sermon for 6 epiphany, year c

Today’s Gospel lesson is by far one of the most dangerous passages in the New Testament. It has long been used to oppress and keep the poor in their place. In Latin America, for example, the government was tied up so deeply in the church that preachers told their congregations over and over again that they should be happy with their place in the oppressive structures because Jesus said, “blessed are you who are poor.” Devout Christians heard their priests, trusted them, and found themselves powerless to overcome the oppression for fear of their own salvation. Inherent in this system of oppression is a reading of today’s gospel with an understanding that Jesus was only concerned in the world to come. Put into context, however, we will see that while Jesus was concerned with the world to come, he was just as interested in life here and now.

The Christianity given to these Latin Christians assumed that Jesus was coming back immediately. You see, if Jesus comes back tonight or tomorrow, there is no need to change things for the better here and now. But what if he isn’t? What if his words, “blessed are you who are poor… blessed are you who are hungry now… blessed are you who weep now… blessed are you when people hate you, exclude you, revile you, and defame you” are meant as much as promises of the age to come as they are to change the here and now?

Just prior to today’s lesson we find Jesus on the top of a mountain discerning who he would call “apostle.” He has been up all night in prayer with God the Father coming to terms with what it would mean to live as a follower of the way of Jesus, a way that would ultimately lead to the cross. This list of beatitudes, taught to the newly formed group of twelve are these qualities – they are the means by which Jesus called his new disciples to come before God. As he returns to the crowd to share this message, Jesus is ripe with understanding on how we are to approach God.

“Blessed are you who are poor…” As we’ve come to learn by way of Costa Rica and the Millennium Development Goal forums, the poor of this world move closer and closer each day to the edge of survival. It is an unfortunate truth in our world today that the poor are still emblematic of what it means to come to God totally dependent on His grace. Even here, in our own country, in this vastly rich metropolitan area we see them. Hands outstretched hoping for anything you might be willing to share, totally dependant on the other. Look again at their physical stance; hands out stretched in utter dependance. Does it remind you of anything? Each Sunday we approach the altar rail, kneel as able, and stretch out our hands for the bread and the wine. What is the motivation for this reaching out? Do we come with a sense of entitlement? That we some deserve God’s grace? Or, do we come, in the image of the beggar, utterly dependent for our very survival on God’s grace, infused in the elements? “Blessed are you who are poor…”

Jesus goes on, “Blessed are you who are hungry now…” With the advent of a worldwide 24 hour news culture, we have been both privileged and burdened with the ability to see things never before available to us. Following the flooding of New Orleans we felt that burden acutely as we saw images of 20,000 people lined up in front of the New Orleans Convention Center hoping for help, for food, for water, for life. These people trusted their local, state, and federal government to help. As helicopters flew overhead they stared up at they sky expecting to be rescued. Unlike human institutions like governments, God is always ready to give aid. We come before God, seeking His blessing in many different ways. During the prayers of the people we are standing, elsewhere in our lives we find ourselves sitting or kneeling. Whether standing, sitting, or kneeling we usually bow our heads and fold our hands. “We show, by bowing our heads and closing our eyes, that our immediate surroundings were not as important as God. By folding their hands during prayer we make a statement that we wish to hold onto nothing when we are praying.”[1] For some these traditional ways of coming before God are inauthentic, instead they find themselves feeling more like Katrina survivors, starving for God. They raise their eyes to heaven stretching out their arms in expectant hope of food, of water, of healing, of rescue. “Blessed are you who are hungry now…”

The list continues with, “Blessed are you who weep now…” Like the poor and the hungry, we all too often come across those who, for whatever reason, have been brought to tears by the actions of the world. My clearest recollection of people weeping is from my days at Young Life camp. Every camp would end the same, the altar call. Watching guys and girls my own age, 16 or 17, heading to the front, tears pouring from their eyes from the realization of their own sinfulness and in joy for the saving love of God in Jesus Christ remains with me to this day. We can learn a lot from our evangelical brothers and sister, not the least of which being their openness to come before God weeping. Weeping for their destructive decisions, weeping for the others they’ve hurt, weeping tears of joy for the love of God. And lest we forget, Episcopalians have an altar call too. As we approach the altar this Sunday to be fed by the body and blood of Jesus Christ, will we be able to self-empty to the point of tears of sadness and joy? “Blessed are you who weep now…”

