Well I haven't done very well at doing absolutely nothing for 10 minutes each day of advent. In fact, I did not manage to do it for even one day. But I did find moments of stillness. Moments like sitting in Bible Study, abandoning the topic for the night, and just catching up with friends. All of us telling stories and taking a moment to belly laugh. It was nice to spend some time actually being present with people rather than rushing to accomplish one task or another.
Or like the few moments I steal in the morning as I walk my dog and play fetch with her. In all her puppy energy she bounds all over, trying to sniff every inch of surface area we walk. Each morning she reminds me that the simplest guestures can be the most meaningful. And each morning simply being near her helps to calm my mind and ease my stress.
I guess what I needed this advent season was not nothing to do but stillness.
How are your advent preparations going?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Does God Change?
On sunday, the disciple class I am a part of had a discussion about whether or not God changes. The discussion reminded me of an email conversation I had with a friend awhile back.
The basic question is this: Does God change?
But that questions quickly leads to others: If God can change does that mean God's not perfect, not all knowing? Can perfection be improved upon?
Does God change? Has God always been the same? Many people read the stories from the Old Testament and sometimes feel like they are reading stories about a God that is different from the New Testament. I often hear people characterize God as vindictive and judgmental in the Old Testament but as loving and forgiving in the New Testament. Sometimes the apparent difference can be so drastic that it can feel like we are reading about two different Gods.
In fact, this apparent difference is so strong that in the 2nd Century a theologian names Marcion decided that the God of th Old Testament was not the same as the God of the New testament. As a result he proposed that the entire Old testament be thrown out and we should only read the new Testament. This suggestion lead to the more orthodox church fathers coming together and stating that the books of the Old testament were in fact part of Christian scriptures. Yet, to many, it seems that God has changed and perhaps even learned from God's earlier interaction with humanity.
Let's assume for a minute that God has in fact changed. If that's the case, does that mean that God is not all knowing? Does that mean that God is all-powerful but with limited knowledge and understanding? Does that mean God makes mistakes and we as humans are subject to this all powerful God that hasn't really figured out what God's doing? That's a rather fightening thought. But can God change and still be all knowing? Can God change and yet still be perfect? I'm not trying to polarize the issue but it seems to me that if we are going to claim that God changes then we must be willing to claim that God is not all knowing or perfect.
Some have argued that God's tactics have changed over the course of human history but that God in God's self, that the nature of God, has not changed. Some argue that God used the discipline and interaction with humanity that was appropriate for what humanity as a whole was capable of understanding. So, the arguement goes, have we grown as a race, such that we were able to understand love and forgiveness at the time of Christ's ministry on earth but we were not able to it understand prior to that? Some have compared humanity to the life cycle of an individual human, that humanity as a whole has been able to comprehend things at different levels through out history and that our changing understanding necessarily affects our relationship with God. So when we were ready and able to understand forgiveness, God showed forgiveness.
Yet others have argues that God, and God's tactics have remained the same throughout the course of human history but that human perception has changed. Some argue that we are now able to understanding the love and forgiveness of God that has been there all along. Note that there is a subtle yet important difference between this belief and the one in the previous paragraph. In the previous paragraph the belief is that God's interaction changes based on our ability to understand. The perspective in this paragraph is that God's interaction with humanity does not change but our changing understanding allows us to better understand God, so God has not changed, we have.
It is an interesting question. Regardless of which way you answer it, it has large consequences for your faith. The teachings of the church claim that God does not change. God is. It's as simple as that, God does not change. God is the same now as God was at the beginning of creation, and will be the same at the end of time. However, the church does recognize that our understanding of God has changed through out history, but it has changed most profounding in the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The person of Jesus Christ is considered to be God revealing God's self to humanity. With this new revelation of God we come to understand God in new ways.
But what do you think? Do you think the church's teaching is a satisfactory answer? Or does that seem insufficient? What do you think?
The basic question is this: Does God change?
But that questions quickly leads to others: If God can change does that mean God's not perfect, not all knowing? Can perfection be improved upon?
