Note: In looking back over my writings and blogs over the years, I realize I have had several different blogs. To get all my writing in one place, I am porting them over to this one. The date in the title is the original date of publication.

“Am I a fool at this late date

To heed a voice that says 

   that you can be great

I heard it young, now I hear it again…”

John Gorka, Morningside

This song by John Gorka kept playing in my head this morning as I did my six miles to Starbucks and back. Tomorrow I turn 62, not a spectacular date, like 65 or those years ending in zero. But I have been thinking about it, more so than most birthdays.

Someone recently told me that “60 is the new 40,” whatever that means. I said, “Great! I guess that means we all have to work another 25 years.”

To be honest, I’m not counting my years to retirement, nor looking to do it any time soon. I think I’ll work until my job is through, then find another way to serve.

I have been thinking about what I am doing with my life for the last couple of years. Like Gorka’s song, I’ve been hearing something inside me that I heard when I was young. It’s not that I want to be great, nor even have any illusions of greatness. But I want to make a difference. I always have. My greatest fear for many years was that I would get to the end of my life and, after having the proverbial passing of my life before my eyes, I would think “None of it made any difference.” Then I would die. My teen years were about being a rebel. Ask my family. Or the high school administration that kicked me out of school a record 23 times. My 20s and 30s were concerned with making a difference. I became a United Methodist pastor for many reasons, one of which was I thought the church was in the business of making a difference in the world. I thought that through this system, the UMC, we could make a difference. Bring justice, forgiveness, hope, peace, love, acceptance. “ …to proclaim good news to the poor…. freedom for the prisoners…recovery of sight for the blind…to set the oppressed free… to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19) This system called the United Methodist Church, and all the churches that were a part of it, would be making a difference in the world.

Somewhere along the way, I gave up on the system. Institutional survival seemed to be the highest order. As one denominational leader told me, “Of course, we have to focus on keeping the church alive. If the church dies, then so do all the ministries it supports. It’s like we’re a ship at sea. Your first order of business is to keep the ship afloat.” So much for that “he who seeks their own life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake and the gospel, will save it.” Who said that?

I never gave up on local churches, though. In them, I saw, for the most part, people who wanted to make a difference in this world, too. So I looked to them and focused on them. Institutions, by their very nature, look to preserve themselves. Years ago a very good friend, an older gentleman whom I dearly loved, but disagreed with on almost everything political, asked me if I knew what the number one priority of any political party was. He then told me, “To get in power.” He then asked if I knew what the number two priority was. He told me, “To stay in power.” Serving people, he said was way on down the line. Same goes for business. Same goes for church hierarchy.

But I have found joy and peace in the churches I serve.

Another song lyric went through my head as I walked.

So you pretend not to notice
That everything has changed
The way that you look
And the friends you once had
So you keep on acting the same
But deep down in your soul
You know you, you got no flame
And who knows then which way to go
Life is short even in its longest days

John Mellencamp, Longest Days

(Why is it that the musicians that I listen to most these days are named John? John Gorka, John Mellencamp, John Denver, John Mayall, John Coltrane, John Lennon, John(athan) Munn, Johnny Cash, Johnny Nash, the list could go on. For my friends named John, don’t get a big head. Your name is also what we call a toilet.)

Mellencamp seemed pretty depressed. Might be because of his heart problems. But whatever it was, I know some of his feelings. Life is short, even in its longest days.

But….

Something in me has come alive that I felt in those early days. I want to make a difference.

Things have gone pretty well for me lately. I have a lovely wife who loves me far beyond comprehension. I have reconnected with some friends from the past, one back to the summer of 1972, and another who was born 8 days before me and is one of my heroes. A few clergy friends have stuck by me through thick and thin, and many others have tolerated me. A few have even forgiven me, which speaks worlds for them.

I have been very fortunate in the churches I have served. I have loved every one of them. Not every one has had the same measure of success (however you would measure that), but every one is one I would go back to. Not so with many of my minister friends. Some have had such painful experiences they will not even go back to a particular town. I have been very lucky. Or blessed.

And the church I serve now is incredible. (See my reflection, 13 Reasons Why I Love My Church.) I do not know when my time here will end, but it will be a good place to end.

