Obama, Osama, oh mama!!

We have all heard the news by now about the alleged death of Osama bin Laden. We have also heard the many and varied responses to this event. The social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) was rife with comments, many of them from Christians. I found it troubling that Christians made comments in a tone of celebration and victory. In no way do I condone terrorism. I remember the events of 9/11 vividly. But the many issues related to this event should remind us that we need to be very clear not to mix our Christian faith with the actions of our government. If we say “justice has been done,” then we need to ask a series of other questions: How was justice done in killing thousands of innocents that led up to this killing? How was justice done when billions of dollars have been spent while children have not had adequate healthcare, food or education? If it was justice, what kind of justice was it? What is an appropriate Christian response to vengeance? How long will this so-called “perpetual war on terrorism” last? (as a perpetual war, it can never be considered just in the just war tradition w/in Christianity). And what do we make of the missing corpse, supposedly buried at sea? This sounds very fishy to me, albeit conspiratorial (it leaves open too many questions and I don't trust governments). These are just a few issues that emerge with this event.

I think we need to be very careful not to get caught up in this nationalistic fervor. Our allegiances, our focus and our ethics are not those of the U.S. government; we are citizens first of the kingdom of God. So if many Christians join in with the dominant voice of our nation and celebrate a killing of a human being (even one we deem so reprehensible as bin Laden), then it should give us pause. As we continue to sort out all the implications, and the subsequent questions that will still need to be resolved, we will have a lot of work to do, both as Christians and as a nation.

The work of the church, as I see it, is not about celebrating killing, vengeance or war. Our work is to follow Jesus, share God’s love and seek first this kingdom over and against any earthly kingdom, even our own. So as we go through this week, I hope we can temper the fervor with reason and caution.

Beer in a glass

Drinking beer in a glass is better than from a bottle or a plastic cup. It just is. And it needs to be good beer, not cheap, foul-tasting, mass-produced beer. A good microbrew will do. Drinking beer from a glass makes sense on several levels. It is appealing aesthetically. When you see the foam, the bubbles, and the color (based on the variety of brew) it just looks good and it's pleasing to the eyes. And good beer--like good wine--has distinct aromas. Hoppy beers have different floral or woodsy smells. Malty beers have their unique aromas. Dark beers have smokey, burnt odors depending on how much or how long the malts have been toasted, roasted or smoked. Add to these complexities with other ingredients (like fruit) and you have a virtual olfactory smorgasbord that is near orgasmic (okay, maybe not orgasmic but it is damn good smelling! I think my nipples got erect once when I was smelling a good IPA!). So when you drink beer out of a glass, these are the things that can be experienced and noticed.

The other reason why beer should be drunk from a glass is because it is just the right thing to do; it is a good thing to do. Life is too short to miss out on drinking beer any other way. It is a time when a person can be mindful of what they are doing--drinking beer--but it is not just drinking beer. To borrow from a soliloquy in the film "Sideways," drinking beer can take mindfulness to a new level: When enjoying a good IPA, what kind of hops were used? Hops from Oregon, Washington state, or Germany? What kind of floral fragrances are detected? Rose? Daffodil (a famous flower in the Pacific Northwest)? And who was the brewer? What was she thinking when she was crafting this beer? What circumstances in her life brought her to craft this particular brew? Why was this kind of hops chosen? Who tilled, cultivated, tended and harvested the hops? How much were their wages? And then you finally get to sample a glass of this good IPA, and you see a frothy, thick foam head develop at the top of the glass, and you see the bubbles pulsating from the bottom up. You raise your glass and take a huge inhalation and whiff of all the complexities of this good brew. But the most important thing to ponder when sipping a good IPA: Notice how oh so damn good it tastes?

Perhaps this experience is not for everyone, but it is for me. I like to drink beer from a glass--a good beer, and a good glass--when I am pondering life with friends. I like to do this when theology is the topic at hand and deep, difficult issues and questions are raised to and about God. And I like to drink beer from a glass with friends and family over a good meal that has been created with as much forethought and creativity as the beer that I am sharing. Life is too short not to ponder these things. And good beer is too good to be wasted in mass production, silly ad campaigns or fancy packing. Just drink beer and appreciate life, and good company, and think often of all the things about good beer. It mirrors life, because it is itself life. End of story.

Retired Bishops speak

The recent statement issued by 32 retired United Methodist Bishops is hugely significant! These retired bishops (though 'retired' they are bishops for life) issued a statement that calls for change of the language in our current Book of Discipline: “…The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.” ¶304.3 We all know that this statement is not these Bishops speaking "for" the Church, but I am so glad they are speaking "to" the Church!

