Me and Liberation Theology

"I would like to appeal in a special way to the men of the army, and in particular to the troops of the National Guard, the Police, and the garrisons. Brothers, you belong to our own people. You kill your own brother peasants; and in the face of an order to kill that is given by a man, the law of God should prevail that says: Do not kill! No soldier is obliged to obey an order counter to the law of God. No one has to comply with an immoral law. It is time now that you recover your conscience and obey its dictates rather than the command of sin. The Church, defender of the rights of God, of the law of God, of the dignity of the human person, cannot remain silent before so much abomination.

"We want the government to seriously consider that reforms
mean nothing when they come bathed in so much blood. Therefore, in the name of God, and in the name of this long-suffering people, whose laments rise to heaven every day more tumultuous, I beseech you, I beg you, I command you in the name of God: Cease the repression!"

+Oscar Romero

Archbishop of San Salvador

Many of my faithful readers know that I have a fairly strong position against the Church getting involved in the state through means like elections, jury duty, holding public office, etc. So why, oh why, would I post these words from the final homily of Archbishop Romero - words so politically charged, if I didn't agree with the notion of Christians interfering in secular matters.

Well, I suppose that the reason is that I believe that the Church should interfere in secular matters all the time, just not using the means of this world to do it.

Okay... wipe the "huh" look off your face.

One of the most powerful means of communication in the world is the sermon. Words spoken with the power of God's own word, and with a passion of conviction, can truly change the world. Look at the ancient Church; her pastors preached with great confidence in God and great love for the world around them - pagan and Christian - and would often preach against the horrific treatment that their brothers and sisters (of whatever persuasion) went through. We are called to do the same.

Do I support every element of liberation theology? No. I can't say that I do. I can say, however, that +Romero's words and his courage to stand up for the people committed to his care, a people who were being slaughtered by the government because of their identity, should inspire us, today, to speak openly and vocally from our pulpits and ambos about the muffling of the faith in America, and the constant degradation of religious liberty (for all faiths!) that we are experiencing in North America.

The Church must excite her members to holiness, and must serve as a vocal conscience for the human community... even when those outside her walls do not wish to hear what she has to say.

Just some offhanded thoughts on this Friday morning.

Inspiring Words from Christians in Palestine

Recently, while searching for a totally unrelated item, I came across the website the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hope in Ramallah, Palestine (or, if you insist, Israel). In it they were discussing their worship services... and I find it interesting to read what they wrote (added emphases are my own):

Worship services are held each Sunday morning at 10:30 am, and Sunday School is held at 9:30 am in the parish hall. Even during occasional times of curfew imposed by the Israeli military, the Lutheran church bells ring announcing worship and people come to pray. A curfew is the total closure of a town, a time when people are forbidden by the Israeli soldiers to leave their homes. Pastor Ansara and the Lutheran church members have decided to hold worship services regardless of a curfew. People leave their homes to sing, pray, hear God’s Word and partake of the Sacraments in the church.

One Date for Pascha/Easter

This weekend, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Pascha... over a month after their Western counterparts have done so. This continued division between East and West is a grave sin against the witness of the Christian faith in the world today. I share the belief, as do many others, that we need a better way to calculate Pascha (Easter).

Some ideas:

1. Celebrate Pascha in the Sunday immediately following the Jewish Passover


2. Celebrate Pascha on the last Sunday in April


3. Celebrate Pascha on the first Sunday in April

Celebrating on the Sunday after the Jewish Passover helps maintain a continuity with the foreshadowing of the Paschal Mystery. Celebrating on the last Sunday in April allows for warmer (somewhat) weather in order to celebrate baptism outdoors in a natural setting (stream, creek, river, etc...). Celebrating on the first Sunday in April is probably the ecumenically-sensitive option, since that is what most folks would seem to prefer.

You can register your support for a single day to observe Pascha by visiting onedate.org.

Organ and Tissue Donation II

In response to my post yesterday concerning Organ and Tissue Donation, I received an interesting comment. I posted it, somewhat reluctantly, but wish to actually expound upon why I don't believe that the suggestion made in the comment is appropriate.

