Faith Resources and More

The juxtaposition of these two would-be opposites, popularized by Robert Webber in his numerous writings on the effects of the early church on contemporary worship, describes one important aspect of the emerging church movement. Ancient Faith, Future Mission: Fresh Expressions in the Sacramental Tradition (c2010, Seabury Books), edited by Stephen Croft, Ian Mobsby and Stephanie Spellers, draws another term ‘fresh expressions’ into the mix. While ‘Emerging Church’ has its roots in the evangelical movement, ‘Fresh Expressions’ has erupted out of the Anglo-Catholic tradition originally in England and a bit later in the Episcopal Church in the United States. With a host of distinguished contributors including Rowan Williams, Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle, and a foreword by Katherine Jefferts Schori, the book served for me as a primer of what emerging church looks like in the Anglican tradition. It offers a history of the U2charist movement, from one of its earliest designers; descriptions of many permutations of ‘Fresh Expressions’ communities in England and the US; and even an article on how buildings inform worship and specifically how two churches transitioned their congregation by imaginatively redesigning their century-old sanctuaries. Every contributor had a story to tell and the total encourages hope for a tradition that has long struggled with the public perception as the ‘frozen-chosen.’ The inclusion of numerous websites for further study enriches the book even further. Ancient Faith, Future Mission will be on my short list of suggested reading.

Karen Armstrong is a highly respected author whose spiritual journey has taken her from life as a Catholic nun to an exploration of all the major faith traditions. Her commitment to understanding the three Abrahamic faiths more thoroughly has led her to become a spokesperson for peace. In her recent book, The Case for God, Armstrong does not make a case for the God that we might easily recognize. Through a meticulous examination of the history of faith, the author argues that the God of Antiquity who we identify as the Hebrew God of scripture is a far more transcendent God than the idolatrous god that the Western Enlightenment first created and that subsequent generations of scholars have sought to confine , define, and ultimately disprove. We would do well to abandon the latter god in a search of a richer experience of God.

Lacking the degree of scholarship and praxis that some of the theologians she references demand, I found myself struggling to fully absorb the nuances. Nevertheless, I have already recommended it to a colleague. The deficit is mine, not the author’s. Her analysis of the new atheism and of the fundamentalism of present-day Judaism, Christianity & Islam is astute and relevant in light of the ‘hardening of hearts’ that we see on all sides of these perspectives. Her wisdom is a great gift to the international debate on religion and peace.

I confess. I had high hopes for Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of this World for Crucifixion and Empire by Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker (c2008, Beacon Press). It appeared to be just my cup of tea, or shall we say dose of religion & art. But two months later, I have had to abandon my quest. I have read at least 4 books in the time that I consumed about 100 pages of Saving Paradise… not an impressive show for my effort.

Some of the things that defeated me are, I admit, fairly quirky. I enjoy a book that feels good in my arthritic hands. If it is too heavy or awkwardly-shaped, it discourages me. At nearly 600 pages in an approximately 6” x 9” format, the book is by no means small. But I have, in the past, overcome that obstacle if I have had sufficient motivation. Unfortunately authors Brock and Parker stifled the significant motivation that I had to consume their book. The problem is that they destroyed my enthusiasm with minutiae. One-hundred pages into the tome, I determined that the authors couldn’t bear to edit out of their treatise one morsel of their painfully-researched material. I suspect that that weakness will doom it to the dusty shelves of academic libraries or seminary bibliographies. It’s a pity, because I wanted to be with them through this interesting journey. But I can’t give it the attention the authors would like me to give… not now, maybe sometime. I will let you know if I blow the dust off of it and try again.

Rarely have I willingly read a book that describes the intricacies of war and the strategies or horrors of battle. On the other hand, I love books on history, religion and art, devouring them with great joy. The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam and Francis of Assisi’s Mission of Peace by Paul Moses combines two polar extremes of my affections in a remarkably engaging volume. The author’s point is well rendered; that is, that though St Francis is universally respected as one of the premiere figures of Christendom, his aversion to war and hunger for peace is often overlooked. In the medieval world enamored of chivalry and honor, Francis had his fill at a young age and chose a life of humility, poverty and obedience that drew ridicule and alienation. Eventually gaining the respect and sanction of the pope, the future saint was honor bound to support him.