The list ends with “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you…” As I’ve mentioned in sermons past, it is difficult for us to understand being hated for being a disciple of Jesus. Our culture is used to Christianity, and we hold a comfortable place in our world. This comfort, however, is clearly not what Jesus had in mind for his followers. On Tuesday we will celebrate the feast day of Absalom Jones. Jones was the first African American priest in the Episcopal Church, ordained in 1802. Born a slave he bought his freedom and that of his wife, he petitioned, with friends the Congress of the United States for equal rights, preached revivalist sermons, and had many, many detractors. Absalom Jones knew what it meant to be blessed when people hate, exclude, revile, and defame. Some 200 years later, the world has changed. While most of us know what its like to be excluded or disliked, it is rarely because of our faith in Jesus; often it is because we are the boss or because we are mom or dad. Clearly, though, Jesus wants us to know what it means to be misunderstood for his sake. Taking a stand based on convictions as disciples of Jesus against the war, against the genocide in Darfur, for tax cuts for families, for the Millennium Development Goals, or better yet for a centrist voice in the church and political arena probably won’t make us all that unpopular. Yet, in taking a stand for the will of Jesus Christ, we can get a glimpse of what it means to be blessed. “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you…”

As you well know, Jesus was a radical thinker. While he was in many ways interested in the life to come; his ultimate concern was with the here and now. He called his new disciples, he called the crowd, and he calls us to be practitioners of a different kind of life. A life that assumes Jesus isn’t coming back tonight to save us all. A life that is other focused; God focused, holiness focused. A life that brings us to the foot of the cross arms outstretched as a beggar, eyes lifted to heaven expectantly, weeping with tears of both great sadness and great joy, having taken a stand based on our Christian convictions for the betterment of God’s people here on earth. Won’t you join that life? Won’t you rejoice to be called blessed? Amen.

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[1] Pagitt, http://pagitt.typepad.com/pagittblog/2007/01/bodyprayer_1.html, 2/6/07

opportune time

I preached this weekend on what I consider to be one of the most dangerous passages in all of Scripture, "blessed are you who are poor." Today, as I dive into the readings for the first Sunday in Lent (I can't believe we're almost in lent already), I think I've found one of the most frightening lines in the Gospels, "When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time."

How true is this!?! The devil is a constant nemesis. Just when we think he's gone, or as the fancy is these days, just when we've explained him away as metaphor, he springs back into our lives ready to fight the same battles again. A friend calls this "Uncle Baggage". The unexpected guest who appears when you are most vulnerable to rub salt in your wounds. Jesus is led by the Spirit to the wilderness. These 40 days should be a time of quiet and deep self-reflection. Instead, the devil shows up to make it 40 days of hell.

Being tempted is not fun. You know it is happening, and you know you really really want what the devil is offering. On the other hand, you know full well the ramifications of siding with the devil. It sucks, I know. What sucks more is that even when you overcome temptation having found God once again "mighty to save" the devil doesn't leave you alone forever. You've merely won the battle, the war will continue as long as you live. The devil will depart, only to return at an opportune time.

did moses need a shtick?

This passage from Exodus 34 is very interesting to me. Moses is up on the mountain speaking with God, receiving the Law, the Torah, for God's chosen people. As he returns Aaron and the others notice that his face is shining and are afraid. Moses calls the leaders back, and they come. Moses then covers his face with a veil. What is so interesting to me is not the he removes the veil when he approaches God, but that he keeps it off until he reports back to the people on the Word he has received.

By this time, Moses, I have to assume, is a pretty well known figure. He was, after all, the guy who led the people of Israel out of Egypt. He was, after all, the guy who parted the Red Sea, who brought water from the rock, who showed them Manna. He was THE guy in this rag tag group of refugees. So why then does Moses need a shtick? Does he gain credibility because his face is shining? Does he need to gain credibility? Why?


