Theology Blog

Its a lot easier to have bad theology than it is to have good theology. This of course assumes that we all know and agree on what is good theology and what is bad theology. I often want to say that theology is underdeveloped or immature rather than bad. I would not go as far to say that it is all relative, because it is not, but I can safely say that I know bad theology when I see it.

The easiest place to find bad theology (especially in Colorado Springs) is on bumper stickers, liscence plates and t-shirts. These short sayings are often offensive, exclusive and combative. Additionally, they often espouse a bad theology and generally give an impression of arrogance or self-righteousness. They tend to depict an angry and judgmental God. I am sure people mean well and we all need to express our faith more, but it should be done in relationship, not in a combative and consumeristic fashion. We are not our own separate culture or subculture…we are in the world and a part of this kingdom that God is working in, around and through.

Today I saw a license plate and plate frame that send this message:

Life’s Goal is to

PlzeGod

Jesus Lives

I am sure they mean well, but the goal of life is not to please God…besides being a works based theology, it neglects the reality that God is pleased and we are here to worship and engage with His kingdom.

Go forth and do theology as well as you can, but if it looks good on a bumper sticker, t-shirt, or license plate, its probably not good theology.

I have just finished 12 days of time in Pasadena, CA for my first doctoral cohort class. It was an amazing time and it was very fruitful. This doctoral work is hard, but it is also amazing, meaningful and challenging. I have found that my mind is more engaged and thoughtful than it has ever been and I have loved the journey so far. It is hard to even consider thinking about theology after the past two weeks, let alone blog about it. Yet, for me there is a need to not allow my brain to take too much of a break. We spent much of this past week discussing, formulating and recreating a model for practical theology. It was amazing work and it will be published by the professor this fall. It was a holy undertaking with kingdom implications. It was also a reminder that we must always think theologically within context (hopefully I have been in the habit of doing this well already). We all have a theology whether we know it or not, and that theology influences and shapes our lives. After some powerful yet intense discussions of theology this week, my brain hurts too much to really talk theology, but I would encourage the readers of this blog to join me in wrestling with what your theology is and take that to God and the Scriptures as He continues to reveal himself to us.

I continually wrestle with the church and what it means to be the church. I find myself usually wrestling with this on a practical and theoretical level and not enough on a theological level. Even my theological reflection is based on the place, authority, and practice of the church and not so much on its existence or its true intention in the eyes of God. I also find that it is much easier to think about the expression of the church than its nature, just like it is easier to think about what we can do instead of who we are. Some say the church should be a verb and not a noun. I agree even though it might need to be both, but I also sense that it is neither. Instead of thinking about what the church is or what it should do, shouldn’t we also wrestle with the who of the church, who the church is? I admit that these thoughts are wandering a bit, but I also sense God’s movement in my unsettledness.

Thoughts?

Its interesting how much fodder my ordination has provided for my blogging the past couple weeks! This past Sunday I was ordained as a Pastor. To be called Pastor, to have the title Reverend are very new things to me and have been more awkward than anything else. There are many reasons for this, but one of those reasons is deeply theological for me.

We are all ministers.

Regardless of title, status, place of employment, role, or even our own sin; we are all ministers. Jesus Christ has called each of us to be a part of His kingdom and to be a part of bringing about that kingdom in our world today. That work requires ministers. We are all ministers. We have all been given gifts to be used to help draw people into a deeper relationship with God. We have all been given the call to serve and to love.

We are all ministers.

Please don’t forget that. How can you be an answer to someone’s prayer this day?

We are all ministers.

I am currently working on my Masters of Counseling. I am doing it online through a “Christian” University. I will not say which one, because honestly I am a bit embarrassed. I am now in my second course that covers or discusses the integration of science, psychology, theology, spirituality etc. I am thankful for these courses and the concepts (although the readings are either weak or fundamentalist dribble) and have always sought to approach things in an integrated way. Whether we like it or not, we are integrated beings. Everything is connected as God works with us and moves in us. The kind of integration that is particular university seems to be suggesting is based more on dualism. The dualism comes out in the sense that the two things (sacred & secular, theology & science) need to be integrated or understood together, perhaps with one having authority over the other. This is unfortunate because all exist at the same time and while God is the ultimate authority, we do not need to look at this different things as combatants. It reeks of a culture war that should be over. Our heart, soul, mind, and strength are integrated. Our spiritual, emotional, and physical health are all connected. We are integrated persons. The question is how we can become healthier as a person and how we can have a healthier understanding of our own integration.

A while back I heard or read this quote (I do not recall where it is from):

“Don’t seek identity at the expense of community.”

