Two Views

Two pictures taken in Solstice Canyon.  The second picture -- the one of me -- was obviously taken by my brother-in-law in the first picture.  Solstice Canyon is in Malibu, California.

Non-Hostile

A discussion arose at a meeting I attended last week.  It was a good discussion.  The topic was a flyer that had been sent out in the organization's name.

The person who brought the topic up said that the flyer spoke more about what the organization was against, and less about what the organization was for.  The single image on the flyer was an image that was intended to rile people up. The impression one got from looking at the flyer is that our organization was filled with anger and hostility.

During the discussion, some folks mentioned that, as an organization that promoted peace and understanding, it was sometimes necessary to take a stand against certain evils.  Others said that, while that was true, we needed to do so in a way that was loving, and which emphasized the alternative, more peaceful path.

What the discussion did was make us consider the importance of matching the way in which we communicate with the message we intend to convey.  We are an organization of peace and understanding.  While it may be necessary to acknowledge and even come out against activities that are opposed to peace and understanding, we must remain peaceful in our message and our medium.

This week, as I thought about our discussion, I started thinking about my preaching.  There are two things which, I think, have the potential to negatively affect my preaching.  One is the prevalence of preachers (mostly on TV) who like to yell a lot.  Many of these preachers are yelling to stadium-sized crowds who, presumably, are attracted by preachers who yell.  Consciously or not, the thought develops that successful preachers are preachers who yell.

A second thing that has the potential to negatively my preaching is our sound-bite culture.  News and information comes fast, delivered by slick, fast-speaking, high-volume criers. 

Neither of these two ways of conveying information are compatible with the message I seek to proclaim, which is, like the organization's who's meeting I attended last week, a message of peace.  What is appropriate is a softer, friendlier tone, a tone that conveys peace.

Of all the preachers I've seen and heard, there is one whose style of preaching seems most conducive to a message of peace and love.  OK, don't laugh; the person I'm talking about is Tanana from the movie Brother Bear.   The way she speaks conveys truth, and yet is so full of love.  (I probably shouldn't have used the word "yet," because it implies that truth and love are opposites, when really,  truth is love.)

Anyway, I don't know if I will ever achieve a style of preaching that is 100% peaceful, with no anxiety, no anger, no hostility, and no impression that I am "competing" with other preachers.  If I do achieve it, it will likely take a lifetime.

Rocks for Sale

I was in a store Saturday, shopping for some gifts, when I saw a stack of rocks on sale.  It looked not too different from the one on the left in this picture, which I stacked at the beach a week ago Saturday, except that the stack in the store cost about $35.  The stack in the store wasn't quite as big as mine, and was held together by some kind of glue.  So if I go down to the 99 cent store and get some Elmer's.... 

#$*! Religion

It was a beautiful day at the weekly farmers' market.  I sat at a table under the shade of a colorful beach umbrella, handing out flyers and inviting passersby to the summer events taking place at church:  movie nights, concerts, and vacation Bible school.

I was enjoying this, which, being severely introverted, was surprising to me.  Yet even an introvert like me likes to make connections with the community once in awhile.  It was with genuine cheer that I smiled and greeted folks with a friendly "good afternoon." 

I was hitting my stride.  I was in the zone.  Until a person walked by with a t-shirt that read "Fuck Religion."  The shirt was obviously meant to shock and offend, and for a moment, it worked.  For a moment, I was silent, unsure of whether I should greet him or not.  Then the moment passed; he disappeared from view, and I carried on.

I kept silent because, as an introvert, it often takes a moment or two to formulate a thought, then transfer that thought into speech.  (Or, as I like to put it, introverts -- unlike extroverts -- think before they speak!)  That's why almost everything I say when leading worship is written down in advance.  Years of experience have taught me how to "think on my feet" or ad lib when necessary.  But it takes an effort.

And so it wasn't until after the man with the t-shirt was gone that I realized that I wasn't nearly as offended by what the shirt said as one might think.  After all, in my sermons lately I've been saying that the way of Jesus is actually bigger than any religion, and that much of the New Testament was, in fact, an effort to expand the Jesus movement beyond the religion within which it had its origins.  The writings of the apostle Paul, in particular, have as a major theme the idea that one did not have to be a Jew in order to be a follower of Jesus.  The way of Jesus is bigger than that.

