tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-128956392024-03-23T13:16:11.132-05:00Thoughts from a Clay PotThoughts from a United Methodist pastor, trained historian, and a halfway decent guy.Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-9713847764304965622014-06-04T13:51:00.000-05:002014-06-04T13:51:03.411-05:00Ascension ThoughtsI wrote this for my congregation, on May 29, 2014, the Feast of the Ascension. May 29th this year was the 40th day of Easter, the day when Luke recounts Jesus’ Ascension to Heaven (twice, actually, in Luke 24:50-51, then again in Acts 1:1-11). The Ascension is always a Thursday (since Easter Day is always a Sunday), and rarely celebrated outside of the most liturgical protestant churches, regardless of their tradition. Sometimes, we do celebrate the Ascension of Christ the Sunday following the day, but that’s about it. For United Methodists, this is somewhat ironic, as the worship book John Wesley sent to America in 1784 included texts for only 3 days aside from Sundays—Christmas Day, Good Friday, and the Ascension.
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Wesley was right that we need the Ascension (not just because the Risen Christ should, reasonably, still be walking around with us otherwise), but because Advent (the return of the King) is impossible without it! As usual, we have a powerful hymn from Charles Wesley we often sing for Ascension, “Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise” in our Hymnal. The first stanza is familiar enough:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10"><tbody>
<tr>
<td align="justify" valign="top" width="300"><i>Hail the day that sees Him rise, Alleluia!</i><br />
<i>To His throne above the skies, Alleluia!</i><br />
<i>Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!</i><br />
<i>Reascends His native heaven, Alleluia!</i></td>
<td align="justify" valign="top" width="300"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="background-color: white;">Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:1-2 NRSV
</i></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
However, as is often the case, Charles wrote more than we’ve kept (it’s actually a rather long hymn).
Toward the end, he references the end-goal of the Ascension:<br />
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<tr>
<td align="justify" valign="top" width="300"><i>Ever upward let us move, Alleluia!<br />
Wafted on the wings of love, Alleluia!<br />
Looking when our Lord shall come, Alleluia!<br />
Longing, gasping after home, Alleluia!
</i></td>
<td align="justify" valign="top" width="300"><i>There we shall with Thee remain, Alleluia!<br />
Partners of Thy endless reign, Alleluia!<br />
There Thy face unclouded see, Alleluia!<br />
Find our heaven of heavens in Thee, Alleluia!
</i></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
There it is—in sections of the hymn we don’t sing, a clear reference to the joining of Heaven and Earth! “Looking when our Lord shall come, Alleluia!” followed by that wonderful image of the renewed Heavens and Earth that rings of the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” from Revelation 21 (NRSV), the final answer to the prayer “thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Bishop N. T. Wright, in a Sunday after Ascension sermon to the Diocese of Durham (England) from 2007 put it this way:<br />
<blockquote>
<a href="http://ntwrightpage.com/sermons/Earth_Heaven.htm"><i>When the New Testament speaks of God’s kingdom it never, ever, refers to heaven pure and simple. It always refers to God’s kingdom coming on earth as in heaven, as Jesus himself taught us to pray. We have slipped into the easygoing language of ‘the kingdom of heaven’ in the sense of God’s kingdom being ‘heaven’, but the early church never spoke like that. The point about heaven is that heaven is the control room for earth. Heaven is the CEO’s office from which earth is run – or it’s supposed to be, which is why we’re told to pray for that to become a reality. And the point of the Ascension, paradoxically in terms of the ways in which generations of western Christians have seen it, is that this is the moment when that prayer is gloriously answered.</i> </a></blockquote>
The whole sermon is worth looking up and reading. Our hope isn’t going to heaven when we die, but beyond that, of heaven and earth made one. What that means is, what we do now isn’t just about living well enough to “get to heaven,” but instead to live and work to make this more like the King is on the throne already—because he is! After all, that’s what the Ascension means—Jesus is Lord of all creation, and reigns from the heavenly throne so that his presence can be felt in all things. So the work we do to fight cancer, to feed the hungry, to care for the earth, to end malaria… all of it is of eternal significance, because as Charles Wesley put it when our Lord shall come “There we shall with Thee remain, partners of Thy endless reign, there Thy face unclouded see, find our heaven of heavens in Thee.”Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-74828086283026662792014-05-27T11:48:00.001-05:002014-06-01T16:06:36.542-05:00Holiness is the Goal<span style="font-family: inherit;">During May, I preached from 1 Peter. Much like the rest of the New Testament letters, 1 Peter mixes theology and ethics in a facile manner—moving from thinking about the nature of salvation, hope, resurrection, suffering, the purpose of creation, holiness and who Jesus is; moving into what believing and having faith in Jesus means practically, in the present, in terms of behavior, for those who call themselves (ourselves) disciples of Jesus Christ.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my favorite pieces (that isn't in the Revised Common Lectionary, <a href="http://theearthenvessel.blogspot.com/2014/04/we-should-mount-wesleyan-protest.html">I blogged about that here</a>, but that I added for worship the first week) is 1 Peter 1:13-16. In the NRSV it reads:<o:p></o:p>
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Methodists have always been holiness people. Now, let’s be clear, at times we’ve let that
identity express itself as “holier than thou, people,” and that’s not OK! Being
holiness people shouldn’t be about legalistic judgmentalism, nor should it be
about imagining ourselves to be perfect when we are not. <a href="http://www.gbod.org/live-the-um-way/practicing-the-um-way/resource/thoughts-upon-methodism">Holiness should be a calling and a goal—it should be our desire and hope to fulfill God’s call to holy living, and to submit ourselves to the kind of discipline that can lead us there</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Christian faith is far more than just believing, though belief is important. Christian faith is as much a way of
living as it is a way of believing. Being Christian means acquiring and
practicing a peculiar ethics. For most of us, we learn how to be good, nice,
kind, studious, industrious, and so on as children—we learn virtue as a part of
our formation as people! That is normal, and part of the reason that Christians
are intentional about formation and education of our children. But, and there’s
a pretty big but here, we don’t become Christian automatically—we have to
decide to follow Jesus, and to be conformed to him. “Christian ethics, like any
ethics, are ‘tradition dependent.’ … Christian ethics only make sense from the
point of view of what we believe has happened in the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=12895639&pli=1#footnote1">*</a> What we believe matters for how we behave (and that is especially true for what
we believe about Jesus).
