Category: Uncategorized Page 60 of 71

This post is a follow-up to one posted a couple days ago.

The literary background of my readers has become clear. The only two who felt some inclination to respond admitted that it had been several centuries since they last read it.

My response to my correspondent’s angst concerning Crime and Punishment was quick but without a great deal of deep thought. I hope it is sufficient to keep her reading.

Uh-oh. Now I’m in trouble! Sorry you bought it. I could have lent it to you and you could have thrown it across the room and stomped on it.

I did not say that it was a feel good novel! You ought to notice, however, that what Raskolnikov had to do in order to justify the elimination of this ‘unworthy piece of humanity’ was to dehumanize her. He had to redefine her as a louse. (This you will recognize is the logic of the terrorist and the abortionist. Very relevant.) But he ends up dehumanizing himself, and whenever there seems to be a move towards real humanity arising from his soul, he stomps on it.

I’m not sure you will find him an appealing character ever. Redemption is only slight in this novel. But there is yet something sobering and helpful in seeing the humanity that exists in the poor and even the sinful –such as you will find in Sonya.

Anyway, if you read further and still find it troubling, please don’t take this out on me with an axe…

I’d still like to hear the responses of others who have read the book, or of those who have hesitated reading it.

A literary detonation is perhaps not as powerful as a nuclear one, but close!

I have mentioned now and then Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment in sermons. These mentions have been peripheral and slight, but I’ve made no secret that I find Dostoevsky fascinating. So, as it goes, sometimes someone will take me seriously. And that can get me in trouble. Today I received an e-mail (reprinted here by permission):

“Thanks so much for talking about ‘Crime and Punishment’ like it was a classic that needed to be read – I went out and bought it, and now I’m thoroughly disgusted and disturbed!  I’ve only made it to the crime part, where he just bashed in the heads of the mean pawnbroker and her poor simpering sister, and I haven’t cracked it since Monday.

”This better get better….“

Do I detect an ‘or else’ in that last statement? Yikes! I’m not sure now what she hasn’t ‘cracked since Monday’, but I appeal to her to stay away from axes!

I do understand her frustration. The ‘crime’ occurs about one-quarter into the book, and is very brutal and very senseless, but it is an act that is consistent with the philosophic presuppositions of the perpetrator. I did respond to her, but before I share my response, I’d like others of you to take a shot at doing so. I’d like to know what you think.

Technorati Tags: Literature

On Saturday night, the Saturday Night at the Movies crew in our house watched the 2004 movie Saved! in anticipation of discussing this on Sunday morning. I did not really want to watch it, but surprisingly (to me) I liked it.

I liked it for a couple reasons. First, I liked the way it exposed how silly some of our Christian behaviors can be or can appear to the outside world. I liked the foibles it exposed which prevent us from communicating clearly with the world. We can learn from such exposure.

And I think I liked the fact that those pilloried were far enough removed from my own particular slice of the Christian subculture that I could avoid feeling directly attacked and could feel superior to those who are closer to that segment. And seeing that in me hurts. I’m really no different than those mocked in the film. This sense of Christian superiority is the very thing which is exposed, and which I so easily fall into.

As a satire this movie worked, as satire is supposed to have exaggerated characters. But as I’ve reflected on it, I’m left with a couple of less than favorable impressions. The first is that satire of one’s subculture should come from those within the subculture itself. When satire comes from the outside, it can easily be seen as ridicule. I wonder if the producers of this film really intended it to be ridicule, and whether, therefore, we should be more offended than we are that someone would attack some of our own. (No matter how I want to distance myself from those exposed, they are Christians.)

My other concern is this: the film itself, in condemning the preachiness of conservative Christians, cannot avoid the same ‘crime’ of being ‘preachy’. The film ends with a ‘sermon’ about how God made us all different, and therefore we should all be accepted – gay/straight, able/disabled, Jew/Gentile. The only unacceptable difference are hypocritical preachy types. I wonder if the producers can see that they have skewered themselves with their own sword?

Not likely.

Technorati Tags: Movies

I am an emerging blogger.

