The Grace Rules

The theme for Lent at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church is "Forty Days of Grace; How God's Grace Makes Us Just." God's unmerited favor toward us in Jesus Christ is meant to change you, to make you better as a person and to align you with how God wants the world to be. It is a challenge, because God's grace pulls you out of yourself into the world around you.

Grace applied to your life means that your life has to change. God is good to you, without regard to your merit. Your life is not all yours anymore. With that in mind, some "grace rules" help you conduct yourself accordingly. With grace, there is:

* No bragging. Your life is blessed not by your own efforts, but by God.

* No whining. Don't negatively compare yourself to others.

* No revenge. If someone has done you wrong, leave it with God.

* No reward. Do good without regard for reward. Leave that with God, too.

These little rules of thumb are good ways to go through a day. As Lent progresses, there will be more.

A new old way

Today I confessed to my congregation in Elmhurst that I have been failing them. For reasons I understand but am sorry about, I had gotten away from talking about tithing as a spiritual discipline. The long term result has been confusion and financial ineffectiveness at Elmhurst church. I have changed my mind about what I will do from now on.

One of the reasons this happened is because I have been ashamed and appalled at some of the excesses of nationally prominent preachers in financial matters. I did not want to be seen in the same light (my pride at work), so I shifted my teaching about giving from tithing (the committing of a tenth of one's financial resources to God) to the New Testament concept of radical generosity. In itself, this isn't wrong. The New Testament does teach generosity ("God loves a cheerful giver"), and generous giving is a hallmark of Christian life. But in appealing to generosity, I have inadvertently fallen into the trap of promoting the church as a "charitable cause," worthy of financial support. This is an inadequate position. It fails to address the spiritual dimension of giving, which is the most important part. You don't give to God because you are supporting some organization or work; you give to God because you are grateful and because giving is your most tangible form of worship.

From now on I will talk about "harvest giving," an ancient spiritual concept. Out of that which I have received (my "harvest"), I set aside a tenth for the work of God. That work includes support for my congregation, giving to those in need, and support for the pursuit of justice in the world. It is very countercultural to talk like this, because it is a challenge to our culture's self absorption. When you commit to give away money you could easily spend on yourself, you have made an enormous stride toward God.

"Harvest giving" is a key to spiritual health and wholeness.

Remembering MLK

Today at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church we had a wonderful service remembering the concept of the "beloved community." This term comes from the civil rights movement, and is notable in the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It refers to the vision of human life where racism, sexism, economic exploitation, and political oppression all give way to equality, peace, and love among all people. It is a contemporary expression of the vision of Jesus of Nazareth in his preaching of the Kingdom of God, and as such is of great importance to Christians everywhere. It is a sad commentary on our ministry that the concept of beloved community is not obvious in the life of our churches. If you don't see it in church, you are not going to see it in society. We have a long way to go.

The biggest challenge for me is in the recognition of what is called "white privilege." This is the sad truth that in the United States and much of the western world people of Caucasian descent have distinct but unspoken advantages in cultural, political, and economic life. An excellent description of this is found in an article called "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh. I found myself fascinated at the reading of this article, particularly at the list of fifty characteristics of unseen privilege that whites enjoy. I personally am the beneficiary of unearned privilege. To know this is to be confronted with the challenge of changing it.

White Christians like me need to understand the privilege we have enjoyed. Denying the truth of this is either naive, or a sign that we want to protect that privilege. From recognition comes the calling to labor to make our culture more inclusive. That inclusivity has to begin in church. Can we make our fellowship more reflective of God's love? Can we make our organization more committed to living out patterns of health and justice? If we cannot do this, society justifiably will continue to ignore us.

Advent promise--Peace

I have always struggled with how to preach the early lectionary texts in Advent. They are always so un-Christmas like. The gospel text for first Sunday of Advent is about Jesus' warning that his coming is as a "thief in the night." How does that square with our culture's approach to Christmas? No wonder so many people are impatient with Advent (when do we get to sing Christmas carols?).

I have finally understood that Jesus' coming is a form of judgment, and those who are not prepared will miss its significance and its blessing. Jesus has been coming at Christmas for two thousand years, and people have perpetually missed his coming even as they have sung the carols. A consequence is that they are unready for the judgments that come quickly, as a thief in the night.

Illness, loss, accident, crime, financial problems, family distress--these are all judgments in that they are tests of who we are, how we live, and what we believe and value. They often come upon us quickly, when we are not looking for them and are unready for their appearance.

The promise of Advent is peace, a peace that comes from God. That peace is the product of believing and experiencing God's enduring love, eternal purpose, and abiding presence, all though the gift of Jesus Christ. This peace cannot be taken from us, and it will see us through all the seasons of life.

