important, perhaps the most important, to share.  First, I find it is often the case with young people of faith that they hope that by being married, they can (insert your terms here) do more of God's work; that they can, as a couple be of more use to the kingdom, than if they remain single.  That is, they see the marriage as a means to another end, albeit a noble means and a noble end.  What I try to get across is that I think the marriage itself is the witness, the further work, by which God will speak to their world.

The second point is this:  in taking a marriage vow you are essentially committing yourself to an unknown.  You are committing yourself not to who the person is (that is usually the enticement to marriage), but rather you are committing yourself to whomever the person will become.  And that is to commit yourself to an unknown.

Now what has this to do with Christ and the church?  Well, is it not possible to commit oneself while recognizing at the same time that we are committing, joining ourselves, to an "unknown"?  This works two ways.  Of course we can say that we know something of God, of Jesus.  But we also sign on to who he will reveal himself to be more fully, and that is the unknown.  On our side, I think we also must learn that when we enter this faith, we ourselves are committing to become whatever he wishes us to be - which again is an unknown.  Paul once tried to persuade us that if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation.  Not merely a renovation of the old one, but a new creation.  We (or at least I) generally tend to go for the renovation idea - redemption is not really about "new creation";  it is more about transforming who I already am, with all the things which I believe contribute to my identity.  But what would it be like if the offer really was to be a "new creation" - something entirely new born out of the imagination of God?  I think that is the possibility to which we submit ourselves when we truly desire to be "in Christ".  We commit ourselves to becoming something we have not yet even imagined.

My dinner with Peter Rollins

consisted of Thai food, but I think tomorrow someone is going to arrange for some home grown western Canadian bison (sorry to the vegetarians in the crowd).

Anyway, Peter arrived safe and sound and the temperature here in Edmonton was a balmy 5 degrees today.  There was a point at which I thought we might be in an Arctic cold front, with dips down to -30 or so.  But apparently the weather patterns pushed all the cold air masses away from us and over toward Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  To which I say: simply shows where divine favours lay...

I'm looking forward to things starting up tomorrow (schedule here).  There were 5 of us at dinner tonight:  Peter, Darrel Muth, Eric Ohlman, Jim Robertson & me (I thought putting a hyperlink to my own blog would be superfluous, instead, I just talked about myself for the rest of the sentence). 

Wide and varied conversation;  some covering of last minute details, some personal introductions, some discussion of the various ways in which we relate to God and one another, some talk of Jean Vanier's notion of "community of the heart".  With that in mind, I was reminded of what an odd placement of things.  Earlier in the day I'm looking at a text for teaching math to people with Down Syndrome, and later in the evening I'm thinking about the relationship between faith and postmodernity.  But it's all there in a previous post on Aquinas and Bonaventure (at least in embyo form).  Anyway, all this is to say that we need to examine and form our faith communities in ways which connect people to God and to one another which engages the whole person.  I'll say more about that when I know more about it.

And on a further note, while I've had the invitation to sit in with the Elphida trio for Friday evening's theolojazz, I've yet to decide. It's pretty tempting, though.  I recently adjusted the Seymour Duncan pickups on the archtop...

Peter Rollins in Edmonton - a brief summary

Events Listing: (note that there are 5 separate venues).  Remember that this is an unconference - no registration, fees or paperwork.  Just show up and participate.

Worship & Ministry in a Postmodern Age
Thursday February 5th, 10 am - 12 pm
St George's Church, 11733 – 87th Avenue
An interactive education event for Clergy & Ministry Workers

Faith in a Postmodern Age: An Open Conversation
Thursday February 5th, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
St George's Church, 11733 – 87th Avenue
Public talk & discussion with Dr Peter Rollins (open to all)

Beyond Belief Towards Practice:
Thursday February 5, 7:30 pm
Taylor University College and Seminary
11525 23 Avenue
Stencel Hall in the seminary building
A free public lecture by Peter Rollins: A Postmodern Church Beyond Belief

Beyond Belief Towards Experience and Practice:
Friday February 6, 8:30 pm
Dewey's Lounge University of Alberta
Located at North Power Plant (Behind Dentistry/Pharmacy Building)
Jazz (Elphida Trio), conversation, and Q&A with Peter Rollins

Beyond Belief Towards Experience:
Saturday February 7, 10:00 am
Taylor University College and Seminary
College Chapel
11525 23 Avenue
A free public lecture by Peter Rollins: Worship for a Church Beyond Belief

Beyond Belief Towards Revelation:
Saturday February 7, 7:00 pm.
St. Paul's Anglican Church, 10127 - 145 Street
An alternative worship experience with Interface Worship & Peter Rollins

