Shellie Warren finished the New York City Marathon at 11:14 p.m. — 12 hours, 6 minutes and 3 seconds after she started. Warren was the final finisher of all the final finishers, those who cross the finish line long after most of the crowd headed home and well after the official race cut-off time of 7:25 p.m. ESPN reporter Charlotte Gibson documented Warren’s unlikely triumph, along with a small group of other final finishers. One crossed the line in a wheelchair, backwards. Another on crutches. Still another walking with a prosthetic leg that caused her much pain, but not enough to keep her from completing the marathon. They range in age from 26 to 72. Their stories recount herculean physical, emotional and spiritual courage. Many ran with the names of those who inspire them on their lips and in their hearts mile after mile. Warren runs for her son, Brett. Every bridge she crossed on that 26.2 mile route reminded her of his tragic death: He jumped from a bridge over the Hudson River … [Read more...]
The utter ridiculousness of worship
Sitting in the back of a presbytery worship service – watching two of my black-robed colleagues call us to confession and read Scripture and preside at the table laden with silver trays filled with tiny plastic cups of grape juice and little pieces of Wonder Bread – a recurring thought kept coming to consciousness: This is utterly ridiculous. We sing words from hymns written over a century ago and recite creeds crafted in antiquity. These ancient texts get projected onto screens affixed next to a cross, a state-sanctioned means of execution from ages past. We “pass the peace,” another idiosyncrasy not easily translated to those outside our sanctuary walls. We sit silently (at least that’s the norm in most of our houses of worship) and listen for 15-20 minutes while the preacher expounds on stories set in cultures light-years away from our current context. At this service the necrology was read as “Amazing Grace” emanated from bagpipes. Necrology. Amazing grace. Bagpipes. Exponential … [Read more...]
Navigating politics in our pews
I want to say that election season looms — but really, election season is off and running. Debates – on stages and around dinner tables – gain intensity by the moment. Each headline ratchets up the stress of encountering that church member or co-worker or relative. Many of us plan ahead, strategizing what we will say (or not say), whether or not we will attempt to engage meaningful, but potentially divisive issues, or deciding simply to talk about the weather. When the cultural climate is one of deep schism and inflammatory rhetoric, what should people of faith do? Surely, we cannot pretend that the political realm is off limits to our discipleship. Jesus is, after all, Lord of all. Jesus, we ought to remember, threatened not only people-possessing demons, but earthly powers, so much so that those people with earthly power executed him. Of all of our options in this election season, pretending God cares only about spiritual matters is not one we can defend biblically. We pray … [Read more...]
Ministry interrupted
Women get interrupted more frequently than men. Studies reveal this, but I didn’t need research to confirm this truth — my own experience offers enough evidence. Even the most powerful women are interrupted more than their male counterparts. An article in Aeon magazine, “How men continue to interrupt even the most powerful women,” details findings from a survey of the Supreme Court justices. The authors report, “There are few more powerful positions than being a Supreme Court justice, yet the female justices are just like other women: talked over by their male colleagues.” They go on to note that these interruptions have real consequences. “Scholars have shown that oral arguments shape case outcomes, so any systematic interference with the female justices’ ability to fully participate will limit their substantive power on the court.” Speaking and being heard matter. Words equal influence. Habitually silencing diverse voices limits vision, imagination and possibilities on the Supreme … [Read more...]
We are better than this
I am sitting in a cozy café in Washington, D.C. Seated at the table beside me are two elementary school age children and an older teenage sibling, maybe a babysitter. Proximity prevents any truly private conversations, hence I overhear them planning the rest of their day. The little girl says flatly: “I don’t want to go to the mall. There’s more likely to be a shooter there.” The teenager in charge offers no argument to counter the girl’s fear. How could she, really? This exchange took place mere days after the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings. Regardless of the statistical reality of the rarity of these horrendous events, the possibility of such violence is obvious, even – or maybe especially – to our children. Active shooter drills punctuate the school year no less than fire drills and pep rallies. A police presence in our schools is no longer exceptional. It is expected. Teachers are tasked with not only educating our kids, but protecting them from potentially deadly harm, … [Read more...]
Bumper sticker theology
The bumper sticker on the car in the Chick-Fil-A parking lot read: “Heaven has walls, hell has open borders.” Google tells me that sometimes the slogan is more specific, noting a gate and a strict immigration policy. Often a sentence at the end admonishes the reader: “Let that sink in.” Indeed, let all of this theology sink in. I am wary of any and all theology proffered on hats, mugs, memes and the like. In my experience, God’s will, character and plans do not lend themselves to being summed up in a sentence or two, especially ones we pen. If select and beloved biblical quotes don’t move us to ways of peace and goodwill, how could anything we come up with guide us to life abundant? As brief as the Greatest Commandment and that like unto it are, they take a lifetime of practice and daily attentiveness to God, self and others in order to occasionally – and through the grace of God and the gift of the Spirit sometimes, at least partially – follow. So why would we think we could wrap up … [Read more...]
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