As I am wrapping up a few things to take with me to Annual Conference, I am reminded how messy the church really is. I am reminded that tidiness and order, cause and effect, sharp guiding lines, are simply never really found in a true community. A desire for predictable movements and unified responses will always fall short when it comes to communities made up of human beings, particularly church people.
I heard a story recently of a man (Let's call him Bob) who was losing his partner due to aids. Many Sundays, there was one church person who would stay behind just to minister to Bob. Not in an invasive way, but in a kind appropriate way. Bob would tell me that was the reason he sticks around in the church because "I know how good it can be, even when it isn't".
No words are much truer. As caring and loving as the church can be, it can also be as equally destructive, divisive, self-interested, and apathetic. To be honest, the church has always been this way. In 1 Corinthians 11:17, Paul writes this critiquing them about how they facilitate their meals when they gather together, "Now I don't praise you as I give the following instructions because when you meet together, it does more harm than good." (This would be a painful thing for any church to hear). Here is the saddest part, as long as the church is made up of humans, who are just as self-centered as you and I are, this will be a reality.
The good news is that even while we are a disordered bunch, God can bring about holiness. This is done at times with our participation, often without it, and occasionally in spite of us. So as we move closer to Annual conference, knowing the resolutions about our camp sites before us and the passion in which the conversation will enlist, it is all too important for us to keep in mind what it means to be the church, even as messy, broken, and imperfect people as we are. We remain to be the church when we are focused on awakening souls to the life changing possibilities of a life oriented toward Jesus Christ. Anything less than this, we stop being the church. Anything outside of this primary objective, and we become less than what we were created to be.
Not long ago, I was invited to play a softball game with the Dunklin County Drug and Treatment Court. This was a community, who were in the process of becoming drug free. That was their purpose, their objective, and their aim. Everything they did was oriented toward this objective. They were a wonderful group of people who allowed me to play softball with them (My skills were subpar to say the least) even though I was not very good. They laughed , argued, got angry, and heartily disagreed, but at the end of the day they were unified around their one common objective. It was a day in which Jesus was clearly present, even though few were inviting him to be there.
As we gather for holy conferencing, I pray that we may be more like a drug court softball game than a corporate stockholders meeting. I pray that we may be grace-filled in the midst of our messy disagreements. I pray that we are intentionally inviting Jesus to be present and to guide rather than an after thought to repair collateral damage. I pray that we will be laser focused on our mission of "making new disciples for the transformation of the world." Sentimentality, fiscal responsibility, and historical moments will try to dethrone that mission and place themselves in the highest spot of importance, bu may it never be so. May we disagree in a spirit of love and generosity, knowing that on the other side, God will be in the works of making all things new. We are in a new day and a new place, I pray that it will be a Kingdom focused one.
Rev. 22:1-15, "Then the angel showed me the river of life-giving water, shining like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb through the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life, which produces twelve crops of fruit, bearing its fruit each month. The tree’s leaves are for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more. They won’t need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them, and they will rule forever and always.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Friday, November 28, 2014
3 things to consider before reflecting upon Ferguson
Before I begin let me preface by saying that I am a 29 year old white male. White privilege is a real thing and I have won the lottery of genetics. That is not to say that I am particularly good looking, athletic, or smart. In truth I am average on all of those things (except athleticism where I may fall just below average). What I mean by white privilege, then, is that I am not subject to racial profiling when traveling in an airport, I rarely feel as though I am beings judged before someone meets me or that I must prove myself in any aspect of life.
#1 Beware of your hidden paradigms
I first became aware of this white privilege about 5 years ago in a class at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. There a fellow student named Tina who was a middle aged black female, formerly a KC police officer, once told me that growing up in her predominately black neighborhood that she thought anytime a while person, particularly male, walked into a gas station or store in her neighborhood, they had the mindset that they could own the store and determine what happened while they were there. In short, she assumed that all white people had the notion that they were in control, even if they were the minority within their immediate environment.
She was shocked, when I informed her that, I think, most white people do not have this assumption. She was in her mid-thirties when she learned this. So white privilege is not only about the easier path a white person might have towards a successful life, but about a subconscious understanding about particularly people based upon their race. A recent NPR article by Frederica Boswell describes this unconscious understanding here. I won't regurgitate everything she writes here, but suffice it to say it is easier to assign anamilistic imagery to blacks than it is to whites. If you don't think you do this, then you probably do. That is why so many tweets and statuses about the Ferguson Riots immediately became about "those people" or "them" acting like "apes" or "animals" or "thugs" (not technically an animal, but certainly sub-human).
So be aware of your own hidden paradigms. For it is these hidden paradigms that operate in the background of our thinking that is actually the most dangerous. At Timothy Keller rightly points out, we are all a little racist to some degree. We are naturally fearful of things and people with which we are not familiar. Therefore, those from different races, naturally bring a little bit of fear, and thus a slight slant of racism--we must own it and not hide it--for hidden paradigms operate all the time.
#2 Look below the surface
When the Grand Jury Decision was made, the facts as presented to the grand jury were laid out. A deciding factor was certainly the inconsistencies in certain testimonies that would have led to an indictment against Officer Wilson. To date, the Grand Jury had the fullness of the evidence. I wasn't there, you probably weren't either. So it is beyond my scope to place any sort of judgment if the Grand Jury was right or wrong--I trust they made the best decision they could with what they had.
However, the anger, the riots, the protests, the media storm, and all else was not really about this one incident was it? It is a lot easier to del with if it were. Instead, this is the catalyst that has awaken a plethora of emotions and social issues that have been brewing in our country for a long time. The fact that more black persons get stopped by police officers than white person may not be an alarming fact if you are white. It won't keep you up at night unless it is your black son or daughter who is getting ready to drive on the road by themselves for the first time.