Not that I want it to end soon. This stirring, this desire to make a difference, burns deep within me. Gorka’s voice rings in my head-

Don’t want to waste what I have to give

 In all of the time that I’ve left to live  

Don’t want to waste what I have to give

In any of the time that I’ve got left

 I can do more than I thought I could

 Work brings more luck than knocking on wood

There’s random bad and random good

 Work brings more good luck, good luck

 Good luck

I hope it’s true that 60 is the new 40. I want those extra 25 years. Maybe I can make a difference. I plan to try.

Happy birthday.

Note: In looking back over my writings and blogs over the years, I realize I have had several different blogs. To get all my writing in one place, I am porting them over to this one. The date in the title is the original date of publication.

I recently read an article by Thom Rainer, “12 Reasons I Love My Pastor.” It’s a pretty good read, and as a pastor, I am appreciative of how he feels about his. It got me thinking today as I took an afternoon walk with Cathy about twelve reasons I love my church. I came up with thirteen.

My church is Highland Park United Methodist Church, in Florence, SC. But it is also more than that. It is the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It is the United Methodist Church around the world. It is the Church of all who follow Christ, regardless of denominational affiliation (or lack thereof). And it is the Church on earth AND the Church in Heaven. So I want to give thirteen reasons why I love my church, starting with Highland Park, because it is the closest and most immediate to me, and moving on to the larger church.

Three words before I begin the list. 

First, some will immediately want to jump on me for using the term “my church,” saying it’s not mine but God’s. And they are right. “The Church is of God and will be preserved to the end of time,” our baptismal and membership vows state. So, yes, the Church is of God, but I say “my church” because it is where I was raised and have chosen to stay.

Second, I know that there are problems, faults, issues, and sins with the church on all levels (except the Church in Heaven). This is not to ignore those. We are human, and though the Church is a divine institution, it is made up of people. That’s not an excuse for our bullheadedness, our bigotry, our hypocrisy, and our ego-centered ways. But despite all of that, God still has chosen the Church as the way to proclaim divine love, justice, and peace. It’s like Winston Churchill’s statement about democracy to the House of Commons “Many forms of Gov­ern­ment have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pre­tends that democ­racy is per­fect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democ­racy is the worst form of Gov­ern­ment except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…” (November 11, 1947) The Church may not be perfect, but no other institution on earth (including governments) has started more public schools, hospitals, food pantries, clothing closets, stood for justice, worked for peace, spoken for the downtrodden and oppressed. It freely offers grace and forgiveness, even at its own expense. So, while the Church is not perfect, I still love it.

Third, many people will disagree with me because they do not believe that I am a part of the authentic church. As one woman in another denomination told me, “You, and other churches have a reflection of the Light, but our denomination has THE Light.” A young man in what he called a non-denominational church (which, I think is really a small denomination, just consisting of that church) said, “Man, God left your church and all denominational churches a long time ago.” Of all the sinful things we see in the church, this bothers me most. As a matter of fact, it irritates me and makes me angry. This exclusionary feeling among brother and sister Christians (though most of them do not consider me, and probably not you, as a brother or sister) is in direct opposition to the prayer of Jesus in John 17. Churches that do not believe my baptism was real, churches that exclude me and others from taking part in the Lord’s Supper, churches that immediately dismiss me and my friends as a person, cause something to rise up within me. Perhaps it goes back to my childhood when I was not chosen for things, or when I have seen my friends hurt by the rejection of others. And when those things show up among fellow Christians, I have to remember the poem I learned in childhood-

“He drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic , rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle and took him In !”

(from the poem Outwitted, by Edwin Markham)

Having said all that, on to the list!

1.       I love my church, Highland Park, because the people there take their faith seriously. They are not somber, legalistic, bombastic, or exclusive, but they want to know what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the world today. So, for the most part, from the youngest to the oldest, they are constantly growing in love and grace. As the Apostle Paul said, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.” (Philippians 1:9)

2.     I love my church, Highland Park, because they care for one another. Though it is a growing mid-sized church (around 700 members), and the members do not know all of the other members, whenever a concern is mentioned for any of them, almost all of them respond. Prayer, calls, meals, financial help, you name it, they are there! With no questions other than “How can we help” “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”- Jesus, John 13:35

3.      I love my church, Highland Park, because they are willing to risk in order to serve Christ. An example (only one of many)- on Sunday, May 17, rather than staying inside the walls of the church for worship that day, they decided to worship by serving others directly in the community. So we gathered early in the morning, had a very brief time of worship, and went out to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Florence. We served in 16 sites around the community, loving others in Christ’s name doing things to make God’s love real and tangible. Some were uncomfortable with doing it on a Sunday. After all, isn’t that breaking a commandment? (No.) But they did it anyway. And we could feel the Holy Spirit’s presence among us as we built a ramp for a needy family, did manicures and talked, sang and prayed with women in assisted living facilities, took men who never got out of the nursing home fishing, painted the local free medical clinic, and did hundreds of other things around the community. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”- James 1:22