There are several reasons why this language should be changed. For one, it is inconsistent with the language in our Social Principles. There the language is "since we CONSIDER . . . " It is absolutely inconsistent for us to claim in one place that we 'consider' something and then in another place we definitively say 'it is.' This is double-speak and it is untenable. This glaring inconsistency is evidence of our ambiguous and divisive positions.

Second, this language should change because it is not indicative of our wider Church's views. To be sure, there is a vocal (and fiscal) majority in certain regions where our current language is not problematic. Sadly, for some this language is not strong enough. For too long we have allowed fundamentalist voices in our denomination to hold sway in our legislative processes. This stronghold is more about political power than it is about responsible, historical hermeneutics. The vote at the 2008 General Conference was the closest ever and surely within the next two quadrennial periods, this position to change the language will become a majority.

Finally, in a denomination that continues to bemoan decline in membership, it just makes good sense not to exclude a segment of our population with tremendous resources (not just money). We all know that for decades, we have already had countless members (both lay and clergy) who identify as GLBTQ who have served effectively and faithfully in our churches. It is high time that we remove the shroud of secrecy and shame and allow our sisters and brothers to live in the fullness of their calling and identity. We already affirm that all persons are created in the imago dei, so why should we continue to exclude? Inclusiveness makes good sense and our church would be enhanced if we truly included all persons ("all means all").

I am very grateful to our retired Bishops for taking this stance. Hopefully many more active Bishops will follow suit and speak out for justice and inclusion. In times when our denomination is going through many changes--some of which are eroding our connectional, episcopal system--this is something that makes me both proud and hopeful to be a United Methodist!

God did not win a national championship

Last night Auburn University's football team won the BCS National Championship. After the game, their coach, Gene Chizik, said, "God was smiling on us tonight." Once again, sports personalities make these kinds of comments, and once again, we theologians have to come in and clean it up. Obviously, God was not smiling on Auburn football: What Chizik saw in the sky was a quarter moon!

But obviously God was not smiling because God does not have a face, God does not have human emotions, and God is likely not even a personal being like us humans. In this regard, we have done the opposite of what our sacred texts tell us: We have created God in our own image. From what I read in the OT, God is anything but recognizable. God is not even nameable. God is elusive and mysterious. Of course, I realize that making these claims in some way violates everything I just said about God.

Let's imagine for a second that God indeed has these kinds of human emotions (like smiling for a particular team in football). There are many problems with this claim. If God was smiling on Auburn, why was God angry at the team that lost? They played well; they worked hard, too. And why would God be concerned with a game rife with ethical dilemmas? The winning quarterback was the center of much contraversy when his Pentecostal, preacher father was caught trying to "sell" his son to Mississippi State. He claimed throughout that he knew nothing of this. And Auburn and the NCAA allowed the quarterback to remain eligible and he eventually won the Heisman Trophy and now has won a national championship. So would God really favor a team with so many ethical inconsitencies? Wouldn't God be more concerned about other more important matters like the shooting in another part of the state where this game was held?

I wish sports people would not use God-talk after winning. It makes theology look bad, it makes God look bad, and it makes themselves look bad. Leave the God-talk off the field. It does not belong there and even if God really could smile, I doubt very seriously it would be about such a trivial thing as a college football game. Maybe the moon was smiling on Auburn, but not God. I am already preparing for more damage control: The Super Bowl is just weeks away!

Hard to be hopeful (but I will try)

Sometimes it is hard to be hopeful. Just the political climate alone in this nation is enough to make me want to move to Spain. The state of Texas is slowly becoming a theocracy in the worst way, and with another term of Rick Perry on the horizon, things will be bleak for sure. The mid-term elections revealed how so many of our voters simply do not care (and likely most of them do not know; ignorance is not bliss in this case) about real issues but they merely believe spin, innuendo and lies. A poli-sci friend is teaching a college class called National Government. I asked, "Is that in the theater department listed as a comedy?" He replied, "It's listed as a tragedy!" (and he was mostly serious).

