One Little Word

An interesting  article appeared in the New York Times last weekend (“Congregations Gone Wild” — August 8, 2010, on page WK9 of the New York edition). Thanks to Pastor Mark Twietmeyer in Boulder for pointing it out to me. You can read it below, or get it from the horse’s mouth at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08macdonald.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Pastor Jeffrey MacDonald makes the case that spiritual growth isn’t necessarily an easy fit with the desire to be soothed and entertained. He writes:

The pastoral vocation is to help people grow spiritually, resist their lowest impulses and adopt higher, more compassionate ways. But churchgoers increasingly want pastors to soothe and entertain them. It’s apparent in the theater-style seating and giant projection screens in churches and in mission trips that involve more sightseeing than listening to the local people.

As a result, pastors are constantly forced to choose, as they work through congregants’ daily wish lists in their e-mail and voice mail, between paths of personal integrity and those that portend greater job security. As religion becomes a consumer experience, the clergy become more unhappy and unhealthy.

In this weekend’s Gospel, Jesus echoes a similar theme:

[Jesus said,] “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:
father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” [St. Luke 12:49-53]

I’m not sharing this to suggest that I’m “unhappy and unhealthy” (at least not any more so than usual…). But I would like to hear from any of you who plan to preach or listen to sermons this Sunday. Why will you be doing that? What do you hope to accomplish? Do you expect your involvement in a faith community to sooth and entertain you — or perhaps, to be more charitable, to inspire and encourage you? Or do you expect it to challenge you and draw you into a deeper relationship with God?

If the latter (Aren’t we all assuming that, even though we might resist it?), how does a relationship with our God challenge us? How does it cause division between people? How does it contrast with our personal daily wish lists? How might we take the scriptures seriously, and allow them to shape us (as opposed to allowing our personal perspectives to shape our reading of Scripture)?

Thanks for any input you might have. God bless your reading of Scripture this week!

Pastor Dave

(more…)

This morning the Denver Post carried a editorial piece by Kathleen Parker, Wrong time and place for Robertson and Limbaugh to invoke the devil and race. I couldn’t agree with her more. This would have been a wonderful time for Pat Robertson to take a break from being an embarrassment to the Christian faith, and for that matter, a wonderful time for Rush Limbaugh to take a break from being an embarrassment to the Republican party.

(more…)

I received two e-mail messages yesterday. Excerpts follow.

Chris writes:

Dave,
I came across your blog One Little Word as I was searching for some commentary or explanation about what the little word is that Luther had in mind in the hymn. I figure it must be Christ himself, the Word who became flesh. Especially since the next stanza begins with “That Word, above all earthly powers…” which reminds me of Col 2:15. Anyway, if you can direct me to anything you, or others, may have written about this or have any thoughts on it, I would really appreciate your time. Thanks, Chris

My response:

Hi Chris,
Thanks for stopping by the blog.
You may have noticed that I posted some remarks about Christ as Word on the “About One Little Word” page, which is accessible from the right column on my blog, or at http://onelittleword.org/?page_id=2.
Luther wrote extensively about the word of God, and had a great confidence in its power. My personal favorite refers to his close friends Philip Melanchthon and Nicholas Von Amsdorf:
“All that I have done is to farther, preach and teach God’s Word; otherwise I have done nothing. So it happened that while I slept or while I drank a glass of Wittenberg beer with my friend Philip [Melanchthon] and with Amsdorf, the papacy was weakened as it never was before by the action of any prince or emperor. I have done nothing; the Word has done and accomplished everything.… I let the Word do its work!” (from a sermon on March 10, 1522, in “Luther’s works, vol. 44: The Christian in Society”)
We Lutherans continue to put great stock in the power of God’s word. We think of it in three ways: the living word (Christ), the written word (Scriptures), and the spoken word (preaching and teaching). I would suspect that Luther had all three of these in mind when he wrote “Mighty Fortress.”
I’d encourage you to take a first-hand look at Luther. A helpful volume is “Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings” edited by Tim Lull. It contains excerpts from some of his more important writings (like “The Bondage of the Will” and “The Freedom of a Christian”). There isn’t one particular essay here that deals with the power of God’s word, but you’ll find Luther’s understanding of it throughout the book.
Good reading!
Peace,
Pastor Dave

Thomas writes:

Hello Pastor Risendal,
I was wondering what were the differences between Calvinism and Lutheranism. I recall that you said that the differences were minimal. One, or perhaps, several of my friends attend your church on Sundays, and I recently talked to one of them, but it appears that we differ on what I consider big ideas in Christianity, namely spreading God’s word to not just people outside of Colorado, but also to people within in our own communities and schools and the afterlife and the radiance of God.
I was also wondering what the finer points of Lutheran theology are.
Though, I am still struggling with understanding my own theological beliefs, I think it is necessary to learn more about our Savior.
Thank you for reading this email, and I hope God continues to bless you and your church.
From,
Thomas

My response:

Hi Thomas – 
My understanding is that both Luther and Calvin had a strong desire to renew and deepen the faith of people in their own communities (those who called themselves Christians, and those who didn’t yet know Christ). I think within Lutheran circles (including within my own church) and within Reformed circles, you will find many people who share that same commitment, and many people who have other priorities.
I am one who shares that commitment. I believe that the church of our day has more in common with the first century church than has been the case for many generations. The primary mission field in this world is in our back yard. There are many people in my own neighborhood who don’t have a living, growing relationship with Jesus Christ — and a primary responsibility of mine is to reach out to them (as well as to equip the people of my church to reach out in their own neighborhoods). You obviously know someone in my church who is still growing towards that same commitment. God willing, we’ll help them get there <g>.
For a primer on the Lutheran perspective on Christianity, take a visit to our denomination’s web site (www.elca.org). There is an extensive section on what we believe (www.elca.org/What-We-Believe.aspx), and I think you’ll find that useful. 
I’d also suggest that you spend time with your Bible. Lutherans believe in the power of God’s word, and most of us would be more inclined to turn towards the Scriptures than towards anything current church leaders (including myself) have composed. Start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Study Paul’s writings (Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians). Lutherans believe that the Scriptures are the “source and norm” of all that we believe, so anything we might have written is still subject to what is taught in the Bible.
Blessings to you, Thomas, as you continue to stretch your understanding of our God and our faith. Let me know if I can help.
Peace,
Pastor Dave

For Adult Education on Sunday mornings this November, we have been studying the church’s traditions of Advent and Christmas. Honoring Advent as four weeks of waiting and preparing, and celebrating the (12 day) season of Christmas as an extended time to honor the birth of Christ among us is one way to reclaim the Christmas season, and allow it to move our hearts and souls (instead of exhausting our bodies and check books). A few years ago I wrote a brief pamphlet to promote this way of thinking about December and January. For a copy, link here:
     Advent and Christmas; a fresh look at an ancient tradition

You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you; everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among the people.
Exodus 31:14

If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Leviticus 20:13

If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate of that place. They shall say to the elders of his town, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. So you shall purge the evil from your midst; and all Israel will hear, and be afraid.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21

You shall not wear clothes made of wool and linen woven together.
Deuteronomy 22:11

Those born of an illicit union shall not be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of their descendants shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 23:2

As in all the churches of the saints, women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
1^st Corinthians 14:33b-35

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free.
Ephesians 6:5-8

Less sex; more Bible; that’s what my church needs.

Today my church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, voted in assembly (with 559 in favor and 451 opposed) to “open the ministry of the church to gay and lesbian pastors and other professional workers living in committed relationships” (see story).

(more…)

Today I spoke at a rally in support of “Single Payer Universal Health Care.” I accepted the invitation to speak for two reasons. My primary concern was that it seemed to me that the Obama administration had taken single payer off the table as an option to consider (I understand that may now be changing). I wanted to be part of the effort to apply some pressure on President Obama, hoping he might not rule out any options, as his administration decides how to move forward with health care reform.

My secondary concern is that I am deeply troubled by living a society where families can be bankrupted by medical bills, and where uninsured or underinsured children can go without adequate health care. Single payer is the option that makes the most sense to me now. I am not, nor do I desire to become an expert in health care issues. I will leave the decision-making up to those who know much more than I do, and will do my best to trust their decisions. But my conviction (and this is the focus of my remarks) is that we, as a community, must not let anyone fall through the cracks when it comes to health care. We must create a system that provides basic, quality health care to every member of our community. 