4.      I love my church, Highland Park, because they are very generous. Highland Park has members whose income ranges from “just getting by” to “doing quite well.” Almost all of them see what they have as gifts from God, to be used for others. They give sacrificially, not just from the excess, often denying themselves in order to help others. They inspire me through their generosity. “Every person shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which he has given you.” – Deuteronomy 16:17

5.      I love my church, Highland Park, because they allow me, as their pastor, to be myself. My sense of humor does not always fit in with church folks. My wanting to use music that may speak to us, but is not specifically Christian, is not always accepted in places. And when I screw up, when I fail miserably at something I thought would be wonderful, or forget something important, or do the wrong thing, they forgive me and help me to move on. They do not put me on a pedestal, and when I step up on one myself, they gently help me down, rather than knocking me down. And, I should add, they treat each other that way. Billy Graham once said, “It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love.” They live this out with me and with each other. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”- Ephesians 4:12

6.     I love my church, Highland Park, because they treat my wife well. She is loved by the congregation (who doesn’t love her?) but they do not consider her an “unpaid employee.” They let her be herself, choosing what she will join with, and what she will not do, as most of them do. They do not try to force her into a mold, nor compare her with other clergy spouses. I have no doubt that if she were not my wife, but still a member of the church, they would treat her with the same love, care, and respect. That eases a lot of tension in the parsonage. Sorry, I can’t think of a Bible verse to go along with that! But it is true!

7.    I love my church, the SC UMC, because it works as a large body in our state, doing things together that we could not do alone. The 40 Salkehatchie Camps, the 13 Advanced Special Mission sites, the 4 colleges, the campus ministry on every residential campus in the state, the hundreds of other ministries that we lead, guide, and support, could not be done by one church. Together we make a real presence of Christ seen, felt, and heard.

8.      I love my church, the SC UMC, because it has a wide variety of pastors. Not just by age, gender (which can’t be too wide- there are only two; but in some denominations and churches, there is only one), ethnicity, but in theology. Our clergy range from very conservative to very liberal, yet we hang in there and work with one another. We challenge each other to authentically follow Christ. Except those on the outermost fringes, I rarely hear anyone accuse someone of not being a disciple of Jesus, even when we may disagree.

9.     I love my church, the SC UMC, because it gives me (and others) the security needed to be the pastor I am called to be. I have talked with many clergy from other denominations and churches who have faced the fear of being fired from their church, not for immorality, breaking the law, or even incompetence, but merely because they grew older. They have been removed by congregations and left without a way to make a living because they proclaimed the gospel and it offended people (as it often does). Churches have struggled when they knew it was time for a change in pastoral leadership because they love their pastor but knew if they asked him or her to leave, they would be without a job. That is not so among us in the SC UMC. We may end up moving somewhere we never thought we would go, but we are not left out with no means of support.

10.  I love my church, the SC UMC, because I have seen it be more interested in restoration and reconciliation than in judgment and punishment. I have seen this both in the public arena, and I have seen it in the areas that are not so public. When I have failed, which I have so many times, when my ego has ruined me, my brothers and sisters, though hurt, have found ways to forgive me. For that, I love my church. They are the body of Christ!

11.  I love my church, the UMC, because it has a global impact. I have been fortunate enough to travel in many parts of the world, in North America, Europe, Africa, and a little bit of Asia. There were three things that I saw everywhere, from the smallest village in the bush in Zimbabwe, to the Navaho nation, to large cities. Those three things were the symbols of the Coca Cola Company, Singer Sewing Machines, and the United Methodist Church. We have people who are following Christ all around the world.

12.   I love my church, the Church of all people who follow Christ, because I find in them all kinds of ways of God showing love to the world. There is a commitment that goes beyond our walls of denomination and title, and a desire to see God’s realm come on earth. And the sooner, the better.

13.   I love my church, the Church Universal, the Church on Earth and in Heaven, because I am part of a living body of people who I may not see, but their voices join with mine in praise to God. Those from 2,000 years ago are still with us, and the future generations of believers, though I have not seen them, are, too. Because all who are connected to God are beyond all time and space. I look forward to the day when I will get to see them face to face.