Nevertheless, the way of Jesus did develop into its own religion -- Christianity -- which developed a set doctrine.  Then the religion of Christianity tried to live out that doctrine in ways that weren't always Christ-like.  Over the centuries, Christianity became known as the religion of the Crusades, the Inquisition, witch hunts, persecution of non-believers, excommunication and imprisonment of scientific seekers of truth.  More recently, Christianity has aligned itself with those who believe in preemptive war, economic policies that favor the rich, pro-life advocacy that does not concern itself with those who are already born, and judgment and persecution of homosexuals and others.

The more I thought about it, the more I was tempted to see if I could acquire one of those t-shirts for myself.

I once heard or read about some Christians who set up a confession booth at a public place.  I don't remember exactly where they placed their booth.  Maybe it was a farmers' market.  They invited people into their booth, but instead of asking those people to confess their sins, they confessed to the passersby the sins of Christianity over the years.  And then they asked for forgiveness.

Perhaps that's something I should do the next time I set up my table at the farmers' market.  Most likely, though, I won't.  I'm not usually one to engage in such theatrics.

But I do hope I see the guy with the t-shirt again.  I'd like to ask him about the religion that he obviously hates so much.  I'd like to listen to him describe it.  I have a feeling that I would end up telling him that I also want no part of that religion.

As I continue pondering this issue, I think I might turn these thoughts into an upcoming sermon.  Anyone want to suggest a sermon title?  Besides the obvious, that is?

Solstice Canyon

One week away from the summer solstice, and yet I didn't even bother to find out how this canyon got its name.  Guess I'll have to go back someday!

Photo taken June 12, 2010.  Solstice Canyon is in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Malibu, CA

Canoeing the Lagoon

All of a sudden I seem to have a lot of photos, and if I don't post one today, they'll get backlogged...

Last Saturday was Scout-O-Rama. Most of the pictures I took were close-up shots of scouts, or the tower that Troop 29 built out of wooden poles lashed together. But late in the day, after the fog/clouds returned and while the booths were coming down, I walked around the saltwater lagoon and took this photo of some scouts experiencing a quiet canoe ride. I wonder how many times canoes have been seen in Rainbow Lagoon. Usually, it's paddle boats.

Day Off

Most weeks, the one day I have off is Friday.  Sometimes, I find stuff to do around the house:  laundry, mopping, pulling weeds, etc.  And sometimes, I get on my bike and ride. 

June is the cloudiest month of the year along the southern California coast, although the sun usually comes out in the afternoon.  This picture was taken around 10:00 am.  Several miles further down the bike path, I saw two dolphins swimming in the harbor.  Later still, the sun did come out, only to disappear as the fog and clouds rolled back in in the evening.

Difficult Decisions

Will J. Reid Scout Camp is located right in the middle of Long Beach, and is a place that, at times, has seemed like a second home to me and many in scouting families.  I've been there for cub scout events, boy scout events, adult leader training, and we've even had our annual church picnic there.

Well, the Long Beach Area Council now wants to sell the camp. Like many non-profits, the scouts are hurting for money. Will J. Reid, covering some 11 acres, is worth quite a lot of money, but it also costs quite a bit to maintain, and the council believes that it could make better use of its money.

This is disappointing to many in the Long Beach scouting community. However, as one who has been the pastor of several smaller churches, I can't criticize. I know that the decision (has it already been made? I'm not sure) won't be easy. And I know from experience that it's too tempting to place too high a priority on things like buildings and property. At a former church of mine, when struggling with finances, I had one cantankerous church member say to me that if finances forced him to choose between a building and a pastor, he'd choose the building. I looked right at him and said, "Well, then, when you face a spiritual crisis in your life, or when you find yourself in intensive care, I'll be sure to rip up one of the floorboards and mail it to you."

OK, I didn't really say that. At least not out loud.

I think of the difficult decisions that the Long Beach School Board has had to make regarding layoffs and furloughs. Surely, making those decisions couldn't have been easy. I'm glad I'm not the one who had to make those decisions.

I heard on NPR this morning that the economy is turning around. Well, that sounds like good news, but I know that for many of us, we will still be faced with difficult decisions for some time to come. I don't know if selling Will J. Reid is the right thing to do. But I have compassion and understanding for those who have to make the decision.

Photo:  Tristan at last fall's "Cub-o-ree" event at Will J. Reid Scout Camp

Roots

Photo taken at Rancho Los Cerritos.