Agape

My dad has been my mentor in life and ministry. He is still teaching me even today.
Donald Fredrick is 85 years old, and he has ahlzhiemers which mostly means at this point in time that he has almost no short term memory. (Something we take for granted.) Most of the time when we are with him, he has a joyous, loving, and positive personality. But when night time comes, things change. I think it is due to what is described as "Sundowners" which people with dementia experience when the sun goes down...and it is especially bad when they are in an unfamiliar setting. They get disorientated, agitated, and fixated on certain things.Dad calls me almost every night and accuses us of stealing their car. He often does it with anger, and then he says that he does not want us to come and see them anymore. He forgets the next day that he has made any phone call, is fine during the day, and then calls that night once again.
The reality is that neither of my parents can drive anymore, even though they at times dispute this, and that they have given us permission to buy their car from them which we have done. But they, neither of them, are able to remember this. We can't take the car back to them because then they want to drive it. Oh well, I don't want to bother you with all the details and options we have to think through. That is not the reason I'm writing this.
Why I'm writing this is to share what the Lord is teaching us through it. He is teaching us about agape love which is loving unconditionally. It is about learning to love people whether they deserve it or not and especially when they don't. It is how God loves us. It is how Jesus loved those who were murdering him on the cross. It is how his followers are called to love. It is how I am called to love my precious papa. I ain't saying it's easy or has been something I was able to do right away. I have struggled and yelled at him a couple of times. But I am starting to get it and learn my lesson.
I suppose it falls into the category of forgiveness, and we are called to live this way in the kingdom, in our families, and for the sake of the kind of world God desires and dreams of.

Jesus by Marcus Borg

I finally finished Borg's book on Jesus! Besides not having the time to read as much as I would like, I have to take my time when I read Borg. I find that I re-read sections in order to fully understand Borg's message, and sometimes I find that Borg's writing causes me to really think about my faith and my relationship to Jesus. So I read section, re-read it, and think about it. That takes some time!

Anyway.... I don't always agree with Borg but there is a lot I am in agreement with him. Sometimes I find it amusing. Several times in the book he writes of the literal vs. metaphorical interpretion of the Bible, then says, "But who cares! Let's talk about what the Bible is trying to teach us!" Christians really need to get beyond trying to "prove" the Bible and start living it; get beyond doctrine and start practicing the Jesus Way.

The best chapter of the book is the epilogue. Borg describes the current state of Christianity perfectly. Without criticizing, he has a good grasp of conservative evangelical Christianity and the emerging Christian conversation. It's obvious Borg prefers the latter, and he lays any blame for the current state of what the public perceives as Christianity at the feet of the current crop of self-appointed evangelical Christian "leaders" who dominate the public forum. Christianity has lost its way, Borg says, due in a large part to the unholy alliance with politics.

My Sunday school class is reading Isaiah. Last Sunday we read the first chapter. Isaiah is laying out the charges against the Jewish people. He says that God is not interested in their sacrifices, rituals and offerings as prescribed by the Law. Even though Isaiah compares the Jewish people to Sodom and Gommorah, it's not sexual sin that has led them astray, but their lack of social justice. In verses 16 and 17, Isaiah lays out the charges.

16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (NIV)

That sums up how Borg interprets the message of Jesus throughout the book, and it is a call to all Christians to assess their faith and begin living the Jesus Way.

True Self

***I hate the Iraq war but the soldiers are heroes to me.
***I find it so cool that someone's life can be going freaking crazy, but their soul stays good. Not all the time but lots of the time. It's a God thing.
***I am really enjoying and looking forward to Christmas as a beautiful time, but when I was pastoring there were so many things I had to be a part of that it got way too busy, crowded, and overwhelming. All the things were individually good and important but put together, way, way too much. Now my soul feels spacious enough to embrace and receive Christ in a simple manner. Somehow big churches need to simplify or give people, as well as the pastor, permission to not be involved in everything. I don't know, I may be wrong.
***I went to one of my churches tonight who has six people part of the community. They minister to each other and the help each other be inspired to carry on as people of God. I affirmed them as well as challenged them. BUT THEY ARE A CHURCH! I HEAR SO MUCH NEGATIVE STUFF ABOUT SMALL CHURCHES. WHAT ABOUT JESUS AND THE 12?!
***The Republican debate is on tonight. We're watching a movie instead.
***Life is so beautiful, rich, and deep I almost can't bear it.
***I desire to be my true self and walk the path meant for me.

