Occasio

Transition and Loss

Many institutions are experiencing high rates of transition these days. This is especially true for churches and Christian nonprofits, including colleges and universities. Fresno Pacific University has not been immune. As I watch the landscape of higher ed, I’m well aware of the structural upheaval at institutions like Shorter University, Cedarville University, Bryan College, General Theological Seminary, and others.

The chaos is sometimes related to theological shifts. Some institutions have added morality clauses which faculty members are forced to sign. Others have refined belief statements to include positions on creationism or homosexuality. Still others have debated Calvinism with a new vigor.

Unsettling transitions can also be caused by shifts in leaders. There are many styles of leadership, but the default in times of crisis favors heavy management. This is easy to see in churches—when a congregation is threatened by declining attendance, budget shortfalls and deteriorating facilities, people often put their hope in one man with lots of charisma and experience in top-down management. This is comforting for both employees and congregants because it assures people that someone is in control.

Another reason for ongoing chaos is financial instability. Economies are not as neat and predictable as they once were. For many, expansionary efforts are the presumed answer for economic downturns. It’s believed that adding more products will increase attractiveness. In the evangelical church, this is the game—work hard to add more goods and services so that people will be more likely to come (as opposed to attending another church with not quite as good of a selection).

For all of these reasons, and more, many people in Christian churches, agencies and institutions are experiencing great loss. And as mentioned earlier, despite record enrollment (something we’re very grateful for), my institution has not been spared. Through waves of budget reductions, salary cuts, employee terminations, forced resignations and administrative appointments, the loss is very real.

Having said that, here are some things I mourn at FPU.

I mourn the loss of those who have quietly disappeared from our midst. Most notably, former President Pete Menjares and his charming wife, Virginia, have virtually been erased. Dr. Menjares said at his inauguration two years ago, with tears in his eyes, "You honor me. You honor my family. You honor my community." Unfortunately, his speedy departure has cast a shadow of shame upon him and his people, something that the Hispanic community understands far better than most of us in a majority culture. With no chance for even a “goodbye,” the Menjares’ departure is not so much a reflection on their character as it is on ours. We used to recognize and honor those who left our campus. We’d know their names, celebrate the years they’d been with us and hear stories from their tenure. I’m not sure why, but we don’t do that anymore. Maybe the list is too long.

I mourn the loss of discussion and dialogue. I understand the need for expediency in a crisis situation, but I wonder if it isn’t counterproductive in the long run. Quick decisions and streamlined processes give the appearance of action, and certainly offer some needed correctives, but the drawbacks may not be immediately obvious. FPU has been committed to open conversation and has accepted, even encouraged, divergent ideas in the past. We believe that “community expresses itself in patterns of leadership and governance that are servant oriented and participatory and which lead toward consensual decision making.” (FPU Idea) Regrettably, crisis situations have the potential to supersede such core values.

I mourn the loss of future departures and colleagues who look elsewhere. A sad reality is that we hear often of peers who move to other institutions. With announcements coming out weekly of those who are retiring early or being laid off, many current employees regularly peruse the online job boards. Requests for letters of reference follow. It’s a bittersweet task to compose a laudatory recommendation for a colleague I don’t want to lose.

I mourn the loss of resources that would help students have an amazing academic experience. This is perhaps the hugest loss of all. My colleagues and I care deeply about our students, give them our very best and always want to provide more opportunities and experiences that help them develop into keen scholars and thoughtful practitioners. But financial crises limit that ability. While no student’s academic success is in jeopardy, we are sad when we can’t provide what we would hope to.

Some organizational transitions are good. Some are bad. Some are necessary. I’m not arguing one way or the other in the case of FPU. I’m more concerned with the loss that these transitions bring, and the lack of opportunity to process that loss. FPU is precisely the kind of community where this can and should happen. This is the thing that sets us apart from our local competitors and those institutions listed at the lead of this post. Our Anabaptist center demands it.