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s a corollary as well: even in the process of being formed into “good” people, we have the propensity to
develop habits that need to be reworked. 1 Peter reminds us, “do not be
conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance.” Our desires,
passions, and drives, some of them even defined as virtues by the world around
us, need to be brought into the light of Jesus Christ and examined to see if
they conform to the desires, passions and drives of Jesus and his followers. We
are called to reconsider our behavior “like obedient children,” as those who
are most likely to be formed into a particular way of living and being.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t run before I moved to my current appointment. In fact, I had a pretty lax relationship to physical
health overall in terms of diet, exercise, and rest. I had endless excuses,
including chronic back pain and plenty of “busyness,” to justify my choices—but
then I visited my new doctor. He engaged in some pretty serious truth-telling,
bringing into perspective that my learned behaviors did not conform to
longevity or long-term well-being, and when I reflected on that, it seemed
profoundly poor stewardship of God’s gift of health to continue living like I
had. It wasn’t instant, but I have learned the joy of a different way of living
by practicing it. The same is true for Christian living—we might find it
difficult at first, impossible apart from the Church, but with time and
practice, we can become more and more God’s holy people, conformed to the way
of Christ. What Christian
practices might you re-engage? What practices might you take on for the first time?</span><br />
<sup><br /></sup>
<sup>__________</sup><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="footnote1"></a>
<sup>*</sup>Stanley Hauerwas and William
H. Willimon, <i>Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony</i> (Nashville,TN: Abingdon Press, 1989), 71.
</span>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-52942633534034340152014-04-29T15:20:00.001-05:002014-04-29T15:20:23.709-05:00We should mount a Wesleyan protest...Christ is Risen! It is Easter (the Great 50 Days, not just Day 1), and I'm feeling the joy of celebrating the season. I'm also glad to be back on lectionary after a Lent working on Rocks and Stones (deriving from a congregation-wide devotion). I'm focusing on 1 Peter for the next few weeks, and I'm looking forward to it. Studying the book in preparation, though, I realized that the Revised Common Lectionary leaves out something vital from the semi-continuous reading.<br />
<br />
To stop the suspense: This week's pericope starts a couple verses late! I mean, how are we to understand 1 Peter 1:22 "Now that you have <i>purified </i>your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart (NRSV)," without <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+1%3A13-16&version=NRSV">1 Peter 1:13-16</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance.Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As far as I can tell, John Wesley never published a sermon based (primarily) on this passage, but it does seem to be referenced in <a href="http://www.umcmission.org/Find-Resources/John-Wesley-Sermons/Sermon-18-The-Marks-of-the-New-Birth">Standard #18 "The Marks of the New Birth"</a> (specifically at Section IV.1). That paragraph concludes:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">So that ye are constrained to love all men as yourselves; with a love not only ever burning in your hearts, but flaming out in all your actions and conversations, and making your whole life one "labour of love," one continued obedience to those commands, "Be ye merciful, as God is merciful;" "Be ye holy, as I the Lord am holy:" "Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
</span></blockquote>
What's the big idea that all of the major 3 year lectionaries drop this section of 1 Peter, along with it's particularly challenging quotation from Leviticus (11:45, 19:2, 20:7 etc...) to BE HOLY.<br />
<br />
If we are called to preach full salvation, skipping this part of 1 Peter isn't really a help! Apparently, we can refer to our pure souls without first hearing the call to holiness of heart and life.<br />
<br />
So, should I add this in? Skip a week? Send a strongly worded letter to The Consultation on Common Texts?<br /><br />What do you think? Should we mount a Wesleyan protest?Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-80397054856902856512014-04-08T12:03:00.001-05:002014-04-08T12:03:28.226-05:00Divisions in Christ's Body and The UMC<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've never really wanted division within The United Methodist Church. I've always held up hope that somehow, someday, we'd find a way forward through acrimony and division to a better place. I don't think I'm particularly naive, I've watched the coverage of every General Conference from 1996 to the present pretty clearly, attended a United Methodist seminary, and experienced all sorts of tension--but I've always wanted to believe that we could learn from each other how to follow Jesus better.
I don't know anymore. The truth is, the last year has left me unsure about the future of this particular segment of Christ's Church. I've seen the tensions rise around issues regarding homosexuality, mostly, and that's a part of it. I believe that underneath our disagreements about homosexuality lie our differences on the proper place of sexual ethics in the overarching schema of being Christian, and different theological anthropologies (specifically around the place, power, and role of passions for Christians). We can't seem to get beyond the surface issue to the deeper issues, and I'm not sure if we can (in my opinion, no other mainline Christian body in North America has, so we'd be unique if we succeeded).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I've always held out hope, though, that God might do something different with United Methodists. I've wanted us to offer a better model of Jesus' vision for his people (the Church) from John 13:35 "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Now, I'm not Greek scholar, but the "love" here is no mere affection, no familial presence, but a deep care for the Other we learn from God--it's not erotic, familial, filial or anything of the sort, it's AGAPE. As long as we let each other be who we are, and love each other enough not to directly impinge on one another's deep convictions, while working on how to be united in living out Christian faith, there's hope we can agape in the same house. Once that mutuality reaches a point where it's gone, then we need to consider if the only way to maintain agape is in separate denominations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While my level of mutual accountability to other United Methodists is greater than my Congregationalist, Baptist, Lutheran, Nazarene, Episcopalian, or Roman Catholic friends, my agape for them isn't. Some of us live together, some apart, but our agape ought to be the same in the Church of Jesus Christ, whether we share in one communion or not. In fact, it's easier to live out agape across those bounds at times than within one part of the Body of Christ, in part because the decisions of another part of the Body are less likely to impinge on my deep convictions directly--we can focus on a common identity as Christians without being constantly and directly impacted by our differences.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We've argued, we've wept, we've disagreed--but I had believed that all sides acted out of mutual agape at least most of the time until now. I have Conservative, Moderate and Progressive friends (and many who would prefer other labels or none), and most (if not all) genuinely seemed to love Jesus and want to follow where he leads. The United Methodist Church might not be united in all the finer points of Christian living, but at least all clergy are asked if we've studied the Church's Doctrine and if we will uphold and teach it, so at least we're all good with our <a href="http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1648">Doctrinal Standards</a>, right? We're far from in complete agreement, but at least we have common ground!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not pretending I've never heard either side malign the other--I've heard Conservatives call Progressives apostate and Progressives call Conservatives hatemongers and homophobes. I've never wanted to believe either was true, and I've seen much evidence to the contrary over time. Sadly, I began to wonder during Annual Conference last year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm theologically orthodox, a thoroughly Nicene Christian in the company of the Wesleys (as I've heard Eddie Fox say). During the entirety of Annual Conference we had the text of The Lord's Prayer placed before us, but it was never the prayer Jesus taught the Disciples based on any Bible I'd ever seen. Apparently, the words he gave us weren't good enough--we had to learn a new (presumably better) way to pray. As we were encouraged to pray in our own languages, I prayed the prayer that has shaped me, that continues to shape me, and went on with the work of Annual Conference. <i>Only </i>during the actual Laying on of Hands in Ordination did anyone ever use the Trinitarian Name of God from the "pulpit" during the entirety of our Conference together--we heard many names used, but here and here alone the God named in Article I of both the Articles of Religion and Confession of Faith. