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     Merry Christmas!

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     Happy New Year!

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     Peace on Earth!

Peace on Earth

I was reminded of an incident that happened almost exactly a century ago, one that could have put an end to violence and warfare. Sadly, it didn't.

In the midst of the First World War, on Christmas Eve, 1914, the war fell silent along a thirty-mile span of the western front. The Germans put down their weapons, lit lanterns and sang Christmas Carols. The British side, recognizing the tunes if not the lyrics, applauded and shouted greetings. On Christmas Day, German, French and British troops met in a no-man's land, shook hands, shared food and exchanged gifts. The "Christmas Truce," as it has come to be called, lasted for hours. Alas, peace was not permanent and the soldiers were reminded of their duty. Soon, they were once again trying to kill one another. (From a devotional, written by David McCasland, focusing on Ephesians 2:13-19.)

This historical fact is striking for two reasons. Firstly, it is amazing that, in the midst of  multi-national conflict, even Christmas can bring a respite from the violence and devastation. It is surprising that the German troops were able to bring a day of peace simply by celebrating the birth of Jesus. Clearly, the French and British troops recognized in the effort a beauty that transcended the purposes of warfare, even if for a very short time. Secondly, it is surprising that a peace once reached could be driven back into violence and warfare. What forces led those who had shaken hands, shared gifts, and sang together of the season to turn back to despising, hating, fearing and killing one another?

Surely, in a return to violence, hatred and warfare, we see the hand of authority and power. Clearly, someone ordered the troops from their celebration of Christmas to the fighting for which they were responsible. I imagine that they were reminded of their "higher purpose," their responsibility to country and throne and flag. "Stop that silly camaraderie," the officers may have said, "And get back to the war."

It is my opinion that we live in very dangerous times. Those who have historically been discriminated against have great reason to fear. Far too many recent incidents have seen unarmed and possibly innocent young black men shot down and killed by the police. When fervor for providing for the safety and security of the general public touched us against racial prejudice and fear of those unlike the majority, there is bound to be violence. Unjustifiable death is the result.

We are tempted to sweep the incidents aside as a cost of providing for the safety and security of the general public. I am reminded of another historical act, however. Pastoral members of the Evangelical Church in Germany found themselves imprisoned in World War II Germany. Their arrests came as a shock to them. They had stood behind the Third Reich, supported the social and foreign policies, even supported the war. When the authorities began arresting Jewish neighbors, these leaders were unconcerned. When the same authorities began arresting anyone with a dissenting voice, they remained unconcerned. When the Church leaders had seen enough abuse and death, and began to speak up, they too were arrested by the authorities. You can read the message of repentance yourselves by Googling "The Barmen Declaration."

I do not appreciate authority run amok. I do not appreciate the manner in which authorities treat good citizens of whatever race, color, nationality, age or physical appearance if those authorities are in any way being less than polite and respectful. I have been stopped by an officer for having an nonworking license plate light. Before he even arrived at my window, he had inspected the interior of my automobile. What the interior of my car had to do with a burned out license plate light baffles me yet. When he did arrive at my window, he was disrespectful and rude. I can only imagine what that incident may have been like if I were a young black man, or any minority. I was insulted and, in my opinion, abused.

Where is the peace? Can we achieve it? And, if we can achieve it, can we make it last? Or will we respond to the order of the officers, who may say, "Stop all this silliness and get back to the war?"

May Jesus achieve the peace in our hearts and times that we can now only imagine.    

  

"Glory to God in the Highest"

Shiloh Church is offering to the congregation and community its annual Christmas musical, "Glory to God in the Highest" this coming Sunday, in the Shiloh Church Sanctuary, at both 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. If the past years have been any indication, this is an event that you do not want to miss.

The annual musical is a production of the music ministry department at Shiloh Church. It is under the direction of Mark Barnhill, Shiloh's Director of Music. The musical will feature the joint choirs of Shiloh Church, including the Sanctuary Choir, the youth choir, the Discovery Team (Shiloh's 7:00 p.m. contemporary worship praise band and worship leaders) along with the church's bell choirs, both Voices in Bronze and the youth bells, several musicians from Shiloh, and an all-volunteer community orchestra. Martha Kirkland assists Mark Barnhill. Besides accompanying the musical on the piano, Martha has filled in as Shiloh's organist over the past few months as well.

The musical is an expression of hope, peace, love and joy. It is a means by which Shiloh's musical groups share their celebration with the congregation and community. Following each production, a hospitality team, headed by JoAnn Orihood, will offer a reception, to be held in the congregation's Omega Hall. This is always a well-attended and exciting reception. The hospitality team will also be on hand to greet people and assist those who may need direction.

Our sincere hope is that the entire congregation comes to support the music ministry in its efforts to share the Christmas message of joy with the community. As usual, Shiloh's Christmas musical is something of a throwback, to a time when the musical message completes the celebration of the season. It is intended to enthuse, inspire and uplift.

Come and join us. I promise that you will have a great time!

 

Endings

I despise endings. I think that most of us do. An ending means that things will not be the same thereafter. Endings mean that something new is around the bend, just over the next hill, around the corner. It's not that we dislike new things, I think. I think that we hate giving up the familiar and comfortable. We do not like seeing the usual pass.

A great sense of loss accompanies most endings.

I remember when my father died, at the age of 53,in 1989. At the time, my wife and I were living in Junction City, Kansas, serving a good congregation that was filled with good people. Lisa was seven months pregnant with our daughter, Casey. As I sat at his memorial service, held at my home town church in Bremen, Indiana, I remember thinking that this ending meant that I could no longer rely upon my father to bail me out of any trouble that might arise. That ending meant that I was on my own. The world changed in that moment.

I remember, too, when we left that congregation in Kansas and headed for Evansville, Indiana, to serve a congregation there. The loss of the ending in Junction City was modified somewhat by the anxious anticipation of the relationships and ministry that awaited us at Christ Church UCC. We lost much in the ending, but gained as much in the new environs.

Advent is as much about endings, it seems to me, than it is about beginnings. While we tend to want to cling to the lovely story of a baby who is born to be the savior of all humankind, a baby who never cries in the manger, never needs, never poops, the reality of Advent hits us hard. Nothing can be the same. His coming means an end to the old ways, a cosmic transformation that undoes and redoes everything that is, was and will be.

That is good news, but more for those who have no stake in the way things have been. For most of us, who have found ways to cope and succeed in life as it was, the ending of Advent is a loss. The rules change, and with those changes comes a need to adapt to new ways. The transformation is uncomfortable and inconvenient. It takes us into uncharted territory, into uncertainty and doubt and wonder.

So we grieve the loss that Advent brings. But we celebrate too. We celebrate the fact that Advent means that God's will in embodied in human nature, first in a little baby and then in those who seek to embody his example. We move from lives that are governed by economics and politics and social status to lives that are defined by compassion and caring, sacrificial ministry and service to others. We transition from worlds that are about "Me" to worlds that are about "All."

Sure, there is loss there. But the loss of a world that is defined in violence, warfare, privilege, position and power is hardly a loss when compared to the compassion, caring, mercy, grace, forgiveness and generosity that is in the world to come. Advent is an ending. It is also a beginning. Thanks be to God!  

Never a Dull Moment

The Fall at Shiloh Church has been exciting, taxing, dizzying and frantic...so, usual. The frantic pace stretches back to the Annual Golf Outing, where Shiloh raised $8,000 for needy families through the Christmas season. Then, in September, Shiloh held its annual Fall Fair. On its heels, we sold pumpkins through our Pumpkin Patch, 75% of the proceeds returning to the Navajo reservation where they were grown. After that, Shiloh geared up for its annual Holiday Bazaar. Craft items of nearly every description were available, as were antiques, artwork, baked goods, along with food, fun and fellowship. On Saturday, following the closing of the Bazaar at 2:00, a crew transformed the sanctuary in preparation for the dress rehearsal for Sinclair Community College's community invitational performance of Handl's Messiah. More than 600 people gathered for that performance on Sunday evening.

Now, because no downtime is allowed, Shiloh is preparing for its annual Christmas Musical, which will be held on Sunday, December 14, at both 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. In preparation, a crew of volunteers is "hanging the greens" for Christmas season. The choirs, bell groups and volunteer orchestra have been busy in rehearsal. It should be a great celebration of the coming of our Savior. We hope that you all join us.

Did I mention that, in the midst of all of this, Shiloh has been replacing its entire sanctuary dimmer system? While Shiloh had planned to go ahead with the project, it was pushed along by a grant from the Fred Luther foundation. Throughout much of the Fall, Shiloh has experienced intermittent outages in lighting service, whether in the chancel/apse area or in the nave. Thanks to the grant, to the hard work of John Rabius, Shiloh's Director of Media Ministries, and to a small group of volunteers, the project is nearing half-way. We are hoping to have the entire project completed within the next few weeks. In case you are curious, total cost of the project should be somewhere in the neighborhood of $60,000, $50,000 of which we received from the Luther Foundation. The remainder has already been raised by Shiloh's Next Steps Team.

I should mention two other features of Shiloh's Advent preparations. Firstly, Bible @ Boston's resumes on Wednesday, December 3. We will study on the 10th and 17th as well, using the curriculum that was written for the UDLLI class: AT THE END: The Revelation of St. John from a Historical/Critical Perspective. We will complete our study in January, as we meet on the 7th, 14th and 21st. Secondly, Shiloh will hold its annual Christmas Eve celebration with a candlelight service of word and carol on the 24th, with an organ/instrumental concert at 7:00 p.m. and continuing with the service at 7:30. Once again, we hope that everyone joins us for this annual highlight.

