Utah faith leaders unite to lament SB81

There will be an interfaith service:
When: Tuesday, June 30th, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1070 S. Foothill Drive
More information: 801-582-2321

I plan to go.

Comment from Pastor Steve Klemz's press release:

A Service of Lament
On the eve of the implementation of SB81, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church hosts an interfaith service of lament. SB81, an omnibus anti-immigration bill, is symptomatic of a broken community and serves as a call to prayer among people of faith. Public lament is a way people of faith confess their trust in God above all else, especially as this bill further creates a climate of fear and diminish the fullness of life in Utah.

Here's the article from the Salt Lake Tribune:

Utah faith leaders unite to lament SB81
By Peggy Fletcher Stack

The Rev. Steve Klemz felt an overwhelming sadness at the passage of Utah's new immigration law, SB81, due to take effect Wednesday.

He mourned for all Utahns who live in the shadows, he said, without documents for themselves or a loved one. He agonized for those whose families will be severed by the law.

Klemz, pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Salt Lake City, sought solace in his faith, where he found numerous biblical passages that lament the world's injustice.

He then organized an interfaith service, scheduled for the eve before the bill is implemented, where people from every faith can read passages from the Psalms and other Bible verses. Catholic, Episcopal and Muslim leaders already have accepted his invitation.

"The bill is symptomatic of a broken community and serves as a call to prayer among people of faith," he said. "Public lament is a way people of faith confess their trust in God above all else, especially as this bill further creates a climate of fear and diminishes the fullness of life in Utah."

For Klemz, immigration is a moral issue -- and a personal one.

In 2002, he married Norma Gonzalez, who had come to the United States from Mexico to care for her ailing father and stayed -- without permission.

He joined her in the bureaucratic black hole that was her effort to become a legal resident. The couple prepared a petition to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, now part of Homeland Security. The federal government wanted to know if theirs was a marriage of convenience or a real union. They assembled scores of photos showing their family life and hundreds of letters from friends attesting to the genuineness of their marriage.

Finally, last November, supporters filled the immigration courtroom as the couple faced their future.

"They put us on administrative hold and encouraged us to go to Juarez [Mexico] and get Norma a visa," Klemz said, "but they are not actively pursuing us."

Though not conclusive, it was a relief.

"You have no idea how good it feels not to have a court date hanging over our heads as we did for five years," he said. "Now we are basically waiting and praying for immigration reform."

pstack@sltrib.com

It's the feast day for Sts. Peter and Paul

A couple of interesting things. Did you hear that the Vatican may have exhumed the bones of the actual St. Paul. That would be kind of cool... if it's true. You can read a little more about it here, here, and here.

And here's an interesting thought I found surfing today: "Peter and Paul were of course not always the best of friends (at least from Paul’s perspective!). But celebrating them together is important: in many ways, they are the Catholic apostle and the Protestant apostle. (Ecumenical) hope springs eternal." (From Cross Talk)

Meeting: This Wednesday, June 24th

This is a reminder about our upcoming get together this week:

The usual time: 7pm, June 24th
The usual place: High Point Coffee, 1735 W 7800 S, West Jordan

I thought we might be able to discuss the idea of pilgrimage. I’ve been seeing the topic all over the place lately, and going on one seems to be making a comeback… even in evangelical circles. Here’s is an article in the recent Christianity Today on the topic, He Talked to Us on the Road; more information and articles here. Religion & Ethics Newsweekly had a spot on young conservative Catholics revitalizing the ancient practice, Pilgrimage to Chartres (video and transcript). And not all pilgrimages are ancient, here’s one being made with more post-modern views in mind, The Abraham Path (lots of interesting things to see here).

In the Salt Lake Tribune - Transitions: The Mormon Migration from Religion to Relationship

What looks to be an interesting new program is mentioned in a Salt Lake Tribune article this morning, produced by WIIS (who appear to be inheriting the legacy of the now defunct Salt Lake Theological Seminary).

I commented on the article:

I just finished watching their 14-minute infomercial. This looks to be a good program. The fact is there are a lot of people immigrating out of Mormonism and this looks like it will be good resource to help them adjust to the transition, and with a lot less of the bitterness that generally goes along with that transition.