August Rush

Last night, I went en familia to see August Rush, the movie about a child music prodigy trying to find his parents. August is able to hear musical rhythms in everyday sounds, like noisy plumbing, the wind rustling in the grass, street noises in the city. As an orphan, he has never been musically trained, but when he runs away to find his parents, he learns to play guitar, piano, and write music, attends Julliard, writes a symphony, and is scheduled to conduct the New York Philharmonic - all within six months.

One week ago, I watched a Rob Bell video with our base group about getting in tune with the everyday rhythm of God, and that video was in my mind as I watched the movie. August says that the music he hears in his head is like someone calling out to him. Wizard (a street musician who later tries to manipulate August) tells August that music is everywhere but not everyone is listening, and that music binds us all together. I thought about the kingdom of God, how it is everywhere, and how as Rob Bell says we must strive to find God's rhythm in our lives.

Later in the movie August finds sanctuary in an inner-city church which underscored the spirituality of the movie. If you get a chance to see this movie you should.

Light and Love

We had two wonderful Thanksgiving gatherings.
Joy's family gathered at our home on Thursday,
and my family gathered at Nolt's Amish restaurant on Friday.
And as my dad says, when it works, family is a good thing.
For us, it's working.
Tonight, Shalom Community is gathering for our thanksgiving meal and conversation.
Another kind of family.
It was so wonderful having David and Rachel home this week.
Our grown up kids sharing life and love together.
The light is beautiful this evening. It's almost dusk.
My soul is well....and life is good
yet I realize that it is only because of the Light of God and the love of people
that this is true.
OK, off for a walk with Joy and Jamie.
It's late now and I'm watching the show on vh1 about Bob Dylan.
Our gathering tonight was rich and good with our deep spirited friends.

Shalom Community

Shalom Community, an Emergent Cohort, will gather this Saturday night the 24th at 5:30 at the LaSuer home in Marion (711 W. Buckingham)for a simple thanksgiving meal and a time of deep spirited conversation. All welcome!

Home

Home sweet home,
even though my skin is worse than before I left
and yet I am hope-full.
And back with the love of my life.
Thanksgiving is next week
and looking forward so much to being with family.
I had a moment of true panic the other day as I considered the end of my life
and in my fear I cried out the question whether The Jesus Way
had any damn relevance to the pounding of my heart and the fear of the unknown.
I immediately heard a clear, strong voice which said,
"Now is the only moment, and love is the only choice!"

The Ministry of Mayo

Leaving for Mayo Clinic Thursday am to hopefully be hospitalized for a few days.
I've been going since I was 18 years old. It is a remarkable place and people.
It is where I, and countless others from around the country and the world,
find healing and hope.
It was founded by doc Mayo, a nun, and the doc's two boys.
I pray that you will continue to receive healing and hope, and that together,
we might offer the same to the broken around us.
And remember what often seems to be small endeavors or beginnings, can in the end,
have a major impact of love and beauty for people and the world.

The Jesus Way - My Theology For Today

THE JESUS WAY
The Ways Jesus Lived and Taught That Can Guide Our Lives


Jesus Way 1: Transformation and Ongoing Relationship with God and Christ

Jesus fully embraced the first of the commandments which is to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength. Jesus kept his relationship with God strong and alive. He would go out early in the morning to the desert and pray. Some Biblical ways of this being expressed are: Jesus said he was the Vine and we are the branches; being born again; having eyes to see and ears to hear; receiving resurrection power; the stories in Luke 15 of being lost and then found. Some practical ways to be transformed include: praying in many different ways; meeting God in the scriptures; being grateful and experiencing the wonder of life; living in the presence of God; worship; reading.


