What Is In A Name?

Tuesday, February 28 2012 12:00:00 AM

So, Southern Baptists are thinking of changing their name.  Two reasons are offered as a rationale: “the name is too regional and hinders effective efforts to plant new churches;” and, the “name has become a liability because it is too often associated with divisively partisan politics” (AP).

A more recent article (ABP) noted the convention’s Executive Committee cannot make up its mind about a name change.  They want to keep the official name and then add “Great Commission Convention” for branding purposes.  I guess an alias is helpful from time-to-time.

There is no question the word “Southern” is clearly regional and needs changing if the convention wants to expand.  I remember conversations about changing the name thirty years ago; too bad it was not changed then.

The name’s association with ‘divisively partisan politics’ and, I might add, simple old-fashioned narrow mindedness, is a great labiality; of course, this is the fault of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leaders of the last thirty years.  In the mid-1970s SBC was conservative but reasonable and thoughtful.  No more.  I am old enough to remember the rhetoric of the mid-1980s, fundamentalists were out to purify the denomination (get rid of the ‘liberals’) then God would bless the convention and it would soar to new heights.  To use an Obama term, “they drove it in the ditch.”  

Ideologues always drive organizations into the ditch; it is their nature.

Friend and foe alike resonate with a name change for the SBC.  In my opinion, the name change should await a few more retirements.  A handful more of SBC ideologues need to retire before the name is changed else it is nothing more than a new coat of paint on an ugly barn.  They have ruined one name; why give them a new one to tarnish?

The name needs to change as a new generation of pragmatic leaders move into positions of responsibility.  New leaders have the opportunity to drop the ideological side-show and get focused on God’s mission in the world, which has been forgotten amid battles about inerrancy, infallibility, Calvinism and artificial purity.

While there is a part of me which would like to suggest a few new names for the convention (Republican Baptist Convention, Stuck-in-the-Mud Baptist Convention, Yesterday-is-Better Baptist Convention, Calvin Baptist Convention, etc) I think it is critical the SBC develop a new name and a new brand.   As an evangelical denomination it has a place of importance in American religious life.  A new beginning could provide a much healthier perspective, if new pragmatic leaders emerge at the same time.

I am not so sure “Great Commission Convention” is the right move.  It they want a new face for a new century they need to drop ‘convention;’ association, a historic Baptist term, or network would be an improvement. 

Even those who make a mess of their lives deserve a new beginning.  Of course, only a fool would offer a new beginning to an unrepentant ideologue.

Grace and Peace,

Ron

New blog home: roncrawford.net

Context is Crucial

Friday, February 24 2012 07:19:19 AM

Insight is always rooted in context.  What works in Richmond rarely works in Asheville and never works in Orlando.

Recently, I was in Florida visiting with Dr. Duke McCall, retired president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a former president of the Baptist World Alliance.  Dr. Caleb Oladipo our mission professor was with me.  Dr. Oladipo asked Dr. McCall what his advice would be to a new seminary graduate.  Dr. McCall thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know how to answer your question because I don’t know the context anymore.”

He went on to talk about what it is like to be 97 years old.  He is grateful for living this long but realizes his finger is no longer on the pulse of the context of a new seminary graduate.  As he said, “My wife bought an IPad.  She is giving up her computer.  I have no use for it.” 

I thought to myself, Dr. McCall is a smart man.  He clearly understands many people pontificate as if they know much when then do not understand the context.  It is better to hold you peace if you do not know the context.

This is a point I tend to drive home in the Life and Work of the Pastor class I teach at BTSR.  While it is very helpful to have a head-full of knowledge, the only knowledge usable is that which fits the context.

The silver bullet in ministry is always a person.  I remember being pressed by a number of church members who were traditionalist, “What is the program?  We have to have a program to implement.  What is the program?”  To which I heard myself say, “You are the program!” 

While programs of all sorts can be helpful, the solution is always a person.  Are we not pleased God sent a person, Jesus, not a program?  Programs do not transform churches, people do; and often, resurrection begins with a single solitary individual.

If the pastor becomes a better person the church will become a better church, by necessity.  The image for the pastor of the twenty-first century is not that of a CEO, or coach, or scapegoat, but that of leaven.  Put a bit of leaven in dough and watch, and stand back!  Ever tried to stop dough from rising?