You may be saying, "Well more black teenagers get into more trouble than white teenagers." If this is true, I have no stats or evidence for this, but if it is true, then why is that? Is it possible that after the Emmancipation Proclomation in 1863 that we as a society did very little to enable a largely uneducated people (Thanks to the American exploitation of people in the form of slavery) to operate in our capitalistic culture successfully. Over time this shifted into Jim Crow Laws which really became "Slavery by Another Name" Over generations we still have an injustice in which blacks are subject to less paying jobs, become part of lesser schools, and still held up as the less valuable members of society in the general mind of the American people!
#3 Don't Group all People Together
This is perhaps the most important. Immediately following the first wave of riots after the Grand Jury announcement, I read many posts about how the rioters confirmed the stereotypes of black people in Ferguson. Because a couple hundred people broke into stores, looted, and set things on fire than all people in Ferguson who protest the decision are violent people? No this can't be true.
In 2011, Boston beat Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Riots took place following the game where 140 people were injured including nine police officers. The crowd--almost entirely white people. Does this mean that every hockey loving fan is one goal away from losing it and committing arson? No surely not.
The world famous Westboro Baptist Church protesters do not represent the whole of Christians anymore than the Ferguson rioters represent every person who reocgnizes the racial injustices that plague our country. Do not assign the actions of the one to all.
Finally, as a white person, I can never know the full extent racial discrimination, because I have experienced white privilege. Therefore, I know rioting is wrong, I know looting stores is wrong, and I know pretending to know how another person feels is also wrong. This only leads to more pain and more hurt.
As we move on from the Ferguson riots, I pray that they never happen again, and I pray that more Americans became aware of such racial divide that is toxic to both our society as a whole, and to the kingdom of God in particular.
#1 Beware of your hidden paradigms
I first became aware of this white privilege about 5 years ago in a class at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. There a fellow student named Tina who was a middle aged black female, formerly a KC police officer, once told me that growing up in her predominately black neighborhood that she thought anytime a while person, particularly male, walked into a gas station or store in her neighborhood, they had the mindset that they could own the store and determine what happened while they were there. In short, she assumed that all white people had the notion that they were in control, even if they were the minority within their immediate environment.
She was shocked, when I informed her that, I think, most white people do not have this assumption. She was in her mid-thirties when she learned this. So white privilege is not only about the easier path a white person might have towards a successful life, but about a subconscious understanding about particularly people based upon their race. A recent NPR article by Frederica Boswell describes this unconscious understanding here. I won't regurgitate everything she writes here, but suffice it to say it is easier to assign anamilistic imagery to blacks than it is to whites. If you don't think you do this, then you probably do. That is why so many tweets and statuses about the Ferguson Riots immediately became about "those people" or "them" acting like "apes" or "animals" or "thugs" (not technically an animal, but certainly sub-human).
So be aware of your own hidden paradigms. For it is these hidden paradigms that operate in the background of our thinking that is actually the most dangerous. At Timothy Keller rightly points out, we are all a little racist to some degree. We are naturally fearful of things and people with which we are not familiar. Therefore, those from different races, naturally bring a little bit of fear, and thus a slight slant of racism--we must own it and not hide it--for hidden paradigms operate all the time.
#2 Look below the surface
When the Grand Jury Decision was made, the facts as presented to the grand jury were laid out. A deciding factor was certainly the inconsistencies in certain testimonies that would have led to an indictment against Officer Wilson. To date, the Grand Jury had the fullness of the evidence. I wasn't there, you probably weren't either. So it is beyond my scope to place any sort of judgment if the Grand Jury was right or wrong--I trust they made the best decision they could with what they had.
However, the anger, the riots, the protests, the media storm, and all else was not really about this one incident was it? It is a lot easier to del with if it were. Instead, this is the catalyst that has awaken a plethora of emotions and social issues that have been brewing in our country for a long time. The fact that more black persons get stopped by police officers than white person may not be an alarming fact if you are white. It won't keep you up at night unless it is your black son or daughter who is getting ready to drive on the road by themselves for the first time.
You may be saying, "Well more black teenagers get into more trouble than white teenagers." If this is true, I have no stats or evidence for this, but if it is true, then why is that? Is it possible that after the Emmancipation Proclomation in 1863 that we as a society did very little to enable a largely uneducated people (Thanks to the American exploitation of people in the form of slavery) to operate in our capitalistic culture successfully. Over time this shifted into Jim Crow Laws which really became "Slavery by Another Name" Over generations we still have an injustice in which blacks are subject to less paying jobs, become part of lesser schools, and still held up as the less valuable members of society in the general mind of the American people!
#3 Don't Group all People Together
This is perhaps the most important. Immediately following the first wave of riots after the Grand Jury announcement, I read many posts about how the rioters confirmed the stereotypes of black people in Ferguson. Because a couple hundred people broke into stores, looted, and set things on fire than all people in Ferguson who protest the decision are violent people? No this can't be true.
In 2011, Boston beat Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Riots took place following the game where 140 people were injured including nine police officers. The crowd--almost entirely white people. Does this mean that every hockey loving fan is one goal away from losing it and committing arson? No surely not.
The world famous Westboro Baptist Church protesters do not represent the whole of Christians anymore than the Ferguson rioters represent every person who reocgnizes the racial injustices that plague our country. Do not assign the actions of the one to all.
Finally, as a white person, I can never know the full extent racial discrimination, because I have experienced white privilege. Therefore, I know rioting is wrong, I know looting stores is wrong, and I know pretending to know how another person feels is also wrong. This only leads to more pain and more hurt.
