This will be my last post for a week or two since I'll be heading to Wyoming to visit family.
I've been thinking this week about how odd it is that millions of Christians return to the themes of Advent, year after year, attending to many of the same ideas and stories as last year at this time, and that we will do this many more times in the course of our lives. An outsider might peer in at us and judge that we're just not very bright. After all, how many times do you need to hear prophesies about a coming king, stories of his birth, narratives about John the Baptist who prepared his way, accounts of wise men, shepherds and angels? Surely we should have gotten it by now.
The very fact that we return to these themes, these stories, year after year must look peculiar to a speed-of-light information age. In this age in which we're now living, getting information right now is the name of the game. I don't even have to wait for a radio report to find out the newest stock market news (not that I'd want to). Same thing with last night's sports scores. I can type some words on my URL bar and have instant access to almost anything.
To be clear: I'm grateful for that. I really am. I have no qualms at all about the speed-of-light information age. I enjoy researching some of my pet subjects on the web as much as anybody; and I love that I can do it from the comfort of my living room or office.
But I find myself thinking today about how badly I also need to look deeply into things. My web browser can places more information at my fingertips than I can assimilate in a lifetime. But is that really what I most need--to assimilate more and more information? Is that what makes me more fully human? I suspect not.
Which leads me back to Advent and the idea of rhythms of worship. For centuries, the Christian church has practiced rhythms in its worship. During Advent we focus on a certain group of stories, symbols and themes. We do the same during Lent and Easter and Pentecost. The whole idea here is not to assimilate more and more and more information, but to be formed by those stories, symbols and themes. In other words, worship is about formation, not information.
If you think about it, the themes of worship we've been considering in Advent are incredibly simple. The foretelling of a coming king, the preparation for his arrival, the challenge of John the Baptist, the advent of Jesus in humility and powerlessness. And yet, I can't help but think that entering deeply into these stories and themes will change us. In fact, doing it year after year after year might just help us to see how radically different these stories and themes are from the hot-topics of the day. And maybe, just maybe, pondering them deeply and carefully will form us a bit more in the likeness of the one who meets us at the manger.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Redefine Christmas
A confession: I've struggled with Christmas for as long as I can remember. Not the day itself, or the reason for the season or any of that. I've struggled with the rampant consumerism that has won the day here in the U.S. during the Christmas season. Here's my quandary: On the one hand, I want very much to shop and purchase meaningful gifts for loved ones and friends. At the very same time, I fear that some gift giving and receiving is simply a way we have of training one another to want more. That's crass, but there, I've said it. For example, as a parent, I want to provide meaningful gifts for my children, but I also want to avoid training them to think that more stuff will make them happier. I believe that the jury has deliberated and come back with a verdict on that matter: the meaning of life is NOT more and more stuff.
So, I grapple, year after year, back and forth, wondering how best to live the way of Jesus during the Christmas season. I won't pretend that I've found a happy solution, but I do want to report on a letter I recently received that may add some balance to Christmas. About a week ago I received a letter from the 'Dalio Family Foundation,' a group that is behind a movement called 'Redefine Christmas.' I must confess that I almost threw the letter away before I opened it. I'm glad I didn't. They describe their mission this way: "Redefine Christmas is a movement to make holiday gift giving more charitable. Instead of less-meaningful gifts, we can give others donations to their favorite charities in their names. And, we can ask that our friends and loved ones do the same for us."
My family of origin began doing this about three years ago, and I must say that I have loved it. Instead of purchasing gifts for one another that may or may not be used, we identify charities that we believe will honor and bless one another. Attempting to identify just the right choice on behalf of a parent or sibling is itself a creative act. And, I must say, it's a great honor to see the charities that my loved ones have chosen in my name.
I still believe in gift-giving, mind you. This isn't a one way or the other proposal. It's simply a way of moving toward greater balance in the practice of giving and receiving gifts at Christmas.
I'd like to hear some of your ideas about how to make the gift-giving tradition during the Christmas season more meaningful.
So, I grapple, year after year, back and forth, wondering how best to live the way of Jesus during the Christmas season. I won't pretend that I've found a happy solution, but I do want to report on a letter I recently received that may add some balance to Christmas. About a week ago I received a letter from the 'Dalio Family Foundation,' a group that is behind a movement called 'Redefine Christmas.' I must confess that I almost threw the letter away before I opened it. I'm glad I didn't. They describe their mission this way: "Redefine Christmas is a movement to make holiday gift giving more charitable. Instead of less-meaningful gifts, we can give others donations to their favorite charities in their names. And, we can ask that our friends and loved ones do the same for us."
My family of origin began doing this about three years ago, and I must say that I have loved it. Instead of purchasing gifts for one another that may or may not be used, we identify charities that we believe will honor and bless one another. Attempting to identify just the right choice on behalf of a parent or sibling is itself a creative act. And, I must say, it's a great honor to see the charities that my loved ones have chosen in my name.
I still believe in gift-giving, mind you. This isn't a one way or the other proposal. It's simply a way of moving toward greater balance in the practice of giving and receiving gifts at Christmas.
I'd like to hear some of your ideas about how to make the gift-giving tradition during the Christmas season more meaningful.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Advent Inventory
On November 30, the first Sunday in Advent, I recommended that members of our congregation make "a searching and fearless moral inventory of our lives" during the Advent season. You may know that the quoted words in the preceding sentence are the fourth step of Alcoholics Anonymous. Allow me to summarize, very briefly, why I believe this is a timely season to make a moral inventory, followed by some brief suggestions about how to do it.