One of the tasks at hand, in the chaos, is to name the losses, acknowledge the disruption and take the time to discover underlying causes and issues. Short-circuiting this process might feel comfortable, but it also might not serve the institution well in time.

Why young adults need a liberal arts college education (and why it's critical for ministry students)

A recent study of 225 employers reveals some interesting data about what is desired in college graduates entering the work force. Not surprisingly -- to some of us -- a liberal arts education will accomplish most of what employers want.

• Internships. Employers are looking for applicants who have had internships. Over 90% want their potential workers to have one or two of them.
• Getting Hired. Things that carry the most weight in hiring an applicant: relevant courses, referrals from bosses or professors (I spend a lot of time writing these and take them very seriously), and internship experience.
• Skills. The top four skills that employers want AND have difficulty finding in applicants: communication skills, positive attitude, adaptability to change and teamwork.
• College Majors. Thirty percent of employers are recruiting liberal arts majors. That rate is topped only by companies recruiting engineering and computer majors at 34%. The really bad news: only 18% are recruiting finance and accounting majors.

One of the common misconceptions about a liberal arts college or university is that it is a liberal (as opposed to conservative) political environment. This is a faulty correlation. In fact, the liberal arts should be understood as the liberating arts and can include literature, language, philosophy, history, math, psychology, science and religion/theology. The goal of a liberal arts education is to develop a well-rounded person who is capable of thinking critically and able to adapt to multiple work contexts.

This will be absolutely essential in the coming decades, as new industries -- many that we can't yet even imagine -- will require workers who can learn new skills, concepts and frameworks. The inability to acclimate to the changing culture will greatly hinder job prospects and professional development.

But what about ministry? That's what I teach at Fresno Pacific University. Why would a liberal arts education be critical for those wanting to serve the church? Answer: because as the culture changes around us, so does the role and nature of leadership in the church. What the church needs is leaders who can navigate the shifting currents of the world around us. What the church needs is leaders who have experience in ground-level grassroots ministries, a broad education, the ability to communicate well, positive and hopeful attitudes, and the capacity to foster teams of people committed to the work of the gospel.

Did you notice what is missing from the list above? The study suggests that employers are not valuing applicants who are strong, decisive, aggressive, confident, arrogant, etc. There doesn't seem to be an interest in narrow expertise or rugged individualism. The day of the cheif-executive-anything is nearly over, especially in the church.

Interested in ministry? A liberal arts education is a must for the next generation of church leaders.

Source: The Millennial Branding Student Employment Gap Study

Teaching U2: The Classroom as Theological Learning Space

I'm finally getting around to posting this. Back in October of 2009 I attended and presented a paper at the first-ever academic conference on U2, The Hype And The Feedback. The paper was published last year in Pacific Journal, a publication of Fresno Pacific University. Jessica Mast, a former student of mine at FPU, helped write the piece by giving the perspective of a sharp 20-something woman who's learned to love the work of U2. I'm grateful that she gave input and was also able to attend the conference with me.

"Teaching U2: The Classroom as Theological Learning Space" highlights some of the outcomes from a very unique class I teach at FPU, "Theology, Culture and U2." To my knowledge, it's the only semester-long course of it's kind.

In the paper I suggest that students' perceptions of theology can be radically shifted by investigating U2's approach to scripture, global activism and artistry. The band's biblical background certainly influences their engagement with the world.

Hear for yourself what students discovered by studying U2:

"Before taking this class my idea of theology would have been the systematic study of the Bible and all of its principles. I would have described theology as taking each passage of scripture in the Bible and defining the clear, distinct truth or command God is expressing to his followers. If you were to ask me how one can better understand theology I would have told you to start a Bible study, listen to a sermon, or talk with a Bible scholar. U2 has changed all of that. Through studying the music of U2 I have been faced with a new reality: theology isn’t knowledge, its practice!"   -Kyle