The text of my remarks is attached here:
     Health Care as Social Responsibility

As I review my preaching patterns, it seems that I have a preference for the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 85% to 90% of my sermons are based on a text from one of these four books, even though only one of the four texts appointed each Sunday is a Gospel reading. There are those who have challenged me to pull myself out of that rut, and make better use of Hebrew Bible texts as well as the rest of the New Testament. But I have remained committed to base the majority of my preaching on the Gospels, believing that they are the richest resource we have in exploring what it means to be rooted in the good news of Jesus Christ, and living lives of faithful discipleship in his name.

This morning, a much more articulate theologian comes to my rescue (two of them, actually):

Martin Marty, in his weekly e-mail message titled “Sightings” (6/16/08), quotes a Christian Century article (6/12/08), which in turn quotes Anglican Bishop of Durham, N. T. Wright from a lecture he delivered last November to the Society of Biblical literature. Marty excerpts:

“The central message of all four canonical Gospels is that the Creator God, Israel’s God, is at last reclaiming the whole world as his own, in and through Jesus of Nazareth. That, to offer a riskily broad generalization, is the message of the kingdom of God, which is Jesus’ answer to the question, What would it look like if God were running this show.” Which God? Not the one Nietzsche or Christopher Hitchens denounces, their “celestial tyrant” who is badly “running the world.” No, “the whole point of the Gospels is that the coming of God’s kingdom on earth as in heaven is precisely not the imposition of an alien and dehumanizing tyranny, bur rather the confrontation of alien and dehumanizing tyrannies with the news of a God-the God recognized in Jesus-who is radically different from them all, and whose inbreaking justice aims at rescuing and restoring genuine humanness.”

 I am quoting more than usual, perhaps offering something redundant to our many readers who also subscribe to The Christian Century and who may have skimmed or scanned or mentally filed “for further reflection” Wright’s original. I certainly will not have space to quote sufficiently to let Wright flesh out what this all means. I hope I am tantalizing readers to track the article down and do their own arguing with it. So let me just point to a few themes that deal with “public theology.” Wright is rough on those who believe there are no options between tyranny and anarchy, who confuse Enlightenment “democracy” with the kingdom of God, who split the Jesus of the gospels from the Christ announced in New Testament letters, fundamentalists who tout biblical authority but do not listen to the biblical gospels, the political left, the political right, those who are too eager to muffle the Gospel themes in the face of “pagans, ancient and modern alike” or the scandalized Jews then and now. This is not an anti-secular or anti-Semitic book, but one that clears space for the witness of the Gospels, which he sees too often softened.

If you want to chase down the “Christian Century” article to which Marty refers, you can access it online at http://www.christiancentury.org/index.lasso (click the words “Kingdom come”).

As for me and my house, I’ll take the occasional excursion into Isaiah, Jeremiah, Titus and Timothy, but I’ll spend most of my time in the four Gospels, where the ministry, message and presence of Jesus is always central.

from the Religiosity Scales Project

The authors of the Inclusive Christian Scale have found over the course of previous research studies that religiosity can be thought of in terms of the following six dimensions: evangelical, Christian conservative, activist, golden rule, community involvement, and mystic.

The Evangelical dimension refers to a particular focus on prayer, evangelism or outreach, and faith as a source of strength.
The Christian Conservative dimension reflects a particular focus on avoiding acts seen as sinful, on a literal interpretation of the Bible, and on a transforming spiritual experience.
The Activist dimension refers to a focus on changing unjust structures in the world as a part of one’s practice of faith.
The Golden Rule dimension refers to a particular focus on attempting to live so that one treats others as one would wish to be treated. This dimension highlights a concern about many of the same issues found on the Activist dimension, but the focus is more on individuals and less on social structures.
The Community Involvement dimension underlines a particular focus on active participation in the church as a fellowship of faith.
The Mystic dimension reflects a particular focus on an intimate, pervasive relationship/connection to God.

Pastor Dave’s Scores

Religiosity Scales Project Printout for Pastor David J. Risendal

Every Christian’s practice of their faith or religiosity can be described in terms of each one of these dimensions regardless of their denominational history or affiliation. Below you can find percentages for each of these dimensions that indicate the extent to which you endorsed the items that make up each dimension. You can use the numbers below to compare how you value or emphasize each of these dimensions of religiosity in your own life.
    88%  COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
    78%  EVANGELICAL
    78%  GOLDEN RULE
    65%  ACTIVIST
    53%  MYSTIC
    17%  CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE

88% Community Involvement
I would hope so: I have been a congregational leader since 1984. I’d like to become more involved with the secular community that surrounds us, but I’ve certainly been involved in the faith community.