Beyond Belief Towards Community and Experience:
Sunday February 8, 10:00 am
Urban Bridge Church
Meets at the Royal Alberta Museum Theatre 12845 102 Avenue NW
Worship, conversation, and Q&A with Peter Rollins

btw, there is an article on the events in the Edmonton Journal here

Bernard of Clairvaux: on loving God

At first, man loves himself for his own sake. That is the flesh, which can appreciate nothing beyond itself. Next, he perceives that he cannot exist by himself, and so begins by faith to seek after God, and to love Him as something necessary to his own welfare. That is the second degree, to love God, not for God's sake, but selfishly. But when he has learned to worship God and to seek Him aright, meditating on God, reading God's Word, praying and obeying His commandments, he comes gradually to know what God is, and finds Him altogether lovely. So, having tasted and seen how gracious the Lord is (Ps. 34:8), he advances to the third degree, when he loves God, not merely as his benefactor but as God.

Surely he must remain long in this state; and I know not whether it would be possible to make further progress in this life to that fourth degree and perfect condition wherein man loves himself solely for God's sake. Let any who have attained so far bear record; I confess it seems beyond my powers.

On Loving God, XV

I'm thinking this might be a post series.  It's a great little work, wherein Bernard takes us through the "four degrees of love."  You can find it in English here.

3rd Annual Vital Church Planting Conference

I went to this last year & found it excellent:

Vital Church Planting 2009

We would like to invite you to the Third Annual Conference on Anglican Church Planting. It will take place at St. Paul’s Bloor Street in Toronto, from Tuesday February 17 until Thursday 19, 2009.

This conference will seek to build on the foundations laid by the previous two conferences. In 2007, over sixty attended from all over the country, including four or five bishops; in 2008, over eighty, including six bishops, attended. We expect over 100 this year.

In 2008, the speaker from the UK, George Lings, spoke a lot about Fresh Expressions, the creative grassroots church planting movement over there. Then, in May, Bishop Graham Cray of Maidstone UK was in Ontario, and again told stories of the diversity and vitality of fresh expressions of church. There was also a Fresh Expressions self-select session at Lambeth, and maybe you were able to attend and learn for yourself what this is all about.

In light of this, it seemed right to invite other leaders and practitioners of Fresh Expressions to come as our plenary speakers. They are:

The Rev. Paul Bayes is the National Mission and Evangelism Adviser to the Archbishops' Council. Paul has extensive experience of parish life, evangelism, church planting and developing different forms of new congregations. The National Mission and Evangelism Adviser has two main roles: to help equip the Church of England in the work of evangelism and to advise and assist in the missionary development of both parish congregations and fresh expressions of Church.

The Rev. Canon Phil Potter is Director of Pioneer Ministry for the Diocese of Liverpool. Phil has been a leading figure developing Cell Church nationally, and the church he led for twenty years has developed several exciting pioneer projects, including the very successful Kings Table café. He is author of two books, "The Challenge of Cell Church" and "The Challenge of Change--Shaping Change and Changing the Shape of Church."

One addition we are making to the program this year is a "track" of three workshop slots especially for bishops and other diocesan officers, to address the particular issues that face diocesan leaders in moving towards church planting and other fresh expressions of church.

We would like to invite you personally to attend the conference. Book your registration before January 16th and save, full details may be found on the conference website: www.vitalchurchplanting.com. If you have any questions please contact Jennipher by phone at (905)833-8327 or by email at ysimcoe[at]toronto.anglican.ca.

We look forward to seeing you in February!
 
Warmest greetings, in Christ,
 
The Vital Church Planting Conference Team

Peter Rollins: Faith in a post modern world

Faith in a Postmodern World:  an open conversation
Thursday Feb 5, 1:30 pm
St George's church on the U of A Campus;  11733 - 87 Ave

Beyond Belief Towards Practice:
Thursday February 5, 7:30 pm
Taylor University College and Seminary
11525 23 Avenue
Stencel Hall in the seminary building
A free public lecture by Peter Rollins:  

Beyond Belief Towards Experience and Practice:
Friday February 6, 8:30 pm
Dewey’s Lounge University of Alberta
Located at North Power Plant (Behind Dentistry/Pharmacy Building)
Jazz (Elphida Trio), conversation, and Q&A with Peter Rollins

Beyond Belief Towards Experience:
Saturday February 7, 10:00 am
Taylor University College and Seminary
Stencel Hall in the seminary building
11525 23 Avenue
A free public lecture by Peter Rollins: Worship for a Church Beyond Belief