Dave Undis is the Executive Director of LifeSharers, a Nashville, Tennessee based organization that promotes an idea of prioritized donation on the basis of the recipient's donation status (i.e., if they are or are not a donor). His comments follow, with my comments interspersed:

Over half of the 98,000 Americans on the national transplant waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate about 20,000 transplantable organs every year. Over 6,000 of our neighbors suffer and die needlessly every year as a result.

I agree with Dave; as a proponent of Organ and Tissue donation, I definately am not thrilled that so many people do not elect to give the gift of life. That being said, why do people choose not to donate? In fact, how many people have truly rejected donation? Simply asking "Do you want to be an organ donor" at the license branch isn't sufficient. We need education. We cannot blame those who do not know about donation for going to their graves with their organs.

There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage -- give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die. Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors.

I doubt it. People use the same justifiction to support captial punishment. The United States executes, per capita, the largest number of criminals in the western world, yet we have one of the highest violent crime rates on the planet. People won't have a clue about this idea - just as many have no real clue what donation is all about. Then, they will find out about it and it will be too late.

It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.

Again, what about a lack of education and knowledge? You are going to have to do better, Dave, in convincing me that this is a good idea. Until there is effective, universal education on this issue, your plan makes no sense. It excludes people who have bought into the lies about donation (i.e., they take organs from black folks and kill them and give them to white folks... or... if they know I am a donor, they won't try to save my life). Look at the country we live in, Dave... do you REALLY think we have the knowledge in this nation to make your dream a reality? I don't. Also, I am not willing to write off those who are ignorant of donation, just as I am not willing to write off God's gift of eternal life among those who have never heard of Christ. To do so would be, in my mind, a betrayal of my Christian principles.

So, in short, Mr. Undis, thanks... but no thanks. Our Organ Donation system is flawed, needs help, and could stand to use a massive infusion of people... but it works far better than singling people out because of a lack of knowledge or because they have been taught all their lives that Donation is one group's way of being a modern-day succubus off of another group.

When and if (and I do mean if) the United States passes a presumtive consent law concerning donation (you are a donor unless you opt out) then it will make sense to classify people based on their conscious decision to opt out of participating in the system. Until then, I am absolutely uncomfortable with any move to restrict donation in the fashion that LifeSharers suggests.

Organ and Tissue Donation

April is Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month in the United States. In my local health-care facility, we are celebrating this week with programs intended to raise awareness among our staff. I wanted to take a moment, though, to share the donation message here on the blog today.

Organ and Tissue Donation is an imperative in our society today. Thousands of people are on the waiting list for hearts, lungs, livers, kidneys, skin, cornea, valves, bone, and other donations that they need to either improve the quality of their lives or to simply survive.

Each of us can make a difference by signing up to be an organ or tissue donor, and by making your choice known to your family and friends. In many states, you can make your wishes known -as I did - by designating your donation decision on your driver's license. You can also register on the Internet with the donation registry for your home state. A listing of these registries can be found at http://www.organdonor.gov/

For those outside the United States, consult your local health department or medical facility for full information on how to become an organ donor.

Please join me in making a commitment to Organ and Tissue Donation in this month, and share in putting out the message about the urgency of donation!

Paschaltide Greetings or, Why I am Incensed at the Christian Church Today

Well, April has sprung up with some wonderful days here in Central Indiana. Over the past two days my wife and I have managed to get in some good exercise, walking all around our neighborhood (and nearby shops), having a snack outdoors at Starbucks, and just getting some good fresh air in our lungs (though the freshness level is probably debatable by EPA standards).

While all this is wonderful in and of itself, this has been a very frustrating week for me, as I have been mulling over my thoughts and concerns about life, ministry, and the faith. So tonight, I want to share a little bit of what I am feeling.

I think the alternate title of this entry, "Why I am Incensed at the Christian Church Today" says a lot about what I am feeling. Incensed is probably the best way to phrase it. At least it has the scent of sanctity about it. (Pun absolutely intended.)

First, let me differentiate between the Body of Christ and the worldy Church (with whom I have my gripe). While my commentary will, by necessity, irritate the body of Christ, my comments are directed to the institutional (for lack of a better term) Church. I have no issue with Jesus, and if anything the past few weeks have managed to deepen my relationship with Christ while, at the same time, leaving me very angry.