And yet, Francis chose to seek a peaceful alternative to the Fifth Crusade, directly defying the aspirations of the Innocent III and his successor. The monk’s mission to Egypt was a journey of conscience. In this book, the dominant characters and their motivations come alive with well-chosen contemporary quotes from biographers, correspondence and slanderous propaganda. Most importantly, the author, whose professional background is in journalism, adeptly reminds us that little has changed 800 years later. Religious extremism and underlying motivations of greed and power remain commanding obstacles to peacemaking today. Scholarly but approachable, The Saint and the Sultan offers a rich story and moral dilemmas to ponder after the pages are closed.

Last Friday before dinner, I relaxed in the lounge of a convention center with a glass of wine & my current read: Quitting Church: Why the Faithful Are Fleeing and What to Do about It by Julia Duin. It was quiet in the lounge & my server stopped to talk, indicating his curiosity about the title of my book. I explained to him that there was a growing number of authors who are reporting & commenting on the hemorrhaging of members from faith communities. I told the young man, who had attended a private Christian school, that church leadership is starting to take notice… not all, mind you, but many prestigious leaders are.

The incident served to heighten & reinforce everything that I had heard that past 24 hours in sessions with author & distinguished pastor Adam Hamilton. His message was clear… people are hungry for authentic Christianity that does what Jesus called us to do; that is, put people first… all people, not just our members. Pastor Adam mentioned his new small group study that will be released in August titled When Christians Get It Wrong. I will be eager to read it & put it on our shelves because it is sure to provide clarity on this sensitive subject.

Unfortunately our conversation in the lounge was too brief… certainly for me, if not for my young server. If we had had more time, I would have thanked him for the openness he exhibited in approaching me. It is just such encounters that remind me that the Holy Spirit’s presence can be made known anywhere. May God bless this young man on his journey.

By his own admission, Brian McLaren has sought to compile a comprehensive statement of the theology of emergent church in his latest book A New Kind of Christianity. It is thorough and, to a great extent, approachable to the average lay person who has not had the benefit (some might say disadvantage) of a seminary-trained grasp of theology. Anyone who has caught glimpses of emerging church conversation and asked for a definition will likely get more than they were bargaining for. But if you find your heart stirring with the excitement of seeing the Christian faith in a new light, you may well find this is the book that answers that stirring heart.

This was by no means my first foray into this transitional understanding of the Christian faith, nor is it my initiation into McLaren’s cutting edge works. Although the author has visited the Delmarva Peninsula twice in as many years, I unfortunately have not had the opportunity to hear him speak. Others have told me his presentations are every bit as powerful as his books are challenging. He has, after all, taken the brunt of traditional criticism directed toward the movement’s ideas. Honed in that crucible, his thought have developed a clarity of purpose perhaps lacking in others. Probably most valuable to me was his list of cautions on how to proceed with the change of heart this movement engenders. Cautiously, he tells us, for the strident enthusiasm with which one might approach others  in your own community of faith may lead to anger, misunderstanding, and alienation. Instead, join a cohort. I’ll let you know how it goes. http://harpercollins.com/books/9780061853982/A_New_Kind_of_Christianity/index.aspx

What a treat! The National Organization of Episcopal Resource Center (NOERC) met at the St Raphaela Retreat Center in Haverford, PA this week. It was a meeting that I couldn’t pass up and I was very richly rewarded for partaking of the event. The theme of the devotions was Sabbath Keeping and I must confess that is an area of spirituality that I aspire to but rarely give it the attention it deserves. One writer who offers some respectful in spirations on that spiritual discipline is Lauren Winner, whose best-selling book Mudhouse Sabbath is now available as a DVD-study.

Among the resource news to anticipate is a wealth of new curricula and adult formation resources from Church Publishing Incorporated (www.churchpublishing.org). Some are in book form, others are downloadable. One new program that I will mention here is Rhythms of Grace, a book-based curriculum intended for church programs and worship for the special needs communities. Rather than being intended as a mainstreaming vehicle, this resource targets churches that offer separate regularly scheduled programs for special needs children and their families. Such programs provide an ability-appropriate opportunity for special needs families to fellowship and worship together. Having worked many years ago in a special education resource center in which mainstreaming was the rage, I welcome hearing your comments on this interesting new program.

Last evening I began a new book… one that I was particularly excited to start. Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of this World for Crucifixion and Empire by Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker (c2008, Beacon Press) is a hefty tome, but from it’s prologue, I can see this is a promising read. The authors employ the imagery of early Christianity to reevaluate the understanding of paradise that we have inherited.