"Before taking this class, I thought theology was simply the study of God. I can understand now that theology is yes, based on orthodoxy, but also orthopraxy. The music of U2 has freed my soul in a way. Ha, I’m now more annoying to others—telling them what Jesus is doing in the world and throwing a few U2 facts and lyrics in as well. But more than just learning to “act out” my faith more, or even speak up more… things and life and faith become more primal. More sensory-oriented. Let’s taste our faith, feel our faith, smell it, hear it, let’s touch it. But together, please."   -Karen

You can find the whole paper here. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

The Perfect Pastor

In my Intro to Youth Ministry class this morning we spent the session talking about God's call to ministry. We asked questions like "How does one know he/she is called to ministry?" "What role do emotions, giftedness and community play in discerning the call?" and "How does a church call a pastor?" 

It's been said that when a church calls a pastor they spend a weekend (or however long the candidating process is) talking about all the things they like in a candidate and then all the following years complaining about everything they don't like. Most churches put pastors on pedestals and have such high standards that Jesus himself wouldn't be qualified (or if he was he probably wouldn't be interested).

Most churches engage in a fierce cycle that goes something like this: pastors love power and control so they continue to do all of the work and make all of the decisions, and congregations require that the pastors serve them and meet their needs thus alleviating themselves of any responsibility for the ministry and work of the kingdom. Thus, the professionalization of the pastoral role reinforces the apathy of the laity and vice-versa.

Congregations continue to search for the perfect pastor. Here's a humorous piece I use in class about a generic church that is doing just that. I pulled this article by Clint Heacock from Relevant Magazine a couple of years ago. It's no longer on their site so I include it here as an doc file. This fictitious church business meeting is way too familiar.

Teaser:

Thank you all for coming to the meeting tonight.

As you all know, we've been two long years without a head pastor, ever since we had to let Pastor Jesus go. You all remember how we voted on that issue. Quite simply it wasn't working out, either for Him or for us.

But now we are certain that God has answered our prayers! After reviewing the resumes of literally dozens of potential pastors, we have found one that we think could be a great fit for our church.... 

Here's the full story.

Dr. Richard Hughes speaks on "Christian America and the Kingdom of God."

Dr. Richard Hughes, PhD in Christian History, gave a second address this evening. (Here's the one from this afternoon.) In a very thought provoking lecture he dismantled the notion that America is a nation with a Christian character. Agreeing that the Christian story has been a sub-text throughout America's history, he contrasted the current notion of a Christian nation with a biblical definition of the kingdom of God. Here's another set of rambling notes.

Anyone who wants to come to terms with America as a Christian nation must understand the only concept in scripture that’s analogous and helpful: the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is continually represented as a culture of peacemaking and social justice.

The nation of America tends to understand its Christian identity as a privatistic code of ethics and power.

The kingdom of God and the nation of America are polar opposites, in fact, an oxymoron.

Hebrew bible and the concept of the kingdom of God.

-1 Sam 8:40-42, Give us a king like the other nations.
-The intent was for the Hebrew nation to be God’s kingdom, different than any other.
-God and Samuel argued that the outcomes would be slavery, war and injustice.
-The people ignored this and they were given a king.
-The kingdom of God would be non-violent and just, while earthly kingdoms, including Solomon’s were filled with violence and oppression.
-8th century BCE, the prophets continually argued for Samuel’s vision of the kingdom.
-The message was that of social justice as the only means to peace.
-Amos argued that religious ritual was an abomination apart from justice for the poor.
-Isaiah draws a connection between social justice and national well being.
-Hosea sees the demise of Israel and asks, “where now is your king to save you?”
-Virtually all the Hebrew prophets became messengers of peace, understanding that violence would not work in securing a kingdom or national identity.
-A rejection of war and an embrace of peace, “a child has been born to us...” (Is 9)
-Zachariah picks up the theme; a new king would come not in a chariot, but on a donkey; not with military might but with humility.

New Testament and the concept of the kingdom of God.

