Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Conversion Story

This is a pretty amazing story. It is necessary for North American Christians to read such stories for a few reasons. First, this story paints a picture of a troubled part of the world that we do not always hear. Second, it is amazing to hear a young man's burden for a group of people that are often written off.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Clothe yourselves!

I was thinking this morning about Paul's metaphor of clothing when it comes to the virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. In his letter to the Colossians, he writes, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (3:12).

Two things jumped out at me. First, Paul uses an imperative form of a verb. This is not a passive voice, "Be clothed," but active voice, a command: "Clothe yourselves!" Second, the metaphor of clothing itself implies that one needs to put these on. They may not be "natural" qualities we have. One could very easily find kindness a virtue which they are lacking, but Paul's command to clothe ourselves in kindness is not hindered. If it's something we put on, then it's something we could possibly lack in our more natural personality or demeanor.

Of course, the basis for all this is God's election: God has chosen us, calls us holy, and loves us. Therefore, act like it! :)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Movie Review: The Bucket List

I suppose I am a bit behind the times with this review. However, for my hard earned money (earned, for example, by writing online movie reviews) and for the fact that you can't have conversations with your friends at the movies, I save most movies until I can rent them. My latest was "The Bucket List," which I watched with my wife, Heather.

Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) share little in common but a hospital room and terminal cancer. These commonalities spark a renewed sense of vision for them both, however, through a piece of yellow legal pad paper on which is scrawled the bucket list. This list, a selection of things one wants to do before they kick the bucket, even reflects their differences: Carter, the mechanic who gave up his dreams of teaching so that his kids would not have to forsake their own dreams, wishes to help a stranger, witness something majestic, and drive his dream car; Edward, the wealthy hospital chairman, seeks to kiss the most beautiful woman in the world, hunt the "big cat," and sky dive. Joining together, Edward and Cole seek to complete this list together. Along the way, Edward confronts his loneliness while Carter battles his flagging marriage.

I liked this movie. I thought it was funny in parts and was not drawn out. It tried a little too hard to be profound at times, but, hey, when is Morgan Freeman's voice not automatically profound? Both Nicholson and Freeman played their roles well, complementing more than contrasting with each other's style. The movie also provided a few spots of refection: how our beliefs influence our actions; what true goals are; the importance of relationship; the role of joy in our own lives and through us to others.

More than the story, acting, humor, and intentional moments of reflection, however, "The Bucket List" gives us the opportunity to think theologically or, more exactly, eschatologically--or about the end of this life and the resurrection of the next. I'd like to reflect on this a little bit together in the (hopefully) ensuing conversation. To start us off, here are a few questions. Feel free to answer one, two, or three (and ones not asked!) but try to keep comments to shorter lengths that are more readable.

  • What kinds of things might be on your own "bucket list"? Why are they included?
  • Does believing that our bodies will be raised and renewed with life influence what our "bucket lists" contain? How so?
  • Do you think we will be able to do things like race cars, climb mountains, sky dive in the resurrection? What things might you want to do that you think you won't be able to do?

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Jesus' Story Succinctly

While I will be posting again later today with thoughts on Gary Casterlin's sermon, I wanted to make a quick note about how Paul has so succinctly put together different aspects of Jesus' life and tied it to our spiritual lives.

Chapter 3:1-4 says this, "1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Paul has mentioned the resurrection (raised with Christ), the ascension (Christ is seated above at the right hand of God), and the return (when Christ appears). Likewise, we have been raised, ought to set our mind on things above, and can be assured of our participation (our appearance) in his glorious in kingdom. Talk about union with Christ!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Fullness of God

Have you ever eaten to the point of being so full its uncomfortable? I am sad to say I have! Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter...all those events that seem to be oriented around food can sometimes get the best of me.

The Gospel of John has its own notion of being full. John writes that Jesus is full of grace and truth and that from the fullness of God's grace, we receive our blessings. Paul uses the concept of fullness to describe Jesus' relationship to God. Colossians 2:9 says that the fullness of Deity--of Godness--lives in Jesus. The fullness of God lives (in the present!) in the body of Jesus. But Paul continues. Those in Christ, in relationship with him, have been given fullness. This means that there is nothing we lack in Christ. This is not to say that there is no room to grow, but that there is nothing we lack to be whom God has made us to be. We are already full. When we grow in Christ--having our roots grow down in him and being built up in him--it is first because we have been given the ability to expand. Like a balloon that is full but can still expand, we receive fullness in Christ and then can also expand in him.

The problem is that before we receive Christ and begin being rooted in him, we try to fill ourselves with other things. We grasp on to things like intimidation, intelligence, being a victim, money, and even other people (friends, spouses, even our children) to fill us and our struggling identities. Now you can begin to see the problem: when we are in Christ--in whom the fullness of God lives--we receive fullness. This means there is no more "space" for things other than God to occupy and he will begin to remove them: if our identity was in our money, our spouse, our intelligence, our ability to intimidate, our victimage, our children, those identities will die. They need to die. In some cases, like intimidation, they need to stay dead. In other cases, like relationships, they will be received back only now not as sources of who we are, but as gifts from the fullness of grace who also gives us Jesus. The amazing thing is that centering ourselves on God is the best gift we can give to those in relationship to us because only then are we, ourselves, truly full and able to give unconditional love to others. Otherwise we're offering shells of who we are to the people we love the most, while expecting them to fill a void in us that only God can fill.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Jesus gets bigger

Last year I attended a workshop on explaining salvation to kids put on by Anji D'Achille. It was really great. (One take away that I still use is to bend or get down on your knees to be at eye level with children when speaking with them. Thanks, Anji!) The metaphor of friendship was used for salvation, saying you were asking Jesus to be your "forever friend."

The metaphor that was used with me as a child, and is often still used with adults, is to "ask Jesus into your heart." I think it's a good metaphor and is compatible with Paul's language in Colossians 2:6 about receiving King Jesus as Lord. The implication is that you have brought Jesus near to you. But take another look at Colossians 2:6-7. Paul immediately flips the metaphor: while at first we received Christ near us, now we are to live in him, rooted in him, built up in him. Our life, depth, and growth happens in Jesus. Paul's point is to make sure that while at first we may have invited Jesus into our hearts, the fact is our hearts are far too small to contain him.

This reminds me of a line from C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian. Lucy, the picture of childhood innocence and, at times, insecurity, is becoming reacquainted with the lion Aslan, the Christ figure. The dialog goes like this:

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”

“That is because you are older, little one,” answered Aslan.

“Not because you are?”

“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

I think Paul would agree with Lewis here. As we grow and deepen in our faith, living it out, we see that it's not so much we who have invited Jesus into our hearts, but Jesus who has invited us into his. He's just that big.