A painful passage

Being a graduate of the University of Florida and a passionate fan of the Gators, I have been following with great interest the story of Urban Meyer. Meyer resigned his position as Head Football Coach at UF a few days ago, then rescinded the resignation in favor of an indefinite leave of absence. At a press conference on Sunday, he talked of some health issues that are behind this decision but he declined to identify the issues. He spoke more freely about faith, family, and priorities in his life. Many people found this a little confusing, given the passion with which Meyer approaches his job.

Urban Meyer is a phenomenally successful man. At the end of 2009, he has the best winning percentage of any coach in Southeastern Conference history (he is only 45 years old). He has won two national football championships in five years, and makes one of the highest salaries in the profession. What, short of a major illness, could provoke a man like that to want to quit?

Based on what I heard in the press conference, I wonder if this very successful man has entered the same dark passage that so many men have had to endure. It comes on in middle age (usually after age 35) and strikes particularly hard at those men who are smart, driven, competitive, and perfectionist. It takes the form of fatigue, depression, and physical symptoms. It is baffling because there are seldom any apparent reasons for it. Money, status, and fame lose their attraction. The ordinary prescriptions of vacations, hobbies, or activities don't work. It is a spiritual crisis. Each man in his own way has to find what God wants him to know about himself, his world, and his calling. It is the gateway to the rest of a man's life.

These things are seldom talked about openly. Shame attaches itself to the subject, and as a result too many men wander into this passage with no warning and with no guidance. A man can behave in very destructive ways during this passage. Much suffering could be resolved if men could be more open and supportive of each other during these times. When we don't talk about it, it remains a dangerous threat rather than a spiritual passage.

I wish Urban Meyer well, regardless of what his problems are. I hope that his public admission of pain will be an opportunity for men to see and acknowledge the importance of a spiritual center to life.

So What?

Yesterday's daily lectionary text included a verse I have always found important. Colossians 1:13 says "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (NASB). This text uses rescue as a metaphor for salvation, which adds an element of urgency to faith. The idea of faith as having been rescued from danger is often missing in Presbyterian churches. We need to revive it in order to recover some vitality for the missional church.

"The Domain of Darkness" sounds like a fundamentalist vision of culture, which is why I shied away from this for many years. The NRSV translates the phrase as "the power of darkness," but I think the concept of dominion is a more accurate description of what we are up against. Walter Wink's foundational work on spiritual powers, and Brian McLaren's recent book Everything Must Change call upon us to think of ourselves as living in an empire, a dominion system that seeks to define and control us for its own ends. This system is so pervasive that is unnoticed. It looks "normal." No one wins in the dominion system; in the end, even the most successful and powerful people are beaten by it.

It takes something disruptive to open your eyes to the domain of darkness. It takes something decisive to force you into an alternative way of being. We could call that disruption "conversion." We can conceive of it as being transferred into the Kingdom of God.

The great story of Christmas is the ultimate disruption of the dominion system. It is the story of God's insertion of God's own self into human history and society. It happened in the most subversive of ways, and it embraces the harshest of human circumstance. The story we celebrate at Christmas becomes the narrative by which we live in this world. No longer are we to be dominated by anything other than God's vision for how our world is to be.

Later this week the Christmas decorations will start coming down. For our culture, Christmas is over. For those of us who have been rescued, the reality of it goes on. It is our way.

The Practicality of Being Christian

After Christmas, it helps to remember that Christian life is just that: it is a life, not a set of beliefs or rituals. Much of the damage we can do is because we somehow allow ideology or tradition define Christian faith rather than the particular way of life it is supposed to be.

Colossians 3:12-17 can help us here. Paul gives us some specific instructions on how to live this life. For those who are "chosen of God, holy and beloved (and that includes anyone willing to receive grace), life is to be lived with the determination to:

Choose compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Even when we don't feel like it. Especially when we don't feel like it. Because this is what Jesus himself is.