No, not that kind of emerging. I am certainly not hip enough for that. Rather, I am emerging from under a pile of other stuff to actually compose a post for this blog. I’m doing this because 75% of my readers (that is, three of you) have urged me to do so.

I ceased posting simply because I could not find a time that could be slotted as ‘blog time’. I sense value in posting here. However, there are many things that are worthwhile for a pastor to do. There must be a slot in the schedule for this to happen, if it is going to happen. I’ve not been willing to bump other important things for this.

Part of the time crunch for me has been two of my children getting married in the past eight weeks. That has been something of a (happy!) distraction. But that is only part of the picture.

Some other things have peeled away and has freed up some slots of time, so here I am, back, emerging from the pile I’ve been under.

I will not be as diligent as my energetic colleague Geoff. I aim for at least one post per week, ordinarily on Monday. There will be some eager weeks which will have more, and there will be off weeks when there will be nothing. But if I can meet the small goal, perhaps the goal can be increased.

We’ll see. For those of you who missed this, thanks for the encouragement!

Technorati Tags: Blogging

In response to an earlier post, a friend replied with a question:

“How does an introverted mom of four young children recharge?”

I’ve never been an introverted mom – actually, I’ve never been a mom of any stripe. So, I thought I’d throw this question out for consideration. I know that the number of readers of this blog could probably be crammed into a VW bus with lots of room to spare. However, that does not mean there is not wisdom out there.

The questioner, I believe, recognizes this distinction between the introvert and the extrovert: the introvert recharges, draws renewed strength for interaction with others, by being alone. The extrovert recharges, is energized, not drained, by being with others. What does the poor introverted mother do to find that alone time that she needs in order to regain her energy and perspective?

Here is one idea, though I’m not sure we would recommend it.

Any suggestions, other than large dosages of drugs for the children?

Received a few minutes ago an e-mail message from a friend in South Africa urging us to pray for an area in eastern Uganda where an outbreak of ebola virus is being experienced. This is personally of interest since a seminary classmate of mine lives as a missionary in the very town where the outbreak has occurred. He and his family are currently out of the country, but some of his colleagues are still there. One has already died from the disease, along with dozens of others since the outbreak was reported ten days ago.

The question which medical missionaries face in such circumstances is whether to stay and care for the sick and dying, at the risk of one’s own life, or to flee.

I sit here in the comfort of my own home, the most critical crisis being a broken stove (more on that, hopefully, later). I blog, but about largely trivial things. I would encourage you, however, to begin to peruse the blog of Scott and Jennifer Myhre. This is a couple seeking to minister the grace of Jesus in the heart of the infected region. This gives us a window into life in the midst of tragedy as it happens on the other side of the world. Read this and pray.

“Don’t panic.” This is the best advice to come from England since “tea is meant to be bitter, like beer is meant to be bitter”. That it was not made famous by a Christian is too bad, but it is great advice.

Everywhere I turn, I encounter more dire warnings and urgent alerts regarding The Golden Compass. This is going to be the most well known new movie release among Christians since The DaVinci Code.

I was handed an article today by Albert Mohler regarding this movie and the books upon which it is based. I was worried that it would be another voice fanning the hysteria.

It isn’t. Mohler clearly states the content and agenda of the books. Of this we should be aware. But he does not recommend a shrill response, but a reasoned one.

He admits that we face a real challenge… but the challenge is not the movie(s) themselves. The challenge is to respond carefully and winsomely to the movie(s).

We should be grieved whenever Christ is attacked and whenever his work is mocked. But we should not panic. Those who do not trust in the providence of God panic. But we should not panic. Christ is still on the throne. He is building his church. And the novels of Pullman shall not prevail against it.

By the way, the tea advice? That was George Orwell. We have Douglas Adams to think for the other.

Many have asked how our meetings discussing race went in November. These have been mention here before, here, here, and here. I’d like to take a few moments to report on those meetings. They were, shall we say, interesting.

Several of us at the church have brainstormed ways in which we can expose an uninterested world to a Christian world view. Most people are NOT going to come to us to hear what we have to say. Is there a way to go to them in a forum in which they are prepared to listen?