The Church is a twenty-first century train wreck of monumental proportions. People continue to lay exclusive claims to the faith that they cannot support, excluding people who adhere to other traditions from genuine consideration as true brothers and sisters in Christ. For all the talk of the ecumenical movement of the latter half of the twentieth century, Christianity is a fractured house that shows no sign or real desire of restoration to anything remotely resembling her ancient purity.

Now, while those who have read my writings or have spoken to me personally know that I tend to view the primitive Church with great admiration, I don't labor with rose colored glasses on the topic. They had their own issues - even the apostles themselves did! - and I don't expect that just 'getting back to the most ancient form' is the perfect answer.

So why isn't anything else working?

I am sick to death of watching ecclesiastical politics drag on and on and on. I am sick of seeing the earnest hearted attempts of Christian clergy dismissed as illicit or invalid based on the rulings of people who have no clue what is actually going on in Anytown USA (or anywhere else). I am tired of seeing the Christian faith cave in to government or social pressure to comprimise the Gospel's message of peace. I am tired of seeing widows and single mothers duped out of their rent money each month because a man with a LearJet needs to buy gas for his private flight to some major arena where he will dupe more people out of their money... all in the name of Jesus.

It frankly makes me want to puke.

I am thankful that I don't trust in popes or televangelists for my salvation. I'd be doomed. I am thankful that I don't believe that the label on my nametag will ensure my place in heaven. I am sure I would probably be doomed then too.

My place in heaven is assured because Jesus Christ died to make me at-one with my Creator, the Father, Son, and Spirit. His atonment reconciles me to God, and though I am not perfect, I try to do better every day. My trust is in him and the means of grace he gives to me... and in those alone.

Right now, I don't know where my future leads on my path of faith. I am a Primitive Catholic. That is the only way I can identify myself. I am absolutely linked to liturgical worship, sacramental interaction with God, and the ongoing sanctification of the mundane and ordinary moments of my life that only a Catholic/Orthodox tradition can bring. I admire the Restoration Movement (even if it didn't quite live up to the ideal of restoring the ancient Church), I admire the Oriental Churches and the Celtic Churches of the ancient era... and I admire all those with the bravery and tenacity to engage in Christian ministry today (genuine ministry, not leeching people!) in an increasingly hostile world.

Where to go. What to do. We shall see.

Please pray for me.

Rob+

Since I'm in a "Railing on the Government" Mood Today

I have said on many occassions that those who think we have freedom of speech in the United States need to take their heads out of the sand and get a clue.

In Berkeley, California, the local Peace and Justice Commission brought a resolution before the City Council that condemned the U.S. Marine recruiting station (and the country in general) for "launching illegal, immoral and unprovoked wars of aggression and the Bush administration launched the most recent of those wars in Iraq and is threatening the possibility of war in Iran."

So here these (insert your judgement statement here) people have elected to make their voice heard. Freedom of speech reigns! Yay! Oh, but wait... of course someone has to get ticked. In this case a group of Republican lawmakers, led by Senators David Vitter (R-Louisiana) and Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) have introduced the Sepmer Fi Act of 2008, threatening to take away somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000,000 in federal funds for things like school lunches and education from the city and give to the Marine Corps.

Are you kidding me? These people, no matter what you think of them and their view, are exercising their supposed right to free speech, and you wind up punishing the kids by depriving their lunch and educational programs of money. Now that's despicable.

Heck, even the Marines don't seem to have an issue with it. The spokesperson for the recruiting station basically said that they fight to support their right to free speech. If they aren't hopping mad, then why are Senators Vitter and DeMint so mad? I am sure, in part, it is because they see this as a slap in the face to the men and women of the military (and, to an extent, it is)... but mostly, given the tone of their rhetoric, it looks to me like this is just a way to get some face time on national TV.

You can read more about the story at this link... if you really want to.

One Season Ends... Another Begins

Well, football season officially ended just a few minutes ago with the New York Giants ending the New England Patriots quest for perfection with a three point victory at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Tom Brady and the Patriots came up short on their closing drive, giving the game to New York. As a Patriots fan, it was a dissapointing way to end an otherwise stellar season. But, that's football... and that's 'why they play the games.'

