Here it is, a summary of what I learned this semester...
In no particular order...
1. The Church often fails in how we talk about the Holy Spirit. We either ignore the Spirit completely or overemphasize the Spirit--all in a way that does not accurately convey who we say we believe in the Holy Trinity. This has PROFOUND implications in theology and practice. In the words of Dr. Turner, it is all about learning about who the person of the Holy Spirit is!
2. There are some major problems with substitutionary atonement. If we are not talking about what we are saved for then we lose the mission of God. The mission is not "saving" but getting involved in why and how God is saving. God is saving more than human souls--God is redeeming the world for a purpose. Yet again, understanding this has HUGE implications for ministry. This is huge for evangelism, how we explain salvation, how we ignore sanctification, etc. It also ties in very closely with a diminished view of the Creator God, the Resurrection of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit.
3. Protestantism has some problems. These limitations are most present in #1 and 2. We make things all about the cross, all about Jesus, all about Scripture. There is nothing wrong with these things, as they are critical yet not the full story and therefore not the full Gospel.
4. Hitting children in NO way fits into what we as the Church believe about God, humanity and how people learn. And it is WAY more theological than we would EVER want to imagine.
5. There is a Church that exists in the prison. And unlike my previous thoughts before taking a class in Prison Ministry, it isn't just because prisons are filled with those who are innocent or political/religious prisoners. If we want to really know what redemption means, then we desperately need to hear from these Brothers and Sisters.
6. This semester Sam Wells wanted to give us the gift of knowing how to dismantle arguments. And therefore I learned that you can argue about something until you are blue in the face both thinking you are right unless you learn how to explain the perspective in which you or another person is coming from. In the words of Dr. Jennings, it means getting closer rather than moving apart.
7. There is great beauty in redeeming birth and death from insitutions. Both are a windows into what it means for us to be creatures who were made by and for God.
8. The nation-state is an Enlightenment concept and therefore there are some real problems with it. We would be wise to not see it as providence, but to see it as an imperfect tool to help us to get closer to the type of people and world God would want us to be.
9. I need to learn more about the theology of beauty and the body.
10. The beauty of the Church is that we are supposed to provide the gift of alternatives to the rest of the world. We are freed for new ideas and are being sanctified by the Creative force of the Holy Spirit.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The National Championship and the Church
Okay, forgive me people, but Duke basketball analogies are constantly on my mind...and even for Carolina fans it has the potential to bring good news...
1. The little things
This year Duke had one of those teams that in the beginning of the year no one thought would make it very far. I remember losing so much of my confidence with the loss of Greg Paulus (the emotional heart), Gerald Henderson (the slasher), Elliot Williams (the up-and-coming freshman) and some of our key bench players (Dave McClure, Marty Pocious, and Olek Czyz). But in the ashes of these loses emerged a Duke team that relied on teamwork and became winners because they were a unit rather than talented individuals. What would the Church be like if we could learn to play like a team that works well together rather than be rugged individuals? What would the Church looked like if we learned how to cherish our memories together? What would it look like if we learned to look for miracles in small places?
2. The Glory of Victory
Although I watched the game from Cameron, it took me a few days to realize that we had won. It began to sink in once I saw the bookstore fill with National Championship t-shirts. When campus started to flood with outside visitors. When even the ghettos of Durham were even pumping out their own $5 T-shirt designs in honor of the win. When the coaches and players returned to give their testimony. When we as fans gathered to remember and talk about what happened. Even in the days and weeks afterward folks began to proudly wear their newly minted Duke gear. And then it made me realize that someone else, namely the team, had to secure this win so that the rest of us could have the right to say that "we" too had won the National Championship. I think this is what Church is supposed to be like. Gathering to remember, to witness, to testify...all because someone else secured our victory and gave us a right to have a new name (National Champions/Beloved of God) written on our chests and hearts.