I could go on, but that’s enough for now. Thanks for reading!

Note: In looking back over my writings and blogs over the years, I realize I have had several different blogs. To get all my writing in one place, I am porting them over to this one. The date in the title is the original date of publication.

Today I did something new. Because I have been sick for the last few days, I stayed home from church (thanks to Andy Edmunds for leading worship and watched  4 televised worship services. I’ve never watched televised worship before. When I am on vacation, I find a church to attend. I realized a few things while watching.

First, worship in a sanctuary does not translate well into television. Television is mostly a medium for entertainment and information. Even with the best shows that try to be interactive, it is not an interactive medium. And worship is interactive. It is not us watching something, or even learning something, though those two things happen. It is us interacting with each other, before God, giving our praise, thanksgiving, confession, problems, ourselves. At best, we watch other people do that on TV. At worst, we have poor entertainment.

Still, the area churches and pastors did the best they could. I could not have done any better, and probably done a lot worse.

Second, television magnifies your flaws. I’m not talking about the extra 20 pounds it seems to add to you, nor the complexion flaws that some of us have. Preaching (and worship) is conversational in nature- that is, there is a three way conversation between the worship leaders, the congregation, and God. And conversations do not flow in a fluid manner. There are ebbs and flows, side streams and eddys, and sometimes “uhs” and “ahs”. These are perfectly fine in worship/conversation, but on TV they look like unpreparedness, hesitancy, and fear. They are not, but they look that way. I think my sermons would not look or sound well on TV. (To be honest, they often do not look or sound well live and in person.)

Third, the local churches that were broadcast did not make appeals for funds from the TV audience like the nationally broadcast religious shows. They were on the air because they wanted to share something of great value with the world around them, and this was one way. I am glad of that and commend them for that.

Also, three of the four did not exalt themselves but lifted up the Lord Jesus Christ. The fourth did lift up Christ, but many times it was pointed out that they were the “true” church in the area. One preacher even admonished his live and TV congregation to find a church and get involved if they were not being fed at his particular church. 

Several people have told me from time to time that they worship with the churches on TV, that is, they stay home but watch the shows, sometimes even joining in singing the hymns. It may do for the moment, but, honestly, it’s a poor substitute. Right before starting to watch these TV worship services, I watched part of a nature show on the BBC. The host was showing natural phenomena on each continent. Beautiful, amazing sights around the globe. Several of them I have seen in person. I’ve hiked the rim of the Grand Canyon, climbed some of the Alps in Germany and Austria, and tried to climb sand dunes in the desert of Namibia (all of which were shown on this show). And though the photography was outstanding and the narration moving, it was not the same as being there.  David, in the Old Testament, wrote many of the Psalms, and would use them to worship while he was out watching the sheep. But even he knew it wasn’t the same as being with the people. “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker…” Psalm 95:6

Worshipping alone- it isn’t the same.

Note: In looking back over my writings and blogs over the years, I realize I have had several different blogs. To get all my writing in one place, I am porting them over to this one. The date in the title is the original date of publication.

I know I’m going to get into trouble saying this, and will probably be misunderstood by a lot of people, but hunger is not the problem. At least not in our country. And maybe not in the world. Maybe.

Don’t get me wrong. I fully support all our hunger ministries. Food banks and food pantries, soup kitchens, meals served to the needy. I give, urge my church to give, and get up early to go to a parking lot in a poor section of town once a month to give a hot breakfast to about 200 people. (And the number is growing.)

But hunger is not the problem. At least, not in most cases.

Hunger is a symptom, not the problem. Just like sore throat, high fever, and aching muscles are symptoms of the flu, they are not the problem. The flu is. And hunger is a symptom of a greater problem.

Think of it this way. If hunger were the real problem, and we gave people food, enough to last a month or two, and they never showed up again, we would have solved the problem. But people show up, over and over again. We feed the hungry people. They are satisfied, at least for a while. But then show up again needing food.

The problem may be economic. People may not have jobs, or the ones they have do not pay enough to help them maintain a “minimally adequate” lifestyle (to use a phrase loved in South Carolina). Or it could be economic in that people are not taught how to manage their money, so that they may have enough money but not be planning well. Economic development and education are the answers to these problems. Both are sorely needed in South Carolina, and I would guess in most of our country. I rode through a “ghost town” near Florence recently. Buildings are boarded up, the streets are terrible, and there are only a few stores and no industry. There are lots of people still living in the area, folks who cannot afford to move, but also can’t afford to stay and eat. They are trapped. Many of them are hungry. Food will help for a day. Economic development will help for generations.