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps I was being oversensitive--these are challenging things for me, but our metaphors describe the God revealed in Scripture and the Incarnation, and there was at least <i>some </i>reference to the God I know. Perhaps there's room for worship that speaks obliquely of Scriptural Truth, especially at Annual Conference--we assume all of these leaders of the Church ought to be converted already, right? Yes, this is <i>MY </i>church, the place of <i>my </i>membership, but it's a shared space with all the others present as well. Sure, I there were some prayers I couldn't pray authentically, so I stopped, and prayed silently that God would be with me and all of us. I'm open to letting church be church for all of us! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was a first for me, that most of worship at Annual Conference felt more like a political show than worship of the Triune God, but I was open to this being my own false-perception. That broke down during the hymns in the ordination service. At that point, I experienced real hate from some of the Body in a way that nearly drove me to leave the service--hate and vitriol that has stuck with me ever since. The thing is, it was directed at me and those who needed the heart-song we were singing, telling us just how unwanted we really were. While singing "Victory in Jesus," some voices among the clergy began screaming over the text every time we sang of Jesus' redeeming blood. Even now it moves me almost to tears. Something that to me is an essential affirmation, that Christ died for us, <i>ALL OF US</i> while we were yet sinners, was desecrated. This was no disagreement over gay marriage or sexual ethics, no divide over secular politics or even theological minutiae--no, for me this was an assault on the <i>CORE </i>of the Gospel (how are we freed from the power of sin but by the blood of Jesus? I can't find another way--and at least my reading of Hebrews 9:11-10:18 seems to indicate the same). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't know what the intent was--but the message I received was clear: we're done with Jesus' blood, and you probably should be too. I'm glad we didn't sing "And Can it Be?" I think I might have been driven to walk out, or perhaps cried out to the Bishop to stop the singing had the Methodist Hymn of Hymns been treated in that manner. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>I've never really wanted division within The United Methodist Church. I want to hope that somehow, someday, we'd find a way forward through acrimony and division to a better place. I'm finding that harder and harder these days.Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-47049684533991939552009-09-30T13:36:00.002-05:002009-09-30T13:48:43.176-05:00No More Checks?<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Walletpop.com this week includes <a href="http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/23/check-this-supermarkets-stop-accepting-checks/">a post about the end of checks at the supermarket</a>.<br /><br />Let me just say, I've never payed a grocery bill with a paper check. I know there are plenty of folks who do--and there are a few places I do use paper checks (tithes to church, bills where a company charges extra for some kind of electronic payment, certain personal services, the IRS, etc...), but for the most part, I'm a part of the "post-check" generation. <br /><br />If your friendly local supermarket stopped accepting personal checks, would this cause you personal anxiety, make your life more difficult, or have vitually no impact on you?</span>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-38693503945108053032009-09-26T08:41:00.001-05:002009-09-26T08:43:04.243-05:00Being Church--First Thoughts<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">There's currently a lot of conversation in the blogosphere about what it means to be church. This week at Elm Street, we have been engaging in some live conversation about being church together, and about being church into the future.<br /><br />Earlier today, as I checked my email, I received links to the following blog posts by <a href="http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/about/">Dan Dick</a>. After some time reflecting on them, I want to offer them to you.<br /><br />The first post should sound fairly familiar to anyone who has been a part of our conversations at Elm Street--<a href="http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/church-without-churches/">Church Without Churches</a>. Much as we have done this week, Dan Dick opens a thought experiment about what might happen if tomorrow, every United Methodist congregation found itself without a building. Dan informs his readers that "Approximately 60% of our current membership defines church as attending worship on Sunday morning. “Going to church” describes the fundamental experience for the majority of United Methodists — especially inactives."<br /><br />How do you primarily define "church?" Is it more about "Going to..." or "Being..." church for you? I'd encourage you to read Dan's blog post and spend some more time thinking about these questions--his insights are powerful and insightful!<br /><br />The second post I recieved hit home as well. In <a href="http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/irresponsibly-unresponsive/">Irresponsibly Unresponsive</a>, Dan asks us to answer the question "What responsibility does the individual have for her or his own spiritual growth and development?" In it, Dan talks about people who leave United Methodist congregations and their stated reasons, while raising questions about our personal responsibility for Christian discipleship and development. One of my favorite parts of this post is the following:<br /><blockquote>The majority of people attend church hoping to receive something, but very few express any responsibility to bring anything to worship. (In fact, the question was confusing to many people. We asked two questions: “How do you prepare yourself for worship?” and “What are your regular practices to grow spiritually?” In both cases, “what do you mean?” and “Nothing/None” are the top answers.)</blockquote><br />I'd really love for you all to check out Dan's post--I don't want to give too much away, but I can't resist offering the following thoughts for you:<br /><blockquote>One interesting reaction from 4-out-of-every-5 people who left the church was a sense of indignation, and often outrage, that “the church” would expect anything from them. Various people expressed resentment that they were instructed to pray, read the Bible, regularly attend church, give money, give time, or support congregational projects. The overwhelming opinion is that all these things should be up to the individual.</blockquote><br />Again, these thoughts make me want to ask, how do you primarily define "church?" Is it more about "Going to..." or "Being..." church for you?<br /><br />I'm currently in the midst of a sermon series on "Being Church" that will continue until Christ the King Sunday (the last one before Advent). For those of you who will not hear those live, but who would like to know more, you can listen to the Elm Street UMC Podcasts <a href="http://www.elmstreetumc.org/podcast.php">here</a>.</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-48115558036097697432008-04-22T15:21:00.002-05:002008-04-22T15:37:06.402-05:00Time for a North American Dollar zone?<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I've wondered about NAFTA and the EuroZone for some time now, but I caught a bit of the North American Summit news reports this afternoon, and it got me thinking again. There are parallels, but significant differences as well. <br /><br />The key difference (at least the most obvious, not to get into the EU parliament connected to the EuroZone), of course, is multiple currencies in the US, Canada, and Mexico. I'd argue that we need to move toward a single super-national North American community (that would include eliminating inernal boarder crossings between the three North American nations and simplify transnational residence), but that's a complex matter. Simpler, and perhaps more mannageable in the short run, is the creation of a single, North American Dollar zone. No, I'm not dissing the Peso, but with two Dollars already, it's the easier way to go. In fact, if we developed a "Dollar/Peso" zone, with total equivalency (essentially printing three currencies without exchange rates, so 1$US = 1$CAD = 1 Peso), we could all keep our familiar currencies in our wallets, but use whatever we happen to have while traveling between the three states. This would have immediate positive impact, especially in boarder communities. <br /><br />Even better, now's the time. With virtual equivalence between the US and Canadian Dollars, only Mexico would have to reissue the Peso, which could be subsidized by the other two states to facilitate trade.