Generally speaking I have a hard time with shticks in religious life. Whether its Bishop Minns holy tambourine or the lavish manual actions of a high church service or even those dresses and sashes and stuff clergy have to wear because we once stood next to kings; I think they are unnecessary. Like Moses, we have an authentic message from God, "God loves you, Jesus saves you, the Holy Spirit restores right relationship." That message should be able to stand on its own. That message shouldn't need inauthentic showiness for the sake of our own comfort (or our own tradition which has, in time, lost the meaning of its symbols in ritualism).

I don't know why Moses reported back to the people with his face shining. I don't know why clergy insist on looking different than everybody else. I do know that the Word of God doesn't need a shtick and we shouldn't cheese it up for our sake, but are called to be authentic bearers of the gospel for the glory of God.

back to work

The story of the Transfiguration is a really awesome story. It tells of Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and God the Father all together with Peter, James, and John. If Paul had some how arrived, speaking in tongues of the Holy Spirit, it'd be the all-star roster for God. It is a story that I would like to hold onto. Its pretty, its funny, its provocative. "It is good for us to be [in the story]." I wouldn't mind living in the story of the Transfiguration for the rest of my life. I'm a lot like Peter in that way.

Yet like Peter, I cannot stay in the moments that make me feel good. Life is not about holding on, but about moving forward for the Kingdom. The way the Lectionary gives us this account in Year C is a great metaphor for life. The Transfiguration makes us want to hold onto it, but we move on, back to work, with Jesus and his disciples.

The returning to work is never pretty. There is always work backed up from while you were away. Email, voice mail, memos, TPS reports, they all await as we return from the mountain to the mundane. Even Jesus is less than excited to be back at work. "You faithless and perverse generation," he says, "how much longer must I be with you and bear with you?" How many times have I wanted to say that to the needy coworker who couldn't accomplish anything in my absence? I can imagine Jesus, in the vulgarity of our time - "Christ people, er, me people, it isn't that hard. Remember, faith like a mustard seed? C'mon."

Yet even in his frustration, Jesus, God's Son, God's Chosen, is faithful. It is not this family's fault Jesus' disciples weren't on top of their game. Jesus is there with a job to do, and he does it. On the top of the mountain, three people were amazed by God. In the midst of that great crowd, where Jesus healed but one boy, ALL were astounded of the greatness of God. Seems getting back to work was worth the aggravation.

to know fully

I'm not sure what happened to the expression "looking through a glass darkly", but I'm sort of glad it is gone. You see, during my first year of seminary it was all the rage to quote Paul's image of partial knowledge. The context in which I heard it was always a senior in all of his or her full knowledge comforting a lowly junior on the journey.

"Don't worry, Steve, where you are now, its like... (dramatic pause as if they're making it up as they go along)... looking through a glass darkly."

I have to admit, I hated this. It made no sense to me. It was usually completely unrelated to my question about a professor's office location. It was overused and trite.

Two years removed from that drivel, I think I'm in a place to understand again Paul's imagery of a glass darkly, or a mirror dimly. This world in which we live is but a faint glimpse of the kingdom of God. In ourselves we see someone made in the image of God, therefore we have some, albeit small, understanding of God. Yet in the age to come we will see God face to face, just as Moses did, and will come to know fully the nature of God; love, grace, peace, and mercy. The double edged sword of knowing God will be ever so pleasing and ever so painful as we recall all the times we turned our back from pure love to our own devices and desires. Surely our hearts will ache within us.

Still, it will be a great comfort to know fully, even as we have been fully known.

gut reactions to day 3

1 - a slice of humble pie - after yesterdays comment extravaganza on the boomer generation, Brian Mclaren was asked today what is the growing edge for emerging Christians. "We should not criticize anyone." Can you hear the air being sucked from my lungs as I get punched repeatedly in the gut. It should be noted here that my wife, while not a blog commenter, made fun of me greatly for taking this one example of a bad boomer and writing off the entire demographic. Oh well, I stand by what I said, and appreciate you all for your words of correction and support.

2 - this emergent thing, like any liturgical revolution, will deal over and over and over again with the issue of worship vs. show vs. entertainment. Having a band, or having an organ, or having some of both are all fine things for worship. Where it gets sketchy is when the organ or band or both get carried away and it moves from a time of corporate worship to individual prayer, praise, and show.