Bear with and forgive each other. There can be no other way to reflect God's goodness to us.

Make love the goal for everything we do. Not success, wealth, power, or any of the values that culture tells us are ultimate.

Allow the peace of Christ to rule us. Even in the midst of strain, conflict, and doubt.

Let the word of Christ be our wisdom. Not Wall Street, the popular media, conventional thinking, or the political correctness of either the right or the left.

Do everything in the name of Jesus. Work, leisure, common tasks, relationships with others.
A complete lifestyle.

All of these are choices. They are part of a determined, disciplined life. It is the way of Jesus Christ, and it is for all of his followers.

Christmas is a great story; Christianity is a great way of life.

Christmas Eve

I am one of those preachers who feels the need to always be summarizing the faith for people. I want you to know what it means for your life in a clear and concise way. This isn't always the best way to preach, but it is part of my calling. I have to leave the stories to other preachers who do that better than I do.

So here it is. At tonight's Christmas Eve service, I will read the great text of John 1:1-14, and hear how the Word became flesh. Our theological term is incarnation. This Advent I have been doing sermons on incarnation, God taking God's own place in human life in Jesus of Nazareth. On this wonderful night, these conclusions:

God is for us, not against us. This really matters. If you believe God is against you, not much good is going to happen in your life. God has entered human life for you, and to carry Paul's thought forward, if God is for you, who can be against you?

God is found in ordinary life. This matters, too. Most people see themselves as too flawed to have much contact with God, but incarnation assures us that human life is holy. God is most reliably found in your daily routine.

God has a plan. The Bible is very plain that this incarnation is not some afterthought, nor some stopgap measure. God had this in mind all along, and it means you are part of a grand plan that includes the whole world. How is that for making your life more interesting?

Ponder this on Christmas Eve, because no matter what else you may be doing these truths are the basis for who you are. They make the rest of the year every bit as special as Christmas.

Still learning

Even though it is Christmas, I cannot make my mind take a break from working on the fundamental calling of my life. I believe that the rest of my working life will be devoted to the reformation of the Presbyterian Church USA along the lines of what we are calling the missional church. One of the purposes of my blogging is to publicaly muse (even if only to myself) about what this means. I am not the only one doing this, and I hope to hear what others are thinking.

Today, a quote from Alan Roxburgh: "Leadership is not about enlightenment, but cultivation of an environment that releases the missional imagination of God's ordinary people...Jesus' birth stories tell us that God and God's future meet us--in the ordinary and everyday."

Christmas and missional thinking do go together!

The Darkest Day

December 21 is the shortest day in the year. I don't understand the science, I just know that this day has the shortest amount of daylight. Since my birthday is December 20, I have always been fascinated by the darkest time of the year. I don't see any great significance in it, but it does remind you that life has its rhythms, and it helps to try to be in sync with them.

This is one of the reasons I love Christmas lights. At this very dark time, Elmhurst is aglow with decorative Christmas lighting. Just after 4PM today it will begin to get dark, and the lights will make that darkness not nearly as gloomy as it would be. I try to be responsible about electrical usage, but it is so nice to have my home lit up with color. It is a reminder to me that Jesus is the light of the world, and the metaphorical darkness cannot put out that light.

After today, daylight begins returning. Very slowly yes, but by the end of January we should have at least a half hour of light back. Something to hold on to in winter.

Sugar coated pecans

It was wonderful to be at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church yesterday. The weather was a little gloomy (but nothing like the east coast), but we had a great crowd, our music was special, and we had a beautiful child to baptize. One of our small groups had a nice Christmas party last night, too.

Thanks to everyone for the very nice birthday wishes. Today is the first day of my 58th year.

Now I sit here eating from a can of sugar coated pecans given to me by one of our women. I can feel myself getting fatter with each one, BUT I CANNOT STOP EATING THEM!! One of the hazards of being a pastor at this time of year.