nakedpastor

Being a pastor in the Vineyard Association of Churches, I’m heading to the Setting Your Sails Conference in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. I’m taking my computer, hoping to take some time each day to blog and keep some posts going. If I am not successful, then you’ll hear from me Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. I hope you’ll hear from me soon!

I think the following sentence represents the core of Oswald Chambers’ thought. I wrote it down in my journal and wrote in the column next to it: “This is central to what I believe to be true!” So, here it is:
“Unless we can look the darkest, blackest fact full in the face without damaging God’s character, we do not yet know him.”
Coming to understand this is key in spiritual transformation and maturity. Connected to this are my thoughts on small groups, or home-groups as we call them in our church: small groups that gather on a regular basis, sometimes for worship and study, but mostly for the mutual spiritual support of friends and for prayer. I’ve been part of the same home-group now for about four years (I don’t lead it). There’s lots of material out there that suggests mixing up the groups every year to keep them fresh and focused on a study book or whatever. However, I’ve now come to the conclusion that love for the long haul has many more benefits. It is incredible, I must say, to be with the same people for over four years, watching them suffer, struggle, survive and even strengthen through all of it. It is amazing to see people grow over the years: not by becoming more successful, more pain-free or more cheerful (in a denial kind of way); but more resilient, patient and wise. I hereby testify that the people in the home-group I am a part of are truly learning how to “look the darkest, blackest fact full in the face without damaging God’s character.” They are an incredible source of encouragement for me.

I’m posting a question about Harpur’s book, The Pagan Christ. Here’s a quote:
“According to the historian Herodotus, the ‘father of history,’ the Egyptian Jesus, known as Iu-em-hetep, or Iusu, was one of the eight great gods who were described in the papyri almost twenty thousand years ago” (p. 39).
In my research I finally found the quote in Herodutus that I think he’s appealing to:
“In fact however Heracles is a very ancient Egyptian god; and (as they say themselves) it is seventeen thousand years to the beginning of the reign of Amasis from the time when the twelve gods, of whom they count that Heracles is one, were begotten of the eight gods” (Histories 2.43).
I’m guessing that the 17,000 years plus the approximately 3,000 that have passed since Herodutus = the 20,000 years he’s referring to (and he seems to be talking about Heracles, not Iu-em-hetep). But what documents? What papyri? Can anyone help me here? I’ve yet to find any extant papyri older than approximately 3,000 BCE. I like to check sources as I go along. So help me here!

I enjoy synchronistic moments like the one I’m about to relate to you, and my life is full of them. My neighbor loaned me his DVD copy of Long Way Round, the incredible story of Ewan McGregor’s and Charlie Boorman’s trip around the world on a pair of BMW motorcycles. Being a motorcycle enthusiast myself, I’m enjoying the DVD and have watched half of the 5 one-hour episodes already. During the fourth episode, while they are riding through Kazakhstan, Ewan says:
“I feel like I absolutely belong in this moment now. It’s where I should be, and luckily it’s where I find myself! (laughs)”
Beautiful words! That’s how I’m feeling these days. This morning as I was reading Chambers, he says:
“We must never put our dreams of success as God’s purpose for us; his purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; he is not… his end is the process—that I see him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is alright…”.
Same idea in different words. Like U2 sings“Beautiful Day”, “what you don’t have you don’t need it now!” Yup! I feel that’s very true for me right now. I feel I belong here. I should be here. And, fortunately, I find myself here. And I encourage my church towards the same sentiment.

As I usually do, early this morning, I’m drinking my coffee (Just Us Italian Roast, freshly ground and brewed), overlooking the Kennebacasis River (this pic took this morning!), and reading Oswald Chambers’ daily devotional, My Utmost For His Highest, meditating on today’s punchy statement, “The Spirit of God unearths the spirit of self-vindication.” With my eyes I notice the deer in my back yard eating the raspberries (this pic also took this morning!). Beautiful benediction! In my heart and mind I express gratitude for this blog and what it has BROUGHT me (Darren Rowse at over “ProBlogger” has a post on “Look What Blogging BOUGHT Me.”… I wish!). I feel grateful for those of you who make comments and challenge me. Last night, I was told: “I don’t believe much will come of your reading of Harpur if you are not prepared to engage it with an open mind.”, and: “Unfortunately, Harpur’s perspective appears to set you in a defensive posture and this is unfortunate.” I hear you, and on this beautiful morning, I take it as the Spirit of God unearthing my spirit of self-vindication. So, thanks.

One of the things we are taught in school, secular or religious, is that we should, in any discussion, cool or heated, not make sweeping, sensationalist, or conspiracy-theory statements. It seems that Harpur, my post, and consequent comments, have been guilty of this. I was telling my wife Lisa this morning over coffee (ah, life seemed so simple then!), that I decided after the first page of Harpur’s book, that I would journal every sweeping, sensational, and conspiracy theory statement he makes. In his first 13 pages I already have written 5 pages of such statements in my journal. And no, I don’t write big! Here’s just a few:

Sweeping:
“I will clearly document that there is nothing (emphasis mine) the Jesus of the Gospels either said or did… that cannot be shown to have originated thousands of years before” (p. 10).

“Everything (emphasis mine)… already existed in the Egyptian sources… there is irrefutable proof that not one (emphasis mine) single doctrine, rite, tenet, or usage in Christianity was in reality a fresh contribution to the world of religion” (p. 10).

Sensational:
“…engaging in this endeavour reveals some extremely disturbing facts” (p. 8f).

“… what I describe and document in the following pages is one of the most far-reaching tragedies in history” (p. 2).