<br /><br />I know it's not likely, but hey, we could be smarter than we are! Why compete with one another in North America (with only 3 official languages), when we can cooperate to compete with Europe. If the polyglot EU can do it, why can't we?</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-10956090396454804672008-04-07T11:59:00.002-05:002008-04-07T12:04:57.017-05:00A Prayer for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Loving Father, <br /> when we knew the presence of God in Jesus, he promised God would always be present for us, as you would send another Comforter.<br />Grant that we who know the presence of that Comforter, the Holy Spirit, <br /> will be empowered to live as Disciples who know the Risen Christ;<br />Through that same Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit is worshipped and glorified, one God, now and forever. Amen.</span><br /><br />Inspired by <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:15-21&version=72">John 14:15-21</a>.Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1465648373504629432008-03-31T13:13:00.001-05:002008-03-31T13:15:32.721-05:00Thoughts on Worship this Easter Season<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I've been thinking hard about worship as we have entered this Easter season. I spend a lot of time thinking about worship for each Sunday we are together, but I've been thinking a bit more out-of-the-box, or beyond-the-bulletin lately. What does it mean to be worshippers of the Risen Christ? How do we worship as Christians in a 21st centuray world? What does our United Methodist heritage and the Christian tradition have to tell us about worship, praise, prayer, and Christian community as we gather to celebrate Jesus' Resurrection?<br /><br />These are heavy questions! I don't have all the answers for our context today, but I do know that what we think is "proper worship," or "the way things have always been," aren't quite so set in stone. I do know that if we have met the risen Jesus, our lives shouldn't be like they used to be. I also know that to worship him means we need to be open to the presence of Christ in our lives, and in our church, and that if the Lord is present, we cannot be in complete control. A traditional way to open worship in Black Methodism is to sing "The Lord is in His Holy Temple, Let all the Earth Keep Silence Before Him." I want to propose, if we think of our lives and our places of worship as The Lord's Holy Temple, and if we believe the Lord is in the house with us, we might find ourselves keeping silence like our brothers and sisters at <a href="http://home.maine.rr.com/greenmemorial/">Green Memorial AME-Zion</a> on Munjoy Hill, where the silence quickly moves to singing, dancing, shouting and praise!<br /><br />I love old hymns, and I believe that many of the old ways still have power to lead worship well today, but I'm convinced that to be authentic worshippers of the Risen Christ in the 21st century, we need to find ways of communicating the Gospel that are indigenous to the communities around us. For some, that might mean praise music, for others Southern Gospel, for yet others, traditional hymns might work. Whatever music, method, and means we use to communicate with our communities, our worship needs to be truly Spirit-filled. Again, if we really believe the Lord is in the house, if we let the Spirit take the lead, we cannot expect to remain in complete control!<br /><br />Our United Methodist history has a great deal to teach us about the variety of forms authentic worship can take. Methodists have never worshipped in only one way, and many of those ways might look strange to us today. John and Charles Wesley were high-church Anglicans: They were deeply Sacramental and by all accounts comfortable with formality, vestments, and the kinds of reverence and propriety demanded by 18th century Anglican worship. The Wesley's were also more concerned with helping the people of their society meet Jesus than with preserving worship the way they understand it, and when they found preaching in parish churches a challenge, took to other locations, lining songs without instruments, praying in the Spirit in the moment, and calling for people to give their lives to Christ right where they were. In prayer meetings and some of the early Methodist chapels, some folks found themselves so overcome by the Holy Spirit that they shouted, wept, cried out for God's mercy, fell to their knees and faces, and even shouted with joy, all with little respect for proper order and deference! When the Lord is in His Holy Temple, when the Lord is in the house, there's no telling what might happen!<br /><br />Over our history, Methodists have sometimes followed John Wesley's admonition to Constant Communion, celebrating at least every Sunday, and often have followed formal orders of worship, with scheduled prayer, singing and silence; we have also followed the Wesley's example, chartering Camp Meetings, Revivals, and other kinds of services, where prayers flow unscheduled, preaching often becomes empassioned, and singing and shouting both in joy and conviction cannot easily be controlled; today, United Methodists worship in more languages and styles than ever before, but at our best, we are always open to the Lord's leadership as we worship together.<br /><br />I point out our diverse heritage and current practices to suggest that there isn't one right way to worship, but I do want to make two points: there is one thing that all right worship has in common, and there is one thing which we should never let happen to worship. The one thing all right worship has in common is an openness to the work and power of the Holy Spirit, making what we do passionate, exciting, electric, and live! Like all living things, Spirit-driven worship is at least a little unpredictable and open to adapting to its immediate circumstances. The one thing that we should never let happen to our worship is to let it become a dead, dry activity that we try to do without the power of the Holy Spirit. If we are to worship the Living God who made Heaven and Earth, who in Christ lived, died, and rose for us, then we cannot do it without the Holy Spirit, the presence of God with us!<br /><br />Yes, worship of the Risen Christ is a risky business--but the Church of Jesus Christ is called to take risks in his name, including in our worship! So if the Spirit moves you this Easter season, shout "<em>AMEN!</em>" or "<em>HALLELUJAH!</em>" like those Methodists of old! Raise your hands in the air, in praise or prayer! If the time is right, shout and praise the Lord in the Sanctuary! Dance, shout, jump, and have JOY in the Holy Spirit, like King David and all God's holy people across time!<br /><br />The Lord <i>IS</i> in His Holy Temple, Let All the Earth Keep Silence Before Him, and Let the Church of Christ praise as the Spirit leads us!</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-53563931270329262872007-09-12T06:43:00.000-05:002007-09-12T06:51:28.828-05:00September has come... and the boy's fun...<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Well,<br /><br />I'm back from Paternity Leave, and glad to be getting back into a routine with the folks at my two churches.<br /><br />My son is well, and my wife is doing alright. She's had a hard transition back to her church, with a number of roadblocks beyond her control in the process. It's been tough at times, but we're getting through this and focusing on the task of planning a major revival/music festival/day of intentional outreach and evangelism in its first (and hopefully not final) iteration.<br /><br />Our son learned to roll over some time ago, but just over a week ago he decided that after he first stirred at night, he'd prefer to sleep on his front. I must say, he is cuteness personified! He's starting to play with things he can grab (and to grab anything that comes close to him), but he's just as happy to manipulate his world with his feet (I recognize "manipulate" is a rather ironic word choice, coming from the Latin <em>mano </em>for "hand").<br /><br />Well, I have a Bible Study to lead in an hour, and I need to get ready. Off we go!