As we move on from the Ferguson riots, I pray that they never happen again, and I pray that more Americans became aware of such racial divide that is toxic to both our society as a whole, and to the kingdom of God in particular.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
From Grief to Hope
Grief, anger, fear, resentment are powerful forces that when left alone, or compressed, will only grow stronger. They can fester and cause an incredible amount of toxicity. They beckon us to act quickly, find solutions, or do all we can to move quickly so that we no longer feel our pain. Sadly, these emotions often cause us to ignore our pain or the grief of others.
Andrew Sung Park wrote a helpful book called "From Hurt to Healing" discussing the theological process by which these raw emotions may be harnessed into something fruitful and productive. One of the most useful items I take from this book is a concept called Han, which can be described as the void left after a deep wound to one's soul. Long after a physical wound is healed, a spiritual or emotional scar can take significantly longer to heal. During the process, the weight upon one's soul is to what Han refers.
Han is both individual and collective and is always expressed in either positive or negative ways--never neutral. It may be months, years, or even decades later, but at some point the Han will find a way to be expressed in the physical world. You might consider the events of 9/11. A horrific tragedy in the life of America, that even today is hard to wrap our minds around. Yet, a memorial is made on the sight of ground zero which is really an expression of Han. A positive expression of the pain and grief we continue to share, that in some small way, allows us to focus our grief, pain, and sorrow, into a reminder that we remember the past, but cling to the future because of hope.
As a pastor I want to offer a chance to express our collective Han in a positive way together. I know that the recent camping decision in our Missouri Annual Conference leaves many of us with a deep wound that perhaps has not found voice. I have read many blogs and comments arguing if the right decision was made or not. I have not found, however, a space where we can express our grief in away, that can provide hope collectively.
Some of you are more than ready to give voice to your pain and others are not yet. For some we may respond creatively, and for others we may respond with a simple prayer. It may be a poem, a song, a drawing, a play-dough sculpture, a picture of you in a camp shirt, of whatever form seems appropriate to you. Simply post your response in the comments and let us express our Han together so that we may be in solidarity with one another, regardless of if we support the decision or not. For we are United Methodists; so may we be united once more in this. May we support one another through our expression of Han so that we may continue to comfort one another. This is not an ending, of your pain, but merely an avenue by which it may find voice. I pray this forum allows you to feel heard and seen (at least by a community of support)
I will start:
Here is a picture of a cross given to me by a man here in Kennett. It was found in the basement of woman's house where it sat for nearly a decade. It is a cross made from Arizona cactus wood. The green outer skin fell away after the cactus died and the holes are where the spikes used to be. Someone along the line cut it to make it into the shape of the cross. I present it as a promise that in Christ all things are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is my prayer that through it all, Jesus Christ may bring a new sense of hope and peace to each of us.
If you are not able to express your pain in any creative way, I leave you with this fantastic blessing from scripture in Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." May the Spirit intercede even when words fail us.
Andrew Sung Park wrote a helpful book called "From Hurt to Healing" discussing the theological process by which these raw emotions may be harnessed into something fruitful and productive. One of the most useful items I take from this book is a concept called Han, which can be described as the void left after a deep wound to one's soul. Long after a physical wound is healed, a spiritual or emotional scar can take significantly longer to heal. During the process, the weight upon one's soul is to what Han refers.
Han is both individual and collective and is always expressed in either positive or negative ways--never neutral. It may be months, years, or even decades later, but at some point the Han will find a way to be expressed in the physical world. You might consider the events of 9/11. A horrific tragedy in the life of America, that even today is hard to wrap our minds around. Yet, a memorial is made on the sight of ground zero which is really an expression of Han. A positive expression of the pain and grief we continue to share, that in some small way, allows us to focus our grief, pain, and sorrow, into a reminder that we remember the past, but cling to the future because of hope.
Please note that in no way am I saying the events of 9/11 and this camping situation are anywhere near the same level of grief and pain. Lives were lost in 9/11 and is thus infinitely more severe.
As a pastor I want to offer a chance to express our collective Han in a positive way together. I know that the recent camping decision in our Missouri Annual Conference leaves many of us with a deep wound that perhaps has not found voice. I have read many blogs and comments arguing if the right decision was made or not. I have not found, however, a space where we can express our grief in away, that can provide hope collectively.
Some of you are more than ready to give voice to your pain and others are not yet. For some we may respond creatively, and for others we may respond with a simple prayer. It may be a poem, a song, a drawing, a play-dough sculpture, a picture of you in a camp shirt, of whatever form seems appropriate to you. Simply post your response in the comments and let us express our Han together so that we may be in solidarity with one another, regardless of if we support the decision or not. For we are United Methodists; so may we be united once more in this. May we support one another through our expression of Han so that we may continue to comfort one another. This is not an ending, of your pain, but merely an avenue by which it may find voice. I pray this forum allows you to feel heard and seen (at least by a community of support)
I will start:
Here is a picture of a cross given to me by a man here in Kennett. It was found in the basement of woman's house where it sat for nearly a decade. It is a cross made from Arizona cactus wood. The green outer skin fell away after the cactus died and the holes are where the spikes used to be. Someone along the line cut it to make it into the shape of the cross. I present it as a promise that in Christ all things are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is my prayer that through it all, Jesus Christ may bring a new sense of hope and peace to each of us.
If you are not able to express your pain in any creative way, I leave you with this fantastic blessing from scripture in Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." May the Spirit intercede even when words fail us.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Beginning from the end.