We become better ministers by growing spiritually, by sorting out our psychological and family ‘stuff,’ by updating our skills, by learning to change and embrace the changing world around us.  Of course, demographic trends are important in ministry.  Becoming a more noble spirit is more important.  When the pastor becomes a better person the congregation will always follow.

In our visit with Dr. McCall I followed-up his confession about context by mentioning online education.  I mentioned a few of the best theological libraries in the U. S. are in the process of digitizing their holds.  His eyes immediately lit-up.  While the computer is not his friend, Dr. McCall sensed an online theological library will change the ministerial world, in due season.

The days of one size fits all is over.  We now live in unique contexts which call for creativity and innovation.  Clearly understanding one’s context is the first essential ingredient in leadership.

Scientific Calvinism

Monday, February 20 2012 03:03:52 PM

I debated writing this blog: the topic is a bit afield for me.   But then, I said, “Why not?”  So, I sat down this morning and pecked-out this blog, of my own free choice.

I write in response to Jerry A. Coyne’s article “Why you don’t really have free will” which appeared on USA Today’s webpage in January.  The second paragraph reads in part, “You may feel like you’ve made choices, but in reality your decision …. was determined long before you woke up today.”  Later he wrote, “There is no freedom of choice, no free will.”  Coyne, a University of Chicago professor, sites scientific studies on brain research to support his case.  His article may create interest in his book, Why Evolution is True.

So, I guess I am not deciding to write this article after all?  Maybe I should stop.  If I am not deciding to write the article who is?  Coyne’s answer is DNA and the sum total of my experience to this point in my life.  He suggests I am driven to write this article. 

If Coyne had suggested we experience limited free will, or very limited free will, I might well have agreed with him; for homo sapiens are very predictable.  We tend to live out of past stories without examining underlying values; churches do this as well as individuals.  In truth many simply ‘go with the flow’ and fail to exercise any real choice in life.  Coyne could have had a supporter in me if he had not gone ‘off the deep end,’ denying any sense of free will in human experience.

There are several foundational problems with Coyne’s approach.

Science is an evolving field.  In many ways science is in its infancy, maybe adolescence.  It wasn’t that long ago science-minded people were saying, “We now understand the universe.”  Then quantum mechanics re-stirred the pot.  Science of today has no unified theory of how the universe works; there is no formula that reconciles gravity with quantum mechanics and other areas of modern scientific study.  In many regards science struggles to understand fully itself.  For a scientist to declare “no freedom of choice, no free will” while standing in the unfolding flow of science is a betrayal of the foundations of science.  Scientists rarely make definitive statements; rather they say, “Based on our best research and the knowledge available to us now such-and-such seems true.”  This is a far cry from “no freedom of choice, no free will.”

Science isn’t the only way of knowing.  Coyne made the mistake many make in the Scientific Age, he assumes nothing matters but that which one can weigh and measure.  He has narrowly defined his world according to the tenants of science and ignores other realities around him; he creates a circular argument.  Thus, following his narrowly defined universe he reaches the conclusion there is no free will of any kind.  This appears to be a rather close-minded perspective.  Of course, this happens rather often in our world.  Because we live in the Scientific Age many not only appreciate science, they worship at its altar; their devotion to science blinds them to a broader and deeper sense of reality.  In essence, they create carefully crafted scientific models which ignore the depth and complexity of reality; if it doesn’t fit in a test tube it doesn’t exist for them.

Confession: I am a reason and revelation person.  Reason cannot explain fully over universe, and it never will no matter how much data is collected.  Let me offer a few illustrations.

Seen any great artwork lately?  Picasso’s work portrays things as they really are, not simply as they appear.  Science is only interested in how things appear.  Picasso’s distorted, disjointed, twisted figures reveal the essence behind the reality.   This essence will never be explained by reason alone.  This is my fundamental point, part of reality falls outside of science’s narrowly self-defined field of study.

Listened to any good music lately?  And, don’t get me started on what seeing one of those grandbabies does to my essence.  Reason is most certainly a good friend, but ought not to be our only friend.

Is reality nothing more than atoms running around this way and that?  Is there no mystery and majesty in human experience?

Coyne’s article reminded me of the breath-taking experience of standing on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon.   I stood there in utter amazement and awe.  After a few moments I looked down to check on my son.  He had his head stuck between two rails watching his spittle descend into the depths.  He missed the majesty of the moment.

