Timothy Merrill

A Slightly Puzzling Reglious Celebration

I'm in Shanghai, China, right now and I picked up a copy of the only English language paper in town. the Shanghai Daily News, when I saw a front page blurb about an article inside.

The blurb read: "Easter Egging It: Chocolate eggs, rabbits and buns ... that's what will be on the minds of people celebrating Easter."

That sounded interesting, so I turned to C8 inside to find the following headline: "A Slightly Puzzling Religious Holiday."

The article began by noting that most of the country's 1.3 billion people don't have a clue about Easter.

The story then developes some history about puzzling Easter traditions, like the egg, the Easter hare, hot-cross buns, and more. While all of these traditions developed out of a religious ethos, today, the religious context has been lost for most people.

That's why, for millions of Chinese, Easter is a "slightly puzzling religious celebration."

Here's your lead for the sermon tomorrow. It's puzzling to millions of Chinese--and perhaps millions of other non-Christians around the world. Is it any clearer for us? Can we who are Christians make sense of this?

Then you, the preacher, can proceed to try.

Holy #$%#$#%&! The Church Accepts Dropping Blasphemy Laws

We’re in the U.K. now, understand. Here, blasphemy has been some kind of misdemeanor since well before Disraeli was making fun of Lord Acton. Now they’re about to be repealed, and although Church leaders have signaled that they’re willing to accept the inevitable, they urge caution and hope that repealing the laws won’t result in a rise of religious hatred and abuse against the Anglican church. PM Gordon Brown himself has said he wants to consult the CoE before coming to any decisions himself.

Sounds funny to hear that the Church is dropping it’s resistance to repealing a blasphemy law, doesn’t it? It puts the Church canoodling in the same bed with atheist and Oxford professor Richard Dawkins, et al. Eeeeww! $%$(&*(8@#4!!! But, understand, that to be anti blasphemy laws, is not the same as being pro-blasphemy. To be blasphemous, I think, is choice that consensual adults ought to be able to make in the privacy of their homes, or indeed, in the public square where we routinely bow, in passing, to the god of Free Speech.

The only people around these days who believe in blasphemy laws are extremist Muslims. And as Salmon Rushie knows (he is among the supporters of the move to drop the laws—surprise), in the muslim world, if you blaspheme you could be put to death--and they don't seem to see the irony.

The issue has generated considerable debate: One blogger wrote — “The Church of England has already promoted the greatest blasphemy of all time when it allowed the 'ordination' of women. That it should agree to the elimination of the law of blasphemy comes as no surprise, for they have completely lost the plot to the atheists.”

Said another: “Why is it perfectly fine for everyone to have a go at Christianity but mention a minority religion and it's hell to pay? This is nothing more than the secularists pushing their agenda again, they can believe or not what they like but IF they wish to pursue this course then it should apply equally to all religions and not just be anti-Christian in bias.”

On a related matter, in southern California—of all places—while the Brits are dropping laws against blasphemy, one municipality is adopting cussing laws. South Pasadena’s just gone through its first NO CUSSING WEEK, and it plans to observe such a week the first week of March every year. Town leaders are hoping that people will make an effort to be more civil.

“That's one of the purposes of this,” Mayor Michael Cacciotti said of his city's proclamation designating the first week of March as No Cussing Week. “It provides us a reminder to be more civil, to elevate the level of discourse.” [from CNN]

Well, I think both ideas are good ones. No point having a law that’s not being use or has no legal force. And quaint little laws like the one in South Pasadena are indeed good reminders. And it feels good to think there are people out there who foul language as a problem.

Christians, of all people, are people of the Word, and the gracious word, seasoned (says Paul). The text is Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.” And, of course, there’s James 3.

Romney's Win Heats Up the Race

Some Democrats in Michigan last week were calling on Democrats to vote for Romney in their Republican contest--something perfectly legal in Michigan. Their thinking was that if Romney didn't win in his home state, his campaign was dead in the water. If that happened, it would be a horserace between Huckabee and McCain, and there would be less mudsliinging self-destruction behavior. Keeping Romney in the race keeps the Republicans arguing and fighting amonst themselves and would help draw attention away from the Obama/Clinton contretemps that continue to make front page news.