There once was a very religious man whose whole community was being flooded. He climbed to the roof of his house until God would step in to save him. Before too long, a small boat came by asking if he needed help getting to safety. The man replied, "No, I am waiting on God to help me." Soon after, another, bigger, boat came and asked the man if he needed help getting to safety. "No, God will come to my aid." the man replied. Finally, a helicopter came and offered to bring the man before the water overtook him. "No", the man said, "I trust that God, my deliverer, will rescue me." The man eventually drowned.
So the man found his way to heaven and asked God one question. "Why, did you not rescue me?" God replied, "I sent you two boats and a helicopter!"
Recently, the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church made an incredibly difficult decision to overhaul our camping ministry. This ministry has been around for decades, is operated out of 4 (used to be 5) camp sites that are all gorgeous and captivating. Thousands of lives have been changed and touched through this ministry. Mine included.
In fact, I spent 10 years of my life as a camp counselor, I learned to swim at Camp Wilderness, and accepted my call into ordained ministry there. I used the grounds for personal retreats, Church leadership training, Confirmation retreats, and even went to a couple of good friend's wedding right by the lake. To this day it is holy ground for me.
So the decision to release all camp staff from their positions and to close down all camping ministry as we now know it seems harsh and drastic to say the least. The formal publication coming out of the office claims largely a financial reason. As the $48,000 deficit for the year is only expected to expand in upcoming years, the need to do something is obvious.
Through the firestorm of social media offering vehicle for emotional responses, I want to offer a "bird's eye-view". Although the desire to start a fundraising campaign or to ask wealthy United Methodist to give sacrificially to save the camps sounds like a great idea--it could actually work and allow the camps to continue as we have been for another 5 or ten years.
I think this thinking is ultimately short sighted. What happened in 15 years, when those that gave so much to save the camps once are either less wealthy (thanks to our marketing campaigns to save the camps) or are no longer living? Are we simply going to have a capital campaign every quadrennium? Meanwhile camp costs will continue to stay at $350-$375 (a generous notion) per camper. As youth activities continue to eat up more time for kids, parents/guardians will have more and more activities to pay for. Since church's have the option to use the voucher system and pay for kids camp, church's will be left with a bigger and bigger bill at the end of each summer. Now when that every four year capital campaign comes around, churches that already pay $6000-$7,000 will be asked to give that much as well to save the camps all over again.
Eventually this entire system will collapse unless something changes. One day, if we continue as we have been, there will not be any camps at all, which means no more kids going to camp (United Methodist at least).
So, I would argue, that the folks who made this decision, didn't do it out of a need to save money, nor are they saying that money is more important than lives being changed. Exactly the opposite is true. The decision is made so that an entire generation of kids, who are not even born yet, might have a United Methodist camp to attend in their childhood. It is a needed a bold move to save an entire system from collapsing in on itself.
What is more, think about the alternative. If you live in a community like mine in which 25% of all residents live in poverty and would not ever be able to afford camp (registration, travel, food, etc.) then our current system really shuts them out unless a church adds it to an already expensive bill (something for which First Kennett has done proudly for years!) Instead, what if church camp took place at a city park or camps owned by the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America.
So in a single summer, one kid could go to United Methodist camp hosted at Camp Latonka. She could have an amazing week and connect the lake with the presence of God. Later that summer, the lake is not just a place where she earned her swimming badge, but it was a place that forever reminded her of a God who baptized her in nourishing waters that enabled her to get the badge in the first place.
Instead of retreating to disconnected places from the world (still a spiritual discipline--as an introvert I take my isolated retreats seriously), we could demonstrate to kids that God is ever present in their own community. In their own familiar grounds. Instead of God being disconnected from all other facets of one's life, we can teach kids that God is Emmanuel--God with us.
Like the man in the beginning joke. God will rescue us and deliver us into fruitful and vibrant ministry again. That is one thing of which I have no doubt. Unlike the man, I am thankful we have bold and courageous leaders who take the God-given boat. Faith without action is useless. (James 2). To trust in God is not to wait passively for God to change your circumstances, but to make the first step toward a new path.
No matter if you agree with my thinking or logic, I would hope that for all those who represent the Missouri Annual Conference (staff of a church, members of all our churches, and especially clergy) do not respond with hatred and fear. Let us not be against one another, but let us turn in love. Even in the midst of all our pain, anger, and resentment (none of which should be ignored or put aside--merely handled properly) let us remember to walk together.
With Grace,
Trevor W. Dancer
So the man found his way to heaven and asked God one question. "Why, did you not rescue me?" God replied, "I sent you two boats and a helicopter!"
Recently, the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church made an incredibly difficult decision to overhaul our camping ministry. This ministry has been around for decades, is operated out of 4 (used to be 5) camp sites that are all gorgeous and captivating. Thousands of lives have been changed and touched through this ministry. Mine included.
In fact, I spent 10 years of my life as a camp counselor, I learned to swim at Camp Wilderness, and accepted my call into ordained ministry there. I used the grounds for personal retreats, Church leadership training, Confirmation retreats, and even went to a couple of good friend's wedding right by the lake. To this day it is holy ground for me.
So the decision to release all camp staff from their positions and to close down all camping ministry as we now know it seems harsh and drastic to say the least. The formal publication coming out of the office claims largely a financial reason. As the $48,000 deficit for the year is only expected to expand in upcoming years, the need to do something is obvious.
Through the firestorm of social media offering vehicle for emotional responses, I want to offer a "bird's eye-view". Although the desire to start a fundraising campaign or to ask wealthy United Methodist to give sacrificially to save the camps sounds like a great idea--it could actually work and allow the camps to continue as we have been for another 5 or ten years.