3 - Christian Practices are exactly that, "practice." They are not perfect, they are not necessarily pretty, but they are the working over and over again of a follower of Jesus on what it means to live that life. I think this is important to realize as we hold ourselves to an unattainable standard - Jesus, but equally important not to write off our mistakes as practice. We should, as Paul says, run the race as though to win.

4 - A Marvin Gaye Eucharist I would go to, a U2charist, I will not.

5 - Brian Mclaren had a great way of looking at the cultural shift present today. We are moving from a gospel of escape - heaven at death (if not before) to a gospel of transformation - God's saving health here on earth. Said a different way, the gospel we've been given is highly individualistic. "I don't have to deal with the struggles of life (poverty, hunger, disease, environment, AIDS, personal piety, corporate worship, etc., etc.) if Jesus is coming back tonight. Live as if he's not coming back in your lifetime, what will you do to break in the kingdom here, now?

6 - What is God's dream for you? What is God's dream for your context? What is God's dream for your denomination? What is God's dream for the world?

7 - read your job description carefully - and if you can start something new, do it. If your contract calls on you to tend the status quo 45 hours a week, work 45 hours a week (not 44 and not 46) and do a good job. Use your free time to serve God. (this got a lot of laughs).

8 - a great example of hope for the future. Church of the Apostles takes on "interns" for a week, a month, or longer. A church planter from the AMiA was one of the interns. When challenged by diocesan authorities, Karen told them his story. He approached his Episcopal Bishop and asked if he could plant churches. His bishop was not interested in planting churches. The AMiA was. Bingo. This AMiA planter served in her community for 3 months with the Bishop's blessing. Yay!

This was a fabulous 3 days, and I'm sorry to be heading back to the modernest mecca of VTS. I'm excited for what the future holds, however, for VTS, TEC, and beyond. I'll write again soon.

Grace, Peace, and all that's jazz!

gut reactions to day 2

Disclaimer - I tend to be a little cynical. I tend to complain. What follows might look like these two aspects of my character, and they are, but it should not be seen as dissapointment on my part with the events of the last two days. I am still uber-stoked about the new thing God is doing here at Mainline Emergent/s, and hope to be a big part of this conversation in the years to come.

All that being said, what follows are gut reactions to day 2.

1 - I wish baby-boomers had a mute button. You people have defined the conversation for 60 years now. Even before you were capable of speech, your parents, in an effort to forget the atrocities of WWII turned their full attention to you. You have been the center of the conversation for 60 years now, and I'm tired of it. I want the chance to speak. I am a borderline E/I, with a healthy IQ, and 27 years of life experience and I have something to say. You came to this event to hear what I, we, the Emergent folk have to say, and you still want to define what gets talked about. I wish you could be muted for 2 or 3 years to those who follow in your wake could be heard just long enough to change the tenor of discourse.

Perhaps an example will help. In the afternoon breakout sessions, Karen Ward led a group of 6 of us in what was supposed to be a discussion on the Emergent possibilities for eccumanism. What it became was some jackass boomer from North Cakilaki doing his best to learn everything they do at COTA so he could lift it and place it at 5:30 on Sundays for his Campus Minister to copy verbatim. Damn it! How many times are you going to lift someone else's program and watch it fail in your context before you realize life is not one size fits all. As Diana Butler Bass said today, "how can we implement one-size fits all programs in a world where we have 82,000 options for our morning cup of joe at Starbucks?"

I also don't care about your theology of open communion (which you are convinced is the only right theology of communion) because it doesn't matter. What matters is the intentional conversation about communion. You asserting your rightness only works to make me wish you would shut up, because whether or not you are right or wrong isn't yours or mine to say, and God, I'm fairly certain, won't give a shit one way or the other.

2 - We should expect pastors to be theologians, not just the distribution center for someone else's theological work. Doug Pagitt said this today, and for the first time I feel ok with this. Not that I think the 3 hour discussion my homiletics class had on Barth's homiletical theology was worth while, but to be able to engage in theological reflection with our communities is of much importance.

3 - A big part of this "emergent" thing comes from my #1 above; a deep longing to escape the modernist conversation of some baby-boomers. Can both of these groups (Emergent and Modernist) exist within the walls of one congregation? I wonder what this will look like. I want to be a part of this. I want you to be a part of it with me. As long as we can agree to share the power system, share the podium, and work together.