Well, Romney's still in the race.

We're going to keep the poll up through the New Hampshire primary. Then we'll let you know how the candidates fared with Homiletics readers.

It's very interesting.

Man, I'm Sick

Man, I'm sick.

I mean, as in ill. Not, as in a warped mind or anything. Look at this picture. I look awful.

Flu and cold symptoms, dry mouth, sore throat, irritableness, and so on. So why am I sitting here writing about it?

I really don't know.

I think part of it is a sense of duty.

Which got me to thinking about the role of duty in the workplace, or in ministry.

Duty--I think, correct me if I'm wrong--has gotten a bad rap in our culture since maybe the 60s.

We're supposed to be engaged in that which ignites our passion. If we enjoy what we do we never have to go to work. Doing something out of a sense of duty somehow devalues what we do, we were told. Or are told.

Or am I wrong?

So because I'm blogging now with a 101 degree fever, and sniffles, it's not important--because I'm blogging out of a sense duty?

Come on!

This stuff is brilliant, and you know it.

Okay, I'm also becoming delusional.

Bye.

Sukkot and World Communion Sunday

The Jewish Festival of Booths, or Sukkot, came to a close Wednesday, October 3. World Communion Sunday is day after tomorrow, October 7.

Often, however these two observances overlap.

World Communion Sunday is a time when Christians remember not only the unity of the world wide church in Jesus Christ, but reflect on the importance of reconciliation in bringing the peoples of the world together. It is a Sunday in which we truly pray that the nations of the world might try to "commune," be in communion with each other rather than at war with each other, for example. Who isn't heartened by the historic talks between North and South Korean that took place this week. Two countries communing with each other.

Of course, this is not meant to turn WCS into a political observance. It is simply to say that Jesus brought to the world a message of reconciliation and the New Testament makes this explicit.

But back to Sukkot. I like what Steven Shusset wrote a couple of years ago when WCS and Sukkot did overlap. He pointed to some of the major symbols of Sukkot, four branches or "species" that signify the bounty of the harvest. They include a palm branch, a citrus branch, myrtle branches, and two willow tree branches. Shusset says that interpretations have varied over the centuries as to the meaning of these symbols, but offers a breakdown:

Palm: He writes, "Because palm branches are tall, some say they suggest persons of power. Others, because the palm gives good-tasting fruit but has no smell, see it as a symbol of those who learn much of God's word but do no good deeds.
The Citrus branch: "The citron, with its good smell and taste, symbolizes those who, as Jesus says, hear God's word and do it."
The Mrytle branches: "Myrtle bushes have a nice aroma, but no fruit, suggesting average people doing good deeds without reflecting on their motives."
The Willow Branches: "The willow branches portray the poor and the lowly, or those without learning or deeds."

Every day during Sukkot, these branches are gathered and shaken together.

Perhaps these symbols can be incorporated into your worship this Sunday. Shusset writes: "Sukkot is a reminder that we are all ingathered under the same stars, that the rain falls on the just and unjust alike, and that we must all be held together in thanksgiving. The celebration of the Lord's Supper every Sunday, and in a particular way, on World Communion Sunday, is a foretaste of the day when it will truly be so."

Amen!

One More Thing About the Pop

Pop, I mean pope. The pope. That was a typo in my last post about the pop. The pope.

I have a copy of the published documents of Vatican II (Documents of Vatican II [Flannery, ed.] Unitatis Redintengratio, 21 November 1964).

In the Decree on Ecumenism (I forgot to write down the chapter #--and the copy is not in front of me), the Council takes a traditional view of the seamless robe of Christ, to wit:

In the second sentence of the Introduction to the Decree, we read: "Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only." Later, in Chapter 1, "Catholic Principles on Ecumenism," we find: "Neverthe less, our separated brethren ... are not blessed with that unity which Jesus Christ wished to bestow on all those to whom he has given new birth into one body ... For it is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help towards salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained."