I think this thinking is ultimately short sighted. What happened in 15 years, when those that gave so much to save the camps once are either less wealthy (thanks to our marketing campaigns to save the camps) or are no longer living? Are we simply going to have a capital campaign every quadrennium? Meanwhile camp costs will continue to stay at $350-$375 (a generous notion) per camper. As youth activities continue to eat up more time for kids, parents/guardians will have more and more activities to pay for. Since church's have the option to use the voucher system and pay for kids camp, church's will be left with a bigger and bigger bill at the end of each summer. Now when that every four year capital campaign comes around, churches that already pay $6000-$7,000 will be asked to give that much as well to save the camps all over again.
Eventually this entire system will collapse unless something changes. One day, if we continue as we have been, there will not be any camps at all, which means no more kids going to camp (United Methodist at least).
So, I would argue, that the folks who made this decision, didn't do it out of a need to save money, nor are they saying that money is more important than lives being changed. Exactly the opposite is true. The decision is made so that an entire generation of kids, who are not even born yet, might have a United Methodist camp to attend in their childhood. It is a needed a bold move to save an entire system from collapsing in on itself.
What is more, think about the alternative. If you live in a community like mine in which 25% of all residents live in poverty and would not ever be able to afford camp (registration, travel, food, etc.) then our current system really shuts them out unless a church adds it to an already expensive bill (something for which First Kennett has done proudly for years!) Instead, what if church camp took place at a city park or camps owned by the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America.
So in a single summer, one kid could go to United Methodist camp hosted at Camp Latonka. She could have an amazing week and connect the lake with the presence of God. Later that summer, the lake is not just a place where she earned her swimming badge, but it was a place that forever reminded her of a God who baptized her in nourishing waters that enabled her to get the badge in the first place.
Instead of retreating to disconnected places from the world (still a spiritual discipline--as an introvert I take my isolated retreats seriously), we could demonstrate to kids that God is ever present in their own community. In their own familiar grounds. Instead of God being disconnected from all other facets of one's life, we can teach kids that God is Emmanuel--God with us.
Like the man in the beginning joke. God will rescue us and deliver us into fruitful and vibrant ministry again. That is one thing of which I have no doubt. Unlike the man, I am thankful we have bold and courageous leaders who take the God-given boat. Faith without action is useless. (James 2). To trust in God is not to wait passively for God to change your circumstances, but to make the first step toward a new path.
No matter if you agree with my thinking or logic, I would hope that for all those who represent the Missouri Annual Conference (staff of a church, members of all our churches, and especially clergy) do not respond with hatred and fear. Let us not be against one another, but let us turn in love. Even in the midst of all our pain, anger, and resentment (none of which should be ignored or put aside--merely handled properly) let us remember to walk together.
With Grace,
Trevor W. Dancer
Thursday, October 3, 2013
When hopes hit the pavement
I remember what it was like when I finally accepted God's call on my life to enter into ordained ministry. I was walking around the Missouri State University in Springfield, MO around 2 AM. (That wasn't particularly interesting as that was a habit of mine for quite some time at that point in my life.) However, this walk took place after a night of an exceptional worship at our campus ministry. It was one of those experiences where God's presence was felt in a way that was both comforting and discomforting at the same time. I was excited for what God would do in my life, I was hopeful and filled with a renewed sense of trust and conviction that the most faithful step I could do at that point in my life was to become a pastor in God's church. That both gave me great encouragement and fear. Similar to waiting in line before riding a brand new roller coaster. It is exhilarating, and frightening.
I have a feeling that many of us have had such a moment if we take the time to reflect on our own life. Perhaps it was during a song we heard in worship or a sermon that wiggled it's way into our soul and sparked our imagination, maybe it was in an embrace from a friend at just the right moment, or taking a small piece of bread and juice and participating in holy communion just after a weekend in which you felt unworthy to receive God's grace.
These moments are Christ experiences. These moments remind us that we are created by a good God who has a plan and purpose for us. These are often called "Mountain Top" experiences that give us a metaphor of the elevation we feel in our spirit and soul. It is a moment entirely different than the norm.
In Mark 1, Peter is out fishing, which means he wasn't good enough to become a Rabbi, he was the B team to the religious leaders, but Jesus gave him a call, a belonging, an acceptance. He says to Peter, "Come and follow me and I will teach you to fish for people". That was it. No explanation, no more details, no sense of security either. That was the call and challenge to Peter. I can imagine Peter's excitement about this new call, this new vision for his life. This was a Christ experience for him. We know this because Peter dropped everything and followed him. He took that leap of faith and followed, even without knowing really where he was headed. He was getting ready to begin a path of life that would lead him to see amazing things, begin the christian movement that would soon become a global phenomenon, and forever chisel his name in the anals of history.
Later, however, his vision and vigor for this new ministry become more real. His hopes began to hit pavement. In Mark 8, after Jesus had fed the mobs of 5000 and 4000 miraculously, Jesus and his disciples are yet again in a position to feed people. Peter, once again doesn't get it and Jesus chastises him for it. Jesus says, "Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?" You can almost see the heart of Peter get increasingly heavy and his eyes begin to tear up. The romantic and high idealistic hope he had the beginning came crashing down into the mundane actuality of the work. His dreams began to take on more concrete forms and he began to discover the difficult work that was involved to achieve all that God had for him.
I think we as Christians get so disheartened in our faith journey and in our churches because we love to celebrate the high ideals of Christ. We proclaim that we accept everyone and are excited to see what God is doing in our church, but when reality sets in, when the journey is taking longer than expected, or the road to the destination is not as fun as we had hoped, we began, like the ancient israelites, to return home. To reject and leave behind whatever great hopes we had before. When hope hits the pavement, instead of continuing on until we receive God's blessings, it is easy to get upset and go the other way. Or to leave the church altogether.