4 - From Karen Ward to Bishop Epting and the others at 815 - there are enough pockets of interest in Emergent Christianity in TEC to make this an initiative for the National Church. The fact that Bishop Epting sent me to this conference means there are people paying attention. I'm willing to work to make this National Church involvement happen. A conference at Kanuga, or perhaps at COTA, whatever. Let's invite these brilliant theologians to help us escape our modernist box of denominationalism and learn the bit of truth they hold about the kingdom of God. They, by working on this conference here, obviously want to learn what bit of truth we hold. Let's do this. Let's get a group of interested people together to plan this before the next General Convention. Comment and let me know if you'd be interested.

Phew, that was a lot of emotion to put to type, but I think I feel ok with it. Day 2 was an equally beneficial day as yesterday, and day 3 promises more good stuff. Grace and peace to you from God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and our continual sanctifier the Holy Spirit. Talk to you tomorrow.

the brick store pub

While I thought I might post more broadly on the presentations from today, I really feel the need to instead write about tonight's meeting of the Atlanta Emergent Cohort at the Brick Store Pub. You may recall from yesterday that I had dinner at the Brick Store last night. Well, I returned there this evening in all my borderline E/I to attend a "theology on tap". (Note - I think the Roman Catholic's own the copyright on "theology on tap" so I'm sure it wasn't called that. It was however theology with beer, two of my favorites, so I was most certainly in.) I have several thoughts on this evening so I'll list them below with brief explanations.

1 - Religious celebrity does not a pompous person make. I was fortunate enough this evening to be invited into a conversation of 8 by Doug Pagitt of Solomon's Porch and to walk into a one on one conversation with Karen Ward of Church of the Apostles. While they were both on hand to be "experts" they were equally gracious and eager to share the stage with those of us who, for whatever reason, find themselves looking up to them as gurus. I was really blessed by the conversations I had this evening; which leads me to the following

2 - Reformation is the "worst possible term" for the Emergent movement. Better, according to Doug Pagitt, are revolution, evolution, and convection. More about that at his presentation tomorrow.

3 - The key question for mainliners looking to empower lay leadership is, "what is your ministry going to be at St. Swithens?" Fantastic, Finally the freakin' language to speak. My passion, for those of you who don't know, is empowering others to exercise their passions. What a great question I now have. New members, or those who are new to me, will probably all get a variation on this theme; what can you do based on your spiritual gifts to enthrone the kingdom of God here today.

4 - My generation, while not into long-term requirements, will, without a doubt, sign up for time limited commitments. We need a core group to plan for our Lenten programming, won't you join us? Advent is fast approaching, would you like to help out for 6 weeks? Yes, yes, and yes. Now, how does this translate to a vestry term of 2 to 3 years?

5 - These Emergent folk really are friends. They'd like nothing more than to get together, have a beer (or some coffee) and chat theology. Yet they are amazingly gracious with their time to allow us to pick their brains and ask questions they've been asked over and over again. Still, they need their time. Walking back tonight I happened upon Brian and Diana having coffee at Starbucks, and I wasn't bitter. I was glad the two old friends were taking the time to reconnect. I was glad that they knew their boundary and knew when to say "no". What a good model.

Day 1 has me so pumped it'll be hard to go to bed, but knowing what Day 2 promises, I might rush off to dream land anyway. Thanks for checking in, I'll catch you tomorrow.

gut reactions to day 1

I need to get off to dinner quickly, so I won't write much now, but I do want to say just a couple of things initially. I'm really glad Bishop Epting has allowed me the opportunity to attend this event. The conversation, uncomfortable as it may be, is important for the life of our church. As priests, pastors, ministers, preachers, parsons, whatever we have as our exclusive task making disciples of Jesus Christ. It is increasingly clear that the models used since the Enlightenment for church are no longer working. We have forgotten what our symbols mean. We have forgotten what it means to be loved and judged by God. We have, along with governments, artists, and most of the rest of the known world, abandoned culture on someone else's doorstep, orphaned for our fear of change.

What we heard today was a call to change. A call to new life. A call to the radical following of Jesus Christ in all of its sloppiness and discomfort. Day 1 was only a half day, I can't wait for day 2.