Beyond Belief Towards Revelation:
Saturday February 7, 7:00 pm.
St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 10127 - 145 Street
An alternative worship experience with Interface Worship & Peter Rollins

Beyond Belief Towards Community and Experience:
Sunday February 8, 10:00 am
Urban Bridge Church
Meets at the Royal Alberta Museum Theatre 12845 102 Avenue NW
Worship, conversation, and Q&A with Peter Rollins

Poster Download in PDF (big)

facebook event

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009

from the White House:

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause.    History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

h/t merecomments

you'll grow into it

Everyone who has had a Christmas present knows well one of the ancient litanies of the season:  "you'll grow into it."  You get that sweater, or shirt, or pair of pants that is held up against your minuscule limbs, and you hear the authoritative declaration: "You'll grow into it."

It is a line I heard as a child, and since parenthood, I've discovered the usefulness of those four words.  It's what you say when you see that there is an obvious discontinuity between the size gift and the size of one who has received the gift.  The gift is not going to shrink. The one receiving it needs to grow.

"You learn to trust God by trusting God". 

I heard that line at an event a number of years ago.  I don't remember any other stuff from that event, but that one line has been etched into my memory.  I've been thinking a bit about it over the last little while.  It seems to me that the great "post Christmas" challenge is to grow up as Jesus grows up.  "The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”   We have been given a gift (the Christ), and this gift is not going to shrink.  Rather, the Christ will continue to grow, until everything in creation is beneath his dominion, and the world is a footstool for his feet, and his is "all in all".  This gift is too large for me.  When the Christ is held up against me, he doesn't fit. 

I need to "grow into" it.

In my many less pious moments, I like to think that the exercise of "faith" should begin slowly, evoking memories of my grade 9 track coach.  I was a distance runner, and I can still recall some of the progressions of training that went along with that.  What can be terribly frightening when I read the gospels is the fact that Jesus often jumps straight into large challenges of faith with his disciples.  Get out of the boat and walk on water.  You feed this crowd of 5000.  Can't you cast out demons and heal sickness?

These few examples serve to remind me that the "leap of faith" is sometimes less a matter of belief than of action.  It is in acting that we learn what faith is.  And more often than not, it seems that Jesus does not give his followers a chance to warm up to the idea;  he simply tells them to act.  More often than not, Jesus' demands for faith seem to big.

You'll grow into it.

thinking about the 4th sunday of advent

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."  But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 

The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.   He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.  And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 

For nothing will be impossible with God."

Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

"For nothing will be impossible with God".  It strikes me that this is the turning point of the entire venture.  I believe it no accident that this line, this thought, this sentence which turns the world upside down, is found at the beginning of the Gospel.  Everything else which follows depends upon that one thought:  for nothing will be impossible with God.  If I do not believe that one sentence, nothing else to follow in the Gospel will be believable.  There will, of course, be no virgin birth.  Neither will there be miracles, or healings, or transfigurations, or resurrections.  Neither will there be hope.  Nothing else in the Gospel will make sense, or come to life, or invite me into the story, if my picture of God leaves out the impossible.  And as soon as I have eliminated this aspect of God, I realize that it is not God, but my imagination of God, that I am worshiping.

Perhaps impossibility was the first thing turned away from the inn.  There is no room, no space, for the God of impossibility in this place.  We tend to send him away time and time again:  in our own lives, in our relationships, in our churches.  No room for a God of impossibilities here.  We don't want the God of impossibility.  He would be too upsetting, too illogical, too threatening, too... transformative.

My advent prayer is that the God of the impossible would again break in upon our lives, even when we cry "no room".

ps - for a good Advent 4 sermon, see this at Nova Scotia Scott's place.

Peter Rollins coming to Edmonton

According to his speaking schedule, he will be here Feb 4-9. His blog is here.

You can get a glimpse of his writings here.  I'll say a bit more when I have a minute.  I'm currently working on a few other projects, and I have to go shovel snow...

on opening the gift of joy, or how I scrapped my Advent 2 sermon

For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy

One of the Christmas traditions that arose in our house had to do with Christmas Eve.  Somewhere along the line it became the custom in the Felix household that you could open a gift early – on Christmas Eve. And somehow opening that early gift became a part of the bigger celebration of Christmas that we had.

One of my favourite scenes in the New Testament is when Mary (carrying Jesus) greets Elizabeth (carrying John the Baptist).  I often have the typical picture of John the Baptist as the last old testament figure - preaching repentance and calling people to account for their sins.  But what was John's first recorded action in the New Testament?  Leaping for joy at the presence of Jesus.  Can you picture John the Baptist leaping for joy?  Ever?  Can you picture yourself leaping for joy?