People have often stopped by my office looking for help with food. I have sat with many and talked about their income and expenditures. An overwhelming number have become trapped in title-loan prison, always going from one place to another, putting off the inevitable payment of outrageous interest. They have mortgaged their future on credit cards, and rarely ask the question “Can I afford this?” but ask the question “What are the payments?” These are good people, children of God, who have not been taught how to deal with their money. Budgets, they think, are for someone who has more money than they do. We usually give them food, because it is easier than trying to help them learn to budget and live within their means, or increase their means. “Here’s a box of food. God bless you. We’ll see you again in a few months.” Education is hard. It takes time. But it changes the future.

There are a few situations where people are overfed and undernourished. This, too, is an educational issue. The April 9, 2013 issue of The State Newspaper (Columbia) had an article “Eating Healthy on a Food Stamp Budget.” A nutritionist walked through a local grocery store, and was able to buy healthy food for a family of four for $118. Maximum weekly benefit for a family of four is $135. Of course, you have to cook, and that takes time and planning, and for some hungry families, that is hard. But that is where being a part of local church that cares for each other, as well as for those outside of the church, can help. What would it be like if this problem were addressed by members of a local church, helping those in need. Of course, it’s still easier, if we just give someone a box of food.

And I hate to mention this one, because this is the only thing some people will focus on. But it must be dealt with. There are some people who will not work; whose job is to go from one place to another finding someone else to take care of their symptoms. Paying utility and rent bills, food and clothing, gas, and transportation issues. Once again hunger is not the issue. It is the symptom. Responsibility, or lack thereof, is the problem. And while some people have been pressed down so hard that they have given up, the answer comes in helping them to take responsibility. Even standing with them until they can stand on their own. And for those who absolutely refuse to take responsibility, they must face the consequences of their actions. Children and the elderly, who are usually part of these families, too, need to be protected. But people find self-worth when they can take responsibility for their lives.

Jesus talks about the kingdom in Matthew 25 and says “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” Yet, in John 6 when he feeds the five thousand, the next day when they come looking for him and another free meal, he does not feed them. Instead he talks about feeding on him, the “bread of life.” The response- most of the people leave. I wonder if a modern day translation of Matthew 25 would read, “I was hungry, and you helped to develop work for me so that I could eat, feed my family, and live decently.”

All this is not to say that there are no people who are in need. And it is definitely not to say that we should stop feeding the hungry. There are times when people need help getting through a rough time. Medical emergencies occur, job loss happens, and other unexpected events cause us to need help. 

But until we address the real problems, until we ask “why do we have hungry people” and follow it up with “what can we do about that and when will we do it,” we will never stop hunger. Not now. Not ever.

Note: In looking back over my writings and blogs over the years, I realize I have had several different blogs. To get all my writing in one place, I am porting them over to this one. The date in the title is the original date of publication.

It’s not a word we like to use. Most of us think of it in terms of a criminal, giving up to the law. Or an army, vanquished in defeat. According to Dictionary.com (where would we be without the internet?) it means “to give oneself up, as into the power of another; submit or yield.”

I’ve been thinking about that recently. The hymn “I Surrender All” has been going through my head, and I find myself singing it. Mostly when I am alone, so as not to disturb other people.

“All to Thee my precious Savior, I surrender all.”

Surrendering myself to Jesus means accepting whatever comes my way as a gift from him. Whatever comes. It all- the good, the bad, the hard, the easy- is a gift from him.

Phillips Brooks (1835-1890) was an Episcopalian minister, who is most well known for writing the words to “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” He once wrote 

“O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! 

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! 

Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. 

Every day you shall wonder at yourself, 

   at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.” 

(I have this in calligraphy in my office.)

Brooks wrote the following prayer which deals with surrender. The language is a little hard for us (he prayed using King James English), but it is worth working your way through.

Many people I know (and even more I don’t know) are going through some tough times. I’ve found that those who have “surrendered all” have peace. Peace that passes understanding.

Note: In looking back over my writings and blogs over the years, I realize I have had several different blogs. To get all my writing in one place, I am porting them over to this one. The date in the title is the original date of publication.