3. The Discipline of Celebration
The excitement around following the win was amazing. It came with deep laughter, light-hearted love and amazement and butterflies! I can't help feeling the elation again when I watch videos from Cameron where the students erupt into pure joy!!! My eyes water, my heart skips a beat and a smile cannot be quieted from my face. At first I jokingly told my friend Allison who is an IV staffworker at Duke to play Cascada's "Everytime We Touch" at the regional summer camp in front of everyone at dinner. I knew that the song would cause the Crazies to jump out of their seats and into a jumping frenzy! To rationalize it I said, "Just tell the others to enter into our joy" and to "rejoice with those who rejoice." And then I realized that maybe that isn't too far from the Church's job. If we practiced these disciplines of sharing with one another and celebrating together then how much more could we learn to be One with each other as Jesus prayed while in the garden of Gethsemane (John 16)?
1. The little things
This year Duke had one of those teams that in the beginning of the year no one thought would make it very far. I remember losing so much of my confidence with the loss of Greg Paulus (the emotional heart), Gerald Henderson (the slasher), Elliot Williams (the up-and-coming freshman) and some of our key bench players (Dave McClure, Marty Pocious, and Olek Czyz). But in the ashes of these loses emerged a Duke team that relied on teamwork and became winners because they were a unit rather than talented individuals. What would the Church be like if we could learn to play like a team that works well together rather than be rugged individuals? What would the Church looked like if we learned how to cherish our memories together? What would it look like if we learned to look for miracles in small places?
2. The Glory of Victory
Although I watched the game from Cameron, it took me a few days to realize that we had won. It began to sink in once I saw the bookstore fill with National Championship t-shirts. When campus started to flood with outside visitors. When even the ghettos of Durham were even pumping out their own $5 T-shirt designs in honor of the win. When the coaches and players returned to give their testimony. When we as fans gathered to remember and talk about what happened. Even in the days and weeks afterward folks began to proudly wear their newly minted Duke gear. And then it made me realize that someone else, namely the team, had to secure this win so that the rest of us could have the right to say that "we" too had won the National Championship. I think this is what Church is supposed to be like. Gathering to remember, to witness, to testify...all because someone else secured our victory and gave us a right to have a new name (National Champions/Beloved of God) written on our chests and hearts.
3. The Discipline of Celebration
The excitement around following the win was amazing. It came with deep laughter, light-hearted love and amazement and butterflies! I can't help feeling the elation again when I watch videos from Cameron where the students erupt into pure joy!!! My eyes water, my heart skips a beat and a smile cannot be quieted from my face. At first I jokingly told my friend Allison who is an IV staffworker at Duke to play Cascada's "Everytime We Touch" at the regional summer camp in front of everyone at dinner. I knew that the song would cause the Crazies to jump out of their seats and into a jumping frenzy! To rationalize it I said, "Just tell the others to enter into our joy" and to "rejoice with those who rejoice." And then I realized that maybe that isn't too far from the Church's job. If we practiced these disciplines of sharing with one another and celebrating together then how much more could we learn to be One with each other as Jesus prayed while in the garden of Gethsemane (John 16)?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Great Expectations
In the past few days, expectations has hit me over the head--but this time, in a positive way. It is fascinating to me how much our lives revolve around having expectations and reacting to them. In the therapy world, there is a lot of talk about the pressure and reality of false expectations. I find it really interesting that we often leave discussions of "expectations" in the realms of dating and sex. These conversations arise out of relational conflict, so it made me pause to think that perhaps "expectations" are present throughout our relationship.
For example, I utterly and completely clash with my family when we go on vacations. I get mad and angry when my precious vacation time is violated. For instance, at the beach I want to sleep in, grab breakfast at home, read all day long on the beach, return for a shower, go out to eat, watch a rental movie and go to bed--and most importantly--NEVER turn on the television. So when I get woken up early, get conned into an afternoon activity or get sucked in by a TV that's left on, I end up feeling angry and resentful. In reality, we simply have different ideas (and therefore expectations) of what a vacation is like.
To avoid the drama this year, I tried hard to state clearly to my family what I wanted to do on our vacation. I even tried to do some flexible planning so that I wouldn't get grumpy and frazzled so that some of my expectations could be fulfilled. I tried to gage from others what they wanted to do as well. Although my attempts didn't work out so well, I think next time I would advocate assertiveness and sharing my expectations and preparing folks for the inevitable emotions that come with unmet expectations.