I will more thoroughly review the book at a future date but briefly here I would like to highlight an example of an early Christian theme rarely seen today. Catacomb and sarcophagus artists of this early period loved the story of the Three Hebrews. Thomas Mathews, in his book The Clash of Gods: A Reinterpretation of Early Christian Art (c1993, Princeton University Press), provides several excellent examples and a more thorough explanation than I can give here. Briefly, the story of the Three Hebrews from the book of Daniel (Daniel 3:1-18) became a bridge story, relating the Hebrew scriptures to the Gospels. These three young men in their distinctive Persian attire are seen rejecting the worship of an idol of King Nebuccadnezzar (portrayed as a Roman emperor) , for which they were sentenced to perish in the fiery furnace. God saved them and their survival was understood by the Christians to prefigure Christ’s resurrection. Even more startling, these images are paired with imagery of the adoration of the Magi, who are identified as the same three young men who endured the fiery furnace. (Sarcophagus lid relief, at left above, depicting the 3 Hebrews rejecting the idol & in the broken portion of the lid on the right the same 3 men taking their gifts to the baby Jesus.)  I invite you to explore these ancient images and discover all the nuances of meaning in their visual storytelling.

It makes sense. When you truly read the Bible, there is no doubt that early Christians, including Paul and the evangelists, believed in a physical resurrection of Jesus. And yet many strands of Christian and secular traditions help to paint a far different picture of death and the promise of resurrection that overwhelm those Biblical reports. Tom (aka N.T.) Wright argues for a re-evaluation of those traditions and an honest look at the Resurrection in his book and companion DVD study Surprised by Hope. I have wrestled with Dr. Wright’s book for the past two weeks, at times cheering him on and at other times, finding myself very challenged by his perspective. He has been a favorite author of mine since I began my tenure at the Interfaith Resource Center. As one of the finest contemporary theologians of our day, he is amazingly approachable for those of us who are not trained in that potentially difficult discipline.

But what about this pivotal resurrection experience? What does hope of a transformed body in resurrection look like? And what does it all mean? I have often felt a certain dis-ease as I look at the Gnostic world-view (and heaven-view) and notice its similarity to our own contemporary understanding. Not because Gnosticism was declared heresy many thousands of years ago and therefore I am obliged to dismiss it. Rather I recognize the dangers inherent in that path, not the least of which is a blatant disregard for this world and a haughty superiority about the next. That is precisely Wright’s point; that an other-worldly view of what God did in Christ inherently leads to a self-serving view of the Church’s mission. I, for one, will allow the challenges of Dr. Wright’s book to confront my calcified view of Christ’s resurrection and our call to mission. That may include what, on Brian McLaren’s Passion Week blog, he calls “courageous risks” (http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog). It calls for action, not merely theological reflection. And that’s truly what it’s about.  Now am I ready to meet the challenge? Have a blessed Easter.

When you think of the term evangelism do you think of  folks in their Sunday-best knocking on doors in the neighborhood or high-end marketing campaigns that cost a small fortune? Neither of those images sit well with many mainline Protestants. What does evangelism really look like and has it gotten a bad rap. The word evangelism derives from the Koine Greek euangelion, meaning good news. So yes, those who come knocking on your doors, whether you hide or not, are fulfilling one interpretation of how to spread the good news. Expensive marketing campaigns might also qualify as a legitimate way of reaching the unchurched you haven’t heard. But the early church spread the Word effectively and passionately without expensive ad campaigns or the danger of knocking on hostile Roman doors.

What is your church doing? Last fall while my husband was struggling with a heart problem, I notified my board that I needed to be close at hand and might miss one or two of my traveling obligations. I received several affirming responses, but was surprised for one member to go further. His church sent my husband a get well card signed by a good number of members of his church, Limestone Presbyterian Church. Now let me make it clear, we are not members of that church, nor has my husband attended before. But this church sends get well cards to anyone who has been added to their prayer list. It was that little expression of concern… a reminder that the body of Christ cares. It is just one special way that one particular church shows that it cares. What is your church doing? Many do caring things for their own communities, but our call is to minister to the wider community. There are many ways your congregation can reach out to evangelize and spread the good news. Want more ideas? Contact me at director@interfaithresourcecenter.com. Have ideas? We would love to hear what your church is doing.