<br /></span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-50776931487019843292007-07-20T16:30:00.000-05:002007-07-20T15:36:59.936-05:00Long time coming...It's been a long time coming. The past year has been complicated and often challenging. My wife has been pregnant, struggling with her church to deal with dangerous lead levels in the parsonage, and finally, we've ended up moving (temporarily) and then our son was born!<br /><br />He's doing well and my Paternity Leave has started (with a 2 week overlap with Kate's Maternity Leave). We're trying to figure out how to return to our charges, to be effective pastors, and to be good parents too.<br /><br />Anyway... I should post. This space has helped me think since I started the process. And here's a post. At least one.<br /><br />I'm not making any promises today. We'll see what tomorrow might bring, but my hope is that I'll keep with it this time.<br /><br />Yeah.Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-2263575878418131432007-03-03T20:14:00.000-05:002007-03-03T20:42:38.770-05:00Saturday Night Musings<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I've been thinking about the fact that I haven't consistently posted on this blog in months. Last time I saw <a href="http://www.theologygirl.com/">Adrienne</a>, she shamed me into considering my failure to keep up. Today, I discovered Bill Chaney's blog, <a href="http://makingdisciples.wordpress.com/">Making Disciples in an Emerging Church</a>. I found <a href="http://makingdisciples.wordpress.com/2007/02/14/blogging-is-a-tool-to-grow-churches-clergy-say/">this post</a>, which argued that blogging was a valuable tool for church growth. Once again...it got me thinking.<br /><br />I find myself keeping very busy 'doing' church, maintaining and repairing church structures, and trying to get to know my congregations after spending last fall when I tried to be a full-time pastor and also finish my last two seminary classes. I can't seem to find time to do a number of things I believe could begin to reach the world around me with the Gospel, because I spend a great deal of time trying to solve structural problems in church life that keep us from effectively ministering to the world around us.<br /><br />We haven't made much progress, but I believe revitalization is possible. Both churches I serve can grow and can become dynamic centers of disciple-making in their communities, and I think that at least some folks in both places <i>want</i> their church to grow and serve their communities in new ways. I think that there are impediments to overcome, but increasingly, my personal prayer-time, my conversation with trusted colleagues, and my conversation with folks at both churches have led me to believe that any impediments that might exist to disciple-making, growth, and service can be overcome by God's grace and work in the community. <br /><br />I think I'll do my part by trying to find time to blog a bit more often, and by helping envision what both of these churches might look like as we continue to grow into Christian communities that can minister in the name of Jesus to a 21st century world.</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-60195517602099493292007-02-24T10:19:00.000-05:002007-02-24T10:26:57.475-05:00Why I wonder about American culture<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The world is a confusing place! According to <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2141083/">this article in Slate</a>, even the venerable phrase "my baby-daddy" is subject to linguistic drift. Apparently, this term that has carried the last vestiges of western culture's disapproval of extra-marital procreation no longer does in much of the tabloid media!<br /><br />What has Western culture come to!</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1157059257382290842006-08-31T15:49:00.000-05:002007-03-03T20:43:16.676-05:00Disturbing Results<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In an increasingly pluralistic America, where we value diversity and individual rights above all else, or at least that is our rhetoric, some ideas are less acceptable than others. <br /><br />After logging-off a popular free email service, I found a link to <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14576677/">this story</a> about healthcare providers who both come from and cater to a particular audience whose faith commitments prevent them from using contraceptives. I was impressed. The truth is, I think having medical practices, colleges, and financial institutions that cater to the moral needs of people of faith is a great thing. Fine, I'm a pastor, but I'm also a person of faith who would prefer to invest his money in a way that would support enterprizes I find desirable, not just whatever an investment firm finds profitable, whether it's selling Christian books, gambling, pyotechnics, organic coffee, prostitution or pornography.<br /><br />Generally, Americans support the right of others to make choices. Not only is it important to our Capitalist system, it is also the primary way we exercize our personal freedom. However, in contemporary America, there is a growing sense that choices motivated by religion, especially traditional Christianity, shouldn't be acceptable. <br /><br />At the time I read <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14576677/">the article</a> and took <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14598978/">the poll</a>, only 26% of people who responded to the question answered "I support them and hope they take off," to the question "What do you think of medical practices that blend health and faith?" What was worse, out of 21987 responses, 38% responded "I do not support them at all." Amazingly, a plurality of respondents would prefer to prevent individuals from having the choice to seek religiously informed health-care.<br /><br />I guess this shouldn't surprise me. Catholic hospitals have been on the receiving end of attacks for years for refusing to provide abortions, and <a href="http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/02/15/state_orders_wal_mart_to_sell_morning_after_pill/">Massachusetts required Wal-Mart to sell morning-after pill earlier this year</a> (in a reading of state law that would seem to require all pharmacies to dispense the drug, regardless of their religious objections).<br /><br />I guess many Americans believe that free practice of religion should end when we enter the public sphere, whether that is in our own medical practice, while looking for a doctor, or choosing a pharmacy. I wonder if these folks think Christians should have a right to choose what books to sell in Christian bookstores, or if Christian counsellors and psychologists should be allowed to practice their trades in light of their faith? <br /><br />Some of us seem to have confused living according to particular values with imposing them on others. This is truly a sad day.</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1155304565901255312006-08-11T08:45:00.000-05:002006-08-11T08:56:06.100-05:00Life Changes and the Life of Faith<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I haven't been blogging much lately, largely because I've intended this site as a place for me to offer Christian commentary on the world I encounter. While I feel alright about posting personal stories if I think they have something interesting to say, I've avoided the "everyday life" journal stuff. So, while I've been living, I haven't necessarily had anything all that interesting to say lately.<br /><br />Now that my wife and I are both pastors, our time is harder to manage. We have a wonderful situation on many levels, we can usually schedule to have lunch together, but we frequently have to eat dinner on the run to make evening meetings and events. Hey, I have lots of friends who never see their spouses during the day, but who generally get to have some evening time together... ours is just a different schedule. Still, many people ask me how we handle it, and older folks especially tend to comment how sad it is that we can't go to church together on Sunday. Changes in expectations can be hard to accomodate.<br /><br />We're living in a great little city now. I guess on many levels it's nice to have curbside trash and recycling pickup and the services of urban life again, but we've traded the independence of a transfer station for the convenience of once-a-week fixed time collection. Yeah, I know trash pickup isn't exciting, but it's one of the changes that comes with moving. The truth is, changes in life circumstances are always a challenge for us, whether they involve moving to a new city, beginning a new excercize regimen, or coming into relationship with Jesus.<br /><br />We in the Church often fail to recognize how dramatic a life-changing encounter with Christ can be. After we have been Christians for awhile, we have a tendency to see faith in God as normal, if not universal. We tend to tak for granted our relationship with God, to assume this must be what life is like.