We live in a highly individualistic culture here in the United States. This rugged individualism has been transposed to the church as well. While it is true that both our faith and our relationship with Jesus are individual in nature, they are not supposed to be limited to individual experience and expression. Christianity is a communal faith and is meant to be understood, experienced, expressed, and grown in community. We work so hard to protect our identity, our rights, or needs that our identity as an individual becomes a God of sorts for us. While we must have and protect our individual identity, most of our identity is formed, born, and expressed in community. In a time where our world desperately needs and craves community and meaningful connection, we must now especially be the church and seek community and not just personal identity.  We must lose our life so that we might save it.

I have had the opportunity to have some interesting conversations about denominations lately. I did not grow up in a church or the church at all. I also come from a generation (and those after my generation) that do not necessarily believe in or care much about denominations. Mainline denominations are shrinking while non-denominational churches are not shrinking as much. So, what do we make of denominations.

Denominations struggle (and the culture struggles with them) when the institution becomes too important or when the denomination becomes too focused on hierarchy and systems. I have the gift of being part of the LCMC which does not have some of these issues. We must first be Christians, followers of Jesus and then second our denomination. Ultimately denominations are our theological homes, recognizing that we must be about the movement of Christ, we must realize that we do not have it perfectly right and we must remember what our purpose is. Denominations as they function now in the US may not survive the next 100 years, but if we get back to the movement and focus on what we are truly about, we may not only survive but renew. Denominations are a gift, lets be sure to be a part of making them all they can be instead of running to the nearest or best non-denominational church that does not have the history, developed theology, or beauty that denominations can offer.

“God looks not only at the act, but the possibility.” Oswald Chambers

Even though the majority of those of us who are followers of Jesus would say we believe we are saved by grace and not by works, we often act as though we do not believe that. We often act as though God is punishing us and when it comes to sin, we focus on the acts of sin instead of the bigger picture. God does not view us the way that we often view ourselves, he sees us for who we really are and who he created us to be. God does not just look at our actions, but the possibilities of who we can be, who we can become. God also does not look at the consequences of our sin (although they pain Him like they pain us) but the possibility of how our sin might be redeemed. We would be better of as a people if we could have vision that is about possibilities and not just present realities.

The sacrament comes when God transcends and invades ordinary elements for the greater purpose of revelation and forgiveness.

I think we have lost sight of the power of the sacraments in our American culture and church today. Our reaction against ritual even though we crave the comfort of routine, combined with a poor job by the church to train us in the sacraments has lead to this place in my opinion. I too have my own biases because communion is a deeply spiritual experience for me. I could participate in communion on a daily basis and I suspect that this would still be the case (how sad is it the many churches only practice communion once a month) because communion is not about me. It is in the sacrament (and the Bible, and the world) that God reveals himself to us. We are in constant need of that revelation. Whether we are ready or able to admit it or not, we need to know God, we want to know God. Communion also reminds us of forgiveness, not just God’s forgiveness of us, but our need to forgive others and even to forgive ourselves. We come to communion to remember the story, to remember Christ, but also to re-member; to reconnect with the God of the universe and His reality. We do this together because we all need it, but participating in communion together can also focus and strengthen our community. How is it the bread & wine or juice can be so powerful? It is only by the power of God. Perhaps you might think that these elements are just bread and juice and we are making too much of it, but if we were all honest, we desperately desire to see more of God in the ordinary.

Recently I was teaching a class on the spiritual disciplines at church and did a teaching on Lectio Divina. In teaching on this topic, I also had the group practice it and we used a passage from Matthew 25, part of which is below. Even in leading the experience, I had a different encounter with the passage:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 25:28-30

I love this passage and it is certainly relevant in our American culture today. We do need to come to the feet of Jesus for rest and God desires to restore us. Jesus is gentle, humble, and ready to carry our burdens. All of this is important and true and there is no question that we need rest. There is no question that life carries many burdens and we need to learn to go to Christ for rest and RESToration as a first resort rather than a last resort. All of this is true, but I noticed something new in reading this passage this time.

At the end, Jesus says that his ‘burden is light.’ I have always seen this as a commentary of the strength of Jesus to carry our burden, or as an commentary on the power of Christ. This time, I noticed something different that was connected to Luther’s commentary that ‘all is hidden and revealed in the cross.’ Jesus burden is LIGHT. Jesus’ suffering is His light to the world. Suffering is a light to us. Jesus, carrying His burden, all of our burdens is THE LIGHT. We traditionally see suffering as dark and not light. When we do Good Friday services, all is black and we come to Easter in a pure white. This makes sense, but it all plays into our understanding that Easter is the important event, but its all the leads up to that day that is also important.

The question is, is suffering dark or is it light?