In my library at home, there is a section of old books that were formative for me in my younger days. The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom. God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew. The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. And a whole slew of small books of poems and poetry by Ann Kiemel. 

For those of you have never heard of Ann Kiemel, she was a popular author and speaker from the mid-1970s through the early 1980’s. She lived and worked in Boston, working in a college and doing work in the poorer neighborhoods, which is where she chose to live. She was known for her simple (but not simplistic) faith. She knew that God loved her and everyone around her, so she would sing little songs to cabbies and people in grocery stores. She would write notes and leave them in hidden places for people to find. She talked to Jesus all the time, asking him to help her make “her little corner of the world” a little better. Though she was in her late 20s and mid-30s when she was sought after as a public speaker, she sounded like a little girl, almost breathless at the end of each sentence. Her writings were marked by never capitalizing “i” when referring to herself nor capitalizing anyone else’s name. Jesus was the only capitalized name in her books. Every young Christian male in America wanted to find a woman like her, it seemed.

(Ann, it turned out, also had a darker side to her life, a part not revealed for many years, then painstakingly told in her book Seduced by Success. But that is not pertinent to this rambling.)

Last night, after posting my reflections on The Bible, I pulled one of her books off the shelf and read it again before going to sleep. I don’t know why I chose this one, but it was I’m Running To Win, a book about her deciding to enter the Boston Marathon. I honestly did not realize that the marathon was today (April 15). I just picked it up, and read through it, remembering how I was inspired by her desire to do something “just for Jesus.”

I have always wanted to run the Boston Marathon. Unfortunately, I have never wanted to prepare for the Boston Marathon. And you have to have the second desire to complete the first one. I have stood in Copley Square and wondered what it would feel like completing the 26.1 mile run. 

I thought about that today after hearing about the bombing. I thought about those who have run thousands of miles preparing and did not get to finish the race. I thought about those who are grieving because of the death of friends and family, and those who are in the hospitals now recovering from the terrible act of evil.

In her book about running Boston, Kiemel talks about her setbacks. Shin splints, injuries, disappointments, pain, hurt. She talks about obstacles that she never thought about before, but suddenly- there they were. She writes about pouring out everything to Jesus and being honest with those closest to her, while still trying to help everyone she meets. The word is perseverance.

In the midst of all this that has happened, I pray for perseverance. Perseverance for those who have to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” Perseverance for those who have to learn to live with injuries that may never heal- physical, mental, and spiritual ones. Perseverance for the doctors, nurses, emergency workers, public safety people as they seek to find ways to prevent this from happening again. Perseverance for those who are working hard to find the responsible parties, so that they can be brought to justice (and maybe even, please dear God for their sake, repentance). Perseverance for those who realize that life can never be the same again, that (in the words of Stephen King) “the world has moved on.” And perseverance for all of us who seek to find ways of living as people of the peace of God in a world increasingly filled with violence.

Help all of us to persevere, O God.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”- The Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 4:7-12)

Note: In looking back over my writings and blogs over the years, I realize I have had several different blogs. To get all my writing in one place, I am porting them over to this one. The date in the title is the original date of publication.

What I am about to say may get me in trouble. And this is a little long, so bear with me.

Like about a zillion others of us, I watched The History Channel’s mini-series “The Bible”. I thought it was interesting, but was not overwhelmed with it. It was interesting by what they chose to include and how they chose to represent it. It was even more interesting in what they chose to leave out. Here are a few thoughts.

First, I liked that it did get a few million people to talk about the Bible, and maybe about spiritual and religious things. It may have opened doors for Christians and others to talk about their faith. I don’t know that it did- frankly, where I live most everybody is already talking about their faith. But maybe it did in other places.

Second, I hope that it got people interested in reading the Bible. However, our society seems to be getting less and less literate. The Great Gatsby is coming out in a new movie in a few weeks. It may increase the sale of the book, but I don’t think many people will actually read it. Which is a shame (both for the Bible and Gatsby), because there’s some great writing in there!

And third, I know a lot of families watched this together. I think when we can families to do anything together, we are doing something good. 

There are several problems with trying to bring the Bible to video. The Bible is not a novel. Sure there is a storyline that runs through it of God’s creation, our fall, God’s redemption, and God’s ever-lasting love for us. But this is not a story like even James Michener would write. The Bible has history (which can be made into a video story pretty easily), but it also has poetry, proverbs and saying, letters, genealogies, prophesy, and all kinds of other literature. All of it, ALL OF IT, is important! And when we make a movie of something, people tend to think, “Well, the most important parts were included.” Future video-oriented generations will have this conversation- “Have you read the Bible?” “No, but I saw the movie.” Not the same. Not the same at all. Sorry. It just doesn’t work.