<br /><br />Moving to a new culture, or even a new city can help remind us how radically life-changing Christian faith can be for those who are not comitted and practicing Christians. For many of us, singing the words of the old hymn "what a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart..." is an excercize in communal memory that carries little meaning for us personally. Yes, Jesus has changed our lives, but for those of us who grew up in the Church, what does that change look like?<br /><br />New belivers whose life has been lived apart from an active, two way relationship with God have a great deal to teach us. Yes, God's grace may be reaching for everyone at all times, but not everyone is willing to engage with God in Christ, and many people in our "Christan" west don't even know how. Can we in the Church who have forgotten how different Christian life is from life apart from Christ learn how to help others experience a life-transforming relationship with God? Are we willing to learn?</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1154518739639107862006-08-02T06:11:00.000-05:002007-03-03T20:44:58.813-05:00Food Allergies<p align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I was reading an online <a href="http://www.slate.com">Slate</a> article this morning, and it got me thinking. I've had a similar reaction to overcautious parents for quite some time now. Several years ago, while working in a coffee shop, the new "in" thing for parents with too much money to spend seemed to be reading all labels for any evidence of peanuts or treenuts. I guess we've gone farther, now hickory trees are apparently high enough risk for a kid with a nut allergy that a town sufficiently fears litigation to cut down several of them.<br /><br />What has the world come to when a commentator has to ask: <blockquote><i><a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2146628/?GT1=8483">Who is crazy here—the family that wants the trees felled or the residents who seem willing to put a child at risk? It's hard to tell. That's the dilemma of nut allergies. There are cases of real danger and real death. And then there's the huge circle of caution that often gets drawn around children when, rationally speaking, more modest precautions might do.</a></i></blockquote>Sadly, that's the world we live in today -- a world where irrational parents can make normal life cease for fear of something that might happen to a child who has never evidenced risk before.<br /><br />I understand food allergies -- I really do. My wife's best-friend is seriously allergic to peanuts, and moderately allergic to a host of other legumes. However, she's an adult, and has never evidenced airborne risk, so while she'd prefer you not eat a peanut-butter sandwich in front of her because she finds the smell unpleasant, she hasn't tried to ban all foods that <i>might</i> have made contact with peanuts from her worksite.<br /><br />Some of you might be saying "so you know someone..." Well, I know several people, a shellfish (crustacea, not bivalves... yes, I know it's hard to imagine, but clams are not closely related to crabs) allergy in my family, a banana allergy in my wife's, a blueberry allergy in mine, and a serious cashew allergy in mine that leads to minor issues with other drupes (including mango and poison ivy).<br /><br />The problem with too many parents is that they seem to assume, "my kid's friend is allergic to peanuts, so my kid must be allergic to peanuts too, and cashews because they look like peanuts, and probably all nuts -- we must make the world a NUT FREE ZONE!!!" Even without intensive allergy testing, parents should be able to do better -- when you find an allergy through contact, <i>learn what's really closely related</i>, and don't feed a kid with peanut allergies lentils without asking if it makes them itchy, but dry roasted almonds or chashews, not processed in a plant that processes peanuts, are probably alright. Better yet, make the kid go through the whole battery of tests, and then avoid <i>what actually comes up</i> -- not everything. Finally, try to find out how serious the allergy really is -- if it's airborne, freak out, you're one of the few with a hypersensitive case, otherwise, take reasonable and sensible precautions. If your child has a mild peanut allergy, don't quiz every potential playmate's parents to discover if there's peanut butter in the house and ban contact with all kids who might occasionally eat some, just inform your kid's friend's parents' and ask for reasonable support.<br /><br />If more of us were treated as reasonable people, then perhaps we'll all be able to live in a more sane world again. If parents had done that while I worked at the cafe, I wouldn't have responded like I did a few times, telling one hypercautious mother who'd just told her friend that while her kid hadn't been tested "you can't be too cautious," not to bother with any of our food, because I couldn't give her a 100% guarantee of peanut/treenut-freeness about anything.</span> <p></p>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1151316901562930762006-06-26T05:11:00.000-05:002006-06-26T05:16:00.760-05:00Moving Day Part 1<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Today is the first day of our move... The truck will be packed with almost all of our worldly belongings and we'll be off to new environs tomorrow.... Between new appointments and a move, we've been busy, and I've been a very meagre blogger.<br /><br />My last night here was almost sleepless -- no good reason, so I'm chocking it up to nerves. I'm sure with the beginning of a pastoral appointment at the end of this week, I'll have more to say here -- at least I hope that will be the case.<br /><br />If anyone's still occasionally checking in, I hope I'll be better about posting in the weeks and months to come.</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1146137807190008182006-04-27T06:24:00.000-05:002006-05-09T12:50:28.133-05:00New Beginnings<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Well, the long semester is almost over. I've survived CPE and I'm just a few days from the end of a semester. That's a very good thing! <br /><br />Along with the euphoria that follows work completed comes something less thrilling this year, though. My wife and I are considering moving from our home conference, seeking appointments elsewhere. Mind you, we don't really want to go -- but there are no full-time appointments for commissioners here in New England, and that'll be an issue. We need to have at least one full-time job, and I'll be finished with seminary, one way or another by Christmas, which we might spend somewhere very different from where we are now. <br /><br />It's bitter-sweet. We've done good work where we are, and hoped to do more in this conference, but maybe we have other things we need to do for now. If God calls, we will go -- even if that's sometimes a little scary.</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1142688866690991442006-03-23T10:00:00.000-05:002006-03-23T10:38:33.916-05:00Qualified Participation?<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="350" align="center" border="0"><tbody><tr><td align="middle" style="color:#f88b8b;"><b><span style="font-size:130%;">You Passed the US Citizenship Test</span></b></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#a7ceff"><center><img height="100" src="http://images.blogthings.com/couldyoupasstheuscitizenshiptestquiz/approved.jpg" width="100" /></center><span style="color:#000000;"><p align="center"><br />Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/couldyoupasstheuscitizenshiptestquiz/">Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?</a></div><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I couldn't resist... How well would you do?<br /><br />If you couldn't pass the U.S. citizenship test, but you're a citizen by default, why do you think your opinions on politics should matter?<br /><br />I've often wondered about informed participation among the American people. We encourage high-school students to register to vote, and the media always bemoans the lack of turnout by "qualified" American voters. If Americans choose not to vote because they don't know what's going on, is that really a bad thing?<br /><br />The truth is, I'm not sure high turnout would be good for American elections. I'm not suggesting we go back to the property test -- only allowing property owners to vote, as we did in the early days of the American Republic -- but maybe we do need some kind of test.<br /><br />Literacy wouldn't do it -- and not simply because illiterate Americans are sometimes well-informed. No, the real issue is civic and historical illiteracy. If we expect immigrants to pass an exam to become citizens, perhaps it would be appropriate to ask citizens to pass an exam to earn the right to participate in determining the shape of our collective future.<br /><br />Question of the day -- should there be a basline of knowledge required before we allow people to participate in the American political process?