In as experiment, nearly a year ago, we sponsored a series of four lunch meetings at a location near downtown Bradenton. We spoke on the subject of work, and we did so from a consciously Christian point of view. These meetings were moderately successful as many of those who came were non-Christians who came because someone else, a Christian friend, asked them to come.

This was moderately successful. So we tweaked our ideas a bit and decided to do this again, on a different topic – the topic of race. Realizing that this was a huge topic, we determined to reduce the issue to that of personal racial prejudice. We approached this from the point of view that we all, as sinners, treasure in our hearts prejudice to some degree, judgments of others based upon our own pride or fear or idolatry.

We held these four luncheons for four successive Thursdays in November.

Was this successful? Judged by our objectives, it does not seem so. But judged on the merit of what was done, it may seem that God had other ideas for these sessions, and was producing his own success.

The sessions were well attended – nearly 25 on one day – but not by those we had set out to address. Unlike last time, few who were invited came. Rather, the bulk of those who came did so as a result of a newspaper article in which Pastor James Roberts and I were interviewed concerning our intentions.

The result was one of the most theologically and politically diverse groups of people I’ve ever addressed. We had Roman Catholics and Unitarians, black Baptists and white presbyterians. We had people who have served on local Republican committees and we had members of local Democratic groups. I wondered whether some of those who had come would have stayed to hear me talk if they had known how conservative I am politically!

What drew this disparate group together was a common sorrow over the racial divisions which exist in our world today. Geoff and I, and Pastor Roberts, did our best to emphasize that these prejudices begin in the human heart. They are at root spiritual issues.

Our audience was comprised primarily of those who believed that they had dealt with their prejudices. And, as our culture conceives of prejudice – white vs. black – they had. But we are never fully free from judgments leveled against others because of their color or culture or status. At least two people came to me after it was all over, one of whom had been jailed during civil rights marches in Mississippi in the 60s, to thank us, as these sessions allowed them to realize the depth of the prejudice they hold against others.

I’m not sure what God intends to do with this. We think that this needs to be seen as a first step in a direction. But to this point w are unclear where God would have us take this next.

Thanks for your prayers!

It’s easy!

It’s fun!

It’s a hoot!

Elf yourself by clicking here.

To see an example click here! (Watch my son, my grandson, my wife, and I dispense with our dignity.)

UPDATE: Somehow in the original post, the example was NOT the one intended, but my niece’s children. I THINK I’ve fixed it.

Introverts refuel by being alone. Extroverts refuel by getting with people. Being essentially introvertish, I’m cloistering for a day or two to recover from a wonderful Thanksgiving Day holiday. As the picture here shows, everyone was with us for the weekend. Adria was here with her fiancé Gamaliel, Matthew with is fiancé Allissa, as well as all the usual local suspects, including a happy reunion with our dear friend Kim Doane from Orlando. People everywhere, and we were blessed.

Thanksgiving Day itself was delightful. We began with a joint worship service with St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church. Yes, one joint service per year does not really remove the segregation that plagues American churches, but it serves as a step towards heart softening and perhaps gives us a longing for a deeper and richer relationship together.

Dinner was satisfying and happy, and shared with our good friends Gus and Adri Espino. We conclude dinner with everyone sharing the things for which he or she is most thankful (written on pieces of paper and shared around the table). One of Colin’s was, “I’m thankful that I was adopted by a Christian family.” We can never quite tell what goes on in that active seven year old brain of his.

This was all followed by our annual family kickball game. I know, a strange tradition, this one. But it serves as a fun way to work off some of the food just eaten and to make room for pie. The teams were divided by gender. The game was called after two innings, with the score…. Well, it would be in bad taste to share the score, but the leading team had about twenty runs ahead of the losing team.

Barb and I at one point looked at all the members of the family and were HUGELY humbled to realize that all of these, all whom we love so much and all of whom we are so proud, have come to us by God’s grace. Just over 28 years ago, there were but two of us. We have a lot to be thankful for.

And I need a couple days to recover.