With this night being ended, its time to turn our attention to preparing for Pascha. Lent begins tomorrow (for those of us in the Syriac rite) with Ash Monday. Football cannot compare to the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ... not even a Super Bowl win can come close. Let us now enter into Lent with a certainty of purpose, focusing on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

During this Lenten season, fasting and abstinence from meats are some traditional means of marking the season, but instead of giving things up, perhaps you might consider taking something up... perhaps reviving your daily prayer life, spending more time reading Sacred Scripture, or volunteering time with the homeless, the sick, or the hungry.

Whatever way you choose to mark the Lenten Season, do so with the recognition that what you do you are doing in the power of the Holy Spirit to make your relationship with Christ more intimate, and remember that by making self sacrifices, we find ourselves conformed more and more to the heart of Jesus.

May your Lenten observance be blessed.

And, to my fellow Pats fans... there's always next season.

I Wish I Liked Vegetables

I'm going to admit that if I had to fend for myself food-wise, I'd be dead. I couldn't kill an animal and eat it myself, no matter how tasty it might be. I'm content to let individuals who work in slaughterhouses do that for me. For years we've been told about how humanely they do their work, and I am sure that most of them, indeed, do so.

But, as the old saying goes, there's always one. This time around, its a slaughterhouse in California (story at this link on CNN.com) that has taken some decidedly inhumane steps to get their animals to stand up for their own deaths. Oh, and these burgers are headed to a school lunch near you (and nearer to your kids).

One individual at CNN's website commented that we had better start growing soybeans if we can't treat animals better. Anoter noted that if animals were to be raised for food they deserved wide open spaces and a quick death.

In the past year, I have tried several soy-based replacements for chicken and beef, both of them tolerable (well, generally speaking - there are always exceptions), and I'll say that if someone can get them to taste a bit better, I might consider a wider switch. Unfortunately, I am not much of a fan of most vegetables and fruits...

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that it is immoral to eat meat. God gave Noah permission to do so (see Genesis 9: 1-4), Jesus did so, the apostles did so, and so have many holy men and women throughout the generations. But we have to remember something; carnivorisim is -biblically speaking- a concession to the sin-scarred nature of the world. Bad enough that we got to this point, but the least we can do is kill animals humanely so that we don't compound our sins.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Liturgy

Essay 1: The Tragedy of Tacky Liturgy

The liturgical services of the Christian Church are, perhaps, the most instructive rituals in any religious tradition on earth. They are filled with symbols, words, and actions that teach with every look, breath, and motion. Christian liturgy assists us (in cooperation with the absolutely necessary grace of the Holy Spirit) in breaking down our own wills bit by bit and conforming ourselves to the heart and mind of God. Given this awesome ability that is inherent in the Christian liturgy, it is overwhelmingly depressing and disheartening to see that there are Christian assemblies today who accept a liturgy that fails to engage the senses and the heart of the worshipper because the liturgy itself has been overshadowed by the dismissive way in which it is executed. It is the ultimate tragedy of tacky liturgy.

Tacky liturgy is detrimental to both the spiritual and catechetical aspects of worship, leading the faithful down a path that is ultimately unfulfilling and disheartening. It is no wonder that non-liturgical churches are springing up, growing to roster thousands of members seemingly overnight, while liturgical churches are languishing in many areas. They are, at times rightly, accused of being dead or dying, and of offering nothing new and satisfying to the spiritual diet of Christians. At the same time, more and more people are finding themselves drawn to ritualistic non-Christian traditions as well. While many of these individuals may not find themselves drawn to Christianity to start with, some of them have certainly turned away from the faith because of their need for an inherently liturgical order to their worship (and, perhaps, to their lives).

Today, tacky liturgy is most frequently noticed in the Western Church. Let’s face it, since the Liturgical Renewal that accompanied Vatican II, the conciliar decrees that governed the reform have been used as the justification for so many idiotic practices that some people have elected to flee from contemporary liturgy, preferring to ensconce themselves in the traditions they find reverent and comforting. No matter how reverent and comforting these traditions may be, they do not optimally teach the faith as it was handed down to the Fathers of the Church if for no other reason than the fact that the ritual expression of the faith takes the form of a weapon that is used against other Christians.

All this being said about the Western Church, the East has its own fair share of tacky liturgy. The average westerner may not notice it, but its there, and when its tacky it is so distracting (at least to me) so as to render my worship experience nearly useless. To see faded out lithographs in place of genuine icons in a Byzantine Church, or unbuttoned albs (sticharion) in a Syriac Church are every bit as distracting and tacky as substituting a rousing chorus of “Kumbaya” in place of the Sanctus in the Western rite.