And I noted that this film isn't so much about trying to convert Mormons to Evangelicalism, but rather trying to help those already moving out of Mormonism (for whatever of various reasons) to adjust to their new Christian setting, if that is the route they choose. The makers of this film are taking advantage of a fact that has recently been given some press lately and that is that many people do not stay with the same religion, or religious institutions, they grew up with; Catholics are becoming Protestant, Evangelicals are joining the Catholic or Orthodox Churches, some Christians are converting to Islam, and Mormons are also a part of this fluidity in our culture. I myself have been a part of this journey, having been raised a Mormon I am now an Episcopalian.

Here's the infomercial:

Just wanted to encourage you all - St Barnabas' tomb in Cyprus

Since it’s the feast day of St Barnabas (June 11th) I thought I’d post the one relic I have of his. This is a picture of me at his tomb (purported) in Cyprus, back in 1998, when I was working to plant a church in Nicosia. Wow! That was over ten years ago. I’ll have to scan the very few pictures I have of my time out there and post them somewhere one of these days.

Meeting: May 27th

This is a reminder about our upcoming get together this week:

The usual time: 7pm, May 27th
The usual place: High Point Coffee, 1735 W 7800 S, West Jordan

Come share and discuss what books you've been reading and some of your favorite blog posts, and/or articles, you've read this past month.

And for all the Calvinists we love, here's some...


(found in my reader at Glocal Christianity)

The American Patriot’s Bible

Well, they’ve finally did it! Patriotic cheese! They’ve released a niche market Bible for the Religious Right, The American Patriot’s Bible (the comments on Amazon make for some interesting reading).

Here’s the cover blurb:

THE ONE BIBLE THAT SHOWS HOW 'A LIGHT FROM ABOVE' SHAPED OUR NATION. Never has a version of the Bible targeted the spiritual needs of those who love our country more than The American Patriot's Bible. This extremely unique Bible shows how the history of the United States connects the people and events of the Bible to our lives in a modern world. The story of the United States is wonderfully woven into the teachings of the Bible and includes a beautiful full-color family record section, memorable images from our nation's history and hundreds of enlightening articles which complement the New King James Version Bible text.

I’m looking forward to reviewing some of the articles and other features at a local bookstore (I bet Lifeway has a copy). I wonder if they’ll have anything in there on how American politicians and pastors often manipulate the Bible for less than savory political purposes, and how the Bible has been used to justify quite a few nasty little things in our history. But I doubt it.

Check out Greg Boyd's review on Out of Ur (Part 1) (Part 2)

Check out the infomercial.

The more church, the more torture

This was a little shocking to read. A survey was recently done which found that “the more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists”. That's got to make you think... I wonder what Jesus thinks of that? I mean considering since he was tortured and all, and in spite of that, told us to "love our enemies", "turn the other cheek", etc.

One thing the survey found that I appreciated: “The religious group most likely to say torture is never justified was Protestant denominations -- such as Episcopalians, [...] -- categorized as "mainline" Protestants, in contrast to evangelicals.” Yet another good reason to be Episcopalian.

Theology in the Letters to the Editor

Here are polar opposite Letters to the Editor from today’s papers for your meditation. First from the Salt Lake Tribune:

I don't begrudge The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for asking $2 million for a condo in its rising City Creek Center ("Million dollar view," Tribune , April 16). Why should it, out of human kindness, price it for less, when the buyer can turn around and resell it for a lot more?

City Creek Center is an expensive urban project, and to make it financially successful the LDS Church should get what the market will bear. After all, the project is a hard-headed business investment as well as generous act to revive downtown Salt Lake. And who can fault the church for not wanting its world headquarters to be surrounded by urban decay?

While I don't fault the church for its business acumen, let's be clear: Jesus would not live in a $2 million condo, and he would condemn those who do. "Give me the simple, communitarian life," was the song he sang and lived. Being a true Christian requires more than proudly increasing the point size of "Jesus Christ" in a logo.

Anthony Edward Samuel
Salt Lake City

And now one from the Deseret News:

I saw the signs in London saying "Down with Capitalism." I also read where the majority of Europe is now atheist.