78% Evangelical
I spent ten years as the Founding Pastor of Esperanza Lutheran Church in Phoenix. The first months consisted of visits in the community, knocking on doors, seeking others to help me found that church. (I even wore a white shirt and tie, and rode my bike once in a while…) That shaped me in some significant ways — I’ve never read the Bible in quite the same way since… Our primary responsibility is to share the good news. Anything less is not Biblical.

78% Golden Rule
Unlike Martin Luther, I see “faith active in works” as a helpful word of encouragement.

65% Activist
I am a registered Democrat who was raised in Minnesota. What else can I say? (And how many of you are surprised that I ranked lowest on the “Christian Conservative” scale?)

53% Mystic
This is the 53% of me that is optimistic, of course. I wouldn’t dream of describing myself as a mystic. But I am intrigued by a mystical understanding of life, and look for the presence of God in all that I experience. The older I get, the more convinced I am that God is everywhere, and we’d notice if we weren’t so busy. Lord, give me the patience to slow down, and to see you in all things.

If I was making this up from scratch, I’d probably swap Community Involvement with Evangelical, but otherwise it is a fairly accurate depiction of my “religiosity.”

What are your scores?

I had the chance to participate in a remarkable Bible study this morning. I do it once every year. Each January, I join a group of four other Pastors and youth ministry professionals at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp. We spend three or four days at camp and write the Bible study that will be used during the coming summer at Rainbow Trail, and during all the other ministries they offer (Vacation Bible schools, backpacking trips and servant events in Mexico). Then in late May and early June, when the summer staff is on site being trained, each one of us five writers gets a chance to come to camp and teach them for a couple of hours, based on the portion of the summer study that we have written.

So earlier today, from 10:00 a.m. until noon, I sat out on the lawn near the pavilion with 65 college-aged camp staffers, and led a Bible study on Joshua and the early years of Israel’s time in the Promised Land. We talked about what it means to trust God. We talked about what it means to be called by God to be a witness to the world of the hope that is ours. And we talked about what a difference it makes to believe that every minute of every day presents to us an opportunity to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

I am excited to know that there is a new generation of Christians emerging in our church who take their faith as seriously as these young men and women do, and who are determined to live in a way that honors their Lord and Savior. There’s been a lot written lately about whether or not the mainline denominations will survive, much less thrive, in the coming decades. If this group of young people is any indication, we’re in better shape than most people assume.

The remarkable thing about these young people is that many of them seem to be living with the kind of faith that Jesus describes in this weekend’s Gospel lesson. In it, he speaks about two builders: a wise one and a foolish one. The wise one builds a house, and places it on a rock-solid foundation. The foolish one builds a house and places it on a sandy foundation. From all outward appearances, the houses could be identical. They could have the same materials, the same quality of construction, the same amenities, the same upgrades. But where it really counts – deep down underneath the home – in a place where no observer can see – the houses are dramatically different. The difference isn’t apparent, of course, until hard times come. But when those times come, the differences are remarkable. The house built on sand falls in on itself, and Jesus says: “Great was the fall of it.” The whole project comes crashing down, and what once looked fine and luxurious and impressive becomes a pile of rubble. But the house built on rock proves to be as solid as it looks. Hard times come, and the house stands strong, because it is built with wisdom: founded on a rock that wouldn’t move.

Outward appearances don’t always tell the whole story. You can’t tell a book by its cover. You can’t tell a house by its paint job, or by its decorative glass, or by its soft carpet. And you can’t always tell a disciple of Jesus by the few outward signs of religiosity that might be apparent. Jesus tells the hard truth here: those who have a superficial faith – one that is largely made up of outward appearances – won’t thrive when times get tough. But the flip side of the coin is evident as well, and it is great news: the Gospel truth. For those who have a faith that stands at the very center of who they are – a faith that serves as a foundation for all of life – they will find in that faith the strength to weather whatever the world might throw at them.

I’m very hopeful about these young people I spent time with yesterday. I don’t know many of them well enough to be able to tell whether their faith is superficial posturing or a heart-felt trust in God. But I’m impressed with what I’ve seen so far. And I’m excited to spend a week with them a little later on this month. Please keep them in your prayers – that their ministry with our campers will be faithful this summer, and that they will continue to grow into a faith that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.