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Local Mission
The Burlington Emergency Shelter
The Navigators campus ministry
Beyond our Borders
Anglican Frontier Mission (Middle East)
]]>A few years ago, Tamara and I were on a vacation without our kids and I wanted them to feel connected with us even though we were away. So I wrote everyday about what we did and observed and sent it to them by email. Once I got on a roll, they started to become fairly funny (as unbiased an opinion as I can give). I began to widen the distribution of the emails to more family and friends, as I discovered that other people laughed while reading it.
Tamara began to call it my blog. I protested vehemently. I don't understand why one would think that other people want to read what one regularly writes and distributes over an electronic medium. Seems rather self-obsessed to me. Tamara was gracious enough to point out that I was doing was exactly that - writing regularly and distributing electronically.
I do not know how regularly this will be, and I refuse to call it a blog, but I thought it might be helpful to communicate what we as a community are thinking and doing as we seek to fulfil the mission God has given us.
In Peter Jackson's movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 20th century masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, there is a scene in the second movie in which Théoden and his people are under siege at the fortress of Helm's Deep. (If I have lost you already, see the movie, or better yet, read the book. Either is well worth the investment of time.) Their enemies outnumber them by tens of thousands. The wall, which had never been breached in all its history, is broken, and the enemies are streaming in. Théoden and all of the people retreat to the keep with little hope.
Théoden’s plan is to try to defend the keep as long as possible before they are overrun. Aragorn, one of the three Christ figures in the story, suggests a different approach. Instead of cowering, waiting to die, Théoden should lead his warriors out of the keep and engage the enemy. Théoden is ultimately convinced and, from the description in the book, "On they rode, the king and his companions. Captains and champions fell or fled before them. Neither orc nor man withstood them."
Something similar, nay, identical, is happening in our church in North America today. For many years we have been a people under siege, mostly cowering in our churches with our wagons circled, expecting to decline in numbers. I have had the privilege in the past couple of years to be around Anglican leaders, who, like Aragorn, are suggesting we sally forth rather than remain besieged. These are people whose expectation is NOT that we will continue to dwindle and die, but that we will grow. Exponentially. I haven't heard that perspective in, well, ever. And it is infectious.
The writer of Hebrews says this: "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, 'He who is coming will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.' But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." (Hebrews 10:35-38 NIV).
We are not of those who shrink back. Thinking of our siege mentality, I can't help but ask, "how's that working for ya?" Our Lord has commanded that we "go, and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19)
But that's not all. For we are not alone in this. In 2 Kings 6, the king of Aram sends besieges (do you detect a theme here?) He sends a strong force of horses and chariots against Elisha. This is Elisha’s response. “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered, ‘those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ The Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw all the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:16-17 NIV) There is Another who fights with us, and the battle belongs to the Lord.
Back to the Lord of the Rings. Interestingly enough, after Théoden and his army sally forth, Gandalf (Christ figure II) appears blazing white with an army to aid in the battle. And they are victorious. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to ride out.
There are signs that herald almost everything, from robins indicating spring to leading economic indicators to wars and rumors of wars suggesting the end of all time. Similarly there are signs that Christmas is nearly upon us; stores blaring “Frosty the Snowman” and advertising all the money we will “save” as we spend (think through that one…) The other common sign is the annual whining among Christians, privately, in blogs, and on signs, that the season is too commercial, no longer faith-oriented, etc. Would that I had patented the phrase, “Keep Christ in Christmas”.
First, it is important to note that Christ IS in Christmas. His nativity is not and cannot be erased simply because people are paying less attention to it than we would like.
This phenomenon is not new. The judges and prophets of the Old Testament continually struggled with a people who were less than mindful of God. By the time the book of the Law was discovered in Josiah’s repair of the temple (2 Kings 22 and 23), the people had forgotten and let slide boatloads of practices and observances commanded by God. I am not recommending this, but I’d like to observe that despite the inattention of his people, God was not diminished in his power or his glory. Nor did his love and mercy suffer.
Similarly, the Incarnation of Jesus and all that it means for our redemption is not diminished or made ineffective because we spend more time in Walmart than in church. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Second, why not light a candle rather than curse the darkness? I am not sure that it is terribly effective that we spend our energy condemning a culture that has missed the point. I can’t make the culture pay attention. But I can pay attention. Interestingly enough, we have this nifty little liturgical season helping us do just that. Advent is about paying attention to Jesus Christ - paying attention to his Incarnation in humility at Bethlehem and to his coming again in glory.
We’ve been preaching through the Advent collect this year. I’ll remind you of it in case it doesn’t immediately roll off your tongue:
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty, to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Prepare ye the way, says John the Baptist, echoing the words of Isaiah. How shall we prepare?
By casting away the works of darkness. That would be MY works of darkness, familiar and comforting habits of untruth, unforgiveness and selfishness. This is more productive than railing against the culture.
By putting on the armor of light. Repairing our relationships, being intentional about virtue (courage, hope, faith, love), and in prayer becoming more rooted in Jesus Christ (more listening and less babbling).
By looking with hope and anticipation to his coming again in his glorious Majesty. Acknowledging his Lordship over me and all things and allowing his reign in my life. You are not your own, you were bought at a price. (I Corinthians 7:23).
By remembering that, by his grace and as we do these things, we shall rise to eternal life. Remembering in that life (and in this one) that Christ is not only in Christmas, but is in all, with all and through all.
]]>The Anglican Church in North America
The Anglican Diocese in New England
(Newport, New Hampshire and Hanover, New Hampshire area)
in Rutland, VT
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