Can Ministers Survive Advent Again?

Tuesday, November 22 2011 05:47:57 PM

Advent offers a busy beginning to the Church’s year for most of us; we look forward to the parties and special church programs.  Of course, there is another side to this saga.  Advent can drain the life out of ministers in a few short weeks.  While most ministers look forward to the celebrative atmosphere of Advent, they also need to take some precautions else they will have no ‘gas in the tank’ for the Christmas Eve service.

Pace Party Life

Attending every church party during December is a really bad idea.  Rather, a minister should attend no more than a handful of parties each Advent, rotating the ones attended yearly: attend the Forever Young Christmas Party, the young adult Christmas Bash every other year.  Do not, do not attempt to attend every church related party every year.  Pace yourself.

Do not, do not party hop.  There is nothing worse than a minister ‘attending’ three Christmas parties in one evening.  The ‘party hopping minister’ sets a really bad example for the congregation; the behavior suggests the minister wants to touch bases without investing in others who attend the events.  With fewer parties to attend the minister is far more available at the attended events, arrive early and stay late. 

Party hopping is a professional sin.

Nibble on Desserts

There is no law ministers have to eat everything put in front of them.  “Stuffing one’s face” is not a ministerial virtue.  Make a routine of eating (literally) a bite of this and a bite of that.  There is no biblical reason to accept half a slice of pie, a much smaller amount will do.  ‘Taste’ five desserts instead of eating full-slices of two, or three.

Come-up with your own excuse and use it without fail and stick to it; mine was “I am not a dessert person.”  In my second year of ministry (1978) I realized if I ate every dessert put in front of me I would have significant health problems down the road.  So, I passed on desserts at restaurants and in members’ homes, or asked for just a mouthful.  Surprisingly, people complied and did not seem to mind.

Setting dessert limits for yourself makes a significant statement to your congregation and encourages a healthy perspective in your church.  Again, ministers can model self-control; and provide a wonderful example for their parishioners. 

Of course, I have often heard the excuse, “Oh, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by turning down a dessert.”  This line may still work with a few uninformed members of the laity….  Put on your big boy/girl pants. 

Enjoy Your Family

Contrary to the familiar Abraham/Issac story, God does not expect ministers to sacrifice children on the church’s Advent altar. 

Christmas is the season of negotiation with your spouse.  In late November, or better before Thanksgiving, look over the December schedule and set some parameters to protect time with your family.  Some simply suggestions:

Set several days aside (afternoons/evenings) to share with family: go shopping, decorate the tree, etc.  Flexibility is a must for people tend to die ‘at the most inconvenient times.’  If ample time for family in your schedule is ‘protected’ a few ‘interruptions’ can be managed.  There is no solution for six funerals in two weeks!

Get used to a very flexible schedule after December 20^th.  Make necessary visit to church members and attend to other important matters before December 20^th.  Then, focus on a small list of things that must be accomplished before the Christmas Eve service.  Thus, your schedule is hectic for the first three weeks of Advent, but is not for the last five days before Christmas. 

Use the after-Christmas week wisely.  No one really wants to see you that week anyway.  Lay low and enjoy some time off.  Plan a low-keyed worship service for the Sunday after Christmas.  In fact, a good number of ministers take the Sunday off.  I rarely did, the week after Christmas is a ‘slow week’ in ministry.  Work a slower pace that week and take vacation on a much busier week later in March or April.

Cherish family; they stick with you through thick-and-thin.

Listen for the Angel’s Song

Over-familiarity with Advent and a hectic pace of life can keep a minister from experiencing the freshness and wonder of Advent.  In your heart-of-hearts find a way to experience again the fresh wonder of Advent for yourself.  It is a terrible shame when those who preach about the Coming One never experience the joy of the season because of a bruising schedule; it happens often to those of us in ministry.  We do for others ‘til we have lost the capacity to do for ourselves.  I am by no means an expert on these matters but here is part of my Advent strategy.

Spent time with children, they know about Christmas wonder.

Listen to music that inspires you.  I am not a CD-in-the-car kind of guy, except during Advent.  Handel’s Messiah offers me the best chance of hearing the Angel’s song.  I listen to it over and over and over and over during the weeks of Advent.

Work at ‘being present’ with members of your church during Advent; no party-hopping or running around wildly.  Stay centered in the moment.