I suggest something like a prisoner swap. We ship all of our atheists and socialists to Europe in exchange for their Christians and capitalists. I know we may have to do a two for one, but I'm willing to bet on which country would be the greatest place to live now or 10 years from now.

Mark Arrington
Heber City

So… what’d ya think?

Meeting: April 22nd

This is a reminder about our upcoming get together this week:

The usual time: 7pm, April 22nd
The usual place: High Point Coffee, 1735 W 7800 S, West Jordan

Come share and discuss what books you've been reading and some of your favorite blog posts, and/or articles, you've read this past month.

Christ crucified electrocuted

A sculpture of Christ in an electric chair by artist Paul Fryer, titled Pietà, is generating a lot of discussion in France ever since it was propped up in the cathedral of Gap by its bishop.

From The Mirror:

The life-like sculpture depicting Christ sitting in an electric chair was displayed in the city's cathedral at the suggestion of the bishop of Gap, Jean-Michel di Falco.

He defended the choice saying: "The scandal is not where one believes it to be.

"I wanted the provoked shock to make us once again conscious of the scandal of someone being nailed to a cross.

"Usually, one does not feel any real emotions in front of something really scandalous: the Crucifixion.

"If Jesus had been sentenced today, he would have to reckon with the electric chair or other barbaric methods of execution. Scandalous is therefore not Jesus in the electric chair, but the indifference to his crucifixion."

The Bishop makes a very good point here, the real scandal is not in the artwork, but in the indifference to his crucifixion.

More on Bitemybible and Arcadja.

“Tea Party” protesters and theology

I’ve been skimming some of the pictures of these tax day “tea party” protest things, and the single most striking thing about the pictures I saw was that the protesters are not at all ethnically diverse; they appear to be mostly just a crowd of ticked off white people.

Here’s one comical picture I liked:


I love that sign:

Clinging to
My God!
My Money!
My Guns!

You just have to wonder what kind of theology that person has.

Christians in Orissa and Ashok Sahu

I just saw this BBC report on the ongoing persecution of the Christians in Orissa, India. The visuals bring it closer to home for me what is going on there, but what interested me more was that the reporter takes us to briefly meet face-to-face one of the leaders of the persecution. Like the religious leaders we read of in Acts, who stoned Stephen to death, like the ones who imprisoned the Apostle Paul and beat him to a pulp, like the Pharisees who had Jesus crucified, here is one of those men, his name is Ashok Sahu. What do you think of him? Do you detest him, or do you love him?



A related article quotes him,

"I don't justify violence, but there are two types of violence," he explains. "One is planned violence and the other is spontaneous violence."

"A maximum number of Christians were killed, yes it is a fact, but why? The Hindu sense of dignity has come to the surface in a spontaneous manner and they want to protect that sense of dignity."

The article mentions that Ashok Sahu “is now facing charges for inciting hatred against Christians in one of his campaign speeches.” This reminds me of someone else I’ve read about, one who held other peoples coats while they picked up rocks to stone another, and then went on a campaign to “spontaneously” root out Christians. He should be more careful how he goes about his business, a blinding light might catch him unawares on one of those dusty roads out there, and who knows... in a couple years he may just be India’s best-known apostle of the cross.

Here’s to hoping. :)

A couple of Easter thoughts

From the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams:



From Real Live Preacher:

Newsweek & Speaking of Faith

I thought I'd share a couple of things I've read and listened to this past week that I think are worth passing along. First, Newsweek had a cover story on The End of Christian America. Next, American Public Media's radio program, Speaking of Faith, posted an interesting interview with Armenian Orthodox Theologian Vigen Guroian (with some additional resources as well).

Finally, just an off topic side note I thought I’d share. I just got back from picking up some milk at Smith’s and you’ll never guess who I saw there – “SuperDell” Schanze, you remember him, he’s the guy who makes Glenn Beck look normal. Yup, I just saw him down at my local Smith’s. I wonder what he was doing grocery shopping at my local Smith’s? … … Noooooooooo!!!

I think Richard Rohr may become my new favorite author

Richard Rohr was one of the speakers at the Emergent Church conference in Albuquerque last month. He is a Franciscan priest and his organization, the Center for Action and Contemplation, hosted the event. Although I had not read his books or heard him speak before; I left the conference determined to get some of his books in my collection.

