This article by Micheal Moore is really good. Don’t get me wrong, I am not what you would consider a fan of his. Even when I want to like him, I struggle to find him compelling. But when someone, anyone, gets Jesus right, I am committed to being the trumpeter. So check it out.
Been thinking about an Eikon Catechism. I know for a lot of folks that is intimidating, but I think it could be really cool, along with being highly beneficial. i was doing a bit of research and on the Vatican’s website, there is a table of contents here describing their catechism. That might be a little much for us. I am seriously thinking about something like a 12-week interactive deal, that would act as a form of pre-baptism initiation into the faith. Service projects? The story of God? Bible? Prayer? Spiritual practices? life? Which docterines, if any? God, naturally, Christology? Attitude? What would it look like to have an initiation about how to practically love your neighbor? worship? God and science? Church? Kingdom? Our purpose?
Also, what age would be most helpful? I think that around 16-17 would be the best time for children to make any commitments they might make. Any earlier than that, they are still at the whim of parents and don’t have the freedom afforded to them by cars. Getting your liscence is really the new American Bar Mitzveh. Not that I dissaprove of children making commitments earlier, I hope they do. However, I have been toying around with putting off any kind of confirmation until they have the most freedom with which to make that decision. Thoughts?
However, I would love to make a really fun meeting time for all ages of kids. Kids in ancient Hebrew schools learned appropriate parts of the Bible as they matured. Psalms and proverbs were very helpful for them as learners, age 5-8, getting their foundations formed. The prophets didn’t come till later. Is there something to this?
I would love any input you have that might be helpful. Also any thoughts from parents who had/have kids having gone through a baptism/confirmation class, ritual, etc…. Thanks.
This will pick up steam in a few seasons, but for now, just some quotes for reflection:
“New opinions often appear first as jokes and fancies, then as blasphemies and treason, then as questions open to discussion, and finally as established truths.” – George Bernard Shaw
“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason? For if it prosper, none dare call it treason” – John Harington
“The unsuccessful strugglers against tyranny have been the chief martyrs of treason laws in all countries” – Thomas Jefferson
“All men should have a drop of treason in their veins, if nations are not to go soft like so many sleepy pears.” – Rebecca West
“America’s state religion, [is] patriotism, a phenomenon which has convinced many of the citizenry that “treason” is morally worse than murder or rape.” – William Blum
“Treason is like diamonds; there is nothing to be made by the small trader” – Douglas Jerrold
“Treason is an excuse made by the winners to hang the losers” – unknown
“Please to remember the fifth of November gunpowder treason and plot
I see of no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, ’twas his intent
To blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow…” – Unknown folk lyric regarding Guy Fawkes
“I’m engaged in high-treason with all means available to me. Can I count you in?” – Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in “Valkyrie”
Check out this article in the NY Times. I know where I stand on health care reform. I am getting pretty tired of special interests and lie-machines getting in the way of reform. I have been thinking about this for a while. We have set up a system where simply because someone is wealthier than someone else, they will get to live longer, despite their life choices (I think of many famous people who get pushed to the front of the line for kidney transplants after a life of abusing their bodies). I used to be on the other side of the fence. You know what changed my opinion? Becoming poor. Working multiple jobs and trying to go to school with a disabled wife and 2 kids. And pay health insurance? Heh. You know how I have health insurance? The Presbos. First Presbyterian of Granbury pays for my medical insurance. I digress. The right to life and how long you live should not be determined by how wealthy you are.
Another note: many fiscal conservatives (I am not referring to pro-life, yay God social conservatives) say they like the idea of competition in business because it drives them to make better products at cheaper prices in order to compete. They are lying. That is really what the public option is about. Breaking the oligopoly that exists now in health care and producing a public (read: not socialist) option for people to go to. So there. I took a stand on an issue. I am not pro-Obama, or anti-Obama. I simply think that this is the most Christlike thing to do, given the options presented.
Argue. Discuss.
Last night, we joined together Eikon and Eucatastrophe (another church plant in FW) and had a worship gathering together. It was such a good thing, to work together with Phil and his community, as there was such a lack of ego or ulterior motives when we were talking about it. During communion, Phil’s wife Stephanie asked everyone to take communion, and then take the elements and serve the next person. I was so blessed to see our community and another so in love with Jesus and each other and to see them serving each other in eucharistic harmony. I was moved to tears. Just a little. But powerfully.
One thing I didn’t expect was the pushback from some of our community regarding the theme of the night. We had decided that when we do Eukon, we would focus on different forms of missional activity and how people might get involved in helping. This time, we focused on human trafficking. I guess some who showed up were put off in some way because it wasn’t what they were expecting or they somehow felt that church should be about strictly singing and entertaining preaching, not about challenging people to get involved in real world issues.
Now, I don’t fault those who were put off by the night. Yes, it was mighty different than a typical Eikon gathering. Yes, Phil leading us in body prayer was new to us. Yes, the topic of human trafficking is uncomfortable. Yes, the songs were new. Yes, taking communion was different. Part of being a follower of Jesus (especially at Eikon) is to learn to see and worship God in everything. Even when we are uncomfortable. When we were planning the gathering, honestly, people being comfortable was not high on our priority list. If you belong to the community of Eikon, hopefully it is because of the people and thier trajectory in thier worship of God, not because it is entertaining. I have no desire to entertain people as my mission.
My personal mission and that of Eikon is to play our part in tbe redemtion of the world by being God’s people and following God’s son. I am dragging everyone I can with me. So to all of you who don’t understand why or what we did, or all of you who understand and didn’t like it, that is ok. You are still welcome. But know this: We are literally on a mission from God and no given person’s (or 4’s) uncomfortability is going to deter us from our redemptive goal. Isn’t that why you came to Eikon in the first place? Because we are not like the others? Well, you can count on us to keep being different. Oh, and if you haven’t been offended yet, just wait, we are an equal opportunity offender. But we will love you through it.
This is as good a place as any to remind myself and others what Eikon stands for. What gives us solidarity with Christ’s Church, and what makes us different from many churches. First up:
Jesus as Teacher – Not just our Savior, not just our Lord, not just a baby in a manger. Jesus taught us how to live; all of those who came after are just helpful interpreters rather than our source of teaching. We are no longer content to keep Jesus in the manger or on the cross; He is alive and present in our communities through the Spirit and His teachings.
This one is near and dear to my heart. It allows us to approach many issues and situations in a different way than most Christians do. We at Eikon believe that Jesus was the truest representation of God that ever was or will be. In the past, God spoke through laws, prophets, and kings, but when Jesus came, God spoke through him as a final word.This means for us that Jesus is our Rabbi. He is the teacher. He is the chosen representative of God to speak the mind of God. Everything we ever needed to know about God we learn from Jesus. He is the center point. He interprets everything else.
The rest of scripture filters through Jesus. Not the other way around. If you want to know God’s will, Paul is the wrong place to start. Revelation is the wrong place to start. The gospels are a better place to start. Once you get a handle on what Jesus is telling us about God, it might be helpful for you to look at what Paul or Peter have to say about Jesus to their contextual communities. We have made Paul our primary teacher (or worse, we have lifted up certain theologians that we feel are “right” to the place of primary teacher) and then we reach backwards and interpret Jesus in light of what we understand them to be saying.
The Bible is not our source, Jesus is. The words of Paul are not as authoritative as the words of Jesus, although it might be shocking to hear it stated that way. So, long live Rabbi Jesus, not just Savior, Son, and Lord Jesus. And may Paul finally get the respect he deserves as a faithful follower of Jesus, not someone who comes after Jesus and cleans him up and tells us what God really meant.