All through the season of Advent, John the Baptist calls us to repentance.  But don't forget what his first act as the prophet of the Messiah was:  jump for joy.  Like that early Christmas present we used to open before the big celebration, I think that John would also encourage us to open the gift of joy now.  Today.  This moment.  That's the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the gift he gives when he "baptizes with the Holy Spirit".

I am now scrapping what I had intended to deliver as my Advent 2 sermon, and I'm going to encourage us all to be like John in that first Advent:  accept the gift of joy at the presence of Jesus.

Help Ian fill his online Salvation Army Christmas Kettle

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From Ian's Messy Desk

"People with disabilities remain the most oppressed people of this world"

Vanier was in Durham partly to promote his new book, Living Gently in a Violent World, co-authored with Duke Divinity professor of theological ethics Stanley Hauerwas.

Much of Vanier's message makes the connection between loving the people whom society has cast aside as unlovable and the struggle to create a more peaceful world.

"The fundamental principle of peace is a belief that each person is important," Vanier writes in Living Gently.

"People with disabilities remain the most oppressed people of this world," said Vanier, a tall man with a voice so soft it is often hard to hear. "Many feel that they are not entirely human."

Vanier says his focus on those with disabilities is rooted in Scripture, especially the Gospel stories in which Jesus embraced the mentally and physically ill and other outcasts.

"I just sense the hand of Jesus" in the growth of L'Arche, Vanier said. "The building of L'Arche has been a story of transformation."

That transformation has happened in the form of committed relationships in which people with and without disabilities become like family, Vanier said.

"These people are very precious, and if we live with them, and communicate with them, and enter into a relationship of mutuality with them, we will change.

"People need to be understood," he said, adding that to listen to a person gives him or her dignity, and it is a form of holiness to do so."Our ministry is founded on broken bodies. When you live with people with disabilities, you must be in community."

full article here  (h/t T19)

One of my favorite events of the year is the annual L'Arche Christmas pageant.  if there is a L'Arche community in your neck of the woods, find out if they are doing one.  You might see the Christmas story in a whole new way.  Or do some volunteering - you might see humanity in a whole new way.  Our own SJ has, I am sure, transformed and challenged our own family in many ways.  I think one of her greatest gifts is the challenge to live in a way which connects with the heart, rather than (as is too often the case) only through the intellect. 

There are many layers to this.  In Lent I'll be giving an address (as part of the Prayer Book Society lecture series) on the topic: "Thanksgiving After Childbirth:  Choosing Sarah in an Age of Options".  March 22, at St. Timothy's.

the happy moron tells it like it is

I think I’m slowly coming to the realization that when I’m mired in overwhelming or dire circumstances and call out “God, help!!”, He does help.

But it seems when God steps in, he seems more interested in transforming me than the impending doom

the happy moron

"well done"

I exercised my phone a friend option on Tuesday night.

I had to do a series of 3 things related to Gabriel's loss and a new baby, and they were going to hurt. Frankly, I didn't want to do any of them. Crawling into a hole and pulling the turf back over my head was looking like a reasonable and viable option.

So I called this old teacher/mentor/friend of mine and I said "L. tell me I have to be a grown-up. Tell me I have to suck it up and do these things. Tell me I need to dig deep and be an adult."

And I suppose what I was looking forward to was someone telling me that I simply had to do these things. That it was a part of being a grown-up. That doing this was like picking a funeral home and planning the funeral. It simply had to be done. And while I would have liked to stick my fingers in my ears and shout "la, la, la", that wasn't an option. Dig a bit deeper and get it done.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing was that Mr. Spit and I were going to do these terribly difficult things, and no one around us was going to know that they were hard. Certainly, the most painful, galling thing about baby loss is that it is so hidden. Today I will go downstairs and I will order flowers for a new baby. On Sunday, I will sit in church, and I will hold Mr. Spit's hand, and I will know how painful it is for him to watch a father announce a baby. And in that moment, just the two of us, we will be left behind, forsaken in this dead baby world. And if you are going to do a terribly difficult thing, it is a good thing to hear a well done afterwards. And Mr. Spit and I, we don't hear well done.

read the rest from Mrs Spit

baptism & birth (awe, wonder & love)

We celebrated a baptism this morning at St Tim's, and we read one of the "standard" gospels for baptism.  You know, the one from John' Gospel where Nicodemus comes to Jesus and they have this lopsided conversation about being born - from above, again, of water and the Spirit.  It strikes me as odd that we have these two men talking about birth.  After all, on paper what we have is a (probably) fairly senior man talking to a celibate rabbi sort of guy, and the topic of discussion is not sports, not the economy, not even the possible arguments about religion.  Instead we have two men talking about birth.  It is not a topic which we guys warm to all that easily.

