Language Crisis in American Christian Churches

Marcus Borg, in the 2011 book "Speaking Christian",  contends that  Christian words have lost their meaning and power but that restoration is possible. 

His arguments ring true with many clergy who have found that parishioners wish to have the pastor mean certain things by words that are in conflict with clergy training and education.

Seminary training is usually rigorous exposure to original texts of the Bible coupled with analysis of words used about two thousand years ago in a culture radically different from today's global and instant communication culture.

To stand in front of people and used Christian language while realizing that every person in the congregation has a slightly different meaning for those words is to experience a motion sickness sensation - nausea, in other words.

One way to handle the situation is to tell stories that carry the listener along and then let them draw their own conclusions.

Another response is to educate persons in the meaning that the pastor wishes to give. This can become academic and the attention of people will wander off - and often they follow their attention and do not return to the congregation.

Yet another response is listen carefully and then tell the people just what they want to hear. One Seminary friend was proud of the fact that he wrote two papers on every assigned topic. One paper was on what the teacher wished to hear. The other paper was what the friend thought and was not about to change.

These words are to open the subject for further reflection. I invite the reader to consider how they would handle this matter if they were to deal with a congregation.
Delton 

Breakfast at the Photon Restaurant

So at breakfast this morning the discussion had to do with photons and entropy. Are single photos obedient to time? Is the universe totally chained to entropy with an inevitable final condition of equal distribution of atoms across infinite space?

You might think this was happening at some exotic campus breakfast hangout involving students with nothing better to do than solve the issues of the ultimate universe early in the day. No - these were the subjects of discussion at a chain restaurant in a city of the American prairie a long way from the Ivy League or the Berkley/Palo Alto atmospheric heights.

This was Christian Methodist church men having a quiet morning discussion.  Religion is obviously not always an exercise in escape from worldly matters and complex reasoning. Stereotypes of religion are so 20th century. The place of reason and careful thought in church life today is rising quietly and will soon chart a revised course for the church in a world of technology and materialism.

Photos at breakfast are way outside of the usual menu. Entropy is enough to quell any "have a happy day" outlook. Religious topics? It depends on the customers.

Delton

Ayn Rand and Frederich Zarathustra

The conflict of political philosophy revolves around people and issues. The adoption of Ayn Rand as heroin by Paul Ryan and Rush Limbaugh among others recalls to me the days of discovering Friedrich Nietzsche.

In 1947 I graduated from High School in Redwood Falls, a community in southwestern Minnesota. Then, in a strange turn of events for our family, off I went to Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Strange because college going was not in the family tradition.

In the Freshman year one of the courses introduced us to Frederich Nietzche through one of his writing, "Thus Spake Zarathustra".  It was apparently a shock treatment for we who came into the city from the hinterlands and the primitive lives of farm people. Now, Hamline is a school based in the Methodist Tradition and is the earliest founded college in Minnesota. Why then would Nietzsche be on the first list of assignments?

Because Hamline was and is a liberal arts school in a religious tradition that holds in high regard the reasoning powers of people and the value of exposure to world traditions that do not fit with much American tradition. The value of such exposure cannot be underestimated.

Ayn Rand simply presents many of the Nietzsche ideas in a more contemporary format. Of course, God has died, say these prophets of a more highminded future for humanity. A humanity not encumbered by the primitive and supernaturalist notions of religions, especially Christianity, is the only reasonable future. It is every person for themselves. Regard for the unrich and the unfortunate is a sign of weakness and depravity. Rise above it all and be the Supermen said Nietzsche ( and so did Adolph Hitler).

The role of religion today is up for bid by all kinds of philosophies and power groups. I trust that Paul Rand and others who are fascinated by Rand will look beyond the here and now struggle for power and domination. At least recognize that Christianity does have some redeeming values that could benefit the human race.

Is God ever on display?

 Philip the Disciple says to Jesus: "Just show us Creator God. That is all we need!"  These words are found in the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 8.