If you are tired reading about all this, imagine trying to coordinate it all. Truly, there is never a dull moment at Shiloh Church UCC, and I would not have it any other way.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving week. Remember, though, as you gather at your Thanksgiving tables with friends and families, that there are those who are not so fortunate. Keep them in your prayers, and find a way to lend your support this week.

The Light of Christ Shines

Discerning readers of The Shiloh Insider will have noticed that there was a two-week period in which no updates were made to the blog. The explanation of the gap is simple. I was on vacation. Instead of advertising the fact in The Shiloh Insider, I thought that a two-week hiatus from updates was far from the worst thing that may happen. Now, after a week of writing and another in sunny Mexico, I am back in the office and ready to resume posting to the blog.

It is always amazing to me how seemingly unrelated events come together and form a symbiotic whole from which we might interpret life more faithfully. One of those events occurred while in Cozumel. On a particular day of our vacation, our small group of five decided to rent a taxi, with driver, and travel around the island, seeing the sites, visiting some ruins, stopping at an eatery or two and generally just enjoying the scenery. Our driver's name was Juan. He was a gentleman of, say, 40-50 years of age. His van was decorated with cartoon characters and a few ubiquitous religious insignias. He provided a cooler of agua and cervesas, in case we wanted something to drink while traveling.

Before continuing with the story, I have to provide a contextual point. On Cozumel, in fact throughout much of Yucatan Mexico, the average wage per 10-hour day is $5.00. Our experience, after traveling to this part of the world several times over the past decade, is that these people work remarkably hard. One friend, Alfredo, works as the resort bell hop. Alfredo is likely in his early 70's, but lugs traveler's bags throughout the resort six days per week,10 hours per day. He does so with a constant smile and an open willingness to do whatever he can to make people happy. Every time we visit this resort, we warmly greet and generously tip Alfredo, telling him how much we appreciate his presence.

On our taxi excursion around Cozumel, we indeed stopped a few watering holes, saw every side of the 9 1/2 x 34 mile piece of land and visited a Mayan ruin. The most meaningful event of the day took place on the way back to the resort, however, as we simply riding in Juan's taxi.

Another contextual note becomes necessary at this point. On Cozumel, there are very few family-owned automobiles. The cars and vans are, by and large, taxis or shuttles. Families travel by scooter. We have seen as many as four family members, ranging from senior citizens to very, very small children, loaded on a scooter,

On our way back to the resort, while riding in Juan's taxi, we passed a young mother with a 2 or 3 year old daughter, standing aside a broken down scooter. As we passed the scene, Juan looked at me in the rear-view mirror. I understood and nodded. Juan wanted to stop to offer assistance to the young mother and her child. Juan pulled over and backed his taxi to the broken down scooter, explaining to the rest of the group that he noticed the young girl crying and the mother struggling to comfort her. By the time we arrived, the father of the young girl had arrived on a motorcycle to assist his family. Juan had a brief discussion with the father, after which it became clear that Juan had offered to provide a ride for the mother and young child in our van.

Juan explained, somewhat reluctantly, that he had offered the ride. Would we mind? It meant that our little group would be providing the ride, free of cost to them, and we would be slightly inconvenienced. No problem.

Juan invited the mother and daughter into the van. They rode with us into town, to a repair shop, where the father was to have brought the scooter. We dropped them off and shared smiles all around. This was a beautiful and generous act. It shone with the light of Christ. Juan was practicing the simplest of virtues. He went out of his way in order to assist someone in need. We were simply bystanders, an audience to Juan's act of kindness.

We returned from our trip very late Saturday night and attended the 7:00 p.m. worship service at Shiloh on Sunday. In the course of the service, as a regular feature of that worship experience, the participants discussed the theme of the texts and message. The facilitator asked why we are uncomfortable at times with those who so boldly demonstrate or talk about their faith. I was reminded of Juan. He never talked with us about his faith. Aside from some minimal iconography, we would have never guessed his religious persuasion. But we knew from what he did. He did not need to say a word about what he believed. Maybe we are made uncomfortable by the words about faith and what we believe instead of the simplicity of acts that demonstrate faith without having to say a word about them.

When we returned to the resort, we paid Juan and tipped him generously, about a week's worth of his average salary. He attempted to argue. I explained, best I could, that kindness has its rewards and that what he did for that young mother and child was a beautiful act. It was a fairly emotional parting.

It's funny, isn't it, how simple acts of kindness speak more profoundly than our words ever can? Strange, isn't it, that we spend so much time and effort on the details and overlook the simplicity of a beautiful act? Thanks, Alfredo, Juan and the amazing people that we encounter every time that we travel to Mexico, for showing us again the beauty of simple kindness.    

The Neighborhood

Certain approaches work to bring people to churches and some do not. Before moving on to describe those approaches that work and those that do not, let me first explain what I mean by the phrase "bring people to churches."

I do not mean that these approaches, or any others, necessarily bring people to membership in local churches. Local churches are not necessarily called to grow memberships...or to guarantee ongoing financial stability...or to make sure that their organizations are assured forever. Churches are called to serve people, both those within the neighborhoods surrounding our facilities and those who live farther away from our locations.

This is upsetting to some. If congregations make their organizational success or institutional sustainability the key to their activity and function, the churches may well gather for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with the ministry of Jesus Christ. If Christ, expressed in our neighborhoods and beyond, is the ball upon which we are trained to keep our eyes, then our ministries and missions will only incidentally impact organizational success or institutional sustainability.

That expressed, there are approaches to bringing people to our churches that do not work. Advertising, by and large, does not work. Fancy, glitchy ads that promise personal fulfillment or spiritual development are the least effective way to attract persons. They do exactly the opposite, in fact. They tend to repel.

Programming that is geared to societal or cultural strata do not work. What organization has not tried to structure approaches around target demographics? What church has not attempted socio-economic or geographical groupings to attract like-minded an like-oriented persons? What church has not tried tying itself to some distinct political or social cause? These attempts may work for a short time, but they eventually fade away and cease to be effective.

What works is simple and basic. Congregations that serve their neighborhoods, that are seen as a resource to and an aid for neighbors, thrive and grow. Their ministries expand. Their missions grow.

Shiloh Church has demonstrated this simple fact in two very important ways. Firstly, Shiloh's Front Porch Ministry has been a tremendous success. The Front Porch takes place in the course of Shiloh's Saturday Farmers' Market. Regional farmers, and other food-related producers, gather to sell products to the community every Saturday morning, May through October, in the parking lot of Shiloh Church. The Market offers WIC/food stamp usage as a means of serving our area's financially struggling population, as well as those who may be able to afford fresh produce. Members and friends of Shiloh gather each Saturday, in the Gazebo, to offer welcome, discussion, hot and cold drinks, breakfast sandwiches and friendship. There is no proselytizing, no commercial, no church information...unless persons ask. The majority of Shiloh's new members, through the last three New Member Sundays, have come from the Front Porch. Many more lives have been touched.

Yesterday, Shiloh offered its first-ever Trunk of Treats program. From 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. twenty-two members and friends of Shiloh gathered in the "point" of the facility's parking lot, decorated trunks of cars, backs of SUV's and beds of trucks, and distributed candy, pencils, and fun products to more than 385 neighborhood children and families. The neighbors enjoyed free hot dogs, chips and drinks as well. By providing a safe environment in which children could trick-or-treat, Shiloh served a huge segment of its neighborhood. The program was simple, but memorable. We are certain that the project will expand, both with community response and Shiloh members' involvement.

These programs work. Serving our neighborhood, representing Christ to and with them our closest neighbors in creative and imaginative ways, works. It brings people to Shiloh. Activities like the Pumpkin Patch, the Fall Fair, the Holiday Bazaar, the Golf Outing, Food Bank Collections, and too many others to mention, work. Well done, Shiloh! You are representing Christ to, in and with your neighbors.    

Something Better?

I do not know for certain whether the tendency comes from the culture or from the nature of the contemporary church. Perhaps it is not universal at all, but part of my, admittedly, limited experience. It certainly seems to be true, however.

People do not sign up. They do not commit. They do not attach their names to projects or programs or events. Only at the last minute do people seems to be willing to state their devotion to x, y, or z. It seems as though people hold out until the last possible minute to commit, seeming to expect something better to come along and claim their attention.

So it was, I imagine, in the Gospel parable from this past Sunday. The king had invited certain people to the wedding banquet of his son, but they refused the invitation. Worse, they made light of it, thinking that other things in their lives were more important, more attractive, more fun or more meaningful. They rejected the king's invitation. They abused the king's servants. The king was enraged and caused the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem at the culmination of the Roman/Jewish war in 70 c.e. Others were invited. They came, but some were unprepared for what the banquet required. So, many are called but few are chosen.

The more I study and learn, and the more I wrestle with God's will for humankind, the more I am convinced that authentic spirituality invites us simply to go out of our way for the sake of others. It is the highest of heavenly virtues. It is at the core of the Christ ethic and speaks of the motivation that lies behind the archetype of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection. Every religion has at its core the simple act of sacrificing self for the benefit of others.

If self-sacrificing service is at the core of our religion, and I firmly believe that it is, then one might assume that the best that the church has to offer is the opportunity to engage in and embody that service. There is nothing better. There is no greater good, no superior service, no more meaningful use of time, energy, talent of wealth.

