An article by Peter Hitchens, brother of Christopher.
Peter is as devout as Christopher is impious. Interesting reading. Enjoy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255983/How-I-God-peace-atheist-brother-PETER-HITCHENS-traces-journey-Christianity.html
Friday, June 4, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Apologetics for Liberal Readers
If you consider yourself a theological liberal, you might profit from a book I just finished reading, The Devil's Delusion by David Berlinski. His writing is sometimes more florid than I like. Berlinski is bombastic and rambunctious. However, I think he presents a compelling defense of theism as a counter to the arrogant atheism of of Dawkins and company.
He addresses some interesting stuff from contemporary physics. This is where I think he is most helpful.
Happy reading.
He addresses some interesting stuff from contemporary physics. This is where I think he is most helpful.
Happy reading.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Noelle, a movie about pastors
Just watched a movie that examines the role of a pastor. "Noelle" 2007, 90 minutes. Directed by David Wall, Kerry Wall and Sean Patrick Brennan, I think.
It is about a priest in a small struggling Catholic parish on Cape Cod and the priest/church official sent to close his parish down. And a woman, of course. (This is a movie, after all.)
The movie works with stereotypes, but it connected with my heart. It paints a picture of the role of a pastor that I appreciate. The pastor as a friend of his people, as a member of the church community and the larger community, as believer in God more than in the church system. Since I want to measure my own effectiveness using numbers--attendance, baptisms, money--or drama--as in marvelously transformed lives, miracles or visions or spectacular divine leading. And since my ministry meets my expectations in only one area in this long list, the area with the least "spiritual appearance" to it, the movie's affirmation of ministry as affectionate fraternization with the people of the church and the community was encouraging.
It is about a priest in a small struggling Catholic parish on Cape Cod and the priest/church official sent to close his parish down. And a woman, of course. (This is a movie, after all.)
The movie works with stereotypes, but it connected with my heart. It paints a picture of the role of a pastor that I appreciate. The pastor as a friend of his people, as a member of the church community and the larger community, as believer in God more than in the church system. Since I want to measure my own effectiveness using numbers--attendance, baptisms, money--or drama--as in marvelously transformed lives, miracles or visions or spectacular divine leading. And since my ministry meets my expectations in only one area in this long list, the area with the least "spiritual appearance" to it, the movie's affirmation of ministry as affectionate fraternization with the people of the church and the community was encouraging.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
On Vacation
I'm headed to the desert for three weeks. There will be no more posts until April, 2010.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
My Faith or Our Faith?
In our church services, I invite people to text any comments or questions they have. At the end of the sermon, an "editor" inputs the questions into powerpoint and they are displayed on the screen and I answer them.
Often the questions are quite probing. (The editor is responsible for filtering questions are are not directly related to the sermon.)
This last week some asked, "You say God loves everyone and is working for their best good. I can believe that God is working in my life, but how do I make sense of the mega-tragedies that fill the news? How can I believe that God is really in control given the horror in Haiti and other third world countries."
It's a great question. I don't have a great answer.
What I said: "I don't know how to answer this question. It is a question that I ask personally all the time. So I fall back on the faith of the church. The church believes God is good and is working all things for the good of all people. I don't know how to defend that assertion rationally so I retreat to the faith of the church. This is what "we" believe. The church carries me when I face this question with my own inability to give a convincing "personal" answer.
My question to other clergy: How do you handle the difference between what you "know" as an individual and what you "believe" as a member and representative of a believing community?
Often the questions are quite probing. (The editor is responsible for filtering questions are are not directly related to the sermon.)
This last week some asked, "You say God loves everyone and is working for their best good. I can believe that God is working in my life, but how do I make sense of the mega-tragedies that fill the news? How can I believe that God is really in control given the horror in Haiti and other third world countries."
It's a great question. I don't have a great answer.
What I said: "I don't know how to answer this question. It is a question that I ask personally all the time. So I fall back on the faith of the church. The church believes God is good and is working all things for the good of all people. I don't know how to defend that assertion rationally so I retreat to the faith of the church. This is what "we" believe. The church carries me when I face this question with my own inability to give a convincing "personal" answer.
My question to other clergy: How do you handle the difference between what you "know" as an individual and what you "believe" as a member and representative of a believing community?
Friday, January 22, 2010
Why Are Mature Pastors Incompetent?
Had dinner with a friend recently. He's a highly regarded pastor in his sixties. Part of our conversation included his lament that he is just not really up to doing his job.
It reminded me of conversations I've had in recent years with a number of pastors who are in their fifties and sixties that included the same refrain. "I'm just not adequate for the job."
Certainly not all pastors are highly competent. Some are in competent. However, I wonder why pastors that are widely regarded as effective, competent and conscientious regard themselves as marginal?
As one said to me awhile back, "In any other profession--medicine, education, science--at this point in our careers we would regard ourselves as at the top of our game. We would be the papa bears, the mentors, the experts. Instead, we constantly struggle with a profound sense of inadequacy and marginal effectiveness."
Do you ever feel that way? Are your feelings reflected back to you from others?
How do you know if you are doing a good job?
It reminded me of conversations I've had in recent years with a number of pastors who are in their fifties and sixties that included the same refrain. "I'm just not adequate for the job."
Certainly not all pastors are highly competent. Some are in competent. However, I wonder why pastors that are widely regarded as effective, competent and conscientious regard themselves as marginal?
As one said to me awhile back, "In any other profession--medicine, education, science--at this point in our careers we would regard ourselves as at the top of our game. We would be the papa bears, the mentors, the experts. Instead, we constantly struggle with a profound sense of inadequacy and marginal effectiveness."
Do you ever feel that way? Are your feelings reflected back to you from others?
How do you know if you are doing a good job?
Oops. Moving memoir to new location
I am moving the chapters from my in-progress memoir from this blog to God, Rocks, And Souls. Address is godrocksandsouls.blogspot.com. See the link to the right.
(I can't figure out how to put a hyperlink here in the text of the blog.)
(I can't figure out how to put a hyperlink here in the text of the blog.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