Does God change? Has God always been the same? Many people read the stories from the Old Testament and sometimes feel like they are reading stories about a God that is different from the New Testament. I often hear people characterize God as vindictive and judgmental in the Old Testament but as loving and forgiving in the New Testament. Sometimes the apparent difference can be so drastic that it can feel like we are reading about two different Gods.
In fact, this apparent difference is so strong that in the 2nd Century a theologian names Marcion decided that the God of th Old Testament was not the same as the God of the New testament. As a result he proposed that the entire Old testament be thrown out and we should only read the new Testament. This suggestion lead to the more orthodox church fathers coming together and stating that the books of the Old testament were in fact part of Christian scriptures. Yet, to many, it seems that God has changed and perhaps even learned from God's earlier interaction with humanity.
Let's assume for a minute that God has in fact changed. If that's the case, does that mean that God is not all knowing? Does that mean that God is all-powerful but with limited knowledge and understanding? Does that mean God makes mistakes and we as humans are subject to this all powerful God that hasn't really figured out what God's doing? That's a rather fightening thought. But can God change and still be all knowing? Can God change and yet still be perfect? I'm not trying to polarize the issue but it seems to me that if we are going to claim that God changes then we must be willing to claim that God is not all knowing or perfect.
Some have argued that God's tactics have changed over the course of human history but that God in God's self, that the nature of God, has not changed. Some argue that God used the discipline and interaction with humanity that was appropriate for what humanity as a whole was capable of understanding. So, the arguement goes, have we grown as a race, such that we were able to understand love and forgiveness at the time of Christ's ministry on earth but we were not able to it understand prior to that? Some have compared humanity to the life cycle of an individual human, that humanity as a whole has been able to comprehend things at different levels through out history and that our changing understanding necessarily affects our relationship with God. So when we were ready and able to understand forgiveness, God showed forgiveness.
Yet others have argues that God, and God's tactics have remained the same throughout the course of human history but that human perception has changed. Some argue that we are now able to understanding the love and forgiveness of God that has been there all along. Note that there is a subtle yet important difference between this belief and the one in the previous paragraph. In the previous paragraph the belief is that God's interaction changes based on our ability to understand. The perspective in this paragraph is that God's interaction with humanity does not change but our changing understanding allows us to better understand God, so God has not changed, we have.
It is an interesting question. Regardless of which way you answer it, it has large consequences for your faith. The teachings of the church claim that God does not change. God is. It's as simple as that, God does not change. God is the same now as God was at the beginning of creation, and will be the same at the end of time. However, the church does recognize that our understanding of God has changed through out history, but it has changed most profounding in the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The person of Jesus Christ is considered to be God revealing God's self to humanity. With this new revelation of God we come to understand God in new ways.
But what do you think? Do you think the church's teaching is a satisfactory answer? Or does that seem insufficient? What do you think?
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Unlearning
Last week, as I was preparing for Christ the King Sunday, I was talking with a seminary friend. She and I were talking with each other about what we were going to preach on. We got on to the topic of service and that God wants us to serve out of joy rather than out of obligation. So we asked ourselves, what's joyful about serving other people? It's easy to respond with answers like "You feel good knowing you helped someone." or "You get joy out of bringing joy to others." And those answers are true but let's be honest about this, not all service we are called to is joyful, even if you know you are bring joy to others. And it can be even less joyfilled when the actions seem unnoticed or unappreciated.
What's joyful about scrubbing a toilet? What's joyful about patching your own sneakers to wear them a little longer so you can spend that money on a pair of shoes for someone else? My friend and I thought to ourselves wouldn't it be alot more fun, alot more joyful that is, to buy that extra pair of shoes for yourself?
We came to the conclusion that these acts of service would be joyful if it weren't for our selfishness. We realized we all have a need to unlearn selfishness. This service is not joyful because we have learned that selfishness and the "It's all about Me" mentality is what brings us happiness. So we have to unlearn that selfishness and remind ourselves that ultimately our true joy comes from a life of mutuality, where we help one another.