Jesus Way 2: Doing God’s Will With Our Lives

The Lord’s Prayer says,”Your will be done, Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” I think doing God’s will is about matching up our particular gifts and passions with the desires and will of God. And Jesus said again and again that the desire of God is to bring about God’s kingdom, or God’s dream, for people’s lives and the world. The “micro” part of doing God’s will is doing our daily tasks as God would have us to do them. The “macro” part is to live out God’s intention for our lives ,or as a friend of mine says, our gift(s) to the world. Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister.”(Matthew 12:50) Sometimes we are called to put God’s will before our own. Jesus said in the garden before going to the cross, ”Not my will but Yours be done.” {Share quotes from Shawchuck/Job book p. 344,355}


Jesus Way 3: The Way of Faith

This is trusting in the goodness, love, and power of God in the midst of the stress and craziness of life. Jesus said if you keep the main thing the main thing, doing the will of God, that God will take care of the stuff we stress out so much about. He was getting at this reality of trusting God when he taught us to pray, “Give us the bread we need for today.” This trust involves believing-even relaxing a little- and knowing that God will make a way for us to live our lives. For example, I trust that God will help me care for my parents, continue in good relationship with our children, do my job, and walk into his future for me. Sometimes though we lose this faith and trust for a while and need to be honest with God about that and also trust others to carry us to the God who wishes to love us. A prayer my wife Joy and I would pray is, “I believe in that which is infinite – that which is Yes! I believe. Help my unbelief.” A text to look at is Matthew 6:25-34.


Jesus Way 4: Offering Healing To The Broken and Outcasts

Jesus seems to have spent very much time and energy bringing God’s healing presence to the sick and suffering. We can do this through prayer, presence, listening, music, joy and laughter, respect, touch, medicine, and much more. Healing can also involve peace-making between those who are estranged. It can also involve bringing healing to all of God’s creation. Jesus Christ said, “Go to the lost and confused right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously. (Matthew 10:5-8 The Message)


Jesus Way 5: Being a Servant

Jesus spoke a lot about being servants – not to seek power and prestige but to seek to serve and do our part with God to make a difference. St. Francis used to pray, “Who are You my dearest Lord, and who am I but Your useless servant.” Examples of servanthood include getting your spouse a cup of coffee, picking up something that someone dropped, and helping others get done what they are trying to get done. Jesus said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to become great must become a servant. Whoever wants to become first among you, must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done. He came to serve and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage. (Matthew 20:28)


Jesus Way 6: Being in a Community of Love, Support, and Mission

Jesus had a tight knit small group in which learning, living together, and preparation and accountability for their mission to the world happened. We need to be a part of groups of people where we find and give love, fellowship, inspiration, challenge, and power to be who we’re called to be. Jesus said, “If you have gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care – then do me a favor. Agree with each other, love each other, be deep spirited friends. Put yourself aside and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (Philippians 2:1-4 The Message)


Jesus Way 7: Forgiveness and Reconciliation

This was a major message and reality of the life of Jesus. He told us to forgive one another again and again. He told us we were to forgive our enemies. And as he was being crucified on a cross, he cried out to God, “Forgive them Father because they don’t understand.” He cries this prayer out for us as well. His most famous story about forgiveness is the one where the papa forgives the boy who has screwed things up, but the elder brother has a hard time doing the same thing. Forgiving is difficult. Yet God can help us through the process. And when possible, reconciliation with the one who has offended needs to happen. (Look at Matthew 5:43-48 The Message)


Jesus Way 8: Confronting That Which Is Wrong

Jesus taught that people need to confront the darkness in their own lives as well as dark things in the world like religious people who had lost the way of God and love, and people putting things like wealth and empire before God. As Jesus followers we need to know when to change our ways and when to confront the ways of the world that go against God’s kingdom or dream for the world. In Matthew 4, Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tested by the Devil. In that place Jesus had to choose the right and good voice amidst the wrong voices. And in Matthew 25, Jesus told a story of final judgement based on whether people fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited those in prison, cared for the sick, and gave a room to the homeless.