Practice silence.

Embrace Failure

In spite of your best scheduling and focusing efforts some Advent seasons are just routine; no angels singing, no joy, no peace in the deep places of the ministerial soul.  It just goes with the territory; it is not you.  ‘Suck it up’ and go forward.  There is always next year. 

If the pattern continues (Advent, Easter, Pentecost, Advent, Easter, etc.) invest in a counseling relationship with a psychologist.  Ministers are really complex people.  From time-to-time we need a little help to find ‘center’ again.  We too are entitled to the ‘abundant life.’

Grace and Peace (and Advent Joy),

Reconciliation is Back

Wednesday, November 16 2011 07:13:55 AM

I sat in the recent meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia (November 8-9, 2011) and witness a historic vote; and, there was not a single ‘NO’ vote in the house.  It felt like a miracle!

Years ago there was a falling-out in the Virginia Baptist family between the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) and Averett University.  This past year leaders of the BGAV and Averett University shared a dialogue, which culminated in the historic reconciliation vote on November 9, 2011.  Averett was welcomed back into the BGAV fold.

This remarkable accomplishment was achieved for two reasons.

First, the BGAV is a remarkable organization.  In 1995 angry fundamentalist left the BGAV to form their own organization, the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia.  This left the BGAV with vintage Virginia Baptists who embody firm and sturdy beliefs wrapped in a genteel and gracious spirit.  When the ‘daughter’ asked to come home there was no ‘pint of blood’ or long-winded lectures, but a gentle hug and an affectionate kiss on the forehead.  I was reminded of what is best and noble in the Baptist family.

Second, Dr. Tiffany Franks is a remarkable person.  When Dr. Franks was elected President of Averett University she was given a mandate by her trustees to heal the breech.  What she has done in a few years is truly remarkable.  Her demeanor, persistence, transparency and leadership made reconciliation possible.  When I congratulated her after the vote she began singing the praises of all the people who had been so gracious in the process; deflecting my praise of her personal efforts.  As she praised others I thought to myself, her focus on the common good instead of self-praise is what made us Baptists worth being around.  It reflects a grace-filled soul who wants the team (Kingdom) to succeed above all else; the historic Baptist way.

Virginia Baptists are a proud bunch, in a gentle way.  As a Virginia Baptist most of my life I just have to say, the BGAV is a remarkable organization and there are truly remarkable people in the family.

Grace and Peace,

Arab Spring and Libyan Fall

Wednesday, November 09 2011 12:40:14 PM

We are in a remarkable season of international change.  Much of this transformation occurred with little violence, Tunisia and Egypt.  Libya’s metamorphosis came late, resulting this week in the death of its long-time dictator.

The events of the last year in the Arab world contrast sharply with the nearly decade long events in Afghanistan and Iraq.

One wonders, “Is the pen mightier than the sword?”  Maybe we should update, “Is the Internet more powerful than military strength?”

In the Arab Spring we are seeing, maybe, the clearest and most powerful illustration of transformation wrought by the Information Age.

Yes, we can certainly bomb two countries into submission with a price tag of well over $1 trillion.  The far more powerful transitions in Tunisia and Egypt, and to a lesser degree Libya, cost far less and are far more encompassing.

One wonders, “Should we stop making bombs and invest in expanding the Internet into under-developed parts of our world?”  Truth be told, educating people about democratic values so they themselves change their world is far more American than imposing democracy as we have done in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Compare the cost of transitions in Afghanistan and Iraq to that which has happened in Tunisia and Egypt.  What would have happened if we had not engaged Afghanistan and Iraq in battle?  Would they have changed on their own?  Did our investment in Afghanistan and Iraq simply move forward change one year, five years, ten years?  Is accelerating the change worth the financial cost?

Is the pen mightier than the sword?

Of course, we should maintain a strong national defense, and be prepared to take the offense when necessary.  Yet, we will do well to let the transformations of this Arab Spring settle in our brains for a while.  The computer age has opened rich possibilities for our future.  We need to take advantage of those insights in our personal lives and in our foreign policy.  The Internet allows us to plant democratic values in the hearts of those yearning to be free.  What a wonderful gift to give, and it costs so little.

