I watched the news this morning with a mix of emotions. The Democrats and the Republicans are angling for the Christian vote. Senator Obama is going to be wooing evangelicals and Senator McCain was portrayed as the candidate without the religious ‘credentials’ in this campaign. This is one reason the theoretical pursuit of a ‘public theology’ has not progressed very far in the last month. The public debate is being run from the political leadership of the nation, not from the church leadership of the nation. And that is how it should be. If a pastor or the leader of a church wants to get into the political arena, more power to them. But I have found myself rethinking the ‘rank and file’ Christian response to public leadership.
There needs to a ‘public theology’ for certain. But that theology should be the church working out its salvation message in fear and trembling against the backdrop of the public arena.
I found it fascinating because this was the lead story on “Good Morning America” today. We are framed in the news reporting as a constituency. I suppose we are, but a constituency full of dynamic Spirit, and a constituency as divided as the number of churches you will find in any neighborhood.
I come out of the mainline, the evangelical wing to be sure, but the mainline. This news reporting was about the evangelical community, not us. They have voices raised in the public debate. I know, “us and them”, a polarizing definition, but it carries perceptive weight in our country.
My ‘public theology’ brings Biblical truth, brings Spirit-filled interpretation, brings the salvific work of Jesus Christ to the public sphere. It cautions against the excesses of power, it stands as a voice to speak grace in a sin filled world where men and women of good character make the best sin-filled choice to tackle a more sin-filled world. The idea of the chaplain, the bringer of religious truth and comfort to a difficult world, speaks strongly to me.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Passing of a Humanist Prophet
George Carlin was just called home to wherever comics who profess no religious affiliation and have their work kicked to the Supreme Court on an obscenities charge go. For him, at best it seemed that God didn't care.
It was especially powerful when, in his standup, he questioned why politicians are forever ending their speeches with "God bless America" or "God bless the USA". He concludes that God doesn't care about America or any of the other two hundred or so countries around the world that blessing us would apparently preclude from divine intervention.
He also said something very interesting in an interview they replayed with him on NPR. I don't have the quote exactly right and I have not gone back to the podcast, but it goes along the lines of God has created an order here on the earth and religions stomp all over that order with their rules for living and threats of damnation for not living it right.
This from the man who gave us seven words you can't say on TV.
I think the man has a prophetic voice. We live in a nation where there are Christians-some of whom prefer to call themselves 'followers of Jesus' rather than Christians-are trying to steer government to a 'Christian' agenda. That runs the gambit from promoting Israel to bring Armageddon through a thick set of 'prayer cells' across Washington DC's power elite that have confused American expansionist ambition with the order of Jesus to a conservative wing of the church as a whole that would legislate their own social agenda, barring abortion, barring homosexual marriage, barring frank discussion of sexual practice among our young people-and weaving such language into our foreign policy.
George Carlin saw the absurdity of it all and that became the basis for his social commentary-that also made us laugh. He also had a potty mouth which I am ashamed to admit made me laugh all the more.
And he played a Cardinal in the movie "Dogma", which is a review for another day.
It was especially powerful when, in his standup, he questioned why politicians are forever ending their speeches with "God bless America" or "God bless the USA". He concludes that God doesn't care about America or any of the other two hundred or so countries around the world that blessing us would apparently preclude from divine intervention.
He also said something very interesting in an interview they replayed with him on NPR. I don't have the quote exactly right and I have not gone back to the podcast, but it goes along the lines of God has created an order here on the earth and religions stomp all over that order with their rules for living and threats of damnation for not living it right.
This from the man who gave us seven words you can't say on TV.
I think the man has a prophetic voice. We live in a nation where there are Christians-some of whom prefer to call themselves 'followers of Jesus' rather than Christians-are trying to steer government to a 'Christian' agenda. That runs the gambit from promoting Israel to bring Armageddon through a thick set of 'prayer cells' across Washington DC's power elite that have confused American expansionist ambition with the order of Jesus to a conservative wing of the church as a whole that would legislate their own social agenda, barring abortion, barring homosexual marriage, barring frank discussion of sexual practice among our young people-and weaving such language into our foreign policy.
George Carlin saw the absurdity of it all and that became the basis for his social commentary-that also made us laugh. He also had a potty mouth which I am ashamed to admit made me laugh all the more.
And he played a Cardinal in the movie "Dogma", which is a review for another day.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Where Scripture and Confession Define Our Work
In ten years as a member of this Presbytery, I have had come into my possession a document as part of our Presbytery meeting packets a piece that has the single greatest concentration of Biblical and Confessional sourcing of anything in my experience.
I am thrilled to have it, but the circumstances are a little depressing.
The references come out of a lengthy transcript of work done by the Permanent Judicial Commission of our Presbytery. In other words, it comes out of the courts of the church. The details of the case are not important. It struck me that the most rigorously biblical and confessional examination of our work as a church comes from its legal branch.
Judicial process is very highly developed in the PCUSA. I would direct you to Appendix A of the 2007-2009 Book of Order where there are more than 50 forms on more than 33 pages to make sure due process is carried forward.
I can't help but wonder if we carried on with that same rigor in all our activities, if life might not be very different in our church. There was a news item from the PCUSA newswire about a consideration before our GA to get a better translation of the Heidelberg Catechism. Amen! Amen! Amen! I grew up on that one in my Reformed heritage.
One commentary I have seen from the Reformed Right is that modern biblical criticism, by its very nature of applying general literary standards to the bible, have de-emphasized its unique and divine placement in our churches. That de-emphasis has lent itself to a decline in knowledge of the bible, much less the Confessions that we draw our primary biblical interpretation from.
What really frustrates me is a nagging thought, in my more ironic moments, that our judicial process has to be so rigorous because if it is not, it opens itself up to countersuit, perhaps even lawsuit in the secular courts. So we are thorough to cover our behinds, what does that say about our priorities?
I am thrilled to have it, but the circumstances are a little depressing.
The references come out of a lengthy transcript of work done by the Permanent Judicial Commission of our Presbytery. In other words, it comes out of the courts of the church. The details of the case are not important. It struck me that the most rigorously biblical and confessional examination of our work as a church comes from its legal branch.
Judicial process is very highly developed in the PCUSA. I would direct you to Appendix A of the 2007-2009 Book of Order where there are more than 50 forms on more than 33 pages to make sure due process is carried forward.
I can't help but wonder if we carried on with that same rigor in all our activities, if life might not be very different in our church. There was a news item from the PCUSA newswire about a consideration before our GA to get a better translation of the Heidelberg Catechism. Amen! Amen! Amen! I grew up on that one in my Reformed heritage.
One commentary I have seen from the Reformed Right is that modern biblical criticism, by its very nature of applying general literary standards to the bible, have de-emphasized its unique and divine placement in our churches. That de-emphasis has lent itself to a decline in knowledge of the bible, much less the Confessions that we draw our primary biblical interpretation from.
What really frustrates me is a nagging thought, in my more ironic moments, that our judicial process has to be so rigorous because if it is not, it opens itself up to countersuit, perhaps even lawsuit in the secular courts. So we are thorough to cover our behinds, what does that say about our priorities?
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