Now the old therapy discussions of false expectations is real. If you are on a limited budget, you probably can't expect to go on a $100 per person dolphin sight-seeing excursion, but you can use other people to help you identify realistic desires and help others to realize them. For example, if dolphins are what propels the desire then go visit the Aquarium or if its about the adventure, rent a kayak or jet ski.
"Go with the flow" or "just be open" never really works. Just as one of my history professors says that every "unbiased" historian has an ideology, every just-wanna-be-open-person has expectations. I think underneath that attitude is a desire for people-pleasing and stifling ones desires so that they won't be hurt. I think that there are some rare occassions where "going with the flow" is real, but it comes out of a deep desire for abiding with ones company. In that sense, one's expectation is to enjoy and be with people. I don't think that either is a more holy place than the other.
One of the things that I'm finding about being honest about expectations and setting boundaries is that it leaves room for you to enjoy what you have. Having expectations is inevitable, so things become less messy when you can be honest about them. But it also creates room for beauty. There is a bizarre mix of healthy goal-setting and even a more authentic sense of openness when expectations are clear. Acknowledging expectations allows you to truly enjoy something for what it is. For instance, if you say that you want to spend a week reading on the beach or take an excursion then you can not only enjoy those moments, but there is a sense of fulfillment that your goal has been met. Perhaps it didn't radiate every expectation you had for it, but there is a sense of satisfaction of "crossing something off your list" as my friend Katie describes it. And then if you take care of some of your more important expectations, then you have room to explore other things without feeling of loss when your own needs and desires aren't met.
So the word is...figure out your expectations, communicate them, compromise and enjoy :)
For example, I utterly and completely clash with my family when we go on vacations. I get mad and angry when my precious vacation time is violated. For instance, at the beach I want to sleep in, grab breakfast at home, read all day long on the beach, return for a shower, go out to eat, watch a rental movie and go to bed--and most importantly--NEVER turn on the television. So when I get woken up early, get conned into an afternoon activity or get sucked in by a TV that's left on, I end up feeling angry and resentful. In reality, we simply have different ideas (and therefore expectations) of what a vacation is like.
To avoid the drama this year, I tried hard to state clearly to my family what I wanted to do on our vacation. I even tried to do some flexible planning so that I wouldn't get grumpy and frazzled so that some of my expectations could be fulfilled. I tried to gage from others what they wanted to do as well. Although my attempts didn't work out so well, I think next time I would advocate assertiveness and sharing my expectations and preparing folks for the inevitable emotions that come with unmet expectations.
Now the old therapy discussions of false expectations is real. If you are on a limited budget, you probably can't expect to go on a $100 per person dolphin sight-seeing excursion, but you can use other people to help you identify realistic desires and help others to realize them. For example, if dolphins are what propels the desire then go visit the Aquarium or if its about the adventure, rent a kayak or jet ski.
"Go with the flow" or "just be open" never really works. Just as one of my history professors says that every "unbiased" historian has an ideology, every just-wanna-be-open-person has expectations. I think underneath that attitude is a desire for people-pleasing and stifling ones desires so that they won't be hurt. I think that there are some rare occassions where "going with the flow" is real, but it comes out of a deep desire for abiding with ones company. In that sense, one's expectation is to enjoy and be with people. I don't think that either is a more holy place than the other.
One of the things that I'm finding about being honest about expectations and setting boundaries is that it leaves room for you to enjoy what you have. Having expectations is inevitable, so things become less messy when you can be honest about them. But it also creates room for beauty. There is a bizarre mix of healthy goal-setting and even a more authentic sense of openness when expectations are clear. Acknowledging expectations allows you to truly enjoy something for what it is. For instance, if you say that you want to spend a week reading on the beach or take an excursion then you can not only enjoy those moments, but there is a sense of fulfillment that your goal has been met. Perhaps it didn't radiate every expectation you had for it, but there is a sense of satisfaction of "crossing something off your list" as my friend Katie describes it. And then if you take care of some of your more important expectations, then you have room to explore other things without feeling of loss when your own needs and desires aren't met.
So the word is...figure out your expectations, communicate them, compromise and enjoy :)
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