Grace and Peace,

Big Dog

Thursday, October 13 2011 12:32:44 PM

Out walking I saw a neighbor with her white, fluffy, five-inch tall dog.  Apparently, she was teaching the dog to obey commands and walk on a leash.  My approach excited the tiny dog who offered a fierce, wimpy bark.  The owner spoke to her dog, “Willy, stop that.  Behave yourself Willy.” 

I turned toward the middle of the road to give the little critter some room.  It made no difference, Willy kept up his amusing barking fit.  As I passed the neighbor shook her head and said to me, “Willy thinks he is a big dog!”

I know people who, like Willy, think they are ‘big dogs’ when they are not.  Yes, I find them amusing.

This blog could be about barking church members, or denominational leaders, or political leaders.  But I would rather focus on ministers.

Training doesn’t make us big dogs.

A Master of Divinity degree provides a solid foundation for ministry; it does not ensure competence in ministry.

Occasionally a pastor will complain, “Ron, a good number of seminary graduates are green as can be.  They are not ready for ministry.”  To which I normally reply, “Yea, I find seminary graduates over-confident and barely competent – just like when you and I graduated from seminary in 1977.”

The issue of a seminary graduate’s preparedness for ministry upon graduation is a really old song.  Recent seminary graduates are better prepared for ministry than those in my graduating class.  Some of us ‘old dogs’ have forgotten how unprepared we were back in the dark ages, fresh from seminary.

Through Mission Immersion Experiences, required internships and a host of profoundly practical courses seminary graduates of today are better prepared for ministry than their counterparts from the 1970s.  And frankly, this is not a close call.

Something has changed: the complexity of ministry.  When I began ministry (full-time) in 1977 ministerial groups met weekly.  Every Monday pastors gathered at the area Baptist associational building for coffee, conversation and a program.  The Monday morning pastor’s gathering is no more.  Why?

The pace of congregational ministry has dramatically changed in the last thirty years.  The old adage used to be, “Well, the minister only works one day a week!”  While the remnant of that accusation still echoes for the most part it is not repeated nearly as often as it used to be.  Ministers are really busy these days.  Many ministers think of ministry as a treadmill.  With shrinking church receipts over the last thirty years (inflation adjusted dollars) ministers are taking on a wider variety of tasks.

Ministry today is far, far more complex than when I began in 1977.  I encourage students to think of seminary education as a foundation.  It takes ten years of experience to make a really good minister these days; yes, the modern job is that complex.

Ordination/position/title doesn’t make us big dogs.

It is rewarding to become a church’s new pastor, especially if you are young!  In rural areas you might even get a pounding.  For the young, that is when laity show-up as you move in your new home with all sorts of food to stock the pantry (Thanks Be to God).  It is affirming when people call you ‘pastor.’

Regardless of what people say it is important to remember that in your first month the only person who truly believes you are ‘pastor’ is the guy named Marquee, which stands out in front of the church building.  It happens slowly.  You get the ‘pastor’ title the first day of work.  You truly become the congregation’s pastor in the next few years.  And it is a decade before most ministers own their calling in the deepest recesses of the soul.  Most of us begin doing pastoral things and it is only eight to ten years later we find ourselves doing the work, not because we have to but, because it is just who we are.  It is like catching your second wind in running, in ministry there is a moment when you think to yourself, “I am not making myself do ministerial things anymore.  I am a minister.  This is what I do!”

Ordination, position, title is the beginning of a journey, not the end.

Service to others unwittingly makes us big dogs.

For a decade Cecil Sherman taught The Life and Work of the Pastor course at BTSR.  I have his notes.  A theme in his teaching was the notion a pastor earns ‘chits.’  Hospital visits, shut-in visits, funerals, weddings, steady leadership, and hard work earn a pastor ‘chits’ with the congregation.  You ‘cash them in’ when you ask the congregation to begin a new ministry or when you ask the congregation to change in some way.  The church follows because they trust the minister; she/he has demonstrated they can be followed – he/she has some ‘chits’ in the bank.

Most churches will follow a worthy leader.  We prove ourselves in selfless service. 

Big dogs rarely bark.

I remember the story of a daughter looking through the preaching notes of her deceased pastor-father.  In one margin was written “Shout, weak point!”

There is a general rule of thumb in ministry.  Inexperienced ministers tend to bark, huff-and-puff, a lot.  Older ministers just change things.

As you might expect, we have a number of dogs in our neighborhood.  The neighbor two streets over owns one of the biggest dogs I have ever seen. He rarely barks, he just shows up and everyone seems to notice.