The church has long believed that the yearning for renewal is at the heart of the Advent season. Just as ancient Israel longed for a messiah, we too, if we are attentive to our own best selves, long for the renewal of our lives, our churches, our community, our world. What Malachi 3:1-4, and many other passages of scripture remind us is that times of renewal are coming. To use Malachi's words, "The Lord will suddenly return to the temple." However, that time of renewal is prepared for by a season of refining and cleansing. Just as the furnace refined the gold and silver, and the launderer's soap cleansed the dirty garment, so we, too, need to be refined and cleansed in preparation for the work of renewal our God wills to do in us.
That's where the moral inventory comes in. As preparation for our celebration of Christmas, the arrival of Jesus Christ, and our hope to be renewed through him, I'm proposing that we make a moral inventory in these weeks leading to December 25. The process is very simple. The most important element is personal honesty. It works like this:
1. Find a notebook (or create a file on your computer), and place it somewhere where you will have easy access to it.
2. On the top of one page, write, "my contribution to the sickness of my relationships." On the top of another page write, "my attitudes or behaviors that are harmful to me." On the top of a third page write, "my contribution to the sickness of the world." You may, of course, choose different words. The main idea is to focus on ways you contribute to relational problems, personal problems and world problems.
3. A few times a week for a few minutes each time, jot out some of the uncomfortable truths about yourself that you're discovering. Bear in mind that some of these truths may be 'sins of omission,' as well as 'sins of commission.' In other words, your moral inventory may speak to you about things you believe you should be doing, but aren't; or things you shouldn't be doing, but are. For example, you could decide that you contribute to the sickness of the world by avoiding your neighbors (a sin of omission) or by being rude to the neighbors you do speak with (a sin of commission).
In my opinion, it's best to do this inventory throughout the season of Advent rather than at one or two settings. Time, patience and personal honest are key ingredients to an effective moral inventory. So, I'm recommending that you do this for a few minutes a day, at least a few times a week, over the weeks leading up to Christmas. I would also recommend that you do this prayerfully. The Spirit is the one who convicts and convinces us of our sin. So, invite the Holy Spirit's direction in all of this.
4. Keep in mind that we make a moral inventory before the God whom we meet in the manger of Jesus. Because we believe that God was in Christ reconciling us to himself, we can do this inventory without fear. Jesus shows that it is God's will to heal and transform.
5. In some sense a moral inventory is never finished. Over the course of their lives, growing people become increasingly aware of the imperfections of their lives. However, when you have arrived at a relatively finished inventory, you may find it very helpful to share what you've learned about yourself with a trusted friend. This is actually the fifth step of Alcoholics Anonymous, and it is also the ancient wisdom of scripture: "Confess your sins to one another." Scripture reminds us that our confession to one another is an opening to healing. In my experience, this is best done by simply reading through your moral inventory in the presence of another. (This will not be the right time for every person who makes a moral inventory to share what they've learned with another. Please use discernment to decide whether or not to take this step at this time.)
Please let me know what questions or comments you may have!
The church has long believed that the yearning for renewal is at the heart of the Advent season. Just as ancient Israel longed for a messiah, we too, if we are attentive to our own best selves, long for the renewal of our lives, our churches, our community, our world. What Malachi 3:1-4, and many other passages of scripture remind us is that times of renewal are coming. To use Malachi's words, "The Lord will suddenly return to the temple." However, that time of renewal is prepared for by a season of refining and cleansing. Just as the furnace refined the gold and silver, and the launderer's soap cleansed the dirty garment, so we, too, need to be refined and cleansed in preparation for the work of renewal our God wills to do in us.
That's where the moral inventory comes in. As preparation for our celebration of Christmas, the arrival of Jesus Christ, and our hope to be renewed through him, I'm proposing that we make a moral inventory in these weeks leading to December 25. The process is very simple. The most important element is personal honesty. It works like this:
1. Find a notebook (or create a file on your computer), and place it somewhere where you will have easy access to it.
2. On the top of one page, write, "my contribution to the sickness of my relationships." On the top of another page write, "my attitudes or behaviors that are harmful to me." On the top of a third page write, "my contribution to the sickness of the world." You may, of course, choose different words. The main idea is to focus on ways you contribute to relational problems, personal problems and world problems.
3. A few times a week for a few minutes each time, jot out some of the uncomfortable truths about yourself that you're discovering. Bear in mind that some of these truths may be 'sins of omission,' as well as 'sins of commission.' In other words, your moral inventory may speak to you about things you believe you should be doing, but aren't; or things you shouldn't be doing, but are. For example, you could decide that you contribute to the sickness of the world by avoiding your neighbors (a sin of omission) or by being rude to the neighbors you do speak with (a sin of commission).
In my opinion, it's best to do this inventory throughout the season of Advent rather than at one or two settings. Time, patience and personal honest are key ingredients to an effective moral inventory. So, I'm recommending that you do this for a few minutes a day, at least a few times a week, over the weeks leading up to Christmas. I would also recommend that you do this prayerfully. The Spirit is the one who convicts and convinces us of our sin. So, invite the Holy Spirit's direction in all of this.
4. Keep in mind that we make a moral inventory before the God whom we meet in the manger of Jesus. Because we believe that God was in Christ reconciling us to himself, we can do this inventory without fear. Jesus shows that it is God's will to heal and transform.
5. In some sense a moral inventory is never finished. Over the course of their lives, growing people become increasingly aware of the imperfections of their lives. However, when you have arrived at a relatively finished inventory, you may find it very helpful to share what you've learned about yourself with a trusted friend. This is actually the fifth step of Alcoholics Anonymous, and it is also the ancient wisdom of scripture: "Confess your sins to one another." Scripture reminds us that our confession to one another is an opening to healing. In my experience, this is best done by simply reading through your moral inventory in the presence of another. (This will not be the right time for every person who makes a moral inventory to share what they've learned with another. Please use discernment to decide whether or not to take this step at this time.)
Please let me know what questions or comments you may have!
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