Before we go any further, let me say that I am no expert in the field.  I am more of what they call an accessory to the crime, so to speak.  I've attended 5 births, and can remember 80% of them.  I'm sure I was present at my own birth, but am uncertain as to what exactly I contributed to the event.  I've witnesses 4 physical births, and I wonder if there is some basic imagery which we miss when we read this story from the Gospel.  I wonder, for instance, if Jesus' words about the wind, the Spirit, "blowing where it wills" could give some insight into the variety of prenatal classes I have attended.  After all, the only thing I think of when I hear the term "prenatal class" is breathing exercises.  I'm not sure if yours were of the loooonnnggg - short-short-short  school of thought, or the uummpphhhnnn in through the nose gently out through the mouth variety.  All that matters is that I was allowed to attend prenatal classes so that when the fateful hour came, it would give the appearance that I had something substantial to contribute to the event.  But the wind blows where it wills, and all my practiced skills went out the window.  Afterwards it could be said that at least I intended to contribute something to the birth itself.

But I digress.  What Jesus is talking about in using the image of birth is the arrival of a new person.  It's funny how the first memories of each birth come back.  All you can think about is the awe, and wonder and love that this new person evokes.  It is amazing:  a person breaks in upon your world and your world is never the same.  I wonder, too, if this birth image works both ways:  in baptism the person of Christ, of the Father, of the Spirit, breaks in upon this world, and it is never the same.  And our response to this new Person in our lives, in "our" world, should simply be this:  awe and wonder and love.   And is it too much to believe that our Father, who art in heaven, also has for us, his newborns, something of which our experience is merely the shadow and image?  Surely He too, has told us (his adopted children, brought by new birth) of love for us.  Deep calls to deep.

Sometime in late March I'll be delivering (no pun intended) an address sponsored by the Prayer Book Society:  "A Service of Thanksgiving After Childbirth":  Choosing Sarah. 

Sarah is our second child, diagnosed prenatally with Down Syndrome.  I'll let you know when the date is set.

(pre) Advent Quiet Day

The more I love humanity in general

the less I love man in particular. In my dreams,' he said, 'I have often come to making enthusiastic schemes for the service of humanity, and perhaps I might actually have faced crucifixion if it had been suddenly necessary; and yet I am incapable of living in the same room with anyone for two days together, as I know by experience. As soon as anyone is near me, his personality disturbs my self-complacency and restricts my freedom.

In twenty-four hours I begin to hate the best of men: one because he's too long over his dinner; another because he has a cold and keeps on blowing his nose. I become hostile to people the moment they come close to me. But it has always happened that the more I detest men individually the more ardent becomes my love for humanity.'

Fyodor Dostoevsky:  The Brothers Karamazov, chapter 4.  The elder Zossima is relating the story of one particular visitor.  How easy it is to love "humanity in general", and how difficult to love one's neighbour in particular

Happy All Saints

Church of St Polycarp, Smyrna

A fascinating account of one former Anglican cleric's journey out of the church

All right, I know that on the verge of our Diocesan synod this might not be the most obvious choice for an encouraging word, but I think it is well worth the read.  Jeffrey Olsson is a former Anglican priest who is now a self described agnostic/atheist.  His blog is here. 

Many of you have asked why I would want to leave a faith community such as the Anglican Church of Canada. The truth of the matter is that I had contemplated leaving long in advance of actually doing so. The intention of this letter is simply to explain why I left. This is my personal story, and the message I tell in this story is deeply meaningful to me.

Some people, even some of my friends, have started to make up their own reasons as to why I left the Church, none of which are based on any sort of fact. My intention in writing this letter is to explain my personal reasons. This is not to attack the Christian faith; however, I will be frank and honest, as I had good reason to leave the church behind. I will also present a rationale that explains why it is so important that I do not return to Christianity. If you have trouble with this type of thinking, and I know some of you will, I suggest that you do not read this letter. Put it down...

Jeffrey Olsson's story in his own words is here.