-Matthew, “do not resist one who is evil,” “love your enemies.” “All who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
-John, “my kingship is not of this world.”
-Paul, “bless those who persecute you,” “repay evil with good,” “never avenge yourselves,” “if your enemy is hungry, feed him,” “overcome evil with good.”
-On the issue of social justice: Luke, “blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of God.”
-Lk 1 – Mary speaks of a radically new order in her Magnificat. Lift up the lowly, scattered the proud, filled the hungry.
-Lk 2 – An angel speaks: do not be afraid, good news of great joy, a new ruler has come, as a baby in a manger. A revolutionary and seditious announcement, in opposition to Caesar. To promote Jesus as Lord and Savior was treasonous.
-Lk 3 – John the Baptist orders compassion, sharing, the kingdom of God.
-Lk 4 – Jesus’ own announcement of the kingdom: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed, to proclaim the Jubilee.
-The kingdom of God turns imperial values upside down. The empire uses power, the kingdom uses justice. The empire starves, the kingdom feeds. The empire oppresses, the kingdom frees.

How have we missed these themes so often?

-American fundamentalism is the offspring of two stories: America and Christianity.
-An American bias toward radical individualism and private pietism.
-Americans read the bible through the lens of capitalism believing that “God helps those who help themselves” (a counter biblical phrase of Benjamin Franklin, not found in the bible).
-Americans have turned their back on a Hebrew world view for that of a Greek one, which focuses on the after life.
-Americans seldom or never read the bible at all. Biblical illiteracy abounds mainly among American Evangelicals.
-John Calvin sought to make Geneva into the city of God’s kingdom, to transform it in every way. He focused on society, politics, authority which influenced and shaped the pietistic, reformed character of early America. American fundamentalism continues to seek the transformation into the kingdom of God. America would be the model. But peacemaking and social justice were ignored for the political power and even military might.
-After 9/11 hoards of Christians were calling for revenge and military action. “Conservative Christians biggest backers of Iraq War.” 87% of white evangelicals supported the war on Iraq. Evangelicals said this would open up a new mission field for Muslims (Franklin Graham). Tim LeHaye sees it as an end times scheme. Many opt for a kingdom of power.

The kingdom of God

-relies on the power of love
-has no mortal enemies
-embraces the values of peace and justice
-exalts the poor and dispossessed
-promotes forgiveness not revenge
-prefers humility to power

In one sense America is a Christian nation in that 75% of it’s citizens profess Christianity.

“We have a great country. My concern is not to demean America. But the biblical account does not support transforming the nation into the kingdom.”

“Christianity has always been the subtext for the founding of the nation. American history cannot be separated from the Christian tradition.”

“From a cultural standpoint we are a Christian nation.”

“But the character of the nation is counter to the character of the kingdom.”

“My allegiance is to the kingdom of God.”

“The kingdom of God is now, but not yet.”

“So. Why then would we want to refer to America as a Christian nation?”

Dr. Richard Hughes speaks on "The Christian Life of the Mind"

Here are a few rambling notes from a presentation that Dr. Richard Hughes gave at Fresno Pacific University today. His topic was on "The Christian Life of the Mind." Essentially, he examined four historic Christian traditions coming out of the sixteenth century and the ways they contributed to or limited intellectual investigation and curiosity. These are the raw notes as I took them. Not sure they'll make any sense, but please feel free to leave a comment or question.

Reformed

- John Calvin wanted to superimpose the vision of the Kingdom of God onto the city of Geneva.
- Calvin College does a great job of bringing the notion of a Christian world view.
- Reformed thinkers are concerned about the issue of secularization. Avoid the slippery slope of secularization.
-Shortcoming: Christian faith must be able to break through itself to sustain scholarship and reflection. Need to have some space for radical question-asking. No framework for sustaining wonder, reflection, risk of sliding down the slippery slope. The project is built on the premise that we have to protect our self so a whole set of questions cannot be ask. There must be freedom to ask question; radical question asking.
-Fundamentalism rose from the womb of reformed tradition. The early fundamentalists were Presbyterian or Baptist.

