Quote from John Stott on the Ideal Church

 marks of the ideal Church - love, suffering, holiness, sound doctrine, genuineness, evangelism and humility." -- John Stott

Racism

 

The 1960's were a watershed time for me, not to mention for this country.  It gave us a vision and a path forward for healing our systemic and personal racism that had afflicted us, and indeed all humankind.  Dr. King said, and I humbly quote this great man: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!"  

We proceeded to live into this dream over this last half-century.  The 1960's led to the outlawing of systemic racism in businesses and education, and branded racism in all its forms as inappropriate to this country's founding ideals.  Although we can look into the human heart and see brokenness, corruption and evil of all kinds, and we always will until Christ comes again, nonetheless, racism became known as un-American, for which we can say, thanks be to God.  

Americans of all races sought to live this ideal.  The greatest and freest society this planet has ever seen welcomed millions of African Americans and other minorities into its burgeoning middle class, even to the extent that Whites are no longer the highest category of wage-earners, Asians are.  Working seamlessly in industry alongside all races was the norm.  Looking to the content of one’s character, not the color of one’s skin, was how we decided who would be our friend.  And, finally in 2009, we elected our first black president, something most could celebrate whether they agreed with Obama’s governing philosophy or not.   

But something else happened in the 1960’s, which was Lyndon Johnson’s “War of Poverty.”  Like the Civil Rights Movement of the same decade, it was an ideal worth striving for.  Like FDR’s “New Deal,” it set up safety-net programs that assure that the poorest in our country have necessities of food, clothing, shelter and medical care.  It has made a real and lasting difference, particularly for no-whites, but it failed to move the poverty line below the chronic 13% (or so) that it has historically been over the last half century.[1] We did not win the war on poverty, and while we were trying to create a classless society, we inadvertently created a new class- the entitlement class. It contributed to the destruction of the family unit with the government providing for families rather than fathers. 

 [1]        Census Bureau -   https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached-historic-lows-in-2019.html

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Emotions and Feelings as a Basis for Our Identity

Perhaps we all struggle with our self-identity, but some more so than others for sure. I am speaking of that identity internally held that forms the basis for understanding who we are, whose we are, and where we fit in.  How we understand ourselves has a bearing on how we relate to the people around us and to the God who created us.  

Our identity, therefore, needs to be based on something more concrete, factual, and trustworthy than our internal emotions.  Even though we are in the midst of a culture that tells us, "If it feels go do it," we need more than feelings and emotions to bring us to our full potential and God-given destiny?  

As a pastoral counselor, I have seen first-hand how feelings and emotions are too fickle for a person to use as the sole basis for understanding who they really are and what course of action they should take to move forward in life.  A person struggling with depression, for instance, may believe they are hopelessly unable to cope with the challenges of daily living when the truth is that they have the resources to do just that, even though chemical imbalances or circumstances have deceived them into thinking otherwise.  A person having experienced the trauma of rejection and broken relationships identifies himself or herself as one unworthy or incapable of any kind of healthy relationship when, of course, it is not true. 

Another example is the modern-day trend toward trans-genderism based solely on the feeling that one is of another sex.  Gender dysphoria is not new, of course, but many these days are further led to seek a trans-sexual identity by our gender-affirming culture and some well-meaning phycology practitioners, all because of what one is feeling.  What seems prudent before any sort of life-changing action, such as hormone treatment or gender reassignment surgery, is to seek other sources for decision-making than just one's feelings and emotions.  This is doubly true among children whose emotions, life experiences, and identity are just forming.  

The obvious answer is therapeutic exploration of other factors than feelings in establishing a healthy identity.  Maybe such clinical exploration is taking place in most cases; one would hope so.  If the person were my child, relative, or friend, I would surely insist upon it.  

Homily- Funeral Service for Bob James, December 8, 2023

Needless to say, I am honored to preside at Bob’s memorial service today.  Bob was a pretty special guy.  He was a good and gentle man, a good friend to me, and I was privileged to be his pastor and priest for these recent years. 

 Sue, Terri, Mike, Kathy, all the family, my heart goes out to you.  I know your grief over your now being separated from Bob.  I will miss his him, as we all will, until we are all reunited around God’s throne in heaven. 