</span> </p>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1142265556035420102006-03-13T10:37:00.000-05:002006-03-13T10:59:16.053-05:00Addendum part 1<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">There'll probably be more <a href="http://theearthenvessel.blogspot.com/2006/03/exploding-methoblogosphere.html">late entries to add</a>... but hey, we'll keep at it.<br /><br />None of the 3 blogs in the Numeric through C's that I've already reviewed are new -- just new to the MBR -- but that'll do...<br /><br />I found <a href="http://tammyjo.squarespace.com/">32 Flavors</a> by Tammy Jo some time ago -- I think through the <a href="http://bloggingmethodists.blogspot.com/">Blogging Methodist Webring</a>, but it could have been through a search for blogs about Romania. Either way, Tammy Jo's been blogging for some time, and is approaching graduation from Seminary! Tammy Jo's blog is eclectic and generally quite personal. <a href="http://tammyjo.squarespace.com/journal/2006/2/23/community-matters.html">Her insight can be quite interesting</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://rouserantings.blogspot.com/">A Thing with Feathers</a>, by Ciona, is another recent addition to the MBR. Ciona's a freelance writer, and the quality of writing on her blog suggests she should be able to make a living doing that. I particularly liked her posts <a href="http://rouserantings.blogspot.com/2006/01/beautiful-history.html">Beautiful History!</a> and <a href="http://rouserantings.blogspot.com/2006/03/cant-exactly-tell-church-choir.html">"Can't exactly tell the church choir"</a>.<br /><br />I think I may have passed over <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/10965265">Bruce Alderman</a>'s blog, <a href="http://www.brucealderman.info/blog/">It Seems to Me...</a> thinking it was a longer-term part of the MBR, but I'm not sure. If you've been around, Bruce, my apologies... Especially if you're a <a href="http://www.brucealderman.info/blog/2006/02/types-of-faith.html">Marcus</a> <a href="http://www.brucealderman.info/blog/2006/02/recommended-reading.html">Borg</a> fan (I'm not, but that's OK), check out Bruce's blog...</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1142098809621874372006-03-11T11:55:00.000-05:002006-03-11T12:40:09.640-05:00And Now Methodist Blogroll New C's!<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Basically, this is a continuation of my post <a href="http://theearthenvessel.blogspot.com/2006/03/exploding-methoblogosphere.html">The Exploding Methoblogosphere...</a> I've resolved to review new blogs on the <a href="http://www.wesleyblog.com/wesleyblog/2005/02/methodist_blogr.html">Methodist Blogroll</a>, and to offer a bit of commentary. I don't know how long this will take, nor if I'll have to go back frequently to get to earlier posts, but I hope this will further conversation in the Methoblogosphere.<br /><br />Today we're on to the C's... and there are quite a few!<br /><br />Craig, of <a href="http://canaaniscalling.blogspot.com/">canaan is calling</a> may be fairly new to blogging, but so far, he's both reflective and interesting to read. Sandwiched between posts with <a href="http://canaaniscalling.blogspot.com/2006/02/poetry-from-edge-of-longing.html">original</a> <a href="http://canaaniscalling.blogspot.com/2006/03/subjective-caring-heart.html">poetry</a>, Craig has offered some Biblical reflection, including an interesting post on being <a href="http://canaaniscalling.blogspot.com/2006/03/masters-of-war.html">an evangelical pacifist</a>.<br /><br />I've never noticed Chris Iddon's blog <a href="http://chrisiddon.blogspot.com/">The best of all</a> until recently -- but he's been writing for awhile and it may have been on the MBR longer than I've noticed. Chris is a British Methodist who blogs about <a href="http://chrisiddon.blogspot.com/2006/03/church-council-pancakes.html">Church</a> <a href="http://chrisiddon.blogspot.com/2006/02/recovering-christian-conversation.html">stuff</a>, <a href="http://chrisiddon.blogspot.com/2006/03/65-days-of-static.html">music</a>, <a href="http://chrisiddon.blogspot.com/2006/03/circuit-meeting-and-brokeback-mountain.html">movies</a>, and <a href="http://chrisiddon.blogspot.com/2006/03/email-from-meru.html">other</a> <a href="http://chrisiddon.blogspot.com/2006/02/hemel-continued.html">stuff</a>... He posts regularly, and the variety of content keeps the site interesting...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.churchonomics.com/">Churchonomics</a> represents truth-in-advertizing, offering "revolutionary ideas and solutions for the local church." Most of the content seems to focus on mega-church stuff, but it made me think about how we might do ministry in any church (even if I just can't see building <a href="http://www.churchonomics.com//content/view/37/">a 45' rock climbing gym, cage basketball, arcade gaming or a BMX park</a> in any church I've ever experienced).<br /><br /><a href="http://coreymann.blogspot.com/">Corey Mann</a> offers another mega-church perspective. Most of his posts are short but pithy and offer <a href="http://coreymann.blogspot.com/2006/03/not-millionaires-but-billionaires.html">insight</a> <a href="http://coreymann.blogspot.com/2006/03/talladegga-nights-ballad-of-ricky.html">into</a> <a href="http://coreymann.blogspot.com/2006/03/movie-review.html">a</a> <a href="http://coreymann.blogspot.com/2006/03/preaching-reimagined-and-ripen.html">variety</a> <a href="http://coreymann.blogspot.com/2006/03/black-on-ps2.html">of</a> <a href="http://coreymann.blogspot.com/2006/02/sleep-study.html">material</a>. Corey does High School ministry and shouldn't lose attention if his work is like his blog.<br /><br />WCharles of <a href="http://cosmicwheel.blogspot.com/">Cosmic Wheel</a> is a Red Sox fan from Texas. Sorry, as a New Englander and lifelong Sox fan, I missed the rest of his sports-related profile... Check it out for yourself... Recently, WCharles <a href="http://cosmicwheel.blogspot.com/2006/03/katrina-and-fema-what-brown-said-was.html">has been</a> <a href="http://cosmicwheel.blogspot.com/2006/03/summary-of-reevaluation-of-mike-brown.html">writing Katrina</a> <a href="http://cosmicwheel.blogspot.com/2006/03/upcoming-further-look-at-katrina-bush.html">related posts</a>, but with almost two full years of content, there's alot to see! Check him out, and if I've just missed him for all this time, I'm sorry, because he strikes me as a smart guy (and he's a Sox fan, after all, so he must be OK)...<br /><br />Well, that's the C's! That's all I've got time to do for now... Next time, on to the D's!</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1142012278991880632006-03-10T12:20:00.000-05:002006-03-10T13:18:53.156-05:00The Exploding Methoblogosphere...<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Yes, that's acoined neologism if I've ever heard one, but at least it makes the subject line pithy.<br /><br />I've been exceptionally busy in the last couple months, blogging far less than I might like, and reading other blogs less than I might like as well. As long as I'm trying to squeeze in a bit too much of everything, that can't be helped, but that's not my point today. Over the last several weeks I have noticed <a href="http://www.wesleyblog.com/2006/03/methodist_blogr.html">a trend in Methodist blogging</a> that <a href="http://wesleyradio.typepad.com/about.html">Shane</a> and others have also mentioned -- the list of Methodist bloggers has exploded. It seems every time I visit the bloggers I've known for some time now, I find new Methobloggers on the <a href="http://www.wesleyblog.com/wesleyblog/2005/02/methodist_blogr.html">Methodist Blogroll</a>.<br /><br />I applaud Shane's decision to begin publishing <a href="http://www.wesleydaily.com/">Welsey Daily</a>, and hope that that will be one place we can find some of the best Methodist blogging, but with an almost endless supply, I'm sure we'll all begin to feel overwhelmed with the options of new, fresh Methodist reading we can do! I hope John can manage the <a href="http://www.geocities.com/locustsandhoney2005/AboutMBWR1.htm">MBWR</a> despite the added work -- because your distillation will become even more valuable to all of us with the growing number of possible reads... but who knows what the explosion might mean for that institution of Methodist Blogging (other than the all-knowing John the Methodist, of course)!<br /><br />I've been trying to dig through all the various new blogs as I go, but I've decided I need to get Methodic about reading new bloggers -- otherwise I'll fall back on my old favorites and ignore any new folk without even giving them a chance. So, for the next however-long-it-takes, I'll be reading new blogs on the Methodist Blogroll alphabetically and making a few personal comments on a post or two from each, or the general tenor of the blog. While this is for my own personal benefit, I hope any of you interested in Methodist Blogging will find these reviews worthwhile. Just as a note, all opinions expressed by me are my own, and if you've been on the Blogroll for more than a couple of weeks and I mention you, please don't take offense, I've tried to read everyone as they've been added, but it's not always easy, and I may have missed some of you with no intention of doing so.