One would expect therefore that opportunities to participate in self-sacrificing service ministry and mission would be the most important, most exciting, most meaningful opportunities that we have to offer. But people still seem to be waiting for something better to come along.

I wonder for what we wait? What do we expect to come along that is superior to the self-sacrificial service opportunities that we offer?

To find an answer, I look in my assessment mirror and find there...myself.

 Ah. That.

The sole reason for waiting to commit to opportunities for self-sacrificing service is the self that wants anything but to sacrifice. Of course I wait for something to come along that better suits me, my self, I. I avoid the self-sacrificing service if I can better serve myself with something more self-serving. Tautology much there, Plato?

Of course we are tempted to wait to see whether or not something more self-serving might come along before we commit to an opportunity for self-sacrifice. I wonder, though, how we market the notion that opportunities to embody self-sacrifice are preferable to the best of self-service? If we could sell that notion, if we could just convince one another of its merits, sign-ups would be immediate and commitment would be sure and certain.

Until then, alas, people will be people. Sorry, king. Can't come to your banquet. I've got a mani/pedi scheduled at 5:00.      

Open and Affirming?

I found myself drawn into a lengthy email conversation a week or so ago that I think the Shiloh community might be interested in knowing. It involved the United Church of Christ stance that many of us know of as "Open and Affirming (ONA)."

The "Open and Affirming" stance states that congregations are both open to and affirming of persons and couples in same gender relationships. It says that the doors of the church are open to persons from the LGBT community, and that we affirm that lifestyle. Shiloh is not technically an "ONA" congregation.

A colleague of mine was examining Shiloh's website recently and emailed me, shocked that Shiloh was not an official ONA congregation. She has known me for some years, knows many of my theological and social values, and had always believed me to be a person who was welcoming of all persons, regardless of race, creed, national origin, gender or lifestyle.

She went on to explain that some biblical models seem to exclude persons, mainly on a social/cultural basis, but that the contemporary church should not be a part of such exclusion. She included several links to sites where I could access more information on those (six) biblical texts and how we might better understand them in a contemporary setting.

She wondered how I, a pastor of pretty consistent thinking and theology, could serve a congregation that is not officially ONA. Quite frankly, she went on and on and on, trying to convince me that the congregation that I serve must have led me down a more conservative path than she assumed that I would have followed. She even said that she was disappointed in me.

Well...

It is true that Shiloh is not technically an ONA congregation. There are two factors that have led to that factor that my colleague has failed to recognize. I explained in my return email:

There are two reasons that Shiloh is not ONA, neither of them accounted for in your earlier email.
 1. ONA does not include all persons. How about issues of race, gender, national origin, economic status, social order, healthiness, residence, background or dress? None of these are addressed in the ONA stance. Shiloh believes in the equality of all persons, not just some. Therefore, the ONA stance does not go far enough for the way this congregation practices its faith.
2. Shiloh is radically welcoming. Ask the couples and families of every description who attend and who take part in the congregation's ministries. Ask our Indonesian, Hispanic, African-American, gay, artistic, conservative, progressive participants whether or not they are made to feel welcome as we work side-by-side in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Shiloh seeks to practice instead of taking political stances. We just do.

The remainder of the email was a request that perhaps we should gain information before judging or jumping to conclusion. Just because Shiloh is not technically ONA does not mean that we are not a welcoming community that stands in allegiance with persons of whatever description. This congregation prefers instead to claim that everyone is welcome here, no matter where they have been, what they have done, or where they might be on life's journey. Shiloh's doors are genuinely open and the congregation genuinely affirms every person. The congregation lives its faith. I am proud to serve here.

As the Pastor

A few weeks back, a member of the staff made an excellent suggestion, one that Shiloh will seek to embody in a new Bible @ Boston's feature. It is called Ask the Pastor.

Ask the Pastor will consist of formulating responses to the spiritual and theological questions of members and friends of the church and turning those responses into hour-long investigations of those questions. For instance, the first topic that the staff has received from a church member has been, "What is the significance of the concepts of Heaven and Hell and where did these concepts come from?" (sic)

Many recognize, of course that a theology of grace runs counter to our traditional understandings of Heaven and Hell. If grace is true, then eternal punishment makes no sense. If eternal punishment makes no sense, then eternal reward is up for debate. If grace is universally given, and if each person is saved in the Crucifixion, then eternal reward must be universal instead of conditional. It is derived, not from one's commitment, devotion or loyalty, but exclusively in the act of God in Christ. Grace is salvation accomplished for us and, as an extension, grace is embodied through us.

So what about Heaven and Hell?

This will be our topic of discussion , originally scheduled for Wednesday, November 26, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Boston's Bistro and Pub, located at the corner of North Main Street (St. Rte. 48) and Dogleg Road (Westbrook Rd.). I am aware that this is the night before Thanksgiving, and that some of us may be traveling. I am therefore willing to change the date to a week earlier, though that coincides with the Holiday Bazaar. A week earlier than that would place the discussion on November 12. If I hear from enough of those who may be interested in the discussion, it is possible that we might change to that date, but I have to notify Boston's by the middle of October.

In order to submit a question for Ask the Pastor, simply place your question, in writing, in the offering plate on Sunday, email it to Carl Robinson at crobinson@shiloh.org or make a comment in response to this post on the Shiloh Facebook group site. Remember that comments are disabled on this account on blogspot.

We look forward to some lively discussion and some important information on pertinent issues. I sincerely hope that many of you will join us.

Structural Implications of The Church of Vocation

The bureaucratic church of the past, with its by-laws and constitutional boundaries, sees the developing church of vocation as too unmanageable, too unruly, chaotic. If everyone is empowered directly from God to engage in whatever ministry that person feels called to, just how is the church to manage the charismatic anarchy that ensues? Everyone running around doing what they discern as their call? Cray-cray!

The charge of the bureaucratic church is not without merit. In fact, bureaucracy and authority have been the ways that the church has managed itself since - and before - the time of Paul. Paul was an anomaly, you may recall. The Apostle did not know Jesus...never met the guy. His calling lacked the hands-on experience of the disciples, but rested, instead, in the power of the revelatory spirit. His calling was spiritual, charismatic, mystical. The mystic Paul countered the claim of face-to-face authority by claiming an equally sound spiritual insight. In response, Paul developed a theology of grace. That theology was later rejected as an organizing core principle of the late first century because grace was simply to unruly to institutionalize. Law and authority took it place in the concept of apostolic succession.

So, beginning as early as the the late first century c.e., the chaotic mysticism of Paul was rejected and a system of law and authority took its place. The early Christian Church was organized around law and authority, power and position. By-laws and constitutions spelled out succinctly who could be a member, what actions they had to take to maintain membership, the means of control and authority and rules for what boards and committees did and did not do. Sometimes, the rules might have allowed for how persons do things within or through the congregation that were not included in constitutions and by-laws. Rarely, that is. Normally, everything was set in proverbial stone.

The contemporary congregation finds itself at the cusp of a whole new way of thinking and organizing, however. If our churches are to be made relevant again in the developing culture in which we find ourselves, we are being forced to cede the organizational foundations of law and authority and open ourselves to organizing from the ubiquitous vocation of universal calling. We are challenged to return to pre-apostolic succession, when mysticism remained tolerable and grace was a core theological principle, to do the work that the ancients feared. We have to herd the cats of Christian spirituality.

There are three steps to the process that I can imagine:

1. Scrap the old thinking. Organizing around law and authority are things of the past, and they should be put there. This means scrapping constitutions and by-laws, along with rules about membership and activity.

2. Adopt new thinking. How does the church embody personal and communal spirituality and how can it organize itself around vocation? Are there categories of service around which the church might organize the ministries that are reflected in the calls that comprise it? What would this look like? How can we imagine and create such a fluid structure? What the heck is a fluid structure?

3. Try it. Step into the unknown of structures that reflect the theology of grace instead of law and organizations that are built around vocation instead of  regulation.

Shiloh is attempting just that in the outcome of its latest five-year plan. The congregation is re-organizing around grace and vocation. Our hope is that we are able to work the bugs out of what looks like unmanageable chaos to reach a point where we minister together out of our common call, by finding a place that honors the mystical/spiritual realities of individual call.

Join us in attempting to herd the mystical and spiritual cats, in order to return to relevancy within the cultural evolution that is taking place all around us.    

Educational Opportunities Abound

Shiloh Church takes the process of Christian Education seriously. The congregation engages in far more than Sunday School, though the traditional classes for all ages are offered every Sunday morning, from 9:15-10:15 a.m.

Included in Shiloh's Sunday morning schedule is a weekly opportunity to discuss the message/texts for that Sunday of the liturgical church year. Following the 10:25 worship service, usually around 11:45 or so, a group gathers in Shiloh's Omega Hall to converse. Such conversation is a usual feature of our weekly 7:00 p.m. alternative worship setting, by the way.Everyone is welcome.

Shiloh continues to offer twice-weekly Bible studies, where participants study together the texts that serve as the basis for that coming Sunday's worship. Following the Revised Common Lectionary, or by utilizing the church's newsletter, participants can study upcoming texts in preparation for each session. Sessions are held on Tuesday evenings, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. or on Thursday mornings, from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. All sessions are held in the church's chapel. Again, as ever, everyone is welcome.