So Vatican II repeats, recited, reaffirms what the Church has been saying for 1900 years. What Vatican II also did, however, was to soften its tone toward the "separated brethren." But while the tone was softened, the language stayed the same.

So, as I said, there's nothing new in what Benedict XVI said recently. He sat through Vatican II. He knows what the council said then, and he's saying it now.

The difference is, he's not softening the tone. The tone has returned to it's pre-Vatican II, pre-Pope John XXIII timbre.

GlOSSculture V

GLOSS: 1a. A brief explanatory note of a difficult or technical expression usually inserted in the margin or between lines of a text or manuscript. b. A collection of such notes; a glossary. 2. An extensive commentary, often accompanying a text or publication. 3. A purposefully misleading interpretation or explanation.

I gloss, therefore I am...

ITEM ONE: The Hell family of Melbourne, Australia, petitioned a local Catholic school to enroll one of their youngsters in class, but were refused. The Hells took the school to court. Public schools in Melbourne, evidently, are no place to raise Hells and yet, they argue, what better place to raise a Hell than in Catholic school?

ITEM TWO: Our neighbors across the street have a hybrid, not just any hybrid but the best-selling hybrid in the country, the Toyota Prius. Some friends of ours in Colorado recently bought a Prius as well. It's not that there aren't any other hybrids on the market. There are. Lots of them. But they don't look like hybrids. The Prius does. And a new study proves that the major reason that the Prius is far out-selling the other models is that goofy, hump-backed looking design: people want other people to know that they're green, eco-minded Earth-huggers. So pious Prius people putter in their hybrids, saving the planet and make a statement about themselves, too. It's branding, baby!

[Excuse me while I take another mouthful, yum, of food here, yum, Remy's ratatouille. MMMMM! Recipes, you know, are available online.]

ITEM THREE: The pop says the Catholic Church is the one true church. Haven't Catholic popes said that before? We knew when Ratzinger was elected pope, the oldest--I think--to climb, or be assisted, into the papal chair, that down the road he might started repeating himself. And here he goes again ...

ITEM FOUR: USA Today had a report a few days ago about "holier-than-thou" children. These are kids who embrace their parents' faith, but in a far more radical way. This dovetails perfectly with a piece that comes up in October in Homiletics called "Convert Faith." Catch the USA Today report and bookmark it for future use. I don't know how much longer this link will be active, but right now you can catch it here.

ITEM FIVE: Jesus Christ--finally--has become a wonder of the world. You want a sermon for Christmas Sunday, December 23? Here it is. People all over the world voted online for a nw "Seven Wonders of the World" and the Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Rio de Janeiro made the list. Jesus Christ--the Wonder of the World! Finally recognized as such! We thought that this happened at the Incarnation what with the shepherds, the angels, the Magi and all. Of course there was that crucifixion thing. Of course not everyone voted for Jesus then--or now. But a lot did. Question: Would Jesus make your list?

ITEM SIX: Harry Potter is on screen again. A darker version. He's angry, moody and depressed. Wait! He's a teenager! Silly me. I forgot! And he's oppressed by his dementors. I LOVE that word. Means that spirit or something/someone who sucks all the happiness out of you until you're dusty dry. Witch is worse? To be a dementor, or dementee?

ITEM SEVEN: Finally, graffiti seen on a bridge underpass over the Machias River, Maine: "Go to heaven for the climate; go to hell for the company." Evidently, there are some who think Christians can't have fun.

More ratatouille, please!

Pope Says You Can Belong to Any Church You Want

You can belong to any church you want, Pope Benedict XVI said today, as long as that church is the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

This is old news.

I'm not sure why he felt he needed to restate the principles of a year 2000 document. But remember: This is Joseph Ratzinger whose career has been spent in the Curia guarding and protecting the Catholic faith. This is precisely the kind of language we expected, and now we're getting.