Grace and Peace,

Weighty Grief

Monday, October 03 2011 03:04:47 PM

I sat in the congregation for a friend’s funeral and felt the weight of grief.  I most certainly felt grief related to the loss of my friend, yet there was more.

In the pew, I experienced cascading mental images of funerals past: Lloyd, Collette, Nathan, Marjorie, Sarah, Miss Bessie, Alice, John, Jill, Martha…  It was a weighty load.  I was glad I was sitting.

Ministers have a unique and uneasy relationship with grief.  When a church member dies we drop what we are doing and hustle to a bedside, or a hospital room, or a Hospice facility, or a home, or a roadside.  We go into ‘automatic mode’ focused on facilitating the grief of others.  We hold hands.  We say prayers.  We organize funeral services.  We speak on behalf of grieving family members.

All the while, we postpone our own grief.  Frankly, this is a conscious choice for most ministers.  We know we hurt but we ‘minister up’ for the benefit of family and congregation.  We lead by setting aside our own emotions and grief, for another day.  I am not sure there is any other way to do it.  A minister’s first responsibility is to her/his role as a minister and this necessitates moving into “organize and fix-it mode’ when we would rather throw-up our hands, walk away and have a good cry.

So, we deliberately say to ourselves, “I have got to help this family and my congregation through this tough spot.  I will do my grieving another day.”  And many of us do just that; we find a time later in the week to revisit the loss and process thoughts and feelings, but are never quite able to retouch the raw depth of feeling that was originally evident in us.  And so, some residue of grief from previous funerals is somehow left in the deep part of a minister’s heart.

For me, images flash in and out of my mind in isolated settings (funerals mostly): an infant’s coffin, a weeping widow, a child’s tears when I told him his father died, a mother holding her dead baby, knelling in a busy intersection to identified a body.

While some may wonder about my grasp on sanity, I think this is fairly normal and natural for ministers.  When one embraces the most sacred places of life, one is never the same. 

I am not ‘fixing’ anything in this blog.  I am naming and owning a reality.

Ministers share a unique and uneasy relationship with grief.

Grace and Peace,

Forgotten 9/11 Lessons

Tuesday, September 06 2011 03:34:25 PM

The tragic death of first responders is foremost in the American consciousness as we remember 9/11.  We memorialize their deaths and remember their stories.  My interested in this particular blog focuses on forgotten 9/11 lessons; while our collective memory focuses on some aspects of 9/11 we seem to have forgotten other insights.

Hyper-patriotism is ultimately destructive.

America responded with hyper-patriotism to the tragedy of 9/11.  We waved flags and looked for someone to punish.  While there was clearly a reason to find and destroy Al-Qaeda, the reasons to attack Afghanistan were weaker and the reasons for invading Iraq were weaker still. 

Why did we invade Iraq?  We thought there were weapons of mass destruction.  Why, why did we think there were weapons of mass destruction?  The ultimate answer is rather simply.  National anger and its child, hyper-patriotism, skewed the data collection systems of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency).  The Bush administration hunted for someone to blame.  Americans who called for restraint were ignored; their concerns were dismissed out-of-hand.  If one spoke against the invasion of Iraq one was labeled as unpatriotic.  The national media fed the frenzy.

Days after 9/11 a friend expressed the American sentiment, “Hell, I’m looking for someone to bomb back into the Stone Age!”  And so, we bombed Afghanistan and invaded Iraq; we agreed not to pay for the war (running up our national debt), and to boot we imposed tax cuts for people who could afford to pay more.

Well, look at the mess we are in now!  In the first decade of the twenty-first century our nation made incredibly poor decisions.  My point is about hyper-patriotism; unbalanced, unmeasured, unaware, blind, no-one-else-matters patriotism.  Our nation is in a terrible mess, partly because of incredibly poor decisions made in the wake of 9/11.

Hyper-patriotism is almost always destructive.

Security is an illusion

As the Twin Towers came down so did America’s invincibility.  For a brief moment we embraced a cardinal human truth: security is an illusion.  Of course, we quickly recreated a false sense of security by creating the Office of Homeland Security, with a color coded system to let us know when danger was greatest; as if an Office is really able to “predict” an attack.  So, we feel snug knowing an ‘intelligence agency” is going to warn us when danger is afoot; like the CIA knew there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq!