Bible @ Boston's is being offered by Shiloh throughout the month of September. Our curriculum is based on the cultural evolution of the past fifty years and the church's response to it. It is entitled: Theology of the Progressive Church Movement: From a Church of Law Toward a Church of Vocation. Sessions are held each week, Wednesday evenings, from 6:00 -7:00 p.m. at Boston's Bistro and Pub, located at the corner of North Main Street (St. Rte. 48) and Dogleg Rd. (Westbrook). Food and drink are available for purchase.Guess what? Everyone is welcome.

I am also currently teaching a session of the University of Dayton's Life Long Learning Institute, in course entitled  "At the End: The Revelation to John from Historical/Critical Perspective." This is the fourth series that I have led at UD and I am thoroughly thrilled with the response to that population's response to the modified Historical/Critical Method that we teach. Those sessions will run from September 15 through October 20, every Monday morning, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Participants need to have membership in the University of Dayton's Life Long Learning Institute in order to attend and there is a cost per enrollment quarters. Fliers can be found on the Library table, located near the Copper Room, or by contacting UDLLI.

I am also currently developing a class for SONKA's Affiliates for Education, formerly the Association's Lay School. Now located at United Theological Seminary, SONKA's Affiliates for Education offer high-level classes for those who are interested in pursuit of calling, whether lay or professional. I am writing a curriculum for Introduction to Old Testament, which will include both an overview of the literature and a survey of theological developments. Persons can apply for participation in SONKA's Affiliates for Education by contacting the SONKA office, or by accessing the Association's website, www.sonkaucc.org.

We sincerely hope that the people of Shiloh, and any interested parties from our community, take part in the rich educational opportunities that Shiloh offers. Learning together, we are Living the Word by Serving the World.

Childhood Memories

I learned late yesterday afternoon of the death of one of my two best childhood friends. There are as yet no details, except for the fact that his death was by his own hand.

This is the second time that a member of my graduation high school class, the Bremen, Indiana class of 1979, committed suicide. More poignantly, this is the second person that I played with as a child, who lived in my neighborhood, who I loved and who I will miss, took her and his own life. The first was Dawn Marburger. Now Tracy Cather.

I do not know the details of Dawn's death. She lived in California. I saw her at our 25th class reunion, the only one that I have attended. I had lost touch with her. Despite Facebook and other available social media, I had also lost touch with Tracy.

Tracy's death comes on the heals of his father's passing and the break up of Tracy's long-term relationship with his partner.

I wonder if the pressures and stress of being gay in our culture had anything to do with his eventual suicide. If so, we should be ashamed of ourselves. Political or religious stances are evil when they contribute to the death of someone so talented and valuable. Such stances are evil when they contribute to any person's rejection, diminishment, or depersonalization.

Dawn suffered in some of the same ways. While I do not think that she was attracted to persons of the same gender - after all, she was my first real kiss - I know that she suffered greatly with body image and bulimia. Despite being a beautiful woman, she never felt comfortable in her own skin.

Our culture is killing people. The pressure that we place on one another is leading to depression, deep seeded frustration and disenchantment, to hopelessness and desperation. It is leading to suicide at an alarming rate among Baby Boomers.

The Revised Common Lectionary texts for this past week included Paul's lesson from Romans, to simply "Love One Another." In the act of loving one another rests fulfillment of all the laws. More than that, however. In loving one another lies mutual support and compassion, acceptance and sincere respect, wherein we see persons as more than tools for our political or religious posturing.

Who is to say? Perhaps if we were able to live in love, just maybe Dawn and Tracy might still be with us. I mourn their loss. I grieve for them and regret their pain.

It may sound naive, but is it not time that we pursue love of one another? We have lost far too many already.

Miley Cyrus Shocks Again

Yes, that's right. At last night's MTV Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus, the one-time Disney character, Hanna Montana, completely shocked the VMA-watching world. Readers of the Shiloh Insider may or may not be aware that Cyrus ignited controversy at last year's VMA's by twerking all over the Blurred Lines singer, Robin Thicke. Her antics earned her wide attention and a mess of media buzz.

This year's VMA's were different, however. While Cyrus was once again at the center of attention, though she did not perform or act in any way inappropriately, she rocked the awards with a much different display. When Cyrus was awarded the Moonman for video of the year, she allowed that the acceptance speech be made by her date for the night, a previously homeless young man named "Jesse."

Jesse claimed to have lived in many of the local homeless shelters, including "My Friend's Place," where he apparently encountered Cyrus. His speech was brief and eloquent. Among other poignant comments, Jesse said, "I have been an extra in your movies. I have been an extra in your life." Jesse hoped to use the forum to raise funds for "My Friend's Place" and to raise awareness of this country's huge homeless population. He said that information for contributions to fight homelessness could be found on Miley Cyrus' website.

The events of last night's VMA's, and especially the gift that was provided by Miley Cyrus, serves to remind the privileged segments of the population that homelessness is a definite problem in the United States and, if we are to put an end to the embarrassing realization, then we have got to open our hearts, our minds and our ckeckbooks.

This country has proven what a grass roots financial movement looks like with the recent ALS ice water challenge. As of yesterday, ALS had raised more than 70 million dollars, most with $10 or $100 contributions. The ice water challenge has become a social media splash (pun intended) and it is hard to imagine many Americans who have been untouched by the movement.

If we can raise more than $70 million for ALS - which I believe is a very good attempt at stemming the tide of a terrible disease - then I firmly believe that we could do the same in response to Jesse's plea. We can greatly reduce, or perhaps even put an end to, homelessness in America.

Thank you, Jesse. And thank you, Miley Cyrus, for putting the challenge before the American public. Their presence at the VMA's, and their message, gives content to the United Church of Christ motto: No matter who you are or where you have been on life's journey... We can do miracles. We can change the world. We can be the kingdom.

 

Language Problems

As the Shiloh Church Bible study groups work to develop a model for defining Progressive Church theology, the groups have had to constantly struggle with language. The problem is not that our language is either too coarse or too practical. Instead, the language that we have used in attempting to formulate the theological model has been too steeped in the traditional church.

To describe a link between God's will, defined as the archetype that is established in Christ as a way of life, and our commitment and devotion to it, our groups used the term "discipleship." To refer to the link between our devotion to God's will and actions that demonstrate God's will in the world, we used the term "apostleship." Neither term, it seems, is particularly helpful in developing a theology that reaches far beyond the confines of the traditional church. As the theology pushes the traditional church from the safety and security of its traditional patterns, so must the language that we use represent that expansion.

So apostleship and discipleship do not work.

These are not our only linguistic hurdles, however. The model differentiates between a world of law and a world of call. In law, we simply do as directed in the religious models of the past. We are to be obedient and repeat the rituals, orthodoxies and acceptable behavior that the religious institutions have dictated. In call, we are free to interpret for ourselves what God wants of us, listening not to the religious institutions but to the indwelling spirit. Does the secular world embrace or even understand a world of call? Are there not better terms to indicate a life wherein we understand that every person is empowered, equipped, called and sent to achieve God's purpose in the world? Terms like "responsibility" and "duty" do not work. They belong to the world of law and rely on guilt and shame in order to function there.

By the way, there may be a problem with the terms "Progressive Church" or "Progressive Church Theology." Shiloh's Bible study groups have discovered that there is considerable push back, particularly from the traditional church, for the term "progressive." Some find it insulting. They tend to prefer the term "Emerging Church" or "Emerging Church Theology."

I support the use of "Progressive Church" and "Progressive Church Theology" because I firmly believe that the church-that-will-be is currently caught at the cusp of a next-step in the church's spiritual evolutionary process. A step forward in the spiritual evolutionary process if progressive. It moves the church onward and forward...toward. The terms "Emerging Church" or "Emerging Church Theology" lack the evolutionary flavor that the term "Progressive" includes.

If you want to get in on the discussion, helping us to work out the model of Progressive Church theology, I invite you to be a part of Shiloh's Bible @ Boston's program through September. Each Wednesday in September, we will meet at Boston's Bistro and Pub, at the corner or North Main and Dogleg Road from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., to discuss the developing model.

As most readers of The Shiloh Insider are aware, Shiloh's Bible study groups began with the basic assertion that Faith is fidelity to God's will. We moved from there to define what it is that we mean by God's will. We then discussed our commitment and devotion to that definition of God's will. After deciding that the purpose of the Church is intimately related to fidelity to God's will, we continued by defining faith as acts that reflect that devotion and commitment.

The model is not yet complete, perhaps because it is still taking shape in the needs and demands of the cultural evolution in which we find ourselves. Come to Boston's in September to join the conversation. Or, attend our twice-weekly Bible studies, Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.

Discipleship and Apostleship

In the model that Shiloh's Bible study groups have developed to attempt to better understand the Progressive Church movement theology, it seems that we have fallen into the trap of using terms from traditional church models. This is particularly true of the use of the terms "discipleship" and "apostleship." It is unlikely in the extreme that any progressive church movement would use these terms, especially since they carry such baggage from the traditional church theology.

The Bible study groups have used the terms intentionally, however. "Discipleship" reflects a link between the will of God, as reflected in the archetype of Christ, the shaping of the Christ ethic and the practice of heavenly virtues and our commitment, devotion and loyalty to those qualities. The groups divided the means by which we practice discipleship as being either "Spiritual" or "Religious." Spiritual discipleship is human essential nature, internal, in balance with the spiritual essence of the universe, and descriptive of the frustration and imbalance of human existence. Religious discipleship is external and mechanical practice of accepted rituals and orthodoxies that attempt to correct the flaws that are inherent to human essential nature. (One may rightly claim that spiritual discipleship reflects a positive anthropology while religious discipleship reflects a negative definition of human essential nature.)