Jesus Way 9: Teaching or Passing On The Story of God, Jesus, and The Way

Jesus loved to teach. He told stories about God, the relationship between God and people, and the way of love. He taught in the synagogue, on the mountain, in the marketplace, and by the sea. Jesus could also look at the ordinary things of life like bread, yeast, a seed, and a farmer in a field and use them to talk about the ways of God. We can pass on The Jesus Way though stories, including our own, and by how we live our lives. A teaching we can look at is the sermon on the mountain in Matthew 5-7. Amazing.

Walking The Way

Grace to cope and plenty of moments of beauty.
The pure joy of where one's passion and the needs of others meet.
The times when we can relax and lean into the Goodness that cares when we hurt.
Picking up the paper for the man who dropped it.
Sitting in a room helping estranged people connect in a meaningful manner.
Looking forward to shalom community.
Telling The Story.
Reconciling.
Saying no to the wrong.
Telling you I love you.
I love you.

The Church and Paganism

I'm reading an interesting book right now, The DaVinci Hoax, written by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel, two Catholics as a response to The DaVinci Code. What I find most interesting are the apologetics concerning the relationship between the pagan Roman religions and Christianity prior to the council at Nicea. I, along with other Protestant Christians I assume, have believed that the rituals of the Catholic Church seemed strange, at best, and I assumed that the accusations (again, coming from fellow Christians) that those rituals were adopted from paganism, and therefore maybe not quite Christian and possibly syncretic.

Well, shame on me for accepting those accusations. This book is a very good apologetic work, well researched and written. The authors address the texts which Dan Brown borrowed from very heavily. (I think he's been sued by one of those authors for quoting verbatim from their text without attribution or restitution.) The authors ding Marcus Borg on one point, seemingly because of his prior relationship with the Jesus Seminar. (I'm still not clear on why they are so reviled among conservative Christians.)

I'm learning a lot about the political and religious environment in which the early Christians lived during the first three centuries following the resurrection. While I don't agree with their assessment of Borg (I think Borg has since distanced himself from the Jesus Seminar, and the quote that appears in the book doesn't fully explain Borg's position on the historical Jesus), the book is worth reading especially if you've read The DaVinci Code.

Freefalling

Watching a movie with Joy tonight.
Ate ribs for supper.
It's 8:30pm.
Jennifer Aniston is in this movie. She was in my dream the other night.
I just ate an excellent oatmeal raisin cookie.
God is both great and beautiful. God is teaching me to be a peacemaker, and I'm flying by the seat of my pants. Jesus says those kind of people are blessed and kin to God. Here's an important word...communication!
The leaves have turned the most beautiful colors this year.
I'm hoping to go to England this summer.
St. Francis met a leper face to face, didn't turn away but instead embraced him. From then on he desired to always embrace Lady Poverty.
In all my sermons, I've said only two things. God loves you...and love those around you - especially the broken of the world.

Monday 's Musings

Watching the Colts game tonight, oh yeah! I got no boys to watch it with any more but Joy is sitting in here for awhile (Bless her heart) and Jamie dog is wearing his blue coat. Yea! The Colts just scored. My gosh this team is amazing.

Well, I'm happy tonight, but it's mostly because God has brought me through some tough crap lately. The Lord has recently led Joy and I through some very dark, choppy waters with my mom and dad. And the Divine continues to teach me how to find physical healing in the midst of being intensely wounded. As Bishop White says, God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good! Amen?

Here's something that seems weird to me about the church. It's one thing for a church to feel pride in who God is making them to be as a community of Jesus followers, but it's another to be giddy over their greatness. There's something about that kind of spirit that just doesn't feel like the spirit of Jesus to me. When Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit to meet with the devil, it was the temptation of greatness that was offered to Jesus. He chose instead to walk the path of furthering the kingdom powerfully and quietly like a seed turning into a tree providing rest for the birds.

Shalom to you this week my friends. May God grant us grace to further the kingdom powerfully and quietly.

What is Church ?

I came across this today and thought it was a little cute and thought it would bring a few snickers to you guys. Have a great day / weekend.