Yesterday, May 21, the final Judgment was to have happened. All the righteous were to have been swooped away to heaven and the wicked were to be left here to face a terrible end culminating in disaster on October 21. Once again, the first act of this catastrophe did not happen. Over and again the charm of being afraid of the end of the world has done its magic. Otherwise rational and sensible people, we get swept up in the make believe world of some religious entrepreneur.

The insight presented by Jesus in his response to the question by Philip the Disciple is instructive. "Just look around right now", says Jesus. The reality is that curiosity about the Creator is a good thing so long as right now is the scene of action.

Right now is filled with questions and uncertainties. Right now is relationships with people. Right now is body metabolism and mental awareness. Right now is changing from moment to moment. Now is becoming history instantly.  Right now is decision making. Right now may be loneliness or it may be too many people. Right now is the writing and reading of these words.


The effort of focusing on the here and now demands more energy than people can normally gather. A person almost immediately falls off of "now" into hoping or despairing. Hence, the power of thinking about the End of the World. Such an event would solve the problems of not enough money, unhappy relationships, uncertain direction in life, dumb mistakes in decision making, after effects of illness and accident, disappointments in love. Anticipation of a life free of anxiety and worry energizes the desire for the End of the World as we know it.


Those who speak for the Christian faith can be drawn into attempting answers to the question of Philip: "Just show us who God is. That is all we need."  It seems so right to satisfy the curiosity of those who are asking the question. The public figures who proclaim that their computations give the dates for The End when all will be made evident are problems for the Christian community.


The Season of Easter and the Resurrection of Christ is a time for learning how to live with the uncertainties that arise when" here and now" people are drawn into dealing with the timeless and infinite dimensions of human existence. One thing seems evident - Creator God is not about to be put on display.

Delton
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Was Jesus Actually A Brown Noser?

This is written during the evening of Saturday, April 23, the day before Easter - Black Saturday. We are listening to Jesus Christ Superstar, a long time Black Saturday practice in our home.

This morning on MPR radio the Finance Program had a piece on the key role of getting people to think well of self in order to lead to a sale or an increase in power or salary for self. It was noted that such skills are taught in all Business Schools. Success makes demands of anyone who wishes to make her/his mark.

Jesus Christ certainly had a desire to make a difference in the world. Just how did he do his thing? Did he suck up to people? Did he behave in a manner to get loyalty from the disciples and the public followers. So was Jesus actually a brown noser? You know, someone who sucks up to people in order to get their admiration and loyalty. He certainly did get a large following - even though he died violently at the hands of folks who understood how his way was threatening to their power and strategies for world domination o

Jesus certainly did not suck up to the authority power people of religion, government or business. He did not curry the favor of citizens who wanted deliverance from oppressive government or those who needed personal satisfaction.

How did he get anything done without ingratiating himself to people so they would feel obligated to him? Did he actually fail to accomplish what he had in mind? Is this Christian religion an illusion used to create power for those in the know? A Business School analysis would probably say that Jesus as a person got it wrong. He was another brown noser who failed to follow through. It did not make sense to befriend the lower class - the powerless ones who had no handle on the future. As a business manager he struck out. What corporate entity would hire a Jesus?  Name one.

The problem with Jesus was that he seems to have had a really long range vision. It could be called, in 21st century terms, a persistent spirit of innovation somehow tied to the movement of the creation. It could be said that Jesus invented a technology of human sense of purpose beyond the limits of the material world and the length of an individual life span.

 

A Photographic Take on Christian Experience

"Christ develops your life into Himself like a photograph."   So says Thomas Merton.

The experience of doing chemical based photographic picture making gives depth to what Merton is getting at in these cryptic words. Here is how the process works:  A sheet of light sensitive photographic paper is exposed to light that is directed through a frame of negative film for a set period of time. The paper is then immersed in a chemical bath of "developer" for a minute or so. During that time the image slowly begins to appear on the paper as the developer reacts with the coating on the paper. First a very hazy image appears - in about 20 seconds. Then the picture takes on intensity. All of this is done in the darkness of a "dark room" with only a "safe light" to enable the worker to keep track of what he/she is doing.

