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Holy Spirit house of worship

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Ineffable. The feeling that washes over you in worship or in a session meeting or at a community event in the church parking lot when you sense the presence of the Holy Spirit. Tangible, unmistakable, but difficult to describe exactly. Ineffable. The feeling that clings to you in worship or in a session meeting or at a community event in the church parking lot when you sense the presence of conflict, tribalism or indifference. Tangible, unmistakable, but difficult to describe exactly. Hang around congregations long enough and encountering both scenarios is inevitable. But what makes the difference between Spirit-infused and Spirit-adverse churches? It doesn’t take long to ascertain which stance prevails in any given faith community. The greetings (or not) of the “greeter,” the easy laughter (or not) in the congregation, the liturgical litany that is the weekly calendar printed in the bulletin, the content of the announcements, even the signage on the building and the … [Read more...]

Tagged With: healthy congregations

Renouncing white Jesus

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No sooner had James Cone (THE Rev. Dr. James Cone) folded himself into my compact car and clicked the seatbelt, I blurted, “I am sorry for my white Jesus, Dr. Cone.” He glanced at the plastic, sun-bleached, plastic Jesus on my dashboard and said in his signature, high-pitched voice, “Oh, it’s all right, it’s all right.” Driving Cone back to his hotel after his arresting, compelling, profound lecture on “The Cross and the Lynching Tree” counts as one of the highest privileges of my ministry. The lecture took place April 17, 2017. He said of his book, “I put my whole being into it. … I did my best, to do less would be a theological sin.” Those of us in that sanctuary received a gift, as Cone put his whole being into that lecture too. Holding nothing back, saying what he thought, wrestling with the question of how black people kept their sanity in the face of terror and how white people who professed faith in Jesus, the crucified one, could turn around and lynch black people, even on … [Read more...]

Tagged With: African-American Presbyterians

God’s love knows no borders

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Whoever welcomes children welcomes Jesus. Love your neighbor as yourself. Who do you think was a neighbor to the man? The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God. Perfect love casts out fear. They will know we are Christians by our love. In Christ there is neither male nor female, slave nor free, Jew nor Greek. Whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to Jesus. I could keep going. The Bible is chock-full of texts that could be used as a lens through which to view those seeking to cross our borders. None of which justify separating families or arresting people for seeking asylum. If we assume immigrants and refugees are our neighbors, our call is to love them as ourselves. If Jesus’ instruction to welcome children is literal, then we should be welcoming children and not putting them in detention centers. If we want to say that those from other countries are … [Read more...]

Tagged With: immigration • refugees

A princess of God

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At our first meeting she told me she was a “prayer warrior.” I nodded, not knowing enough about what she meant to even ask a question. An elder on the session at my new call, she’d come to my office before all the boxes had been unpacked to introduce herself and offer her services as said prayer warrior. She invited me to let her know my prayer requests and she and her battalion of fellow warriors would pray fervently and confidently for whatever I asked. I thanked her and thought, “Well, that was weird.” Periodically, after that first encounter, she would pop into my office and pray, unbidden, that I be protected, strengthened and encouraged. She asked God, “Uphold your servant, whom you have chosen, called and anointed.” When she said, “In Jesus name, amen!” I confess, I felt protected, strengthened and encouraged. This warrior was equipped with the gifts (weapons?!) of the Spirit. As I grew to know and love her, I began to tell her my worries of the day on whatever day she … [Read more...]

Taking a long look

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The title of the project that has culminated in the articles you will find in this issue of the Outlook is ambitious, audacious even: “Taking a long look: Using long-form, narrative, theological essays to transform issues into empathy and foster thoughtful discussion on contentious topics.” That is a complicated way of saying, “I want to tell stories that will help us talk about difficult topics in nuanced, theological ways.” Over a year ago I was given the great gift of being invited to apply for a Duke Faith and Leadership Innovation Grant and I wrote the following in my application: “Into this climate of often vitriolic and reductive discourse, religious publications need to present a faithful, theologically articulate alternative. Discussion needs to be elevated if we are to discern how to tackle issues that divide and heighten anxiety. Complex problems may not require complex solutions but, as Jonathan Haidt notes in his work, both elephant and rider, heart and head, must be … [Read more...]

Tagged With: long look

We would see Jesus

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Church nerds go to worship when on vacation. I could try to spin this as dedicated piety, but it is more ecclesiastical curiosity. I want to see the sanctuary, analyze the liturgy, note the signage, register what it feels like to be a visitor. Such motivations to get up and out whilst on vacation are far from noble, but they shield me from being disappointed when I hope for more. But the truth is, I really do hope for more. In my heart of hearts, I go to worship while I am away (and when I am at home) because I am seeking more than information about service opportunities. I want more than food for thought. I want more than a pithy slogan or sound advice or even community. As much as I say I search the web for worship times and directions to do some professional reconnaissance, I am really trying to find a place that will share the Good News of the gospel with me. While the gospel is not new news to me, the Word of God is always needed news to me. I need to hear over and over again … [Read more...]

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