Christian singer/songwriter Ray Boltz 'comes out'

Boltz, with about 4.5 million LPs, cassettes and CDs sold, never made a splash outside of Christian circles but he never really tried. With a handful of RIAA Gold-certified albums, three Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association (GMA) and a string of 12 No. 1 hits on Christian radio, Boltz is a household name in evangelical circles. “Thank You,” a sentimental song about a dream in which a Christian thanks the Sunday school teacher who led him to embrace Christ, is his signature song. It was the GMA song of the year in 1990 and has become a staple of Christian funerals. Other Boltz trademarks are “Watch the Lamb,” “The Anchor Holds” and “I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb.”

whole story and interview at the Blade

A story which I first saw at Bene's place a few days ago.  There is quite a bit in the interview, actually.  There will be a lot of analyzing Boltz's 'coming out' story, and there will be disagreement over whether he has or has not chosen a wise or holy course of action. I am sure that he and his family would benefit from all our prayers.

ps and I presume as well that any comments on this would also benefit from prayer before posting...

Holy Cross Day - Sept 14

a brief history at the Dio Sask blog

O BLESSED Saviour, who by thy cross and passion hast given life unto the world: Grant that we thy servants may be given grace to take up the cross and follow thee through life and death; whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit we worship and glorify, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

It's your move...

Photo: felix hominum, 2008

Martyrs, Mystics and Missionaries

This coming Tuesday we are going to begin a study/prayer/devotional group which will focus on the faith and practice of the early Christians.  "Early" is a relative term;  we will be looking at the life of the Church in the first six centuries.  Jaroslav Pelikan, in the introduction to his History of Christian Doctrine quoted the thought that “Tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.”

In light of this, I hope that we will gather at least two things from this series of studies:  an understanding of the faith of the early Church, and a deepening of our own faith as we learn of the prayer, practice and devotional life of those who have gone before us.  So this study is not only informational (which I trust it will be) but also transformational.  It will engage the living faith of those early Christians, with a view to how our own faith can be enriched.

Starts September 16 @ 7 pm.  Location: St Timothy's parish (8420-145 St).  Everyone welcome.  I'll try to post a general outline when I have it completed.

Feast of St Augustine

Happy St Augustine's day.  My personal patron and favourite.  I've benefited from his writings for a long time.

Some of my posts on St Augustine over the last little while and be found here.  I still have some more in the works, but it might be a while before I get them out there.

Thoughts on the Feast of the Transfiguration

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration.  It is a feast which is, I have read, more widely celebrated in the Eastern churches than in the West.

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.  Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.  Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"  When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.  (Luke)

The Feast of the Transfiguration is a wonderful thing.  Moses and Elijah (the law and the prophets) bearing witness to Jesus.  Transfiguration taking place in the context of prayer (he went up to the mountain to pray).  Seeing Jesus for who He really is.  Each of the Gospels which record the event has a slightly different detail added here or there.

There are two significant mountains in Scripture where God speaks.  In the southern part of the Sinai penninsula rises a mountain which has been known to the local Bedouin tribe for centuries as “Jebel Musa” – the mountain of Moses.  The landscape, like all of the Sinai, is harsh.  Ancient red granite rock greets the visitor to Sinai.  What is not rock is sand, and what is not sand is dust.  There are 2 main paths up to top. There is the main route which is used by the Bedouin, a series of switchbacks wide enough for a camel to walk upon.  There is another, rather less trodden path – it is comprised of hundreds of steps carved into the rock by monks many centuries ago.  The second path is appropriately named “The steps of repentance”.  It was designed as a form of penance for the monks of the Monastery of St Catherine, which has been part of the mountain for almost 1700 years.

When you finally get to the top of Sinai, there is a spectacular view of the desert landscape for miles around. It is a jagged and rough place – a fitting spot for human beings to experience the majesty and, yes, even the terror of coming into the presence of God.  It is the mountain of the giving of the Law – the commands which Moses gave to the people of Israel. 

9 KM west of Nazareth rises another mountain – Mount Tabor. It commands a view of fertile valleys, the villages around the sea of Galilee, and it’s slopes are covered with lush greenery and gardens.  It is the traditional site of the Transfiguration.  There is only one route up to the summit:  and though it is steep it is worth the climb.  As opposed to camel, you can take a Mercedes Benz stretch limo for about 30 shekels.  By the way, like the camel handlers in the Sinai, the taxi drivers are also Bedouin tribesmen.  When you get to the top you see the variety of greenery – Mount Tabor receives that rare commodity – “rain”.  Just as God spoke one set of words on the top of Mount Sinai, so he also spoke another set of words on the top of Mount Tabor.