Next the paper with the image is immersed in an acid bath to stop the development process. Then the paper is immersed in a "fixer bath" - a chemical solution that fixes the image so that the picture is permanent and will not be affected by light from this point in time. The picture is now ready for public viewing.

What Merton appears to be saying is that the content of Christ is gradually brought into the light of every day life so that observers begin to observe the likeness of Christ in the Christian person. Within the person a spiritual process happens that produces an observable result. The mechanical chemistry based photographic process is a model for that which happens in the Christian experience.

Peer Review - Is it a religions option?

In the academic world in general and in scientific studies in particular, the Peer Review process is used to validate and winnow out the research and possible articles that lead in useful directions. When rigorously applied, Peer Review does provide a control over random information sharing.

In the field of religion it appears that Peer Review is a difficult prospect at best. The breadth of religious practice and scholarship with no central management or coordination means that no group or constituted authority really is in charge of the process of religion.

The task here is to discover situations where Peer Review is actually used in religious situations. It is a given that there is no overarching or global religious authority in religion. The next best thing is to find local or regional arenas where Peer Review is put into practice.

The question that brings on this study comes from a person in the research science realm asking how free wheeling and irresponsible religious personalities can be controlled since they do considerable damage to the social order. He asks if Peer Review is practiced anywhere in the world of religion. If and when answers appear they will be announced here.

Pastor Joe Tells It Like It Is...

Good writing coupled with sensible thought merits attention. In a news letter entitled "The Spirit and Flame", Pastor Joe from out at the Atwater, Hawick and Rosendale United Methodist Parish in central western Minnesota says some strong words regarding Christians in America - or any other nation.

He begins with Jesus and folks who wanted to make Jesus their king and take over the land. Jesus refused to get in that game. Later on the Christian Church was not so perceptive and came to enjoy and take advantage of the privileges of being well treated by government and business. Then Joe talks about present day Christian who wish to make America a "Christian Nation" while forgetting Jesus who specifically said His kingdom is not of "this world".

Here are some specific words by the Pastor: "Christ remained outside the earthly power structure so he could champion the cause of the oppressed and downtrodden. Similarly the Church of Christ should not be part of the power structures of our day....We are called by Christ to be a righteous influence upon the world. We are not called to make Christ's Church a part of the world by trying to form an earthly kingdom in Christ's name...The dispossessed, poor, oppressed, and downtrodden deserve our concern and suppor, just as they received Jesus' support and concern."

This thought provoking language is what people at the Atwater, Hawick and Rosendale churches have to deal with week by week. Lucky them. 

Ttansfiguration Sunday March 6, 2011

In the Christian church year there is a day called Transfiguration Sunday. This day commemorates the time when Jesus and his disciples Peter, James and John were up on a high mountain. What happened there was a terrifying experience that scared the disciples. The event is thought of in Christian circles as a time when the historic connection of Jesus to ancient holy people was made evident and the authenticity of Jesus made evident. (see Matthew 17:1-9)
This event is usually interpreted as a grand display of otherworldly spiritual excitement. I think there is another side to the story. This was in fact a very familiar scene to folks who climb up mountains. The sudden changes in weather that happen in mountain climbing can disorient and challenge the best climbers. A thunder storm when one is exposed on an open mountain face is quite memorable. The scene was about as earthly as it gets.
I am considering the connection of Transfiguration with present day video projects that present sound and visuals that give people a mountain top thrill in the comfort of their own living room.  I think of the attempts of pastors and other worship leaders to give folks a taste of the Transfiguration event in the comfort of their own church sanctuary. Good luck on that one! Even with full surround sound and huge screens in mega churches the attempt is doomed if the purpose is a spiritual transformation for the attendees. There may well be an emotional thrill that will be familiar to video devotees but the familiarity of it all will soon fade into the wallpaper of life.
So is Transfiguration Sunday of any use in the 21st century? I intend to find out on March 6.

Congregation of the Trails and Sidewalks

A United Methodist ordained Elder is required to make a report on how Ordination Vows are being fulfilled. Ordination is a life long commitment. Here is my 2010 report to the congregation where my credentials are recorded. Comments are welcomed. 