But since this is a season of thanks, I will dig deep and try to be thankful for glimmers of hope. I am hopeful when I talk to young adults who are not duped by the far-right rhetoric that just does not add up. I am hopeful when one of our Bishops (Will Willimon) calls to task the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) and says that they are no good for the Church and they do not represent Christian values by any stretch. I only wish other Bishops would make these kinds of stands. I am hopeful when I hear Warren Buffet say that the rich should pay more taxes and that tax cuts for the upper brackets never really do "trickle down." This kind of honesty from one of the richest persons in the U.S. is encouraging. I am hopeful when I know that many people (even if their motives are self-serving) will volunteer this week to help feed the poor and/or homeless. I am hopeful because we will soon begin another season in the church that is rooted on hope, liberation and new birth.

There are many other examples that help me remain hopeful. I know that hope is not just shallow optimism; it is something that comes with a price, it is hard work and it can transform not only our outlook on things but also our actions. In some ways, to reflect in this way is in itself to be hopeful. So I will continue to work at it no matter how dismal things appear to be. Ultimately, I can only control my own attitudes and actions. I am hoping that, too, will somehow make a difference. I hope.

Real politics

Heard a piece on radio about our current political scene. It seems that Republicans blame all of our current economic woes (though our recession has officially ended) on Obama. They say he is a socialist. They say he is a Muslim. The Tea Party folks say the same things and add several other false claims (lies). There are some things we know for sure. We know that during Bush's (pick one) administration spending went through the roof, the richest got the largest tax cuts, and our deficit doubled at least. And now, not quite 2 years of the Obama term, they are saying it is all his fault?

We also know that since Obama took office, the working class has actually paid less taxes. We know that Obama is undeniably not a Muslim. We know that Obama is far from being a socialist (when people in other countries hear this claim they laugh!). But it does not matter what the facts are. People believe these lies and so fear, hatred, and paranoia abounds. It is absolutely scary.

And there are double standards based on race. When the Tea Party gun lovers marched in Washington (in front of the White House even) with guns out in open, with signs of hatred, and camo garb, nothing happened. If a group of people of color (Middle Easterners, say) had done this, there would have been a fire storm of response and maybe even violent counter attacks.

Our current political scene is a big mess. Truthfully both sides have their serious problems. But if we allow the lies of many of the right wing to take control, we will see another Bush-era state of affairs. This means we will have more deficits, more ill will in the world toward the U.S.A., Wall Street running amok, and the upper rich brackets will continue to rule the day. I don't know how we can maintain civility, but I'm hoping that more Dems step up and speak truth. I know some are, but we need more. But then again, what do I care: I consider myself more aligned with the Green Party (i.e. if it still even exists!). God help us all!

Broadway Baptist

Another Baptist church in Texas has taken a big step. Broadway Baptist in Fort Worth severed ties to the Baptist General Convention of Texas over its continued support, acceptance, and welcoming of gay members. Truth is, this church has had this element for many years (and as rumor has it, including a somewhat prominent member). I suspect it was one of the things about this congregation that most everyone knew but chose not to talk about it. Nowadays, it is easier--for various reasons, good reasons--to talk openly about sexual orientation. And this has become easier for churches as well. This church has been a high-profile congregation for various reasons. Several of their former pastors have gone on to bigger things (Cecil Sherman, John Claypool, Weldon Gaddy, just to name a few). They have had women clergy and women deacons for decades. Further, when fundamentalism began its takeover of the SBC, Broadway was always aligned with the 'moderate' voice in that fight.

So it should come as no huge surprise that Broadway would now take this stance regarding welcoming persons in the GLBT community. It follows suit after Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas did the same thing and over the same issue. It is a new day in Texas Baptist life: Baptists are welcoming gays! But it is also a sign that some Baptist congregations are being Baptist again; they are being autonomous. This aspect of historic Baptist principles had been all but nullified when the fundamentalists took over, issued edicts, and changed language of the Baptist Faith and Message about women's issues and homosexuality. It became a climate of "either you believe as we do, or you're not a part of us" and local and state groups began "dis-associating" with dissenting congregations. This un-Baptist practice became commonplace for the new fundamentalist SBC. As a result, splinter Baptist groups emerged and the SBC did housecleaning on all its seminaries making them bastions of fundamentalism (e.g. prior to the takeover, no SBC seminaries espoused dispensationalism; now I would guess all of them do).

This "trend" has already begun in other states and especially among other Baptist groups (American Baptists), this has been taking place for years. Things take a little longer in the South. I only hope that our own denomination will grow up as well and we Methodists can begin to take similar stances towards our GLBT sisters and brothers. At the risk of stereotyping, if our Baptist friends can do this, certainly we can, too! We all need to take these positions on this and other issues that deal with social justice, peace and inclusion.