The anxiety of vulnerability is a critical ingredient in resolving conflict before it explodes into open hostilities with other countries.  If we feel safe, insulated from the concerns of others, there is little motivation to resolve critical issues in the global village.

In the wake of 9/11 many people were asking, “Why does the rest of the world hate us?”  For a few months we asked questions about the justice of American foreign policy.  Unfortunately, the questions began to fade as we accepted the notion the rest of the world hates us because we are successful.  We discredited honest critique with, “The rest of the world is just jealous!”  Our moment of honesty passed and we snuggled back into our version of non-reality thinking we are safe.

Emotion trumps good theology

For the World War II generation 9/11 was December 7, 1941 all over again.  Unbridled patriotism was in great abundance after 9/11.  Patriotism became cultic, profoundly religious.  Because of deep patriotic emotions after 9/11 many churches merged God and country in a dangerous mixture. 

The Sunday after 9/11 a lay member of a solid historic Baptist church positioned the American flag in a very prominent place in the sanctuary, no permission was sought.  Deacons over the following two months approved a policy concerning the placement of the American flag in the sanctuary:  ministers may decided if the American flag is in the sanctuary on any given Sunday, but if the flag is in the sanctuary it must be placed in a prominent and very specific location.  This was done even though the pastor noted the church had no such policy about the placement of the Communion Table.  In the wake of 9/11 patriotic emotion overruled good theology, and still does from time-to-time.

A decade after 9/11 it is altogether appropriate to remember those who lost their lives in a true American tragedy.  It is noble to affirm the courage of first responders who ran toward the unfolding tragedy.  It is patriotic to weep with those who lost loved ones and to do all in our power to aid their grief.  May we also save a little courage to face the forgotten lessons of 9/11.

Grace and Peace,

Richmond Apocalypse

Thursday, August 25 2011 03:42:31 PM

What do you do when the swamp is on fire?

The Great Dismal Swamp in the southeastern most part of Virginia is on fire.  For many of us this probably sounds counter-intuitive.  When water levels drop in swamps the humid decomposing material in the swamp dries out and a lighting strike can create an underground smoldering fire that is near to impossible to put out.  This morning the Richmond weather man noted that with prevailing winds Richmond is apt to get traces of smoke form the swamp fire today.  Great!

This is becoming a bit of an apocalypse for us in Richmond, smoke today, earthquake yesterday; the largest in Virginia in one hundred years.

All this reminds me of a minister’s life in a congregation.  What do you do when ‘the swamp is on fire’ in congregational ministry?

First, embrace truth.  One of the healthiest things a minister can do is examine a congregational situation and say, “Oh my, we sure have a mess here.”  Denial is deadly.  Embracing truth is liberating.  When things go wrong don’t protect yourself or get overly defensive; embrace the ugly truth about the congregational situation.  Own it.

Second, do not panic.  The biggest mistake ministers make in a crisis is to either deny a problem exists or panic.  Often, ministers will face a crisis and go into a strange kind of panic/paralysis.  The truth provides such a powerful emotional ‘hit’ it shocks and disables an adequate and strategic response.  If a trauma or crisis arises in a congregation and the minister hobbles around half-paralyzed the congregation is in deep, deep trouble.  A crisis calls for the minister to put on her/his “fix it,” “management,” “strategic”  hat.  And ministers know how to do this.  For instance, in funeral situations ministers are accustomed to facilitating a process and doing personal grief later.  That perspective must come forward when the ‘swamp is on fire.’

Third, look at the system not people in the system.  When things go badly we homo sapiens always point fingers at others and lay blame.  The minister must be the one person in the congregation who consistently points a finger at the system.  While people contribute to congregational problems 99% of the time it is a system malfunction that creates a congregational crisis.

Fourth, take care of yourself.  A minster has to facilitate an effective strategy to move a congregation through crisis.  Then, the minister needs to provide herself/himself with a treat: a few days off, a chocolate covered sundae without guilt, etc – whatever floats your boat.

Fifth, say your prayers.  Of all people, ministers ‘stand in the need of prayer.’

Apocalypse: Oh yea it is bad.  As Rodney Dangerfield would say, “How bad is it?”  Yesterday we had an earthquake.  The swamp is on fire and Hurricane Irene is coming up the coast to put out the fire.

Grace and Peace,