The same distinction holds true in apostleship. Apostleship, our Bible study groups have concluded, links our commitment, devotion and loyalty to God's will, as reflected in Christ Jesus, with overt actions and words. That is, if we are faithful to God's will in Christ, then we will do what Christ would have us do, actually, really, concretely. There is a distinction in how we do that discipleship, however, and why. Spiritual discipleship leads to a wisdom-based apostleship. We do not go out sharing orthodoxies, rites or rituals. Instead, we practice openness, hospitality, kindness, mercy and grace. We work for justice, equality and peace. We do so because we are devoted to the work of Christ Jesus. Our fidelity is to his mission and ministry in the world, and strives to be reflective of it. Religious discipleship leads to an obedience-based apostleship, where we demand that others live up to our standards of orthodoxy, belief and obedience, and where we see ourselves as protectors of "the right way."  Religious apostleship results in teaching the orthodoxies, rites and rituals of our groups, sects, denominations, types or clans.  

Are there better, more readily acceptable terms that we might use to articulate the distinction between spiritual and religious discipleship and wisdom-based or obedience-based apostleship? I think there might be. Is the link between the will of God and our fidelity to it equally well expressed in a term like "integrity?" Another, perhaps more interesting term, may be "ethic." The link is the standard for which we strive and to which we hold ourselves accountable. In the same vein, apostleship may be better reflected in terms like "work" or "moral." Our fidelity to God's will, as reflected in Christ Jesus, results in particular work or moral action.

If fidelity to God's will, as reflected in Christ Jesus, breaks down, or if our commitment is without integrity or ethical standard, then it will not result in the type of moral action or work that reflects Christ. While I like these terms in the place of discipleship and apostleship, we have to admit that they seem a great deal more concrete and practical, perhaps even accusatory or pejorative. For this reason particularly, maybe these terms best reflect the evolutionary process of the culture in which the church today finds itself and the spiritual evolution to which it is calling us.

We will float the terms at this week's Bible study sessions and see if they, like Peter and Jesus, walk on the water. Shiloh's Bible studies are held on Tuesday evenings, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and on Thursday mornings, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the church's chapel. Use entrance #1. By the way, Shiloh will be offering a new four-week Bible @ Boston's series in September. The topic will be Shiloh's model of Progressive Church theology and practice. Join us on Wednesday evenings, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Boston's Bistro and Pub, at the corner of North Main (48) and Dog Leg Rd. (Westbrook). See you at any of these sessions. Everyone is welcome.    

Spiritual Discipleship and Faithful Apostleship

As our Bible study groups work to develop a working model of Progressive Church theology, participants have recognized a vital link that, prior to this time, they may have taken for granted.

The model starts with a basic definition of faith: Faith is fidelity to God's will. God's will is that revealed in Christ Jesus and can be referred to in various ways. Whether we think of it as establishment of the archetype of Crucifixion/Resurrection, following the Christ ethic or practice of Heavenly virtues, the core of God's will remains a selfless act that benefits others. Our fidelity, commitment and devotion are to those acts, whether or not they are decidedly "religious." We are called to be like Christ in service to others. We act on faith when we are bold enough to empty ourselves in acts that reflect selflessness as God's will.

Discipleship is the link between God's will and our fidelity to it. We are disciples - students of a particular master - when our commitment and devotion are to the teachings of that master. As we discussed in last week's post to The Shiloh Insider, this allegiance can be either spiritual or religious. That is, discipleship can be either rote, mechanical and external acceptance of some orthodoxy, ritual or practice or an internal, natural, spiritual response to acts of beauty and selflessness. Religion, it turns out, seeks to repair what is innately wrong or lacking in human nature, while spirituality seeks to enliven that which is naturally present in all living things.

This week, we take a further step in providing a model for Progressive Church theology. While the link between God's will and human fidelity to it is discipleship, the link between our fidelity and acts of faith that reflect it is apostleship. Apostleship is simply doing what we say we believe. It is embodiment of our discipleship. While discipleship can be understood as the potential of the Progressive Church, apostleship is its kinetics. (Some readers of The Shiloh Insider may recall a previous post about the nature of Trinity, in which we identified the second activity of Trinity as potential and the third activity as kinetic.) Put differently, apostleship is doing what the Progressive Church does, while discipleship is what it is doing. Discipleship is the noun of faithfulness' sentence and apostleship is its verb. God is object and those the church serves are its subject.

We may be so bold as to claim that faithful apostleship is the outcome of faithful discipleship. If we sit and learn at the feet of Christ as master (Lord), and if our fidelity is to those teachings, then our apostleship will faithfully reflect the message and medium of Christ. We will do as Christ does. We will act out the archetype of Crucifixion/Resurrection, live the ethic of Christ and practice the heavenly virtues.

One further layer remains in establishing our model of Progressive Church theology. Next week, we will differentiate between a "Life of Call" and a "Life of Law." It is not accidental, of course, that this distinction follows closely on the heals of a distinction between religion or spirituality.

Thanks for reading The Shiloh Insider, and thanks for your comments and opinions. Perhaps our growth together can be reflected in the spiritual evolution of the Church of Jesus Christ.

    

Spirituality or Religion?

It happened again over the course of this past weekend. A relative stranger, on discovering that I pastor a church said to me that she was more spiritual than religious. The phrase has spread to be representative of a new cultural trend away from organized religion but toward spiritual practices and beliefs.

What exactly does it mean to be more spiritual than religious?

Shiloh's Bible study groups have been working at deciphering cultural trends that affect the church and have come to some important conclusions. The conversation is an extension of our definition of faith as fidelity to God's will. (See last week's post to The Shiloh Insider for a discussion surrounding this definition.)

If God's will is the Christ archetype, a model of Crucifixion/Resurrection, the Hellenistic Heavenly virtues - or, as Mrs. Keller taught my kindergarten class, "Just be nice." - then our definition of faith calls us to be committed to this description of God's will. Our loyalty and devotion are to that which is revealed in the mission and ministry of Christ Jesus.

Maintaining the link between the will of God and our devotion, commitment and loyalty is either religion or spirituality. While spirituality, as an approach to maintaining God's will, is organic and natural to the relationship, religion, as an approach, is external and mechanical.

Let me try to clarify. In spirituality, we may understand that God's will is, in fact, a function of human essential nature. If life itself is understood as God's Spirit being breathed into otherwise inanimate matter, then human beings are essentially both spirit and flesh. It is no less a function of human essential nature to live according to the higher virtues of the spirit than it is to live according to the desires and hungers of the flesh.

The Spirit, as part of essential human nature, allows that humanity may naturally live out God's will in every relationship and at every moment. To do less is to be less than fully human. Failing human potential leads to disjointedness in the human condition, frustration, dissatisfaction, anger and disillusionment with the ways of the world. Humans who fail to live out their spiritual selves disconnect with the logos of the universe, thus creating division, hatred and self-loathing.

On the other hand, religion is a mechanical and external attempt at maintaining God's will as a function of faith. As Sigmund Freud noted in Totem and Taboo, humanity creates religion for two purposes: 1. To render the mortal immortal and 2. To control the behavior of one's self and others. The religious super ego is seen as over and above human essential nature. In fact, it corrects the flaws of human essential nature by creating moral standards and psycho/social mores. The divine is above. It is other. Religion, then, provides sets of orthodoxies, rituals and beliefs that are prescribed by an external being, with whom humanity forms a contentious relationship.

So, if being more spiritual than religious means that persons are choosing to live out of the spiritual side of human nature instead of giving in to some external control mechanism, then I am more spiritual than religious as well. So, it turns out, are many of those who attend our Tuesday and Thursday Bible studies at Shiloh Church. To be completely honest, I must confess that I see the transition from religion to spirituality in the church as a further step in human spiritual evolution.

Are you spiritual or religious? Can we be both?  

Faith as Fidelity to God's Will

In the season after Pentecost, Shiloh's Bible study groups have been working on an alternative definition of what we mean when we say "faith." We have arrived at this preliminary statement:

Faith is fidelity to God's will.

The problem with any such attempted definition is in defining the terms that are used. The Bible study groups have been careful in their considerations. Let's begin with the foundation. What is God's will to which faith is commitment?

God's will, we have concluded together, is best reflected in the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ, though not exclusive to it. There is a Christ ethic that is established in Jesus' earthly ministry and an archetype that is established in his Crucifixion and Resurrection. The Jesus ethic and the archetype of Christ witness to the Hellenistic world's Heavenly virtues. It is always better for humankind when persons go out of their way for their brothers and sisters, sacrificing themselves to serve others. This single belief lies at the core of world religions. It is better to serve others than to provide exclusively for one's self.

God's will is revealed in the Jesus ethic, the Christ archetype, the Heavenly virtues, in simple acts of kindness, generosity, grace and mercy. It is to this will that faith demands fidelity. It demands complete and total commitment, loyalty and devotion. The Jesus ethic is a way of life that reflects God's will for humankind. The Christ archetype is a way of life that witnesses to God's will. The Heavenly virtues are concrete ways of life that articulate a spiritual reality that is over and above the physical and material realm. People of faith are asked to exhibit complete commitment to these ways of life.

