Christian Life is not Weather Control

Too often the religious life is seen as a superstitious life. The religious person prays to a deity in order to affect the world around. The individual, through a series of rituals or incantations, entices the gods to sway the fortunes and manipulate an outcome to the desires of the individual. The mature follower of Jesus knows that prayer is less about changing God and more about changing the self, but nonetheless prayer is seen by some as nothing more than vain attempts to change the future. 

Christianity teaches a way of life that is aware we cannot control the storms around us. We cannot control much in the world and there are so many things that are beyond our influence. Christianity knows that storms will come, no matter what we do, and we cannot control them. We cannot make it stop raining. We can only learn to live through the storm. 

Christianity teaches a way of life that does not seek to control the storms but to give people a solid foundation to stand on when the storms come. Christianity is a way of life that weathers the storms not eliminates them. Eliminating the storms is a dream of utopians, weathering storms is the hope of Christians. 

Perhaps this is why many are disinterested in Christianity. Christianity has been taught as a way to eliminate the storms by just doing the right things (the right prayer, right profession, etc.). Additionally, people have tried weather-controlling Christianity and seen that it does not work - the storms still come. Can we build churches less focused on controlling and more on standing firm when the rains begin to fall. 

What Colbert, Stewart and Chase Can Teach "The Church"

One of the great journalist/NBA coach exchanges.  

Journalist are an interesting bunch. We have all sorts of respect for the journalist who tries to get the Truth or expose the darkness in the world. We trust the journalist that asks the tough questions and finds a humble way to do so in the process We feel betrayed when we think a journalist is lying or not accurate. We have high standards for journalists. 

At the same time we seem to also have a distrust of the "Media". We know that journalists work for "The Media" but when we say "The Media" is bias or all garbage, we generally are talking about some amorphous idea we label "The Media". We can dismiss "The Media" if we don't like what it says, we can ignore "The Media" by tuning it out, we can discredit "The Media" by offering up different information. 

In many respects this is also true for clergy and "The Church". Many people, religious or not, meet clergy and trust clergy. There is a level of appreciation that clergy are trying to do the right things and do them with humility. It is also true that people have high standards of clergy which is why when clergy do things that violate those standards there is a sense of betrayal and anger. 

Similarly, just as there is distrust toward "The Media" there is also a growing distrust of "The Church". "The Church" is what has caused deep wounds in people's lives and it is "The Church" that is responsible for some of the crazy hate language. We can dismiss "The Church" if we don't like what it says, we can ignore "The Church" by tuning it out, we can discredit "The Church" by offering up different information. 

Perhaps this is why so many of us Christians are apprehensive to talk about our church - people might hear us and confuse our church with "The Church". "Oh, my church is not like those on T.V." "My church is very open and affirming." "My church teaches about love not about judgement." It take so much work to qualify when we talk about our church that I can see why many of us choose to talk about something else. 

If Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart before him (or Chevy Chase before him) have taught us anything it is that in order to change "The Media" we have to talk more about the media. In order to change the perception of "The Church" we have to be willing to talk more (not less) about our church. 

Introducing Preacher of the Month

Recently I asked a prominent female preacher who is another female preacher that I should be listening to. This preacher looked at me and said, "I cannot tell you a single female preacher in a large pulpit." I was struck at her assumption that the only people worth listening to were those with a large pulpit/platform.

After sharing my shock with a trusted friend about this experience, my friend (also clergy) said, "Jason you say that you want to advocate for the voices that are not in large pulpits. What are you specifically doing to advocate for those preachers to help get their voice heard?" She allowed me to steal her idea and put it on this blog - "Preacher of the Month". 

Each preacher is asked to respond to the same set of questions so you can quickly get a sense of who they are and where/how to learn more about their efforts in ministry. And because I do not appreciate it when someone suggests something to me without telling me why they find it compelling, I also will put a note at the bottom of each profile of why I think you should know about that particular preacher.

It is my hope and prayer that you might find a new voice that is compelling for you to guide you in your faith formation.