It is up to those tasked with leading worship, the bishops, presbyters, deacons, deaconesses, lectors, servers, cantors… and yes, every member of the Christian assembly… to do something about the shortcomings of our worship practices, regardless of our ritual tradition.

In the weeks and months to come, I hope to share with you some practical and sensible thoughts for you to reflect on in your quest for a deeper and more reverent experience that transcends the ordinary and brings the people of God to an extraordinary liturgical encounter with Jesus Christ.

CNN's Roland Martin on Christmas

I remember referring to CNN as the Clinton News Network (or, at times, even the Concocted News Network) back in the 1990's, but of late, CNN has been showing a marked conservative swing with the likes of Glen Beck, Nancy Grace, Lou Dobbs, and others sounding off - and at times making even George W. Bush look positively liberal.

Today CNN columnist Roland Martin put up an outstanding post on Christmas that I hope all of you will take a moment to read.

You can find it at: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/20/roland.martin/index.html

My Bible Recommendations

I've been asked on many occasions about my favorite Bible translations (and why I prefer them).

5. The New English Bible - There is just something unique about the NEB translation. It was one of the first modern versions to use the paragraph style layout (with verse numbers moved off to the margins) which, I feel, makes the Bible much more friendly to modern readers. The text itself was quite well done, though I'll admit that in retrospective review, I find more issues with it as time passes. Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable, relatively accurate, and classic translation. Its successor, the Revised English Bible, meets with a bit less success - but is still a nice edition. Of particular note in the REB is the success of the poetic portions of the Duterocanonical Books.

4. The Jerusalem Bible - This was, for much of the late 1960's and early 1970's the Catholic Bible of choice for many reasons. Its style was distinctly literary (which shouldn't come as a surprise since Tolkien was on the editorial board) and paid close attention to the structure and sense of the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts. While not exactly a part of the Jerusalem Bible project, the Grail Psalms have very similar qualities, making it -quite possibly- the best poetic scriptural text in existence today. I have no comment on its successor, the New Jerusalem Bible, as I have not seriously used or perused it.

3. Revised Standard Version (Second Catholic Edition) - This is a recent publication of Ignatius Press, who elected to update the text of the original Catholic edition of the RSV with a new, contemporary English spin. It is, in essence, a Catholic version of Crossway's English Standard Version (see #2). It succeeds in most respects, though it could have done with some better proofreading. It is an indispensable source for the Duterocanonical Books, and the text of the Deuterocanonicals is well translated in this edition.

2. English Standard Version - This is, in many ways, the 'anti-NRSV' (New Revised Standard Version). Featuring gender language that is very much masculine (in keeping with the original text) and serving as a strictly literal translation of the original Greek, the ESV is, in my opinion, the best current text to study for the absolute literal interpretation of the Biblical books. That doesn't mean that it is the best Bible out there, but its accuracy is pretty much rock-solid.

1. New Living Translation (Second Edition) - I absolutely hated the first edition of the NLT. It probably had something to do with being a KJV, well - not quite 'only-ist' but pretty close. I had no idea a second edition was out, until my Bishop (thanks +Chuck!) suggested the NLT Second Edition (and he made sure to emphasize getting the second edition). I got my first copy back in May and it quickly became my preferred Bible for public proclamation of the Word. While I still prefer the Grail Psalms for Liturgical usage, and the Second Edition will not have any of the Deuterocanonicals (probably due to poor sales of the first edition's Catholic version), I have found the NLT Second Edition to be the most effective Bible I own today for all-around use.

Fire on the Altar

Three posts today, three title links. Hrm...

Anyway, on Saturday morning a fire was set on the Altar of Immaculate Conception Parish in Auburn, Indiana, following a break in where several offices and classrooms were pillaged. An undisclosed amount of money was also taken.

The interesting thing is that this is not being investigated as a hate crime.

Artificial plants were covered with an accelerant, set on the Altar, and lit on fire... and its not at least a candidate for investigation as a hate crime?

Thought Provoking...

I happened to run across the following quote today.

"Separation of Church and State becomes problematic when the State is one’s church. No moral judgement outside its parameters will be permitted."