Faith, then, is the practice of the will of God as a way of life. Faith, we concluded, is less about belief and more about actions. It is more a verb and less a noun. We do not possess or lack faith. We either do acts of faith or we fail to do them. We either live out of our complete and utter fidelity to God's will or we fall short.
Faith is fidelity to God's will.

This definition of faith is contrary in some important ways from several more traditional alternative definitions. Faith has often been tied to belief systems, to orthodoxies, and they form "isms" or "anities." Post-Reformation denominationalism is the result of this definition of faith. Schism and division result from sometimes minuscule differences of interpretation and tradition. People are divided into "belief camps" by how they were taught about a myriad of aspects of right practice.

Particular definitions of faith have also been used as litmus tests for inclusion. As a Pastor, I have been asked many times whether or not I believe in things like God's six-day Creation, or Jesus' virgin birth, or whether or not Jesus walked on water. If I say I do, I am patted on the back and welcomed into the old buddy club of church tradition. If I say I do not, then I am branded a heretic and ushered out.

Faith as fidelity to God's will rests only on these beliefs: 1. That Jesus Christ reveals God's will and 2. People of faith may dedicate their time, energy, talent and enthusiasm to that which Christ Jesus reflects. Perhaps this seems simplistic. Maybe it seems obvious. Yet, religious groups seem to want to spend a great deal of time and energy on considering aspects of orthodoxy and metaphysics that lead the church away from the practice of God's will, as revealed in Christ and others.

Shiloh's Bible studies are held on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel and are open to anyone. Upon occasion, specialized studies are held at Boston's Bistro and Pub, in a program that Shiloh calls "Bible @ Boston's." Again, everyone is welcome. Join us as we work toward an even deeper understanding of faith as fidelity to God's will.      

Universal Condition of Kindness

Lisa and I spent a wonderful July 4th holiday, celebrating both our nation's independence and her birthday, in the St. Louis area. Since Lisa is from the area, and since most of her family resides there still, it was a short family vacation. We stayed with Lisa's sister and brother-in-law, Kristy and Bill Hartman. We lounged by the pool and enjoyed the hot tub, all in the natural environs of country living. It was a great visit.

On Saturday, we attended the Cardinal's baseball game. (Both Lisa and I are long-time Cardinal fans...painful as that may be in Reds nation.) The seats we used were complimentary from Kristy's business, (Some of you are aware of my rant against the money and craze that lies in the professional sports world, though I admit to giving the organization plenty of money.) That rant will come at another time.

At the ballgame, we sat about eleven rows behind first base, in foul ball territory. The couple who sat next to Lisa did not say a word to us. In fact, the woman who sat directly next to my wife spent a few minutes, before the game started, actually clipping her fingernails. No apologies for the one that flew in Lisa's direction and actually hit her arm. In front of us sat a couple from Tennessee, with their very young daughter.We interacted a bit with them during the game, sharing baseball park Swizzlers (it's like licorice, but not quite). The mother spoke no English, and looked to be considerably younger than her husband. It was her first bite of Swizzlers as well.

The young lady who sat on the other end of our foursome knew absolutely everything about Cardinal baseball, and was eager to share information, but did not interact beyond that. The family that sat behind us carried on conversations throughout the game...something about an upcoming trip...but never interacted with anyone around them. In front of us, a family exhibited very close relationships, but only within their small group.

Isn't it interesting that the greatest degree of interaction at the game took place between us and a couple from Tennessee, she of Philippine descent, speaking no English, with her very young daughter, who looked remarkably like her mother, and he a forty-something, outwardly successful and very protective provider. The daughter was a true beauty. She turned and watched us early on, so we began to interact with her. In time, we communicated with the parents, wondering if we could give her some of the Swizzlers that we had purchased. (She and her mother tried some, by the way, but seemingly found the taste a bit overpowering.)

People can be nice even at the ballpark. Even within the maddening 42,000 crush of humanity and the mad rush to traffic jams afterward, people can be kind.

I sincerely hope that the young daughter of the couple in front of us remembers that there are nice people around, and that sometimes they share their Swizzlers. I hope that her experience was made better by interacting with the weird couple who sat behind her and played with her throughout the game. I sincerely hope that it plants a seed and that, years from now, she might share her Swizzlers with a stranger who sits in front of her, heightening the experience of kindness for that stranger. (I should add, by the way, that she repeatedly tried to share from her sippy cup with Lisa, much to the amusement of everyone around us.)

It is interesting, too, how others around treated one another. It was as if walls separated families, couples and persons from one another. There was scant little kindness. People did not, by and large, go out of their way to be nice.

But kindness shone in the face of the little girl in front of us. No matter what language one speaks, or from where persons come, there is always a value to being nice and doing things that are kind. Upset the status quo. Disrupt the usual. Shake the foundations of the walls that divide us. Be nice. Be kind.  

Rally for Ally

Some folks from Shiloh Church participated in, and the congregation co-sponsored, a very important community event this past weekend. It was called the "Rally for Ally." It was held at T.J. Chumps, in Englewood.

The Rally for Ally began with 70 participants in a morning run/walk, breakfast, a bike poker ride in the afternoon, featuring more then 70 riders, and a dinner, raffle and entertainment in the evening. Shiloh provided chairs for the event and the use of the small sound system. We also provided the blessing before the poker run and simply helped out throughout the event.

Rally for Ally supports families whose children are suffering from cancer. Ally is a survivor. Other survivors and sufferers were present and participating in the day's events. The several thousand dollars of funds raised will be utilized through a not-for-profit organization, called We Fight Together, to assist families at Children's Hospital, here in Dayton, whose children have been diagnosed with cancer and who are being treated at Children's. Each family will receive a care bag upon arrival at the hospital. The bags contain more than $150 of direct discount and assistance around and within the hospital. Since most families travel hastily to Children's such support is vital to their care. We fight Together and Rally for Ally are important support ministries within the local Dayton community. I hope you will each find a way to support the effort.

I began setting up the sound system at about 10:00 a.m., outside on a very humid morning. I was sweating quite profusely by the time one of the bikers' who had arrived early for the poker run, asked me if I might need some assistance. I said that I would appreciate his help. We laughed and joked through the remainder of the set up. Afterward, he offered to buy me a beverage. I agreed and we sat, talking, at a table on the patio at T.J. Chumps.

He assumed that I was a d.j. of sorts. We talked about the sound system and how nice it was to have a portable unit. We talked about poker rides and the nature of local fund raising. Less than an hour after our conversation, a few announcements were made. I was then introduced to conduct the blessing of the ride. The gentleman with whom I had sat and shared both beverage and conversation looked quizzically at me from the crowd. Immediately after the blessing, he came up to me and apologized. He did not know that I was a "preacher," he said, and that he was embarrassed by some of his language and by "making" me drink a beer.

Those who know me know that it is not hard work to get me to drink a beer. You likely also know that I am not particularly shocked by any form of language, unless it demonstrates outright prejudice or is unkind.

This gentleman and I then had a conversation about the church's involvement in community fund-raising and social/secular events. His assumption, and he admitted it, was that the church did things only for itself, and that it raised funds only for its own purposes. The church, he said, did not tend to pitch in with other events and help people in the community. (He put that rather more colorfully, but I think that is, in essence, what he meant.)

I told him about Shiloh. I explained that we are a church that sees itself "Living the Word by Serving the World." I even pointed out the church logo, that appeared on the shirts and literature for the event. I told him that we invest our time, talent, treasure and energy in the community, to enhance the lives of those who are in need.

The ride started a few minutes later and he took off on his Harley with the rest of the riders. I hope that our conversation and our brief work together changed his mind about the role of the church in the community. I hope that involvement in events like Rally for Ally, and continued support of organizations like We Fight Together, continue to teach the community about a different kind of church, one that they can again get behind and support.

I know that my new biker friend learned something about us through the event. I hope that we can continue to express a different kind of faith to, within and through our community, that we may, someday, see a resurgence of the church's ministry and service.
 
  

Paying the Price of Being Nice

The United Church of Christ Statement of Faith reads, in part:

 "God calls us into the Church to accept the cost of joy of discipleship, to be God's servants in the service of others, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ's baptism and to eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory."

As much as I want to amend the statement to claim that we share in God's call to both discipleship and apostleship, I want to highlight just a portion of this Statement of Faith (Doxological form). I want to underline the notion that, while both discipleship and apostleship involve the joys of faithful ministry and service, those acts necessarily come with costs. We join Christ in both his passion and his victory.

This is contrary to the wishes of many in our congregations, who seemingly want to celebrate the victory of faithfulness without having first suffered the passion. Many seek the joy without the cost.

Put differently, there is a price for being nice. It seems infantile, really, to have to be teaching simple lessons of being nice, of going out of our way for others, of doing what it takes, in every aspect of our personal and communal lives, to exercise fundamental respect and honor.

Perhaps we tend to compartmentalize. Perhaps we have been led to believe that it is appropriate for us in certain, convenient settings, to act from the fundamentals of our faith, but it is not required of us when we are pursuing leisure or in the course of our daily routine. We have been taught that there are times to be nice. There are circumstances in which it is right for us to act kindly. In other circumstances, and at other times, we don't have to do that.

I am dumbfounded when I witness otherwise good people engaging in intentional acts of rejection, exclusion or isolation of those whom they do not particularly like. Being nice is off the table when we reject, exclude or isolate.