But even the storyline leaves off so much. I know you can’t include everything. None of Pat Conroy’s novels that have been made into movies carry all the story. Prince of Tides, my favorite, has the movie leaving off…oh……about half of the story. It omitted the white porpoise, the grandmother stories, the mansion, all of those things, and more. But it did include Lowenstein wearing 9-inch heels and ordering in French. (Can you tell I was disappointed in the movie?) I know you can’t include all the stories in the Bible. Jepthah’s daughter, the love between Jonathon and David, Paul’s friendship with Priscilla. But to leave out Jacob and Esau? That divided family still is fighting today, and they left off the roots of their rocky relationship!

And a movie leaves off cultural context. In some cases that’s okay. I just saw Lincoln , a great movie. No one had to explain the cultural context to me. I live in the south, where some people still think we are trying to secede from the nation. Over 150 years later that war is still being fought around here. I know the cultural context.

But most people today, even those in our churches, do not know the cultural context of the stories of the Bible. We have an amazingly Biblically illiterate society, even for those who live in the Bible belt. So we see Saul being told to go conquer his enemies and to kill everyone and everything- warriors, women, children, aged, infants, cattle, dogs- everyone and everything- by God, and Saul does not do that, then Saul is punished by God. 

An acquaintance- I really can’t call him a friend- said to me as we went into the war with Iraq, “We need to go in and kill them all. Men, women, children. Everyone. I don’t think we need to nuke them to the ground, because then we wouldn’t be able to get their wealth. But we need to kill them all. After all, that’s what God commands in the Bible.” This is why preachers and teachers and wise elders are needed to teach the Bible. Just to lay the story out there and not put it into context, then to say, “This is the Word of God. Thank be to God.” causes some mighty bad things to happen.

I also know that the point of a television show, any television show- whether it is Fox News, HBO’s Game of Thrones, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, or the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives is to get viewership and sell advertising. So things must be presented in a way that will make people watch, watch the ads, then go buy. So we have Biblical characters who sound like they have come from the BBC. And Jesus is a mighty handsome man, though, if we believe what the prophesy from Isaiah says “He had no beauty that we might admire him.” (Probably the most realistic Jesus in the movies was in the old black-and-white Italian film, The Gospel According to Saint Matthew. Jesus was not a particularly handsome guy, just another person on the street, who was overweight. Hey! I can identify with that Jesus!) But I’ll put up with Ninja angels, and people who never seem to get too dirty though they spend most of their time in the wilderness. I can give way for some artistic license there.

I did like the fact that the LifeChurch.tv’s Bible app YouVersion was one of the main sponsors. YouVersion is a free Bible app for mobile phones and tablets. As a matter of fact, LifeChurch.tv makes all of their online resources free for the asking. It is not a business plan that most churches or ministries would adopt. I can’t see Cokesbury or LifeWay or Group saying, “Hey! It’s only electrons, and those are free, so download all you want. We’ve already made this stuff. And if you want to donate, thanks. If not, that’s okay.” I sort of like those LifeChurch.tv people. And I highly recommend their YouVersion.

It was to be expected that a week after the series ended the DVDs would be available. What I didn’t see coming was the book that went along with it, a week later. The Story of God and All of Us is the companion novel to the miniseries. So….they make a movie based on the book then make a book based on the movie. Why not just say, “Want to learn more? Stop by your nearest church and they’ll be glad to give you a free Bible, even discuss it with you!” But then, what would people buy? When I was a child we would often get these Gold Key comic books. They were the classics put into a simple comic book form. Don’t want to read Silas Marner? No problem, here’s the comic book. The thing is you miss so much.

And finally, for all it’s wonderful stories and letters and songs and wisdom, the Bible was not written as a book to be read alone. We do, and that’s okay, but it was written to be told to groups of people- families, tribes, friends, churches. It is a communal book. I read it and study it deeply by myself, and urge others to do the same, but it is in sitting with others and talking about what it says, listening to what others say, discovering the meanings of words and the current application of eternal truth together that brings life. And that what’s the Bible is supposed to do, bring us life. John ends his gospel with these words- “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

The mini-series did not bring life, at least not to me. All it did was entertain.