2010 Annual Report – Appointed Leader Report

Hillcrest United Methodist Church, Bloomington, MN   December, 2010

                 Report of Elder in the Retired Relationship

Report by:   Delton Krueger

Ordination vows include these words: “Remember that you are called to serve rather than be served, to proclaim the faith of the Church and no other, to look after the concerns of Christ above all.”  This report will focus on the Congregation of the Trails and Sidewalks where my ordination vows are primarily fulfilled these days.

The random mix of people met while walking is made up of all ages. Most are adults both younger and older, some are children, and a few are infants. Psalm 148 tells us that nature, including animals, praises the name of Lord in many ways. Dogs bring their people out doors.

It is a fact that some trail conversations are kept brief and to the point by insistent dogs.

As we come to know each other, friendships develop. Conversations are about health, family, work, and the challenges that are faced in daily life. Mutual support grows out of these random meetings. Sometimes the trail is almost blocked by a gathering of familiar people and dogs. It is to be reported that dog fights are utterly rare on the trail.

Some conversations are truly confessionals and some are times of Christian witness. Some are just good visits between friendly people. Grief is worked out by many while walking on a trail, sidewalk, or Mall concourse. In such conversations it is the glance of the eye that speaks way beyond words. My task is to listen and encourage a life of faith and grace.

Christian love happens on the trails and sidewalks. The realization comes, after some conversations, that a really important exchange has just happened. Thanksgiving is the only adequate response. Those moments linger in the mind for a long time.  

The natural world provides a non threatening place for conversations that can address personal issues and matters of the spirit. Random meetings of people are occasions for spontaneous sharing of words and laughter. These moments are grace filled.

The sounds of birds, wind, a stream, and rain communicate in their own way. The sights of winter and summer draw the whole body and mind into communication with the wider world.  In this context many people are quite open to health and healing of mind and body.

The Congregation of the Trails and Sidewalks is one way that my ordination vows are being fulfilled in 2010. 

Signature

Delton Krueger

Appealing and Complicating Stories

The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 22, verse 1: "Once again Jesus used stories to teach the people."  This Gospel goes from one story to the next, flooding the readers mind with images and ideas that simply overwhelm the imagination. Perhaps that is why the Bible is both a popular and a neglected Christian resource. The stories are appealing but they complicate life by raising issues that challenge individuals and societies.

Jesus tells the story and leaves the content up to the coming generations to interpret as they will. Some of us want clear answers and right now. It takes time and patience to winnow through the labyrinth of feelings and ideas that are opened up by the stories.

At http://walksintheday.blogspot.com I tell a story that simply describes an event on a Minnesota winter day earlier in January, 2011. The story is there for the observer to interpret. I want to learn how to simply describe an event and give over to the reader the opportunity to find meaning in the event.

Experience teaches that the telling of stories gathers up the live of the listener and raises up in each person's mind that which only they know. The really interesting stories are those that rearrange the minds of the listeners and elicits their own story making talent. Jesus was good enough at this kind of story telling to keep billions of people interested over centuries. 

Christ infiltrates the marketplace

"They will be infiltrators of Christ into the marketplace" says Kathryn Doherty in describing a unique understanding of the Christian life in a particular community of believers.

Rather than limiting worship and discipleship to the gathered church, Doherty sets out the vision of Christian believers being the real presence of Christ wherever they work, live, play and pray.

The marketplace is of particular interest because of the assumption that the very nature of a non religious world is the marketplace where buying and selling are the sum total of experience. The religious life is a distraction from the business at hand. In the moment of a transaction when money changes hand many people feel truly alive. The rush of authenticity surges when that magic moment happens. "I purchase therefore I am." "I sell therefore I am."

This market scene of human interchange can be infiltrated by Christ. The believer is more than the agent of Christ. The real presence of Christ is in the midst of the marketplace when the believer is truly and willingly in the marketplace.

This is not so much a social change project as it is an exploration trip by the believer who need not be concerned about what to say or do. The momentary experience in the marketplace appears mundane and unremarkable. Believers who strike out on this infiltration task will find more than they expect.