 Bob and Sue both have been my heroes in the growing old department. They have done it right.  I have fond memories of Bob that I will cherish.  One of my favorites is Wednesday fellowship suppers here at Holy Trinity.  Bob always enjoyed them.  He enjoyed the food and being with his friends.  Many of you will remember this… On Wednesday nights, before he did anything else, he would go to the dessert table and pick out desserts for Sue and himself.  Making a choice was not a problem for Bob; if more than one looked good, he would just take two.  He would then lead the way through the buffet line, which seemed right to us in that Bob and Sue were the eldest, the matriarch and patriarchs of the parish. 

 I admired Bob for his solid spirituality and a care for people.  Sitting with the family at Posey’s Funeral Home earlier this week, Kathy shared with me that her Dad regularly, almost nightly, called to ask she was and how her family were doing.  Mike as a trucker knew of his father’s concern for his safety and wellbeing.  The family has shared with me about their father’s devotion to his evening prayers in which he would pray for all these things. 

Bob was a man who lived well the life God gave him; so, in the midst of our sadness at his absence, we have much to celebrate: 

•         We celebrate Bob’s 93 years among us. 
•         We celebrate God who gave Bob to us for these 93 years.
•         And we celebrate the rest of Bob’s story, which is his inheritance as a child of God of eternal life with his Father in heaven.

To be in union with Him forever is the reason God created Bob in the first place. Bob was created out of love, to be the object of God’s love, with the divine ability to Love God in return.  As for loving God in return, Bob surely did that. 

 Bob was not perfect; none of us are?  But Bob was a person who called on God to help him push back the evils of this world.  For us all, sin, rebellion, neglecting of God- all these things get in the way of a redeeming and salvific relationship with our heavenly Father.  In our fallen human condition, we find that we are powerless to overcome our propensity for such things, but God in Christ He does for us that we cannot do for ourselves. This is what Jesus is all about.  Bob had this kind of saving relationship with Christ and is therefore tsken his place at the great banquet feast of the Lamb, to borrow from that powerful biblical imagery.

 A few minutes ago, during the family’s procession into the church, I recited pieces of Scripture, one was part of Jesus’ conversation with Martha, the sister of Jesus’ friend Lazarus. who had died, and Martha was in deep grief, and frankly, in deep puzzlement, about it all.  This story is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 11: Let me read it to you:    “23 Jesus said to Martha, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection; I am life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes [that, is trust] in me shall never die. Jesus goes on to ask Martha a question, “Do you believe this, Martha?”  She answers, “Yes, Lord, I believe.”  This was Bob’s answer to Jesus also.  I pray that this is the answer, or will be the answer, that all of us here today will give to God.

 This reveals a bedrock fact about our God: He did not create Bob to just live three-score and ten years, as Psalm 90 puts it, and then simply return to the dust from which he came, as Genesis 3 puts it.  It is likely that a number of us here today believe that because it is what our materialistic culture teaches us.  Bob answered Jesus’ question to Martha with his own yes, and therefore the curse of Genesis 3 for him is broken.  The curse of Genesis 3 is, of course, the death and eternal separation from God.  For Bob, death no longer has the last word in his life, Jesus does.  Bob’s life is characterized, at least in the time I have known him, by his pursuit of this salvific, curse-breaking, love-relationship with God.  In return, God has pursued him, forgiven him, redeemed him, and now, gathered Bob to Himself. 

 Finally let me say, Bob’s relationship with his Lord is reflected in his relationships with all of us.  I have seen it in his kindness, generosity, servanthood, hospitality, and sacrificial giving to his family and to all of us.  So, we have much to celebrate today. 