Cyprian, no pope, but still, an influential patristic voice said it long ago: He who has not the church for his mother, has not God for his Father.

Or something like that.

The Orthodox are a semi-church, he says They have apostolic succession but don't recognize the primacy of the Roman bishop. That's a serious problem.

Ho hum.

Ratzinger was at Vatican II as a young cleric, and he was no liberal then, and isn't one now. He loves the Latin Mass, and he's never been too keen on the sweeping changes, including the overtures to the ecumenically minded, that were made by John XXIII's council.

Lutherans, Orthodox and other Protestant groups fear these statements will set ecumenism back to pre-Vatican II levels. I don't think so. The pope has done us the great service of reminding us that if ecumenism with the Catholic church is meant to mean full sacramental union--forget it.

If it means dialogue and conversation, and genuflecting together on issues and project about which we have shared interests and concerns, it's game on.

Like I said, this is not new. Nothing's changed.

The Hillary Model or the Laura Model?

I was watching some news show in passing, where the pressing question of the day was whether the country prefered the Hillary Clinton model or the Laura Bush model in their first ladies. The difference is so stark and obvious it doesn't need elaboration.

Me? I guess I prefer the Heidi Klum, Kate Moss, or Tyra Banks model--but that's a whole 'nother thread.

Listening to the pundits discuss Hilliary and Laura's tenure as America's First Lady, got me to thinking about Ruth Graham Bell, the wife of America's Pastor. The First Pastor's Wife, sort of. She dropped a lot of personal goals to be Billy's wife, and she let him do the preaching, and it was his dream, his calling, his ministry to which she surrendered because in the end, she believed it was her calling to do so.

Today, the spouse of a pastor isn't necessarily a woman. And if the spouse is male, the Ruth Bell Graham model is extremely unlikely. Yet, even if the pastor's spouse is indeed the pastor's wife, she's not likely to fit the Laura model or the Ruth model any more.

Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges sometimes had classes for women on how to be a good pastor's wife. At the very least, when you attended the annual conference of your denomination, a woman could catch a seminar on the same topic.

Today, wives have lives. They're in the work force, many of them professionals in their own right, and their own careers are not necessarily taking a back seat to that of their husband's. I guess it's all a part of the professionalization of the ministry.

Anyway, we mourn the death of Ruth Graham Bell. She was a old-fashioned pastor's wife, and she was good at it. Born in China, the daughter of medical missionary parents, (her father, Nelson Bell, was a surgeon who gave up a possible career as a pitcher in baseball to be a surgeon in China), she understood sacrifice. Billy Graham paid tribute to his wife of 63 years just a couple of weeks ago at the dedication of his library. Ruth was too ill to attend.

She was a great woman in her own right.

Oh, BTW, Hillary and Laura. A poll was taken on which model America prefers for their First Ladies. Overwhelmingly, the answer is:

Laura.

Let the deconstruction begin.

Me and My Weak Password

Actually, this problem to which I am about to refer is one that was brought to my attention by a girl blogging on MySpace or somewhere. I honestly can't remember. But I thought she had a point.

She noticed that when she went to web sites that required a user ID and a password that in some cases the security software actually rated the strength of her password! I had noticed this, too, which is why her comment piqued my curiosity.

For example, you input your user ID, and then you type in your password, let's say FRUITCAKE.

A RED warning pops us saying "Password WEAK." Or there might be a meter that judges the strength of your password.

Fortunately the password I now use a lot of the time is rated STRONG! Nice Green comforting color. STRONG! The password I use is: REV2HOPE.

(I'm kidding! What do you think I am, an idiot?!)

Anyway, I was cogitating on this curious little experience we all have in cyberspace, and wondered about theological passwords and their relative strengths. Like GOODWORKS, or BIGTITHER, or BIG$$$$, and so on.

Compared to, say, UNMERITEDGRACE, UNCONDLOVE, INCARNATION, and so on.

I'm still thinking, but I think there's a sermon there someone.

It might even get a Green STRONG rating...