Conspiracy Theory:
“Whenever any of this material has been mooted seriously, others have rushed to crush it, dismissing it summarily or labeling it as rank heresy” (p. 7).

“Kuhn’s books (his main source) have never been given the wide recognition they so deeply deserve. He simply stepped too often and much too hard on too many powerful toes, particularly those of the vested religious institutions and their hierarchical keepers” (p. 10).

I promise to keep reading and give this book a chance because I believe in open and honest dialogue, and all sides must be considered. Oh! For just one of the other “sides”, check out this critique of Harpur’s ideas and his sources.

In Tom Harpur’s book, The Pagan Christ. Recovering the Lost Light, he claims:
“As we shall see, the ‘Pagans’, who were persecuted, decried, killed, and ultimately utterly vanquished by the Church, held views of ‘the Christ within’ that the Church was to plagiarize blatantly—and then cover up with book burning, anathemas, and murder.” Because the root meaning of “pagan” is “peasant”, I can agree with Harpur that the institutional Church has frequently and consistently been guilty of alienating outsiders, fringe people, and the marginalized. I see it in our own time and town! Everyone has to agree that it has been the official mainstream Church that dominates the Christian landscape.

I’ve yet to finish the book, but I would contend that the Church isn’t so much guilty of the blatant plagiarism to the extent of his claim, as it is influenced. I remember when Coldplay was interviewed. The interviewer expressed his opinion that they were copying Radiohead. Chris Martin responded that they may have been influenced by Radiohead, but nothing was copied. I agree. Music is always influenced by what goes on before and around. In the same way, I believe the church emerged in a highly charged spiritual climate in which there were all kinds of symbols and meanings the culture of its place and time understood and used to communicate the ultimate mysteries.

However, I’m looking forward to reading his critique of the Church. I believe in the Church so much so that I invite and welcome the severest criticisms because I am convinced that much of it may be valid and that the Church needs to be prophesied back into its original humble posture.

I’ve been listening to Brian Eno all day. Eno, for those of you who don’t know, is probably best known for his work with U2. Mondays, as usual for most pastors I know, is my day off. But I don’t really take it off. I spend ALL DAY in my studio painting like crazy. So, I’ve been painting all day to the ethereal, dreamy, mood music of Eno… such albums as Apollo and Ambient 2: Plateaux of Mirror. Next on my list is Discreet Music, and Ambient 1: Music for Airports. Sometimes I paint to crazy jazz, like Terence Blanchard, but today it’s Eno. Listening to music keeps my energy up, my creativity flowing and my brushes moving.

I love Mondays. They’re my creativity day with coffee breaks overlooking the Kennebacasis River (click here to see a pic). But don’t get me wrong… being creative is hard work. You have to get up, get in there, and DO IT!

I stayed up late last night to watch the foreign film TSOTSI, from South Africa (click here to watch the trailer). It won Best Foreign Language film last year at the Oscars. I’d recommend it. It is about a young man nicknamed “Tsotsi”, which means “thug”. He lives his life, or rather survives, in a township of Johannesburg, caught up in a whirlwind of violence. His life radically alters course when he discovers a baby in the back seat of a car he has stolen.

I think it is one of the most difficult tasks to depict genuine change in a human being within the length of a movie without it feeling cheesy. But this movie accomplishes it well. I call films like this redemptive, meaning that something or someone was somehow saved from their poor condition.

Another film I watched recently that I’d recommend is THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, directed by Tommy Lee Jones (click here to see the trailer). Another beautifully gritty film about the journey from human degradation to redemption.

I’m up very early Sunday mornings to fine-tune my messages. Here’s what I’m teaching today (anyone can use this if you want). It’s taken from PSALM 16:11 (click on it!).
1. God makes known the path of life: This is not about making known how I should behave. It’s not like God gives me a detailed blueprint of how I have to live. He shows me a path, and I am free to walk it. Interestingly, to enter the path of life, Jesus said the gate is very narrow, and few find it. My painting THE NARROW WAY (click on it!), graphically depicts this struggle. But once we pass through the gate of death to self, the path is like an open pasture.
2. There is full joy in his presence: Joy isn’t an ‘automatic attitude’ for Christians. It isn’t natural to us. It is in God’s presence. This is where it gets mysterious, because God’s presence isn’t static, but dynamic. God seems to come and go, for various reasons. And sometimes, it isn’t the real me that is in his presence, but my false self. Here’s an applicable quote from Bono:
“When I wake up in the morning, I sort of put my hand out—spiritually—and I reach for what you might call God. Sometimes I don’t feel God, and I feel lonely. I feel on my own, and I wonder where God is. And then (pause)—again, I don’t want to be melodramatic about this—I ask God: ‘Where have you gone?’ God usually replies in a way that is hard to describe: ‘I haven’t gone anywhere. (laughs) Where have you gone? I haven’t moved.’ Then I have to check, and I realize that I have somewhere sold myself out. It usually happens incrementally, in tiny steps. You never betray yourself—at least I never betray myself—in big dramatic bold moves, like: OK, this morning, I’m going to rob a bank, and find out where my enemy lives and tie him to his bed. You slowly move from that person that is most like you” (BONO, p. 356).
3. All pleasures are in God’s right hand: Again, it is not a ‘guaranteed given’ that the pleasures are in MY right hand. They are in God’s to dispense with as God sees fit. We’d love to believe that we have the control over pleasure, love, possessions, money, sex, friendship, etc., but if we are honest, we have to admit that we really don’t have control over these things. They are gifts.

David doesn’t see himself in a direct causal relationship with life, joy, or pleasure. He is one step removed from them. He sees himself, rather, in direct relationship to God, the giver of these things, and realizes his enjoyment of all these things depends on God.