Some are farther along on this lesson than others but we all need to work at unlearning selfishness. And how do you do that? How do you learn that lesson? By serving even when you don't feel like it because you know it's how God calls us to act. By putting other people first when you really do want that new pair of shoes, or a new t.v., or you really want to spend that time watching your favorite show instead of helping someone you know could really use it. We need to reverse the conditioning that got us into our current mentality. Slowly, as we serve, our awareness will be opened to the great need of those around us. Slowly, we will learn that "It's NOT all about me!" As we see that the things we do are bringing joy to others, as we see how God is able to move and work in those actions, we will find that service does become joyful after all. But in the mean time, we have to work a little hard at unlearning our selfishness.
What's joyful about scrubbing a toilet? What's joyful about patching your own sneakers to wear them a little longer so you can spend that money on a pair of shoes for someone else? My friend and I thought to ourselves wouldn't it be alot more fun, alot more joyful that is, to buy that extra pair of shoes for yourself?
We came to the conclusion that these acts of service would be joyful if it weren't for our selfishness. We realized we all have a need to unlearn selfishness. This service is not joyful because we have learned that selfishness and the "It's all about Me" mentality is what brings us happiness. So we have to unlearn that selfishness and remind ourselves that ultimately our true joy comes from a life of mutuality, where we help one another.
Some are farther along on this lesson than others but we all need to work at unlearning selfishness. And how do you do that? How do you learn that lesson? By serving even when you don't feel like it because you know it's how God calls us to act. By putting other people first when you really do want that new pair of shoes, or a new t.v., or you really want to spend that time watching your favorite show instead of helping someone you know could really use it. We need to reverse the conditioning that got us into our current mentality. Slowly, as we serve, our awareness will be opened to the great need of those around us. Slowly, we will learn that "It's NOT all about me!" As we see that the things we do are bringing joy to others, as we see how God is able to move and work in those actions, we will find that service does become joyful after all. But in the mean time, we have to work a little hard at unlearning our selfishness.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Nothing to do
Do you ever find yourself wishing that you just had even five minutes in your day when you didn't have anything to do? I often find myself wishing there were more hours in the day, more time to get things done. But it seems like when I'm wishing that, really I'm wishing that I could have just a few minutes in the day when I didn't have anything to do. Many of us feel this way even during the "regular" time of the year, and the holidays just seem to escalate that feeling.
The month of December finds more people in a complete frenzy. You don't need me to list all the chaos that consumes our lives during December, you're living it, and listing it just makes all of us feel that much more exhausted. The point is that Advent, the four weeks before Christmas, is a hectic and chaotic time for all of us. But Advent is intended to be a period of preparation, much like Lent is supposed to prepare us for Easter. Advent is supposed to involve waiting and anticipation. Ha! Waiting and anticipation so often seem like the exact opposite of our advent experience. And yes, pastors often find their advents are chaotic and hectic as well. So this Advent season, I'm going to try an experiment. I'm going to schedule 10 minutes each day to be more intentional about my advent preparation. And no, I'm not going to add one more thing to do during this busy season. Instead I'm going to take those ten minutes and do absolutely nothing. That's right, Nothing! I'm not going to read, or write, or listen to music, or talk with people, nothing. I'm gonna just sit there and enjoy having ten minutes to do absolutely nothing.
I'll let you know how it goes.
The month of December finds more people in a complete frenzy. You don't need me to list all the chaos that consumes our lives during December, you're living it, and listing it just makes all of us feel that much more exhausted. The point is that Advent, the four weeks before Christmas, is a hectic and chaotic time for all of us. But Advent is intended to be a period of preparation, much like Lent is supposed to prepare us for Easter. Advent is supposed to involve waiting and anticipation. Ha! Waiting and anticipation so often seem like the exact opposite of our advent experience. And yes, pastors often find their advents are chaotic and hectic as well. So this Advent season, I'm going to try an experiment. I'm going to schedule 10 minutes each day to be more intentional about my advent preparation. And no, I'm not going to add one more thing to do during this busy season. Instead I'm going to take those ten minutes and do absolutely nothing. That's right, Nothing! I'm not going to read, or write, or listen to music, or talk with people, nothing. I'm gonna just sit there and enjoy having ten minutes to do absolutely nothing.
I'll let you know how it goes.
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