Roman Catholic

-Central in Catholic theology is the sacramental principle. Some thing very ordinary and common becomes a vehicle of grace. The sac principle expands this. All secular can become the vehicle of the sacred.
-We don’t fear the slippery slope of secularization, we embrace the secular world as a vehicle that carries the sacred to us.
-Allows us to ask questions about the secular and thus allows me to engage the sacred.

Lutherans

-Luther: simultaneously justified from sin; otherwise I am guilty of every sin until I ask forgiveness for that sin.
-Grace supports and frees me to think; I might get it wrong but I’m forgiven, redeemed, loved, saved.
-Grace sustains the life of the Christian thinker.
-Luther had an understanding and appreciation for paradox (king in a manger); things are seldom right or wrong, we live in paradox; this is liberating and allows for thinking and questioning.

Anabaptists

-They questioned the assumptions of 12 hundred years of tradition and pressed for a church made up of believers.
-The downside of Anabaptism: there are seeds that can nourish independent and counter-cultural thinking, there is no theological principle for sustaining this. Anabaptists fall under the risk of orthodoxy. This is always the fear and the danger.
-We must continue to tell the story of the young people in Zurich who challenged and questioned the status quo.

Question I wish I could ask:

What does one do when the culture is repressive and unsupportive of asking questions and sustaining the life of the mind? The repressive cultural could be denominational, institutional, ecclesial, political, etc.

How does a liberal arts university, which by necessity must engage in a market-driven culture, promote the “life of the mind” when the culture primarily wants technical, occupational outcomes? Intellectual curiosity doesn’t sell well these days.

Colossians 1:15-20 -- what should be our response?

I delivered the following sermon on November 7, 2009 at a gathering of West Coast Mennonite Brethren churches known as the Pacific District Conference. My task, along with three other preachers, was to focus on the text from Colossians 1:15-20 and the theme of Christ's supremacy and centrality. In this sermon I suggest that our response to this cosmic Christ should be one of love, sacrifice and service, motivated from a heart of gratitude and humility.

Here's a bit of the introduction. Click here if you'd like to read the entire fifteen minute sermon.

Our text today, Colossians 1:15-20, is a beautiful poem used by Paul in the church at Colossae. It’s possible that this was not only a masterful piece of prose, but that it might also have been a hymn sung by the Colossians, a small band of believers struggling to find their place as a new sect in the midst of a culture that was potentially dangerous for the young church.

Paul was probably using this Christological hymn to offset several threats. Colossae was a cosmopolitan center of religion, trade and culture. The Colossian Christians were confronted with Mideastern astrology, lingering Jewish traditions, a plethora of Greek gods and goddesses, and a Roman empire that impacted everyone. It appears that these prevailing ideologies and religions were influencing a set of teachers in this New Testament church. These false teachers were advocating for beliefs and practices that were not a part of the apostles’ original Gospel.

Some in the Colossian church believed that Christ was just one in a chain of holy beings that would lead to God. This Gnostic worldview held that the stars all represented angels, spirits, or gods that were lesser deities than the God of heaven. These divine beings were believed to control humanity and act as gatekeepers for the afterlife. This hierarchical configuration of deities was probably affecting the beliefs of the first Christians in Colossae and threatened to displace Christ as their sole focus.

Another significant threat to the Colossians was the ever-present all-encompassing Roman Empire. The value system of the empire would have been inescapable; it would have reached into every aspect of daily life. In Roman culture, Caesar was the savior, the son of God, and the sole mediator of hope and peace for the world. Caesar’s picture, along with other symbols of Rome, was everywhere – on coins, in the marketplace, at sports events, and on jewelry, pottery, furniture, paintings and more. Caesar’s influence permeated life and demanded allegiance.

Paul quickly and appropriately moved to correct these potential heresies....

Here is the doc file of the entire sermon.
 