Let’s pray:

 Almighty God, creator and sustainer of us all, our hearts of full of thankfulness for Bob but be close to us as we deal with our separation from him, albeit for only for a little while.  Continue to cover this family with the richness of your grace bestowing on them your joy and peace that surpasses understanding.  We pray this in the holy name of our Lord and redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen

On the Wrong Side of History

I have dedicated this blog page over the years to my musings on topics of spiritual life and growth.  I think this posting fits into that criteria in that it is about the relentless march in this country from a predominately Christian Worldview, to a predominately secular worldview that is mildly tolerant or appreciative of the contribution the Christian Worldview, to a now a thoroughly pagan worldview(1) that sees and thus opposes Christianity as standing in the way of a "Progressive" future for this country.  Proof of this, in my mind, cannot be more clearly seen than the expression of the classic Christian virtues are noticeably more rare these days in American politics, and we now only nominate and elect pagans to the highest office in the land, the Presidency.  People ask, "How can you possibly vote for ... ?"  My answer is that I don't; I vote for the political philosophy and form of government that I believe will prosper this country and most benefit the middle and poverty-line class in this country.

I have tilted this posting "On the Wrong Side of History"(2) because the future belongs to the younger generation (younger than me anyway), and apparently most of the younger generation have become convinced that we need to shift left (toward socialism and away from capitalism- more this below).  The normative belief is that capitalism creates wealth disparity and is therefore evil, even in spite of the fact that the controlled capitalism of our  economic system has created the wealthiest country in the world.  Most in my generation understand that capitalism is not perfect but it works better that anything else.  The younger generation does not agree with this.  For the life of me, I do not know what they base that upon; nonetheless, it places us on the wrong side of history, because, if we don't fall off Progressive cliff this election, we probably will the next, barring any significant change in thinking of our young people.

America has always been on a continuum between liberal socialism and conservative free-market capitalism, between high taxes and low taxes, between wealth redistribution and wealth creation,  between big government that enforces wealth redistribution and small government that allows and incentivizes and provides people the opportunity to create their own wealth.  The liberal movements of the 20th century created much needed safety net program, but the Great Society movement of the 60's also created a permanent poverty class.  In theeh last half of the 20th Century, we threw trillions of dollars at poverty only to have poverty stay at or about 13%.  The 20th Century did not find the sweet spot between socialism and capitalism and, it seems to me, went too far to the left.  We act like we cannot learn from our past.    

With all that said, where does that leave me this election cycle.  Progressivism has the goal of fundamentally remaking America, when what I want is to find that sweet spot on the continuum, and it does not lie further to the left.  I want a government that gets out of the way and allows the economically deprived and the middle class grow and prosper, while watching out for those in need and those who cannot take care of themselves.  I think progressivism is more the problem than the solution.  The champion of progressivism is Kamala Harris: so, I don't think she is the answer.  The Democrats do not even talk about how to help the economy thrive; and I am not sure the new Democratic party can any longer help people prosper, given their platform priorities.  The Republicans have had some success with that in this recent administration, and I think the Republicans at least have a "get out of the way and let people prosper" attitude.  I think the Republicans have the best answer for the future of this country.   So, as far has Trump is concerned, my only choice is to do what I did during the last presidential election, which was to hold my nose and vote.  It is a decision on which "pagan" is best for the people of this county. 

 

(1) My thanks to Fr. Ross Guthrie who in a recent sermon helped me understand this transition from simply post-Christian to full-blown paganism and what that really means to us.  

(2) Barrack Obama was the first one I heard to who say that Conservatives were on the wrong side of history.  He also said that he was going to fundamentally change America.  I think that was his objective but was checked by the checks and balances of our system.   

Homily- Memorial Service for Pat Hartley, November 13, 2023

 Needless to say, I am honored to be the homilist today. Dan and Peyton, thank you for inviting me to do so, and thank you, Father Duvall, for your graciousness in allowing me this pulpit.   

 For Christ Church to have this memorial service here at St. Andrews, Mt. Pleasant is a special blessing for Dan, Alice, and me.  Four pews from the back on the Epistle side is where my siblings and I got our start on our Christian pilgrimages.  On Sundays we were sandwiched between our father on our right and our mother towering over us on the left.  What I remember most vividly about those early years was how effectively any excessive squirming or inappropriate noise was dealt with by our mother, and this is when I first received some idea of what the "fear of God" was all about. 

I spent much of this past week with my brother Dan and niece Peyton grieving, enjoying memories, sharing with friends and family, and hashing over the realities of life that come to the front of our thoughts at times like this. 

 Speaking of family, it is quite an experience to see all my family all lined up, packed in, sitting still, well-behaved… with little doors to keep them confined… A picture I’ll always remember.  That is not how I am used to experiencing my family.

