The Active Voice and Human Freedom

Freedom, or free will, is a subject of considerable dispute withing Christianity. Are we free to choose God or are chosen from eternity past?

Now, exercising freedom its by very nature active. Thus, whenever we use the active voice in speaking or writing, we are making a claim to freedom in making that action, "I did [Y] to [X]." That which is other than freedom is passive. If we are not free, then we should rather say "I was caused by [X] to do/choose [Y]."

I wonder what room there is in the language of Calvinism and Lutheranism for using the active voice, and would invite those who have thoughts about this to comment. Strictly speaking, there is a fundamental denial of human freedom in these Christian faiths, out of an effort to faithfully describe human existance, not out of a desire to force people into passivity.

In other words, would it not be more proper for me to be caused to say that I am being caused to wonder what room there is in the language we are caused to use here for us to be caused to speak in the active voice -- if in fact our wills are not in fact free to act freely but are in fact bound and passive? In what ways would this last sentence not be a more honest appraisal to describing what was occurring if I am not free?

Or in another vein, there is something definately peculiar about theologians passionately defending the bondage of the human's will, since passionate debate presupposes that you intend to convince the other side that they need to revise their views. This presupposes human freedom to change one's mind and flies in the face of the first sentence.

Run with it.

The Grinch Who Could Steal Christmas

What if, if this year, the Grinch tried to steal our Christmas – if he stole the feast, and the lights, and the tree, and – worst of all – the presents, all those gifts!, If by chance it were the Grinch rather than Santa Clause who visited our houses this December, would we, all the Whos down in Whoville, believe that the Grinch had stopped Christmas from coming? Or would we gather together in joyous worship of the Gift that has come down to us? I’m nervous about what our answer to that might be.

Dr. Seuss, wrote that Christmas is about so much more than gifts and lights, and everyone who reads about the Grinch wants to believe that. What is it? What is it that makes those Whos down in Whoville every bit as happy with Christmas without the gifts as they were with the gifts? What’s the secret? What do they know that we don’t?

We have a lot of work to do. May Christ help us to prepare for His coming.

...nnn... I don' wanna go to school...

My pastors recently told me about how there have been many Sundays where they wanted desperately to just skip church - you know, just "miss" a turn and keep going on down the highway. Apparently this horrifies parishioners, who seem to consider such sentiment absolute heresy. I found it understandable though.

This is just one of those weeks when that feeling is catching up with me. Nothing in particular and everything in general is just weighing on my mind. It's odd going through the motions, treating some aspects of this internship like any old job - something that has to be done before the end of the day. Like homework almost. Maybe more than almost.

Every job is probably like this sooner or later. Some day when you don't want to go into work just because. Why should pastoring be any different - jobs may differ, but the real issue is that it is a person who carries it out. Even pastors wear down - and chances are they wear down more often than people think.

It's rather convenient to assume that there are some people out there - mystical giants like Monks, Nuns, Priests, and Grandmothers - people who will always be strong, always be great, always spiritual. Why do we want to believe this fantasy? We always tell such stories for a reason of some kind, so why this one? We watch movies about heroes because we want to believe that there are causes worth fighting for. We read romance novels because we want to believe that our own love life can one day be like that one, either for the first time or once again.

And so, I guess, we want to believe that pastors are always spiritual for one of two reasons. In the first case, it is because then we can feel okay about not being spiritual ourselves - that's their job, so I don't need to worry about it. In the second case, it is because we want to be spiritual like that, and we haven't made it yet. The first an excuse, the second a dream. Most people live between the two I'm guessing. Enough dream to feel good about ourselves, enough excuse to get out of the hard work the dream requires.

All of this in the service of avoiding the weight of responsibility we have as full participant in the priesthood of all believers. And don't think this doesn't critique me, just because I am a pastor.

So, now it's off to text study, then to sermon prep, reading, talking with peers. Maybe getting away from the computer will do me good - conversation and the mutual caring and consolation of the people of God tends to do that. Thanks be to God.

Almost 3 Months In

Well, I'm nearly 3 months into my internship. I'm feeling the burn now - probably because I get so frustrated with sermon and confirmation help material that it ends up being easier to design lessons on my own. I'm sure that I'm not doing as good a job as other folks would do, but I do enjoy getting my hands dirty while preparing material. I'm pretty sure that this is also helping me work through my seminary education now before I forget some of its finer points. Still, all that time spent trying to prepare for lessons, studies, or sermons can be draining.

I'm learning a lot, though concrete applications for this knowledge seems a bit absent at present. Getting used to being out of the rhythms of the academy has been disconcerting, but knowing that I'm actually being employed full time has its own way of keeping me going.

Time spent with seminary friends of late has been nice. Last week, I saw some friends at Luther on my way to a conference at which I saw Steve Paulson. The previous two weeks I got to see the interns around me and catch up with them - It's fun since several of us went to the same college.

Now, however, I'm looking forward to weeks without long distances to travel to conferences or cluster meetings and actually having five days to get work done.

Of Ways Divine and Human

"My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts"
Isaiah 55:8

In all things human, the temptation when faced by words of challenge from God is to point God's finger at the other. The Democrat rails against the Republican; the Theocrat against the Secularist: 'God's ways aren't your ways! You're ways are wrong!'

This is not new; it is as old as Genesis 3 and Adam blaming Eve blaming the snake. We all have a deeply held desire to be right. The religious among us, especially pastors, have strong opinions about God, Jesus, and the Bible. Who can blame them? If God is God, then who would not want to speak rightly of Him? What would the consequences be of saying false things of Him?

The Liberal tradition of Christian theology deserves much respect. It was this branch of Christian thinking that resulted in women's ordination, the abolition of slavery, renewed care for social justice, and so forth.

However, I have noticed a basic presumption among peers who espouse it, in which they radically reinterpret Scripture if they consider it to be offensive to them. Stories of God's wrath, judgment, violence, plagues, and rejection of people are recieved at best with uncomfortable squirming - a fine reaction to such stories I'll admit. However, there is a propensity to alter the clear content of texts to suit their preconceived notions about God - though this too is an old Christian pattern, dating back to Marcion of the 2nd Century.

I challenge all to take Scripture seriously. Let it speak for itself. Hear it in its entirety. Don't reinterpret texts that don't suit you - are you God? Do you know the mind of God? Are you so wise as to rewrite, redact, or edit the Bible yourself? No.

If God's ways are truly different from our ways, then God must be different from the vegan, the pacifist, and the liberal just as much as from the NRA, the war hawk, and the conservative. Scripture challenges all of these people and views alike and gives none a stamp of approval. And if you haven't encountered a concept in the Bible which deeply challenges your convictions about God or the world in the past month, then you haven't been reading it broadly or closely enough. God challenges everyone through this book of books - let Him challenge you with it too. You only cheat yourself if you reinterpret it to suit your comfort.

And so, as I complain about the failures I see in my theological enemies, I must also confess that God's ways are not my ways either. That my desire to see God spoken of rightly fails ultimately. That I too have blasphemed the Lord I love so imperfectly.

And so, at the end of words and striving, I cry:
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us all;
You are our only hope."