There is a difference, of course, between being nice and being polite. Being polite can be accomplished superficially or inauthentically. We can fake it. We can smile and say kind things, even when we do not honestly intend them. Being nice is on a completely different level. It cannot be faked. Being nice requires something of us in a situation that might otherwise result in exclusion, rejection or isolation. It costs us something for the sake of those whom we may include, accept or embrace.

The Church, at its best, is a training ground for those who would be nice in the name of Jesus Christ. It is a place where we learn by watching our founder practicing beyond politeness. It is a place where we join together, supporting one another in the cost of our apostleship, praying for one another's strength and witness. It is a place where we accept, embrace, and include those who may differ from us, because we are called to be nice.

Everything that gets in the way of the Church being a place that practices being nice should be stopped. Everything that promotes the Church being a place that practices being nice should be pursued. (By the way, I happen to believe that this is the case for every religion...that, at it's core, we are taught to go out of our way to be nice.)

So, be nice. Pay the price. Accept the cost of apostleship, in order that others may know its joy.          

Creation and Creator

I was always taught that there was a wide gap between God, as Creator, and humanity, as creation. God is holy, I was told, while humanity was essentially sinful, flawed, limited and unworthy. It was therefore the grace of God, and that alone, which bridged the gap between unworthy humanity and sacred divinity. It was God who bent to the weakness of undeserving humankind, mainly because humans are unable to ascend the heights of divine status.

That picture of the relationship between God and God's creation served as a core understanding for a very long time. It rested as a foundational assumption under much of my theological development. God was Creator and humanity was creation, and never the twain shall meet.

The time has come, however, for me to accept a different relationship between God and humankind. This new relationship is based on intimacy and involvement instead of passivity or design of some divine plan or fate. This new relationship rejects the notion that God is "above" or "other." It demands that we see God as within and through, around and among, between and across.

The God of divine status, far above human nature, suggests that we consider a God that, like humans, thinks, acts, judges and emotes. This is a God who wills. But what if God is different than we have thought? What if God is spiritual energy that inhabits neither time nor space? What if God is throughout instead of above? What if all life can be defined as the presence of this divine spiritual energy and death is simply its absence? What if every person, in fact every living thing, deserves divine status, simply by virtue of being a bearer of God's spiritual energy?

If God's spiritual energy is throughout all living things, then all living things are essentially worthy, capable, deserving and radically equal. There is no gap between divinity and humanity. There is instead a unity of all things in the divinity of all life.

Years ago, when I rejected for myself the notion of God as an old man who sat on a throne, high above, and acted capriciously in the course of human history, I discovered the need for an alternative picture of what and who God might be. I unlearned my metaphysical divinity and began looking for an existential God, one who truly impacts human history. I could imagine a God which acted within the course of human affairs instead of above and over them. I began to draw the portrait of a divinity that was in Christ the same way that the same divinity is within us.

From the standpoint of an alternative foundational assumption about God, a whole new theology takes shape. This theology is based on the divine abilities that are part and parcel of human essential nature. By virtue of being alive, after all, humans bear the divine spiritual energy. Each one is worthy of attention, integrity, respect, care and concern. All life is deserving. All life is divine spiritual energy.

So, perhaps there is a gap between divinity and humanity, but the gap rests in its application instead of its essential nature. I relate much better to this divinity. It is much closer, more intimate, more directly applicable to the human endeavor, if we see ourselves as bearers of divine spiritual energy.

 

The Purpose-Driven Church

What if organizations in the life of the church were to organize themselves around a stated purpose, one that distinguishes them from social and fraternal organizations? What would that mean, and what would it look like? It would mean, I think, that every group within the life of the church would be aimed at embodying the will of God in Christ in whatever the groups do.

The church today must acknowledge that, because of trends that were established long ago, there are groups and organizations within our churches that are aimed exclusively at the interests, entertainment and pleasure of those who are a part of them. The purpose of such organizations is to protect the activities, interests and preferences of the group. Change things and current membership will be alienated from a group that has long been important to them.

How do churches help groups that have been guided by personal and group preference to become more closely associated with the purpose of the church of which these groups are a part? How do churches help their groups be involved in the ministry of Christ, which is necessarily directed outwardly, instead of serving themselves?

Over the past ten years or so, I have developed a workshop that is intended to assist groups within the Church of Jesus Christ. It is entitled "The Purpose Driven Organization." The intent of the workshop is to assist churches and other organizations to ensure that every body within the larger institution is working toward the same goals. Since I work primarily with Christian churches, the intent is more direct. Churches have a responsibility to assist groups and organizations within them to be faithful to the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, even if groups and organizations won't necessarily appreciate the effort. The purpose of every group and organization within the Church of Jesus Christ must be the ministry and mission of Christ.

I am painfully aware that this concept flies directly in the face of what many members of these groups and organizations have been taught. I am fully cognizant of the fact that a purpose-driven organization within the church suggests a path other than the self-service that had been pursued in the social gospel approaches of the 70's and 80's, and even the small group approaches of the 90's and early 2000's. This is about embodying the work of Christ Jesus, not about making people socially or logistically comfortable. It is not about entertaining ourselves, but about serving Christ by serving others.

Churches will encounter opposition to the notion that everything that they do can be Christ-centered and Christ-purposed. Ironic, isn't it? Congregations have to struggle with groups within them to ensure that Christ is served in everything that they do. As the spiritual evolution progresses, moving toward a more authentic Christian purpose for the Church, it will be increasingly difficult for those who have been grounded in former articulations of the Church.

Let's keep our eyes on the ball! Keep moving toward that evolutionary step. Keep becoming the purpose-driven church!

Drawing Portraits of God

I was a young teen by the time that I had begun to suspect that something was wrong with the traditional portrait of God that I was being shown. The picture drawn for me was of a God who lurked, unseen and unheard, in wait of wrongdoing. When sinfulness was discovered, this angry, wrathful God would pounce, like a lion in the night, and express righteous rage for the unknowing sinner, tearing the sinner limb from limb. Worse, I was told that God would condemn wrongdoers to hell...forever. Eternal suffering was the fate of all who failed to accept God and do the "right things."

This was a God of condemnation. It was a God of wrath and fear and anger. This was a God who distrusted God's own children, who controlled them and manipulated them with threat of severe and eternal punishment. This was the "Tough Love" God whom I grew to despise. I hid from this God. I distrusted this God's will and certainly rejected this God's people. What good, I wondered, came out of following such a God?

As a teen, I rejected the very notion of deity, since the only portrait that I had been shown was one of condemnation, anger, violence and eternal damnation. Along with rejecting the notion of deity, I necessarily rejected church. I could not be active in a church that taught a deity that I refused to accept or acknowledge. If the church wanted me to believe, then it would have to draw for me a different portrait of God. The one that had been put before me made no sense to me.

Another portrait of God began to gradually emerge. Perhaps it was the result of reading or spiritual and philosophical reflection or life experience, but sometime in my early 20's I began to perceive something entirely different. God need not be understood as condemnation, anger, violence and eternal damnation. God can be drawn differently.

I began to perceive the inverse of the portrait of deity that had been painted in my youth, a gracious God, one who provides the tools necessary for making the world a better place...for every person. This new picture displayed a God who equipped, empowered and enabled, who trusted God's children to utilize the gifts that are given in order to live in healthy and productive ways. This was not a God of division but of unity. This was not a God of anger but kindness. This was not a God of retribution but forgiveness and mercy.

By the time I reached seminary, my theology was fully invested in the inverse of the traditional portrait that I had been shown. What I learned there supported the alternative picture of the God of Jesus Christ. (By the way, I think that this dichotomy exists in all religions. It has little to do with God and a great deal more to do with power, manipulation and control of religious authorities.) I determined then that I would commit myself to a vocation of drawing this alternative vision of God for others.

The ministry of following a gracious God is, ironically, more difficult than a ministry that projects a God of rules, regulations and morals. A Gracious God calls us to be primarily concerned with others, while the legalistic God requires only that I be right with the laws. I have since discovered that it is difficult indeed to unlearn the legalistic, angry God that, apparently, many of us were taught. It is difficult in the extreme to allow persons to believe themselves equipped and empowered for ministry that reflects a gracious deity.

While appropriate words may allude us, and while pedagogy fails us, I hope that all who read The Shiloh Insider will be moved to live into faithfulness to the deity drawn for us in the gracious and merciful acts of Jesus Christ. We are not a completed portrait of a church that lives from the image of a gracious God, but we are working at it. I hope that you will join us.

Keystone Discussion

On June 8, starting at around 5:00 p.m., the Keystone Club of Shiloh Church will gather for a sessions that had been planned originally for February. That session was postponed due to inclement weather. The purpose for the session remains, however. What is Keystone? What does it do? What is its purpose within the life of the Church? Answers to these questions lie at the core of the present and future direction of the organization, and will, hopefully, formulate for us a whole new way of approaching the activities of the Keystone Club.

I conduct self-studies with quite a range of church-related organizations, some local but many regional or around the country. A careful self-study begins with statements of identity and purpose. Some organizations find such statements next to impossible to make. Most find them difficult. What is the purpose of this organization? How does what the group does reflect its stated purpose? What might we stop doing that lies in opposition to the purpose? What else might we do in cooperation with the stated purpose? How might organizations amend procedures and behaviors to better reflect the purpose for which the organization exists in the first place?

It is sometimes dangerous to ask. Since I work primarily, though not exclusively, with church groups, the first questions that I find myself asking have to do with the ministry and mission of Christ Jesus. How does the stated purpose reflect the ministry and mission of Christ Jesus? Does Christ's ministry and mission determine what this organization does, or is it outside of Christ's scope of interest? If the core purpose reflects Christ's ministry and mission, what can we improve upon? What can we create? What do we dare to stop doing?