I just learned recently that an Impala (the animal and not the car) can jump 30 feet in length and 9 feet high. This amazing animal is limited however, by the fact that it won't jump unless you can see where it will land. So at the zoo in Dallas all that contains this gifted animal is a three foot wall. Since the animal can't see over the wall to where it would land, the impala is kept contained. If fear grabs hold of us and we want to return home, we are no better off than the impala. We are contained within the prison of fear of our own construction.
But here is why I love Peter. He didn't give up. He marched on continuing to follow Jesus even though he felt absolutely dumb and unworthy. He continued up the mountain of the Transfiguration, he was the only one to get out of the boat and walk with Jesus on the water, he was the one to defend Jesus when being arrested, and he was the one who swam to the shore to meet the resurrected Christ. If we can learn anything from Peter it is this: When hopes hit the pavement, keep on going. Don't return to the way things are, always be moving forward even if it hurts and leaves it's fair share of scares. Because no matter what may come, resurrection is the last and final victory.
If you are reading this and find yourself in a difficult situation, I pray that Peter's example will encourage and inspire you to keep on going. I pray that the kingdom of God is worth more to you than your fear of rejection or alienation. I pray that you embrace all that God has for you, and are willing to run the race, even when your hopes it pavement. May the peace of our resurrected Christ be with you, today, and forever more. Amen.
I have a feeling that many of us have had such a moment if we take the time to reflect on our own life. Perhaps it was during a song we heard in worship or a sermon that wiggled it's way into our soul and sparked our imagination, maybe it was in an embrace from a friend at just the right moment, or taking a small piece of bread and juice and participating in holy communion just after a weekend in which you felt unworthy to receive God's grace.
These moments are Christ experiences. These moments remind us that we are created by a good God who has a plan and purpose for us. These are often called "Mountain Top" experiences that give us a metaphor of the elevation we feel in our spirit and soul. It is a moment entirely different than the norm.
In Mark 1, Peter is out fishing, which means he wasn't good enough to become a Rabbi, he was the B team to the religious leaders, but Jesus gave him a call, a belonging, an acceptance. He says to Peter, "Come and follow me and I will teach you to fish for people". That was it. No explanation, no more details, no sense of security either. That was the call and challenge to Peter. I can imagine Peter's excitement about this new call, this new vision for his life. This was a Christ experience for him. We know this because Peter dropped everything and followed him. He took that leap of faith and followed, even without knowing really where he was headed. He was getting ready to begin a path of life that would lead him to see amazing things, begin the christian movement that would soon become a global phenomenon, and forever chisel his name in the anals of history.
Later, however, his vision and vigor for this new ministry become more real. His hopes began to hit pavement. In Mark 8, after Jesus had fed the mobs of 5000 and 4000 miraculously, Jesus and his disciples are yet again in a position to feed people. Peter, once again doesn't get it and Jesus chastises him for it. Jesus says, "Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?" You can almost see the heart of Peter get increasingly heavy and his eyes begin to tear up. The romantic and high idealistic hope he had the beginning came crashing down into the mundane actuality of the work. His dreams began to take on more concrete forms and he began to discover the difficult work that was involved to achieve all that God had for him.
I think we as Christians get so disheartened in our faith journey and in our churches because we love to celebrate the high ideals of Christ. We proclaim that we accept everyone and are excited to see what God is doing in our church, but when reality sets in, when the journey is taking longer than expected, or the road to the destination is not as fun as we had hoped, we began, like the ancient israelites, to return home. To reject and leave behind whatever great hopes we had before. When hope hits the pavement, instead of continuing on until we receive God's blessings, it is easy to get upset and go the other way. Or to leave the church altogether.
I just learned recently that an Impala (the animal and not the car) can jump 30 feet in length and 9 feet high. This amazing animal is limited however, by the fact that it won't jump unless you can see where it will land. So at the zoo in Dallas all that contains this gifted animal is a three foot wall. Since the animal can't see over the wall to where it would land, the impala is kept contained. If fear grabs hold of us and we want to return home, we are no better off than the impala. We are contained within the prison of fear of our own construction.
But here is why I love Peter. He didn't give up. He marched on continuing to follow Jesus even though he felt absolutely dumb and unworthy. He continued up the mountain of the Transfiguration, he was the only one to get out of the boat and walk with Jesus on the water, he was the one to defend Jesus when being arrested, and he was the one who swam to the shore to meet the resurrected Christ. If we can learn anything from Peter it is this: When hopes hit the pavement, keep on going. Don't return to the way things are, always be moving forward even if it hurts and leaves it's fair share of scares. Because no matter what may come, resurrection is the last and final victory.
If you are reading this and find yourself in a difficult situation, I pray that Peter's example will encourage and inspire you to keep on going. I pray that the kingdom of God is worth more to you than your fear of rejection or alienation. I pray that you embrace all that God has for you, and are willing to run the race, even when your hopes it pavement. May the peace of our resurrected Christ be with you, today, and forever more. Amen.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Joseph, Alanis Morisette, and Jack-O-Lanterns
The connection between the Old Testament character of Joseph and the 90's angry rocker Alanis Morisette may not be entirely clear at first. But stay with me, for their connection has more to do with us than what may be guessed.
You see, in 1995, Alanis created a widely popular album Jagged Little Pill. In the grunge era that was the 90's this album made sense. It was an era of teenage anger and a desire to be different, to not conform. Furthermore, Alanis was a woman. This angry chick rocker bolstered the imagination of teenage girls (and guys) all across America. Her feminine voice was able to turn heart felt resentment and pain into a melody that spoke well beyond the words and into the soul. Her topics of betrayal, adultery, and drugs, albeit dark, were ever present in teenagers since long before the 90's. Her generation of musicians simply brought them to the forefront and made them relevant. So in some ways her song You Oughta Know became the anthem for teenage (and adult) heartache. Likewise, Ironic became the melody of satire for the 90's, a time when the economy was booming, unemployment was going down, drugs and divorce were on the rise. She was was right, isn't it ironic.