 To all of you here today, you honor Pat with your presence, and you honor the family.  To Dan, Peyton, Carsten, Marylin, who feel Pat’s absence the most acutely, our hearts continue to break along with yours.  We all know, however, that our sadness is mixed with celebration, because we have much to celebrate: 

·        We celebrate Pat’s 77 years among us.  

·        We celebrate God who gave Pat to us for these 77 years.

·        And to celebrate the rest of Pat’s story, which is her inheritance as a child of God of eternal life with her Father in heaven.

To be in union with God forever is the reason God created Pat in the first place. This is God’s desire for Pat before the beginning of the ages. Pat was created out of love, to be the object of God’s love, with the divine ability to Love God in return desire even before the ages. 

 But as the human race, our sin, rebellion and neglect of God gets in the way of this love-relationship with our heavenly Father. We are powerless to overcome our fallen human nature, but God can do for us that we cannot do for ourselves. This is what Jesus the Messiah is all about.

 A few minutes ago in our processional anthem, Father Ted recited part of Jesus’ conversation with Martha, the sister of Jesus’ friend Lazarus who had died, and Martha is in deep grief, and frankly, puzzlement, about it all.  This story is recoded in the Gospel of John, chapter 11: Let me read it to you:    “23 Jesus said to Martha, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection; I am life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes [that is, trust] in me shall never die. Jesus goes on to ask Martha a question, “Do you believe this, Martha?”  She answers, “Yes, Lord, I believe.”  This has been Pat’s answer also.  I pray that this is the answer or will be the answer for all of us here to today.

So, here is a bedrock fact about our God: He did not create Pat to live 3 score and 10 years, as Psalm 90 puts it, and then simply return to the dust from which she came, as Genesis 3 puts it.  Pat answers Jesus’ question to Martha with a yes, and therefore the curse of Genesis 3 for Pat is broken.  The curse is death and eternal separation from God, but for Pat, death no longer has the last word in her life, God does.  

 In the 52 years I have known Pat, ever since Dan and Pat’s courtship and marriage those many years ago, she has pursued this of salvific love-relationship with God, and moreover, God has pursued her, forgiven her, redeemed her, and now, gathered her to himself.  We heard a few minutes ago Caroline read from 1 Corinthians 15 these Words, “O death, where is your victory; O death, where is your sting… thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 Finally let me say, Pat’s relationship with her Lord is reflected in her relationships with all of us.  I have seen it in her kindness, generosity, servanthood, hospitality, and sacrificial giving.  We have seen the light of Christ shining through her

 So, we have much to celebrate today.  Let’s pray:  Almighty God, creator and sustainer of us all, our hearts of full of thankfulness and joy for Pat but be close to us as we deal with our separation from her, albeit for only for a little while.  I pray this for us all, but in particular for my brother Dan.  Continue to cover Dan and all the family with the richness of your grace bestowing upon all of us your joy and peace.  We pray this in the holy name of our Lord and redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen

A Christian Response to Homosexuality

 

We see people these days responding to homosexuality in a broad spectrum of ways from total and affirming acceptance to gay bashing and gay violence.  The former (far left of the spectrum) comes out of an “enlightened” modernistic creed of individualism and a lack of transcendent authority concerning human sexuality.  The latter stems from a fallen human instinct to abhor and reject what is different.  Neither response is Christian.

The Christian response is wisdom, grace, and unconditional love.  Paul writes in Colossians 4:6, "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.  Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond "  In other words, the Christian response to homosexuality is to be God’s kind of love- the same Agape love Jesus showed toward the Samaritan woman at the well while she was still in her aberrant lifestyle, or toward Nicodemus still in his confusion about Kingdom truths, or Matthew while he was still deep in his greed and extortion as a tax collector.

The Church should allow the love of Christ to flow through us such that those caught up in homosexuality may turn to Christ and not away from Christ.  Speak Truth, of course, but allow the Holy Spirit to lead the person into a new life in Christ.  The Holy Spirit will do all the convicting that needs to be done to bring this about.  Our role is to be inviting, supportive, encouraging, and most of all, loving.