If Sinai is the mountain of the Law, then let us think of Tabor – the mount of Transfiguration - as the mountain of grace.  Law can only restrain us – but grace transfigures us.  We are invited in the Transfiguration into a new vision of God in the person of Jesus Christ.  Perhaps you are still living on Mount Sinai – thinking that faith is only about following the laws – seeing God merely as the one who rewards or punishes.  Or you are thinking that keeping yourself “good” in God’s eyes is impossible. 

And maybe like Peter our first reaction to being invited into a new vision of God in Jesus is to turn our attention elsewhere. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  Peter represents here an all too common experience in the 'church'.  When God is doing something spiritual, we turn our attention elsewhere.  In this case it seems that Peter thinks what is required is a building project, as if walls and wood could contain God.

It doesn't of course have to be a building project, but when God in Jesus makes his presence known, that is what we should pay attention to.  If God is at work, don't get bogged down in other things.  We can be like Peter when we spend our time and energy only on the "externals" - the mere trappings of church - and then we can miss out on the presence of Jesus in our midst.  Or we get so caught up in the institution of 'church' that we can't see the Kingdom of God.

While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!"

When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.  But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid."

The voice is like that which was heard at Jesus’ baptism.  Only this time there is an addition:  “Listen to Him.”  But when the disciples hear this voice, they are afraid. And so are we.  Because this also promises us something wonderful and terrifying at the same time.  God calls us to be, well, not exactly transfigured, but rather transformed.  He calls us to be his beloved, and he calls us to "share" in the transfiguration of Jesus.  And that means change. God invites us to take a look at ourselves and see where we need to change: a habit, an action, an attitude.  We are often afraid of change – but the change which God has in mind is to make us more fully into the beloved children he has called us to be.  He calls us to be “Christ-like”.  As we learn to see Jesus, we begin to see who God calls us to be.

Do you believe in miracles?

I was standing in front of the elevator doors this afternoon, when someone came up to me and told me about a miracle they had experienced.
"Father?" (sorry, I was wearing clericals, as I often do when hospital visiting)
Yes?
"Let me tell you about a miracle that happened to me 15 years ago - how God healed me."

The conversation went on and I listened to this person's story.  It was (if true) a miracle story.  But why should I doubt that it is true?  I came away thinking it was, mainly because it seemed to be within the nature of God to have done such a thing.

Now the reason I am telling you all this is that I was going to post my general weekly sermon notes.  This week we are looking at the story of Jacob wrestling at the Jabbok (Genesis 32:22-31) and the story of Jesus feeding the crowd in Matthew 14:13-21.  Both of these stories involve the presence of God and the action of God in a rather more-than-ordinary way.  I'll probably get around to posting those general sermon notes in a day or two, but what struck me as I was thinking about this encounter is the general question:  do you believe in miracles?

Some people do, some don't, and some are not sure about the whole thing.  In particular, within the church I have run across people who don't think that the Gospels truly report what we might call "physical" miracles - the action of God in an unmistakable fashion to accomplish that which is, from a purely human perspective and power, impossible.

While there are many approaches to this, I want just briefly to mention just one.  We have forgotten all that philosophy has taught us in the past about what, well, what a God is.

The Goat that changed lives

Nicholas D. Kristof in the New York Times:

“I am one of the luckiest girls in the world,” Beatrice declared at her graduation party after earning her bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College. Indeed, and it’s appropriate that the goat that changed her life was named Luck.

Beatrice’s story helps address two of the most commonly asked questions about foreign assistance: “Does aid work?” and “What can I do?”

The tale begins in the rolling hills of western Uganda, where Beatrice was born and raised. As a girl, she desperately yearned for an education, but it seemed hopeless: Her parents were peasants who couldn’t afford to send her to school.

The years passed and Beatrice stayed home to help with the chores. She was on track to become one more illiterate African woman, another of the continent’s squandered human resources.

In the meantime, in Niantic, Conn., the children of the Niantic Community Church wanted to donate money for a good cause. They decided to buy goats for African villagers through Heifer International, a venerable aid group based in Arkansas that helps impoverished farming families.

A dairy goat in Heifer’s online gift catalog costs $120; a flock of chicks or ducklings costs just $20.

One of the goats bought by the Niantic church went to Beatrice’s parents and soon produced twins. When the kid goats were weaned, the children drank the goat’s milk for a nutritional boost and sold the surplus milk for extra money.

The cash from the milk accumulated, and Beatrice’s parents decided that they could now afford to send their daughter to school. She was much older than the other first graders, but she was so overjoyed that she studied diligently and rose to be the best student in the school.

An American visiting the school was impressed and wrote a children’s book, “Beatrice’s Goat,” about how the gift of a goat had enabled a bright girl to go to school. The book was published in 2000 and became a children’s best seller — but there is now room for a more remarkable sequel.