During 1995 and 1996, her popularity ballooned. She was constantly on the road performing, going on talk shows, signing autographs, and still writing more music. What nobody until afterward was how unfulfilled she was. (Ironic should be playing in your head) She became a household name, her wealth was growing exponentially, but yet she felt dissatisfied. So in 1997, after she became wildly popular, she disappeared. Everyone was waiting to see what hit song she would wright next, what anthem would she create to speak to a generation. This caused a greta deal of fear in her, for she was held to such a high esteem that to not release a hit signified something less in her. Put another way, her self-worth and worth from others was directly related to how well she made music. So in her fear, bewilderment, and disillusionment, she went to India.
Her time in India was not unlike Malcolm X's trip to Mecca in 1964. Alanis was soul searching, and experiencing the world very much different than was she had been through in the last two years. Because of the stress she was under by her producer, manager, and even fans, she became very ill. She witnessed the class system that remains in India and the poverty that is prevalent in some parts. All of this bent the world she thought she knew into the reality that it really is. The outcome? The experimental song Thank-You.
Unlike her angry grunge music before, she wrote a song of thanks. The lyrics to this song are rich enough to deserve their own blog post, but even then it would cheapen the song that it is. You will have to listen to it for yourself. And I don't know if she "found" the Christian God or not, but I do believe she found real purpose, real worth and value in herself--she experienced a kind of resurrection.
You may remember Joseph in the Old testament. He was the most loved of his siblings, to the point that his father made him a coat of many colors, a fact for which the rest of his brothers hated him. Anyway, as the story goes on, they threw him in a pit, told their father he was killed, and sold him into slavery. While in Egyptian slavery, he was framed, thrown in jail, and literally at the lowest point in his life. If anyone had a reason to be discouraged, disillusioned, thankless, and desiring vengeance, it would be Joseph. But he didn't, he clung to God despite his position, and in the end experienced a kind of resurrection as well. He became the number 2 man in Egypt who organized a Co-Op in order to have enough food for the impending famine that was coming in the land. Guess who he got to save because he didn't give into resentment and anger? His own brothers. (The story is long but good, go read it in Genesis).
Both of these stories, one ancient and one modern, offer examples of what resurrection looks like. It is more than a term to describe eternal life after death, for far too many of us are dying while we yet live. Jesus came to offer life abundantly, not to wait until there is no more air in our lungs. Resurrection is a bit like a Jack-O-Lantern. In order to have the cool effect of shapes carved into Fall harvest produce, first you must clean it out. You must clean out the icky, gooey mess that would prevent the light from coming out of it. For you, maybe it is resentment, frustration with where your life has been, dissatisfied with your family or work, unhappy with your church or community, maybe you are simply jealous of others around you. The truth is, we all have junk inside us that prevent us from being who we really can be. Thank-You is my favorite Alanis song. Without her willingness to self-reflect on the stuff in her life and the stuff that built up while she was becoming so successful, that song may never have been written, and the world would be a less place for it. So, too unless you are able to let go of the crap that holds you back, the world is less because of it.
So as we approach this Lenten season, may it be for you a time of soul cleaning, of restoration, and of resurrection. The world needs more pumpkins who let their light shine brilliantly, because in some ways, the more you let your light shine, the more you give permission for others to do the same.
During 1995 and 1996, her popularity ballooned. She was constantly on the road performing, going on talk shows, signing autographs, and still writing more music. What nobody until afterward was how unfulfilled she was. (Ironic should be playing in your head) She became a household name, her wealth was growing exponentially, but yet she felt dissatisfied. So in 1997, after she became wildly popular, she disappeared. Everyone was waiting to see what hit song she would wright next, what anthem would she create to speak to a generation. This caused a greta deal of fear in her, for she was held to such a high esteem that to not release a hit signified something less in her. Put another way, her self-worth and worth from others was directly related to how well she made music. So in her fear, bewilderment, and disillusionment, she went to India.
Her time in India was not unlike Malcolm X's trip to Mecca in 1964. Alanis was soul searching, and experiencing the world very much different than was she had been through in the last two years. Because of the stress she was under by her producer, manager, and even fans, she became very ill. She witnessed the class system that remains in India and the poverty that is prevalent in some parts. All of this bent the world she thought she knew into the reality that it really is. The outcome? The experimental song Thank-You.
Unlike her angry grunge music before, she wrote a song of thanks. The lyrics to this song are rich enough to deserve their own blog post, but even then it would cheapen the song that it is. You will have to listen to it for yourself. And I don't know if she "found" the Christian God or not, but I do believe she found real purpose, real worth and value in herself--she experienced a kind of resurrection.
You may remember Joseph in the Old testament. He was the most loved of his siblings, to the point that his father made him a coat of many colors, a fact for which the rest of his brothers hated him. Anyway, as the story goes on, they threw him in a pit, told their father he was killed, and sold him into slavery. While in Egyptian slavery, he was framed, thrown in jail, and literally at the lowest point in his life. If anyone had a reason to be discouraged, disillusioned, thankless, and desiring vengeance, it would be Joseph. But he didn't, he clung to God despite his position, and in the end experienced a kind of resurrection as well. He became the number 2 man in Egypt who organized a Co-Op in order to have enough food for the impending famine that was coming in the land. Guess who he got to save because he didn't give into resentment and anger? His own brothers. (The story is long but good, go read it in Genesis).