A Year With Jesus

This past Sunday we began The Year With Jesus at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church. It is an intensive effort to learn more about Jesus at every level of knowledge. The Year With Jesus will include sermons and worship themes, Christian Education classes, small group study, and intentional engagement with social concerns. We need to know more about his life and his teaching, and we need to experience his presence with us. As we do, we will learn more about how to follow him in our daily world.

In this year of sermons and studies, I will be acknowledging my indebtedness to Michael Frost, an Australian missiologist whose books are very challenging to contemporary North American Christians. Especially pertinent to me is his recent volume, ReJesus: A Wild Messiah For A Missional Church. He tells us that for the church to be renewed and energized in the 21st century, we have be captured again by the real Jesus, not the one sanitized by the church. It will be a shock to many people to see Jesus as a wild and irreverent prophet whose teachings were so revolutionary. The church has tried to contain and domesticate Jesus, but now he has to be released. This is the Jesus the world loves even as it rejects the Christian faith.

The provocative thought from Sunday was that the church has to become a "conspiracy of little Jesuses." Christians are "little Christs." Jesus is not to be worshipped so much as he is to be imitated and followed, and to do that means you adopt for yourself the values embodied in his life and teaching. Little Jesuses infiltrate the world with his life, transforming it in ways the institutional church never could.

At a strategic planning meeting last March, one of our elders perceptively noted that "we just don't know that much about Jesus." Now is the time to learn. But a warning: don't be surprised when what you learn starts changing you.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Lent is an ancient observance of repentance and preparation for Easter, which this year falls on April 4. Patterned on Jesus' experience of reflection and fasting in the wilderness, it is meant to be a time where a disciple can engage in meaningful self correction. Properly observed, Lent can an annual time of renewal for a Christian.

Unfortunately, Lent is subject to many misunderstandings. The stereotype is a dreary, gloomy observance where all pleasure is banished and one's faults and shortcomings are magnified. Most Protestants have rejected Lent as a spiritual practice. In recent years we have begun to recapture Lent as a positive part of our spiritual journey. But again, it has to be done right.

We at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church are adopting the theme of "Attitude Adjustment" for Lent 2010. This is related to our larger worship theme, which is "Durable Happiness." It is the obligation of the Christian to be a happy person in this world, and so much that makes for happiness in life is within our control. The Christian disciple is in charge of his/her attitude. Attitude control is a spiritual discipline.

How does your attitude toward life look to others? Are there adjustments you need to make? To you need to sweeten your attitude? Make it more positive, or less judgmental? Would a more hopeful attitude help? One that was less self concerned? Today would be a good day to start.

Attitude adjustment will lead to a more joyful and energetic celebration of Easter, and it will improve your impact on the world. This matters.

The Presbytery Moderator

The Presbytery of Chicago, the regional governing body of over one hundred churches in the greater Chicago area, will hold its regular assembly at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church on February 20. At that meeting I will be installed as Moderator of the presbytery for 2010.. This will take place at the worship service that should begin about 11AM. It will be a big occasion for our church, and for me personally. It is a milestone for a pastor or elder to become presbytery moderator, and it is a wonderful opportunity for leadership as well.

In Presbyterian governance, the office of moderator is a mostly ceremonial position. We Presbyterians mistrust power, and therefore diffuse it as widely as possible. Being moderator does not make me like a bishop, and does not bestow on me magical ability to get things done. As moderator, my primary job is to chair our assembly meetings (held five or six times a year). I also get to represent the presbytery at ordination and installation services for new pastors, and at ecumenical events. In this role, it is very unlikely that you will see my name or face in the media.

The office of moderator does, however, give me the opportunity to set an agenda and a tone for our presbytery in the coming year. In this sense, it is more like being a pastor. While I cannot make anything happen, I can certainly help some things happen through presence, conversation, listening, persuasion, prayer, networking, studying, preaching, and all the other ways that influence is most effectively used. This is what I love doing, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do it at the presbytery level.

My moment as presbytery moderator comes as the Presbytery of Chicago faces some daunting challenges. A very large indebtedness that has to be repaid will likely result in the sale of presbytery properties, including our camp property in Michigan. More importantly, the presbytery is in a time of redefining itself in light of what could be called a “post denominational society.” Just what is our denomination evolving into, and how will it affect us? No one can answer that question with any clarity right now, but we still have to go on being church to the best of our ability. I will have a small contribution to make to that process, and I am gratified to be in the position.

My thanks to the people of EPC for allowing me to do this. While active involvement in presbytery life is part of the job of any Presbyterian minister, being moderator will require more time and energy than the usual assignments. I will do my very best not to be distracted from my duties, but if I do slip up it is because I am doing what I believe I am called to do. I will certainly keep you posted!