</div><p align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#3333ff;"><strong><em>For today, Numeric through B!</em></strong></span><br /><br /></p><div align="justify">With one of the most creative new names, Stephen D's blog, <a href="http://2theo2.blogspot.com/">2Theo 2</a>, is still very young. With only two posts so far, we'll await much more from Stephen D. If you have any interest in Young Adult ministries, as I do, check out <a href="http://2theo2.blogspot.com/2006/03/thoughts-from-sunday-school.html">his first post</a>... it should be a reminder of how most churches need to do more to reach young adults.<br /><br />Allan R. Bevere's <a href="http://www.arbevere.blogspot.com/">eponymous blog</a> made me laugh with <a href="http://arbevere.blogspot.com/2006/03/truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-200612.html">this post</a> about French Canadians consuming (I assume) unconsecrated Hosts as snacks. Good stuff...<br /><br />Andy Stoddard's blog, <a href="http://midtoil.blogspot.com/">’Mid Toil and Tribulation</a>, has what seems to be the unique role among Methodist Blogs of commenting on the Daily Lectionary. Perhaps he'll inspire others to do the same -- we can hope, as this Biblical Journaling could enrich both individuals and our communities!<br /><br /><a href="http://bad-methodist.blogspot.com/">Bad Methodist</a> takes her name from her disagreement with the official United Methodist position on homosexuality. While much of the content on Bad Methodist focuses on LGBT issues, she has commented on reading <a href="http://bad-methodist.blogspot.com/2006/03/eugene-h-peterson-on-luke.html">The Message by Eugene Peterson</a>.<br /><br />As a side note, I'm also glad to see the return of Valtteri Mujunen's <a href="http://amethodistblog.blogspot.com/">aMethodistBlog</a> to the Methodist Blogroll, and hope he continues to publish posts regularly!<br /><br />Tune in next time for C through... well, we'll see how far I can get.<br /></span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1140463333084152072006-02-20T14:11:00.000-05:002006-02-20T14:22:13.100-05:00Moving General Conference over Paul Revere<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Essentially, that's what's happening with <a href="http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.1428145/k.8285/Tampa_not_Richmond_to_host_2012_General_Conference.htm">this move</a>.<br /></div></span><blockquote><p align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;">In making the change, the United Methodist Commission on the General Conference cited a church policy regarding meeting in cities that are home to professional sports teams with Native American names.<br /><br />The 2012 General Conference will be held April 25 to May 4 in the 600,000-square-foot Tampa Convention Center.<br /><br />At the time of the initial selection, commission members were unaware that Richmond is home to the Richmond Braves, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Atlanta Braves.<br /><br />The General Conference meets every four years to set policy for the church and adopt or renew resolutions on hundreds of issues and concerns. It draws nearly 1,000 delegates from around the world. The 2004 conference was held in Pittsburgh, and the 2008 gathering will be in Fort Worth, Texas.<br /><br />A resolution passed by the 2004 General Conference called for United Methodist agencies and organizations to avoid holding meetings and events in cities that sponsor sport teams using Native America names and symbols. "The United Methodist Church rejects the use of Native American names and symbols for sport teams, and considers the practice a blatant expression of racism," the assembly stated.</span></p></blockquote><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The United Methodist Commission on the General Conference may be doing something they interperet to be in accord with a GC Resolution, but they're <i>historically</i> wrong on this one. In this case, the name "Braves" derives from the original Boston Braves francise that was named after the "Braves" who took part in the Boston Tea Party... While I'm sure that the actions of the Sons of Liberty could be interpreted as racist, that's a different issue. In this case, we're moving General Conference over Paul Revere.... </span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1138805387203478372006-02-01T09:37:00.000-05:002007-03-03T20:46:37.500-05:00Fear and Trembling in New England...<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Sitting in the computer lab at the School of Theology, I realized I might not have completed a vital assignment for today. At that moment, my life, the universe, and everything flashed before my eyes and all I could think was "maybe it's really 41!" Odds are, this is just the kind of thought that comes to most sleep-deprived graduate students taking more than a full courseload and trying to work as well... but I can't know unless I'm told.<br /><br />The truth is, CPE is both more practical and more fulfilling than I had expected -- not because I think it's a bad thing, mind you, but because I had hoped to take it after finishing Seminary and knowing exactly what issues I needed to address in a clinical setting. Our Board of Ordained Ministry has determined that won't work, so I've decided to cram it in now, lose sleep, become a less effective student near the end of my time at school, and try to cram in the experience without having to give up my income to boot... and I'm <i>almost</i> enjoying it.<br /><br />In my "spare time" I've been contemplating the value of formal seminary education, and I've concluded that at least where I've been a student it is neither academic or practical, but a broken amalgamation of the two, approximating a very poorly organized baccalaureat program. I'm not entirely sure how to do it better, though requiring all our clergy to get an M.A. in either Theology, Biblical Studies, or a related field, and spending an intensive year or two as an associate to a compitent experienced pastor might work as well. I don't know -- but that's more or less what the Wesley's did, and it didn't seem to be any worse than the current system.<br /><br />I'm in favor of an educated clergy, but I fear the current system creates people without any real expertise, but with substantial sense that they <i>should</i> be experts -- and that might make us all more dangerous, not less. <br /><br />What do you think? How could we improve on the system most churches use to train clergy?</span></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12895639.post-1137433520023238592006-01-16T12:45:00.000-05:002006-01-16T12:45:20.120-05:00The Guilt of Failed Writing<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Over the past months, I have attempted to read other bloggers posts daily, and to write at least two posts each week myself. Recently, I haven't kept up with that schedule. I enjoy blogging, especially when I have particular ideas I want to refine, but I've been overwhelmingly busy with youth work trying to prepare for the spring, and I'm beginning a quarter of CPE while taking several classes and working this spring. All told, I fear I might not post frequently.<br /><br />Two weeks ago, a friend of mine asked for my input on <a href="http://theologygirl.com/index.php/weblog/in_which_she_actually_uses_the_term_kingdom_of_god_and_is_serious/">a post</a> she had written on <a href="http://www.theologygirl.com">her blog</a>. Check if you want, but my comment never appeared. I started it -- I really did. In fact, it's still a text file on my computer's desktop. Life just got crazy, and a good thing never materialized.<br /><br />The fact is, I've felt kind of guilty about it. Adrienne's post was about Christian pacifism, and I feel strongly about the issue (as I've said on this <a href="http://theearthenvessel.blogspot.com/2005/10/gbcs-why-should-we-leave.html">very</a> <a href="http://theearthenvessel.blogspot.com/2005/06/scientology-meme-fun-with-new.html">blog</a>), but beyond personal interest, Adrienne was the person who both inspired me to blog, and encouraged me to get started. Yeah, <a href="http://www.xanga.com/cminer0308">Chris</a> contributed too, but it was mostly Adrienne.<br /><br />Maybe it'll appear as a full-fleged post here -- since Adrienne has moved on from the issue and continued to post about other interesting topics. Maybe not, but either way, thanks dear readers for bearing with me as I unburdened myself of the guilt of failed writing.<br /></span></div><div align="justify"></div>Rev. David Nicolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08258445973304563524noreply@blogger.com3