MakingPeace

So much conflict...in my churches...and now my papa and me, usually so happy together, yelled at each other tonight.
Yet Jeshua himself called us to be peacemakers, and to do that,
one must enter into the fray and into the fight.
I've just started McLaren's book Everything Must Change. He is asking us to enter into the troubles of this world with the ways of Jesus and a little bit of hope.
And into the middle of my moments of strife
comes the divine like a grandmother rocking, singing to, and quieting the hurting child.
Look up to the cross, can you see and hear?
He feels his enemies pain and whispers, papa forgive them, they don't understand.
So let us go forth fellow followers of The Way
straight into the storms crying peace, be still.

Saturday Shalom

Just walked by the river on a this cool fall day
and now watching Mrs. Doubtfire. Fun.
I'm pretty damn tired from a week's worth of work
but it's work that is good and offers opportunities for creativity and teaching.
Going to the movies tonight. Oh yeah!

My heart, or the center of my being, is good, beautiful, and alive like the ocean.
My mind keeps searching for deepest meanings and thirsts for knowledge that inspires.
Courage is needed by us all to keep on keeping on to be who we're called to be. Amen?

Mrs. Doubtfire's fake rubber breasts just caught fire from the stove. Laugh out loud funny - again!

So friends and dear ones, I pray a blessing upon you today.
May your heart be filled with the ocean of God's love and life,
May your mind be restless for that which waits to be discovered,
and may your gut be girded with courage and power to carry on.
(and may you be careful around the stove!)

Love,

me

PS Just got back from the movie Michael Clayton. Excellent.

The Fab 5

Hi! I'm home from a two day meeting with the Bishop and other DS's. Went very well.
Home tonight with my sweetie and little beast watching NCIS and Queer Eye. Relaxing.
These Queer Eye guys are great. In their own ways, they bring transformation, and they do it with joy, kindness, and fun.
I think that's the business of humankind...to keep receiving and bringing transformation...and doing it with joy.
So here's to getting rid of the junk, new beginnings, and enjoying the journey.

Shalom Community

Shalom Community(an Emergent Cohort) will be meeting at the LaSuer home in Marion (711 W. Buckingham Dr.)Friday night October 5th at 5:30. Come for food, fellowship, and a continued conversation about Marcus Borg's Heart of Christianity.

Everything Must Change

If you are up for some deep reading and want to gain more insight about Brian; his new book will do that for you. I am about 2/3 of the way through it - not the easiest read at times. But, so far it is a good book and it gives you alot to chew on. it just came out. Chapter 10 did a fairly good job on trying to lay out some of the differences between orthodox and emergent. He also gave some good insight into reading the text through 1st century eyes.

Things going on in Indy

I've received an e-mail from Sarah Notton who is very involved in the emergent cohort in Indianapolis. There are several events happening there over the next two months.

A conversation with Will and Lisa Samson, authors of Justice in the Burbs
(I've read their book; it's good.)
Saturday, October 6, 2007, 7:00 PM at Earth House Coffee & Books 237 N. East Street, Indianapolis
More info and RSVP: http://indieallies.meetup.com/7/calendar/6353745/

Cobalt Season in concert
Friday, October 19, 2007, 8:00 PM at Earth House Coffee & Books
Cobalt Season sing songs that express both a struggle and hope for what it means to follow Jesus.You can listen to some of their tracks at http://myspace.com/cobaltseason. Cost is $10. More info and RSVP: http://indieallies.meetup.com/7/calendar/6180440/.

An evening with Doug Pagitt
Thursday, October 25, 2007, 7:00 PM at Earth House Coffee & Books
Doug Pagitt is the author of Church Re-Imagined, Preaching Re-Imagined, and contributions to An Emergent Manifesto of Hope and Body Prayer. http://indieallies.meetup.com/7/calendar/6353994/

Coming in November
Rob Bell: The Gods Aren't Angry Tour
Friday, November 30, 2007 at the Murat Egyptian Room. Tickets are $17 from Ticketmaster.

Spirit & Place Festival, "Living Generously"
http://www.spiritandplace.org/Home.aspx November 2-18, various venues, lots of different events.