Speaking of the half day thing, the fact that today started at 1 allowed me the opportunity to stay up a little later than usual and catch the Daily Show and Colbert Report. In a blatant attempt to capitalize on Stephen Colbert's following what follows is my version of "tip of the hat, wag of the finger" for today.

TOH - to whoever found the Mclaren tartan at the back of Columbia Presbyterian Church and brought it forward during Brian's introduction.

WOF - to Presbyterian churches with family tartans in their worship space. What's the deal with that?

TOH - tallskinnykiwi.com for their deep ecclesiology concept which basically says this: we acknowledge the church in all of its forms and assume that God has lower standards than we do. God will bless those who we would not bless, and we should follow God's example.

TOH - to Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral in Atlanta, for bringing his senior staff to this event as their continuing education event

WOF - to the same for thinking I might be old enough to be on staff at VTS

TOH - to Tony Jones for mocking our collars and vestments, our magic words and magic bread, to help us see what the world sees.

More to come. I'm hungry.

I'm here

For those of you that don't know, I'm in Decatur, GA this week on 815 (our national church)'s tab to attend the Emergent/Mainline Conference at Columbia Seminary. While I've been spoiled by private aviation, this particular flying experience wasn't terrible.

Leaving from Reagan National's terminal A is amazing. It's the old terminal, its small, its intimate, its simple, and I love it. After navigating my way through the airtran employee who, I'm fairly certain, loses pay for each word she speaks, I got in the world's shortest security line, got blown by air puffs, and made the metal detector happy.

A couple of beers at the the Sam Adams kiosk and I was ready for the short flight to Atlanta. Aside from a few major bumps along the way the flight went smoothly and I arrived (with luggage) in Atlanta Heartfield something something somethin airport. Avis treated me pretty well with a Chevy Cobalt coupe (very sporty) and I was on my way to the Super 8 on Church St. in Decatur. (warning complaining comes here)

Atlanta is a confusing city. I was looking for exit 91. I started at exit 72 (pretty easy ehhh?). At some point I found myself staring at exit 247... what? Are they serious? After scrambling to have a backup travel plan I reemerged on i-85 at exit 87 and found my way to the Super 8 that could be placed in any metropolitan area in the US. A subcontinent Indian man who had the same compensation plan as the airtran employee got me into my smoking (grrr)-king room and I was golden.

Until that is I tried to find a place to eat. Actually, I can't complain. I had some great food at the Brick Store Pub (once I found a parking space). Leaving the parking garage was a bit of a challenge, but once I found the automatic teller and 3 dollars in my wallet, I was on my way to the Krogers for a bottle of wine.

I know this is a lot more than anyone cared to know, but I'm trying to be faithful on blogging on my experience here at the conference. It will not only be beneficial to me to reflect (and it will help my paper for 815), but I hope that those who check in here will have an opportunity to gain from my experience here.

Check back throughout the next few days, I'll do my best to keep up. Those looking for lectionary blogging will be disappointed, as am I (I'm preaching on 6 Epiphany), but I will return to my practice after the Bears win the Super Bowl.

a place in this crazy mixed up world

In what seemed like a 9 hour conversation with my spiritual director yesterday, i think we found a solid footing for me in TEC. I guess I've always had the knowledge that I am called to the Episcopal Church, but felt an underlying fear that I'd be run out for my low liturgy or my understanding of judgment or whatever. Then she, my spiritual director, was drawn to this prayer.

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look
favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred
mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry
out in tranquillity the plan of salvation; let the whole world
see and know that things which were cast down are being
raised up, and things which had grown old are being made
new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection
by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

This prayer is found in the services for Good Friday, Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil, and every ordination and it is fantastic. It is a reminder that while we are a church, we are but a small part of the Church. Our prayer should not be for numbers and growth in our parishes or denominations, but for the will of God to be fulfilled in the lives of all of God's creation. We are first and foremost called to make disciples of Jesus Christ, no matter the denominational affiliation. In the making of disciples and the pursuit of spiritual practices the whole world can come to see the breaking in of the kingdom of God. That's what its all about. That's my place in TEC. This prayer will exist as a mantra for me as I go forward in the pursuit of God's will.