I have been listening to some of his audio on the web, and I was really drawn to this quote by him:

"Judgment is not, by and large, a search for Truth. It is certainly not a path toward Love. What it is, is a search for control - a way that the Ego positions itself as better, righter, above, correct, in charge, in control. Once you see that... judgment starts losing its fascination. My great disappointment in so much of institutional religion is that it actually trains us to be judgmental".

Where does the authority come from?

This was a question that was repeated many times throughout the Emergent conference in Albuquerque a few weekends ago. It was the central question of a talk given by Phyllis Tickle as she shared ideas from her book The Great Emergence. Her basic premise was that every 500 years or so, the church (universal) goes through a rummage sale of sorts because the institutions of Christianity become overly bogged down with themselves. Then "reformations" happen, when everything goes on the table, and the church must look again at where its authority comes from.

Everyone had thoughts on this throughout the weekend and it was interesting to hear the different perspectives. Most agreed that Luther's assertion of Sola Scriptura had the unintended consequence of forming a myriad of schisms... as different groups took away different priorities and interpretations from said scripture.

The central problem with schisms, according to Brian McLaren, were not the schisms themselves; but rather that each schism tried de-legitimatize every group above it (or below it).

The question of authority still remains, but here is my take on it. Any authority other than yourself is always going to be problematic. The minute you start relying on statements like "What my church teaches is...." then you have outsourced your discernment to someone else. You have removed yourself from accountability (or at least tried to). That is why, I believe, Peter set a standard of a priesthood of ALL believers. Hebrews concurs "in the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets... but in these last days, He has spoken to us by his Son."

In the end, I will stand before God to give an account (Hebrews 4:13). I think the awareness of personal accountability is what is causing house churches and spiritual communities to catch on more. For many Christians, the days of being dependent on a Pastor are growing old. I think there will always be a need for an administrative authority in churches, but the assumption of spiritual authority has developed a generation who's discernment has atrophied. They didn't need it.... the pastor/bishop/priest told them what to think. That era, I believe, is coming to a close. I may harness my carriage to a teacher like McLaren or Claiborne at times, but I will always hold the reigns.

I think the upcoming generation will differ in that, rather than trying to de-legitimatize the paths of others, we will be looking to garner something from their view of life, scripture, and God. We will not feel the need to abandon the traditions we grew up in (though we will have the freedom to do so), rather we can view them as a sanctuary, but no longer the destination.

Emergent Church Conference

I am down in Albuquerque at the Emergent conference. I am doing this from my phone.... which is tedious. The speakers are challenging and the conversation at my table has been enlightening. I hope this becomes an annual event.

Meeting: March 25th

This is a reminder about our upcoming get together next week:

The usual time: 7pm, March 25th
The usual place: High Point Coffee, 1735 W 7800 S, West Jordan

Andrew will be fresh back from the emergent conference in Albuquerque that started today. I'm sure he will have a lot to share with us.

Also, there has been a lot of discussion going around the blogosphere as of late as to where things are going with the church. There were so many different articles posted, but here are a few good places to start: the immanent collapse of evangelicalism (imonk, Jesus Creed); the rise of New Calvinists, at least according to Time magazine's 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now; a call for a "theology of church extinction" as the church collapses in some regions, even as it rises in others (also see NYT's article Leaving Iraq: An Iraqi Christian); and thinking of the church rising, just what kind of church is rising in Africa today (some things to consider here and here); and then there is Phyllis Tickle’s The Great Emergence. Maybe we can spend a little time discussing where you think things are going.

Meeting: February 25th

This is a reminder about our upcoming get together next week:

The usual time: 7pm, February 25th
The usual place: High Point Coffee, 1735 W 7800 S, West Jordan

Check this video of Brian McLaren's presentation, The Episcopal Moment, on faith-sharing and evangelism to the annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington on Saturday, January 31, 2009. (Streaming video in Windows Media Player, just click on the link for the video. Note audio has some complications during the first 15 minutes or so, but it's fine after that.)

Really! It's worth your time.