Colossians 1:15-20 NLT

¹⁵Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
  He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

 ¹⁶ for through him God created everything
  in the heavenly realms and on earth.
   He made the things we can see
  and the things we can’t see—
   such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
  Everything was created through him and for him.

 ¹⁷ He existed before anything else,
  and he holds all creation together.

 ¹⁸ Christ is also the head of the church,
  which is his body.
   He is the beginning,
  supreme over all who rise from the dead.
  So he is first in everything.

 ¹⁹ For God in all his fullness
  was pleased to live in Christ,

 ²⁰ and through him God reconciled
  everything to himself.
   He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
  by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Psalm 23 provides clues for dealing with uncertain times

Here's a brief article I just published through Fresno Pacific University's "Scholars Speak" feature. Click on he link below if you want to read the rest of the piece.

The most famous ancient Hebrew poem is Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd…” and the main context for its reading is funerals. But like the most popular prayer (“Our Father who art in heaven”) and the most popular verse (“For God so loved the world”) this psalm is often recited without much reflection. Though it may be customary to use Psalm 23 at a memorial service, it is even more appropriate as an expression of hope and life in the troubled here-and-now.

Read the full article here.

FPU Ministry Forum with Ray Bakke

I’m blogging from the annual Ministry Forum at Fresno Pacific University today. Our keynote speaker is Ray Bakke, a pastor, teacher, and professor of urban theology. Ray is the chancellor of the Bakke Graduate University. Our theme for the forum is “One Church, One City.” Ray is a brilliant theologian with provocative and relevant thoughts for the urban church. Rather than editorialize, I thought I’d just share a cluster of ideas he’s been sharing today. These are loose paraphrases of his comments.

In 1800 2%, 1900 8%, 2000 50% of the planet lives in cities
Cities are growing by 100,000 per day; ½ by birth, ½ by relocation

Ray’s most shocking experience was to watch churches flee the cities in the 60s. Those who sang “red and yellow, black and white” bought into “white flight.”

Christians fled L.A. and Chicago and met in Colorado Springs

Evangelicals think they can’t survive in the cities because there’s a belief that gardens are good and cities are evil; there is an exodus theology in play

In the bible: 1250 texts regarding the city, 141 individual cities mentioned. Ez 16: cities are families (this is the part of focusing on the family that Dobson has left out). Biblical idea of family - hooked to geography and history.

Paul’s use of contextualization in the city:
Philippi - Lydia and women in an upper class city lead the church
Athens - quoted Greeks at Mars Hill
Corinth - he made tents, the crossroads the marketplace/commerce (urban and rural)
Ephesus - went to synagogue to dialogue (Socratic method)
Paul adjusts his message, methods and meaning places to meet people where they where
A theology as big as the city includes all of these

Luther and Calvin had a marketplace theology
Common Grace: taking care of schools, hospitals, public sector
Saving Grace: in the churches paid for by tithes
Tax money or tithe money - it’s all God’s
Why have Christians removed themselves from Common Grace theology? (This comes largely through American revivalism and personal piety movements)

God is bringing the nations to the city neighborhoods
The Lord of history is bringing the nations to California - why is he doing this? what does this mean?
This is not the time to flee the city in favor of gated communities. We need common grace.

Four worlds people live in: biological, geographical, relational, recreational worlds
The task of the pastor is not to get 10% growth this year but to get congregants into their four worlds as missionaries
“Evangelism is scratching people where they itch in the name of Jesus”
“Church growth” is about getting a hundred people into four hundred worlds touching thousands of people
Church Growth strategies have typically encouraged a pastor to build a church in his/her own image and then attract others to it creating homogeneous cultures
“I had to decide if I wanted to be a come-structured pastor or a go-structured pastor”

Form the second century in Epistle to Diognetus: what the soul is to the body, the Christian is to the city

Jesus died in the city and the church was born in the city at Pentecost

Does any of this get you thinking about Christianity, ministry and the urban context? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

We're not electing Jesus!