Oh I'm so stoked. For the first time in a while, I was genuinely excited yesterday as I heard my SD read this prayer. Gawsh, it was a cool experience. I hope you'll read this prayer and find similar hope and joy.

i'll nap to that

The Psalter has been prayed by Jews and Christians for over two millennia. Yet Psalms like 58 and 59 are full violent and vengeful imagery. How can these Psalms be offered as authentic Christian prayer.

Wait for it... wait for it... BAM!

That is the sound of my head slamming off the back of my cubicle. Are they serious? This is the final GOE question? Do they want me to be praying like the Psalmist that their teeth may be crushed? Honestly.

Whatever. I wrote an answer that is half exegesis paper, half nonsensical apology for angry prayer, and the GOEs are over. I'm done. The readers can do and say what they will, but I am done with the GOEs. 7 canonical areas of fun are complete, and I'm exhausted.

I came home and Cassie, bless her heart, had torn down Christmas and was knee deep in a spring cleaning (it was 72 today). We ran some errands, I ate lunch, and then I slept, hard. Now I'm awake, ready to head back to the seminary to process over drinks with my comrades in typing. Then, I'll sleep some more.

It honestly felt good to be done. The weight I felt lift from my shoulders as I graduated both high school and college lifted again today. No matter what the readers think, I feel good about the answers I wrote, and am thankful for friends and family surrounding me during this time as well as professors who have given me a top notch theological education.

Thanks for the prayers over the past 5 days, please know they were felt and appreciated. God bless you and a happy Feast of the Epiphany!

wiped out

doesn't begin to describe how I'm feeling today. when i thought of the worst the goes might have to offer, today is what i thought of. theory and the practice of ministry was a 3 page essay!!! no coffee hour, no half page answers, a 3 page (single space) theology of healing/death/illness/faith and the pastoral implications of said theology. WOW.

then i sat down for a nice social ethics softball goe question and they ask, "is lying ever appropriate?" are you kidding me? three pages on the appropriateness (or lack thereof) of lying!?! wow. i've never flown through so many dictionaries, websites, books, etc. in my life. now i'm tired. but moreso i'm scared shitless of what tomorrow has to offer. open book question on Holy Scripture! after the open book ethics debocle tomorrow could bring forth anything. pray for me.

from the rev. matthew cowden:

Almighty and ever-loving Father in heaven, who has called your senior seminarians thus far, that they may lead your people and shine your light in the darkness, be a light for them this week as they undertake the General Ordination Examination. Lift their spirits and remind them of your nearness in this time of trial. Deliver them from fear and anxiety that may recall all the marvelous deeds you have done and put it into eloquent text. All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Amen

GOE gooo

The cryptic note at the end of GOE set 3 has me feeling a little better than bad as I end day two. It said, roughly, "historical fact ain't as important as good apologetics." Goo! So I made one glaring error in historical fact, does that mean it'll be over looked if my apologetic argument is sound? Is my apologetic argument sound? Why am I typing this after a combined 9 hours of typing over the past two days? What does venti mean?

Anyway, things are ok after day two. Some say this morning was a softball, but I'm not so sure. This afternoon, was, to say the least a mindbender. Remind me next time I'm looking for the "sheep and goats" story that it is in Matthew's apocalyptic discourse under the heading "Judgment of the Gentiles." That too forever to find.

Whatever I say to myself under my breath, I feel like, aside from a possible 1 this morning, I'm doing fine. I'm still breathing, I'm still thinking, I'm looking at a day off, and I've got fewer sets to take than I've already written.

no comment

We're not allowed to talk about today's G(eneral) O(ridination) E(xam) questions because some folk were unable to take it due to unforeseen circumstances. That being said, I can say the following: "I feel ok about today." After tomorrow we will be more than half-way and looking at a day of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

Two other comments 1- sitting in a 5x5 jail cell, er study carrel, is not fun and 2- I'm thankful for the GOE hospitality group and their Starbucks runs. To drink refectory coffee all day would, no doubt, cause my stomach to explode. All I need to figure out for tomorrow is what medium is in that fratalian language of the Starbucks menu.

More to comment on tomorrow as we have Christian Theology (including missiology) and Studies in Contemporary Society including Racial and Minority Groups both limited resources - a Bible and the BCP. GOEtastic!

Anyway, thanks for the prayers, catch you all tomorrow!