The June 8 conversation with Shiloh's Keystone Club is a conversation that I sincerely hope that every group within the life of Shiloh Church would dare to conduct. What is the organization's core purpose? How does it reflect the mission and ministry of Christ Jesus? What can groups do to better conduct themselves according to the stated core purposes? What could they do to better reflect the stated purpose and core values? What can groups stop doing in opposition to that purpose and those values? Can groups amend actions and behaviors to better reflect the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ?

There is no perfect church group. Nor is there any one ideal way of doing things. It is my sincere belief that church groups function best when they have a guiding stated purpose, directly reflecting the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ, and when those groups continually work at better reflecting the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ.

Keystone invites everyone into their conversation, if not as Keystone participants, then as participants in other church groups who may benefit from the process. We will gather for a pot luck meal at 5:00 and the discussion at 6:00 p.m. Cost is $4.00 per person for the meal. Join us!

Memorial Day Recognition

Shiloh Church honors those whose lives were sacrificed in service to our Country and who died in order to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today. A special recognition will take place this coming Sunday, May 25, during the congregation's 10:25 a.m. worship service. As always, the public is welcome to join us.

The service will once again feature the presentation of service colors, accompanied by the musical theme for each branch of the American military. Those who have served are invited to stand as their service flag is presented and as their service theme is played. Then the flags of America are presented and placed by the Antioch Shrine Legion of Honor. During the presentation, we are hoping to welcome for the first time the Legion's pipers. After the congregation has risen for the presentation of the flags, and after the flags have been placed, we will honor our Country with the singing of The National Anthem.

After the anthem is sung, leaders from the Legion of Honor will place a memorial wreath, honoring those whose lives were sacrificed in the course of their military service. Participants in the service will want to pick up copies of the names of the congregation's relatives and friends who have served in the military, whether past or present. Shiloh honors them for their service.

At he end of the service, the Legion of Honor will retire the colors. We hope then to share the haunting sound of pipers playing Amazing Grace as we exit.

We sincerely hope that everyone puts such a recognition in its proper perspective. Shiloh does not condone war and genuinely hopes that not another life is lost in protection of America's freedoms. We are confident that people share that hope. Lives have been lost, however. The blood of men and women has been shed in faithful service. Our children have been sacrificed.

Shiloh acknowledges the loss and honors the memory of those who have died. Many have died in sincere hope of spreading the blessings that we so often take for granted. Therefore, our recognition is twofold. Firstly, we remember that the lives that we enjoy have come at an extreme cost. Secondly, we pray that the world may so change that not another drop of blood is spilled.

Join us in recognizing our loss and in praying that no one in the future suffers as we have in the past. May our actions today and tomorrow lead to peace and harmony throughout the world.  

From "Cared For" to "Caregiver"

A regular feature of Shiloh's 7:00 p.m. alternative/contemporary worship experience is the opportunity to discuss the evening's message. As part of the service, a member of the worship team, usually Justin Sierschula, leads the discussion.

This past week's message centered on the notion that each of us desires to be considered sheep, who are cared for, tended and protected. We rely upon the shepherd to take care of us, to feed us, to guide us, to protect us from the evils of the world. Sometimes, we get stuck there, demanding that God tend to our personal and family needs, that God fix all the wrongs of the world, that Christ save me, comfort me, be beside me.

At what point do we see ourselves as those who are equipped, empowered, enabled and called to shepherd others? At what point do those who have been so thoroughly cared for become the caregivers, the caretakers, the protectors, guides and inspiration to others? When does Christianity become our vocation instead of our safety net?

Justin asked the question during our discussion. "So which are we? Are we sheep or are we shepherds?" he asked.

Which are we?

A member of the worship team probably expressed what each of us was thinking, but for which we could not find appropriate words. "We are both." he said. "We are sheep to the One but must find ways to shepherd for the One."

I continue to find the response a brilliant statement of the Christian vocation. Because we are the sheep of the One, because we follow Christ, a crucified and risen savior who sacrificed himself for all people, throughout space and time, we are called to shepherd. We are called to care for, protect, help guide and inspire the flock. We can no longer simply be cared for. We must be intimately involved in the process of caring, serving, ministering and providing.

Those who follow Jesus Christ do so most faithfully, it seems to me, when we follow the Good Shepherd in paths of sacrificial service that benefits those around us who are in need. We are called to demonstrate the grace of God in Christ. We are called to live mercy, peace, forgiveness, kindness, generosity and love. The Good Shepherd guides us into such paths of service and ministry. To follow him means to pick up his cross and join in the heavy lifting of universal salvation.

Indeed. We are both sheep and shepherds. We are both cared for and caregivers. We are the faithful community of Jesus Christ. Of course we minister and serve in his name. Join us!

Are There Not Other Issues?

For the first time since he was a child actor, I find myself agreeing, at least on the surface of the issue, with Kirk Cameron. Over the weekend, Mr. Cameron, now a Christian conservative advocate, expressed disappointment with churches that focus mainly on issues of same-gender relationships. He explained that the attention of the church might be better spent on issues that genuinely support relationships, that lift up good and healthy relationships, and that shift the focus away from judgment of a segment of the relationship spectrum to providing for resources and support that is universal.

I admittedly softened the language here. Mr. Cameron actually stated that the church should be more concerned with issues of divorce and perversion than with same-gender relationships. He believes that those who practice poor relationship damage the faith. The church should attend to them.

While I agree that hyperbole around same-gender relationships has reached its crescendo, and that there are more pressing relationship issues in which the church might better involve itself, I also do not wish to condemn persons who are divorced or who practice poor relationship behaviors. Mr. Cameron fails to take into account the fact that each of us is a product of our upbringing, our social environment and the choices that we have made.

The church might better expend its energy and place its focus on supporting good relationships in and through religious institutions. This is more universal than issues of same-gender marriage or the astronomical divorce rate. I would argue, in fact, that the religious right rails against both of these from a stance of poor relationship.

The church can work at building relationships that include mutual and universal respect. It can work at creating and providing resources that build the honor, respect and integrity of all persons, even those who differ in form and practice from us. I argue that such resource and attention would both lower divorce rates and allow us to embrace same-gender relationships. Such attention and focus would allow the church to regain its position as a positive source of communal life. It may reclaim its position as an important and relevant component of post-modern culture.

While I agree in essence with Mr. Cameron's position, I cannot agree that we should use criticism or judgment as a tool for "fixing" destructive behavior. All that accomplishes is alienation and rejection. The church must instead become again a force for positive regard for all persons. It must spend its time and attention on uplifting, building, shaping new and mutually loving relationships. One cannot reject, criticize and reject when one is practicing the love of Christ. So, while you are on the right track, Mr. Cameron, you fall back into models of Christian behavior and belief that no longer work.\

Shiloh is a place where we work for justice and equality for all people. This congregation seeks to be a resource for positive relationship formation. And, of course, everyone is welcome here.

"Living the Benediction"

I was especially inspired by a component of this past weekend's spring meeting of the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association. Of course, it helped that Shiloh's own Jay McMillen serves as Association chair of the team that developed this particular part of spring meeting. The Church Development Team, that group which Jay chairs, offered a panel discussion entitled "Living the Benediction."

"Living the Benediction" was a presentation of new revitalizing initiatives from three of SONKA's congregation. Philippus UCC in Cincinnati, shared its new ministry of facility utilization that opens the congregation as a resource in its troubled community. Truth and Destiny shared its new ministry to transgender persons and communities, providing a safe and loving environment for shared ministry, service and support. First UCC, Cincinnati, shared its ministry of housing homeless families through a weekend once per month.

Each story was remarkable. One was told from the perspective of what was, for all intents and purposes, a dying congregation. Another was told by a new congregation. The third demonstrated a focus that had begun in the congregation somewhere around fifteen years earlier. In each case, the congregations have been enlivened and re-energized. Their niche ministries have breathed new life into their church and communities.

While I found each of the stories meaningful and exciting, what I most appreciated about the presentation was the basic notion of "Living the Benediction." What does it mean for our congregations to live the benediction? By the way, what is a benediction?

In good liturgical design, there are five essential parts of worship:
                    We Gather (But we gather in the old life of community and family and vocation)
                    We Die to the Old Life (We give up the old ways, emptying ourselves)
                    We Receive New Life (The void in us is filled with God's Word)
                    We Accept the New Life (We embrace God's Word as course for new life)
                    We Go Out and Serve in the New Life (We complete God's praise in ministry and service)

Part of that final act of liturgical worship is the "Benediction." In Shiloh's liturgical design, we call it "The Blessing." It is the promise that, as we go forth in ministry and service, God's spirit goes with us, strengthening us and guiding us in paths of faithful service.It is the notion that the congregation goes out to intentionally live out God's Word, God's will, forming God's reign and claiming God's realm.

To live out the benediction means to intentionally act to embody God's Word and will in acts and words that reflect that new life. Congregations like Philippus, First UCC and Truth and Destiny have surely embraced the new life and found ways to live the benediction. What an inspirational approach to telling the good news of what is taking place throughout SONKA! Thanks to the Association's Church Development Team and a great big way to go to our own Jay McMillen!

Now, how is Shiloh "Living the Benediction?" How might this congregation do more to intentionally embrace the new life of Christ?