Beatrice was such an outstanding student that she won a scholarship, not only to Uganda’s best girls’ high school, but also to a prep school in Massachusetts and then to Connecticut College. A group of 20 donors to Heifer International — coordinated by a retired staff member named Rosalee Sinn, who fell in love with Beatrice when she saw her at age 10 — financed the girl’s living expenses.

A few years ago, Beatrice spoke at a Heifer event attended by Jeffrey Sachs, the economist. Mr. Sachs was impressed and devised what he jokingly called the “Beatrice Theorem” of development economics: small inputs can lead to large outcomes.

Granted, foreign assistance doesn’t always work and is much harder than it looks. “I won’t lie to you. Corruption is high in Uganda,” Beatrice acknowledges.

A crooked local official might have distributed the goats by demanding that girls sleep with him in exchange. Or Beatrice’s goat might have died or been stolen. Or unpasteurized milk might have sickened or killed Beatrice.

In short, millions of things could go wrong. But when there’s a good model in place, they often go right. That’s why villagers in western Uganda recently held a special Mass and a feast to celebrate the first local person to earn a college degree in America.

Moreover, Africa will soon have a new asset: a well-trained professional to improve governance. Beatrice plans to earn a master’s degree at the Clinton School of Public Service in Arkansas and then return to Africa to work for an aid group.

Beatrice dreams of working on projects to help women earn and manage money more effectively, partly because she has seen in her own village how cash is always controlled by men. Sometimes they spent it partying with buddies at a bar, rather than educating their children. Changing that culture won’t be easy, Beatrice says, but it can be done.

When people ask how they can help in the fight against poverty, there are a thousand good answers, from sponsoring a child to supporting a grass-roots organization through globalgiving.com. (I’ve listed specific suggestions on my blog, nytimes.com/ontheground, and on facebook.com/kristof).

The challenges of global poverty are vast and complex, far beyond anyone’s power to resolve, and buying a farm animal for a poor family won’t solve them. But Beatrice’s giddy happiness these days is still a reminder that each of us does have the power to make a difference — to transform a girl’s life with something as simple and cheap as a little goat.

I invite you to comment on this column on my blog, www.nytimes.com/ontheground, and join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kristof.

h/t mike

Missional SynchroBlog

What is Missional?

I think it is time to make a bigger effort to reclaim the term, a term which describe what happens when you and I replace the “come to us” invitations with a “go to them” life. A life where “the way of Jesus” informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower.

To help reclaim it, I propose a synchronized blog for Monday, June 23rd on the topic, “What is Missional?”

There are any number of ways one could blog on this topic. You could illustrate what the term means, describe what it is not and how it is wrongly used, define the term, explore its misuses, explore its theological foundations, or you name it.

from the Blind Beggar via the Weary Pilgrim, who has a list of bloggers participating.

ps - Malcolm's post on the topic (which he refers to in the comments) can be found here.

sol cafe - "service sunday"

This Sunday the Sol Cafe will be gathering at the Ronald McDonald (7726-107 Street) house to do some cooking, cleaning, and baking. The home houses families with sick children, so that they can stay in the city at minimal cost while their children receive medical treatment. We will be changing from our normal meeting time to 4:30 for this week, so that we can get supper on the table by the house's normal dinner time.

The plan is to cook supper for all the families that are staying there, and bake some treats to leave behind. Also, we'll help out with any cleaning or other routine duties that the staff need help with.

Sol Cafe

cheer up - it's St Boniface Day! missionary and martyr

When Boniface saw that all things had been properly taken care of, he took up the work he had dreamed of in early manhood, the conversion of the Frisians. With royal consent, and with that of the pope previously given, he in 754 resigned the Archdiocese of Mainz to his disciple Lullus, whom in 752 he had consecrated bishop, again commenced a missionary tour, and laboured with success to the East of the Zuider Zee.

Returning in the following year, he ordered the new converts to assemble for confirmation at Dorkum on the River Borne. The heathens fell upon them and murdered Boniface and fifty-two companions (according to some, thirty-seven). Soon afterwards, the Christians, who had scattered at the approach of the heathens, returned and found the body of the martyr and beside him the bloodstained copy of St. Ambrose on the "Advantage of Death". The body was taken to Utrecht, afterwards through the influence of Lullus removed to Mainz, and later, according to a wish expressed by the saint himself during his lifetime, to the Abbey of Fulda.

New Advent

Boniface was martyred on June 5, in the year of our Lord 755.  He was in the midst of doing what he both loved and was called to do:  fulfill the great commission.