Both of these stories, one ancient and one modern, offer examples of what resurrection looks like. It is more than a term to describe eternal life after death, for far too many of us are dying while we yet live. Jesus came to offer life abundantly, not to wait until there is no more air in our lungs. Resurrection is a bit like a Jack-O-Lantern. In order to have the cool effect of shapes carved into Fall harvest produce, first you must clean it out. You must clean out the icky, gooey mess that would prevent the light from coming out of it. For you, maybe it is resentment, frustration with where your life has been, dissatisfied with your family or work, unhappy with your church or community, maybe you are simply jealous of others around you. The truth is, we all have junk inside us that prevent us from being who we really can be. Thank-You is my favorite Alanis song. Without her willingness to self-reflect on the stuff in her life and the stuff that built up while she was becoming so successful, that song may never have been written, and the world would be a less place for it. So, too unless you are able to let go of the crap that holds you back, the world is less because of it.
So as we approach this Lenten season, may it be for you a time of soul cleaning, of restoration, and of resurrection. The world needs more pumpkins who let their light shine brilliantly, because in some ways, the more you let your light shine, the more you give permission for others to do the same.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
"Everything Will be Alright"
The events of December 14th, 2012 cause us to take a deep breath. They are moments that once upon a time we thought would never happen. Similar to 9/11, we as a country were reminded that we are not invincible, we do not live in a protective bubble, safe from harm. Even the events of Oct 2nd, 2006 in which a gunmen murdered some of the nation's most peaceful, the Amish, remind us that no banner of religion creates such a safe bubble either. Or consider the events of November 5th, 2012, a young girl was spraying graffiti on the side of a church while worship was taking place inside. When two worshipers tried to stop her, they were gunned down by a man in a car across the street. Houses of worship are no safer than school buildings or shopping malls. So at some point, we must recognize that we all live in places where "we didn't think this could happen here" is a phrase that simply doesn't make sense.
Furthermore, some responses offered by others to comfort those who are grieving only add to the pain. God does not "need another angel" in heaven and thus fulfilled this need by having your child brutally murdered. A violent death is not somehow part of some divine plan that we are not privy to. No, God creates and redeems. Does God destroy, yes of course, but not at the hands of violent human beings. Death is a part of life, it is the other side of being created as finite creatures, but death by murder does not glorify God, does not speak of God's character and therefore, is not of God. Therefore, let us not attempt comfort at the expense of God's character; let us not belittle God's power robbing God of the chance to bring redemption out of chaos.
Even though we may so desperately want to comfort, and rightly so. As Christian people, I believe our response is to offer hope in place of fear, and love in place of vengeance or retaliation. In Revelation 22, it is said that God will create a new Heaven and a New Earth. Without getting into the exact details of this (which we cannot know yet) suffice it to say that God creates newness when we only see death and destruction. Is the death of 28 people part of God's plan, absolutely not. Is God mourning with us, absolutely yes. It was in the darkest of nights, in the hardest of circumstances that Jesus Christ was born into the world to give us new life. So too, it is in these dark days, that we pray God to work most powerfully among us. May we be God's agents of healing and hope in a world inundated with death and loss, may we offer signs of God's continuing love and mercy as we await so desperately, the Advent of God's redemptive work.
The pain and loss will not go away, but just as sure as there is Resurrection of the body, so too there is of the soul. May God grant us patience and peace as we seek to support and love on those of us who hurt the most.
Finally, I serve a blessed church in Kennett, MO, where after the events of 9/11, a second grade class wrote a book offering signs of hope. The book was simply called "September 12th: We Knew Everything Would Be Alright". The premise of the book was that the sun still rose, teachers still greeted their students, homework was still assigned, and they knew that all would be alright. I pray we continue to learn from those students. The sun still rises, parents still cling to their children, and churches still sing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", and therefore all will be alright.
Furthermore, some responses offered by others to comfort those who are grieving only add to the pain. God does not "need another angel" in heaven and thus fulfilled this need by having your child brutally murdered. A violent death is not somehow part of some divine plan that we are not privy to. No, God creates and redeems. Does God destroy, yes of course, but not at the hands of violent human beings. Death is a part of life, it is the other side of being created as finite creatures, but death by murder does not glorify God, does not speak of God's character and therefore, is not of God. Therefore, let us not attempt comfort at the expense of God's character; let us not belittle God's power robbing God of the chance to bring redemption out of chaos.
Even though we may so desperately want to comfort, and rightly so. As Christian people, I believe our response is to offer hope in place of fear, and love in place of vengeance or retaliation. In Revelation 22, it is said that God will create a new Heaven and a New Earth. Without getting into the exact details of this (which we cannot know yet) suffice it to say that God creates newness when we only see death and destruction. Is the death of 28 people part of God's plan, absolutely not. Is God mourning with us, absolutely yes. It was in the darkest of nights, in the hardest of circumstances that Jesus Christ was born into the world to give us new life. So too, it is in these dark days, that we pray God to work most powerfully among us. May we be God's agents of healing and hope in a world inundated with death and loss, may we offer signs of God's continuing love and mercy as we await so desperately, the Advent of God's redemptive work.
The pain and loss will not go away, but just as sure as there is Resurrection of the body, so too there is of the soul. May God grant us patience and peace as we seek to support and love on those of us who hurt the most.
Finally, I serve a blessed church in Kennett, MO, where after the events of 9/11, a second grade class wrote a book offering signs of hope. The book was simply called "September 12th: We Knew Everything Would Be Alright". The premise of the book was that the sun still rose, teachers still greeted their students, homework was still assigned, and they knew that all would be alright. I pray we continue to learn from those students. The sun still rises, parents still cling to their children, and churches still sing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", and therefore all will be alright.
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