I’m stunned at how many Christians think they’re electing Jesus on November 4. I’m getting pretty tired of being phoned, emailed, spammed, FaceBooked and in other ways accosted by well-meaning believers who have completely come to find their identity in a political candidate or proposition.

There are at least two major issues that Christians are divided on this time around: the presidential election and, in California, Proposition 8. It’s times like these that bring out the most irrational thinking and the sloppiest hermeneutics. It’s time for a reality check: all campaigns lie, make unfounded accusations and spread disinformation. Depending on who you talk to, McCain and Obama can each be viewed as the Antichrist (no such character found in scripture by the way) or the Savior. And I love the way each side paints their candidate as “the” Christian in the race. In addition, one candidate is “guilty by association,” another for having too many addresses and another for dressing sharp.

Prop 8 raises a whole other set of issues. This is the attempt to modify the California constitution to define marriage as limited to one man and one woman. The “yes” folks warn we will get “gay education” if it’s not passed, and the “no” population learns to hate the church with a new vigor. “This” church invokes biblical authority, "that" church opens their arms with Christ’s love.

As I said above, I see two primary flaws in the way many Christians approach elections. First, there’s a sense of irrationality. Say goodbye to any kind of an intelligent conversation; pick a side and call the other whackos and lunatics. “Oh, they’re well-meaning,” we say, “they just don’t have any brains (AND they’re ruining the country!). A recent psych study at Cornell University verifies the human propensity toward an “unshakeable self-confidence in one’s decisions” and the myth of “the feeling of being right.” The problem with convictions, gut feelings, and hunches is that we rely exclusively on these intuitions at the expense of logical conversation. Hence, a debate is an opportunity to bolster what one already believes (cyclical reasoning) rather than a chance to expand ones understanding and knowledge.

"Feelings of absolute certainty and utter conviction are not rational deliberate conclusions; they are involuntary mental sensations generated by the brain. Like other powerful mental states such as love, anger and fear, they are extraordinarily difficult to dislodge through rational arguments. Just as it's nearly impossible to reason with someone who's enraged and combative, refuting or diminishing one's sense of certainty is extraordinarily difficult. Certainty is neither created by nor dispelled by reason.”

A second flaw in our approach to elections is that of prooftexting. Christians taking ANY position, be it on a presidential candidate or a proposition, can find support for their position in scripture. James Dobson does this. The Reverend Jeremiah Wright does as well. Cult leaders do it best.

Prooftexting is the practice of selecting verses out of scripture that support what one already believes, regardless of the context they were originally written for. A classic example: we often hear the verse, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” and apply it to the topic of prayer.  If we read the whole chapter of Matthew 18 however, we don’t hear a word about prayer. The chapter is entirely about conflict and forgiveness. The implication: When two or three come together to reconcile and forgive, there am I in their midst. Go ahead, read it.

Because so many Christians are prone to irrationality and prooftexting, they vilify one candidate and praise another. Obama is a kills babies. McCain kills Iraqis. And there is very little ground in between for conversation. Families are divided, friendships are strained and congregations stand against one another, always in the “name of Jesus.”

Maybe that’s the gist of the problem – we keep claiming the name of Jesus in ways that are inappropriate. I’m lucky, my wife and I cancel two or three of each other’s votes on candidates and ballot propositions every election. We see issues differently; sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t. That doesn’t make either one of us less Christian. Just because she voted different than me doesn’t mean she’s dumb or unholy. (Although I often remind her that I am smarter than her – after all, when we got married look what she got and look what I got!)

So let’s find our identity in Christ, not in politicians or political causes. If the Jews and Gentiles could do it, Dems and Reps might just have a chance.

In the end, we’re not electing Jesus. If we did, I’m sure he’d just get crucified.

   

The NFC pastoral staff at our Halloween carnival:

Loren "Biden" Dubberke, Terron "Obama" Nolan, James "McCain" Bergen, Krystal "Palin" Klaassen