A Movement For Wholeness - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

GO FORTH

Finally, home. Readers of this blog know how much I have enjoyed my trip to Italy on various levels. Certainly, the "pleasure" part of it has been the food, the weather, the food, and the culture of modern Italy that exists in the midst of one of the oldest histories of modern civilizations. Oh, and did I mention the food?

However, there comes a time when one must go home again. The time has come and I am pleased to be able to enter again into the rhythm and flows of my "regular" life as a father, husband, son, pastor and friend. But, I have discovered over the years of my life, the real "heart and soul" of an experience is what one does with that experience. Are there transformative elements of an experience? How does an experience, this particular experience, hold within it opportunities to deepen my appreciation of life and, especially, my life as person of faith continually in search of faith.

One way by which I have found that a learning experience can be enhanced is by sharing that which I have learned. So, in the next few weeks I hope to announce a study series on Christianity. This will cover the history of the Christian church, theology and worldview.

While Christianity emerges from Judaism, its emergence and formation were clearly within a Roman world. I hope that my recent trip to Rome will enhance my presentation of the history of Christianity. As I have done with Islam, this study will no doubt involve, on some level, at least, material from the Teaching Company's Great Religions series.

Please "Stay Tuned" for further information.

Blessings,

Don

I'll be home tomorrow night and I can't wait. We're leaving at 6:30 a.m. for the airport. So, it looks like it will still be about 11:00 p.m. when I get home as I'll be flying into Philadelphia, then Charlotte before back in Indy.

Today, we went to Florence to see the Duomo (Cathedral), which is huge and the Baptisty, also huge and quite opulent; gold ceilings and priceless artwork. Then we walked around Florence and ate. We took the Eurotrain, which travels at speeds in excess of 100 to 150 miles per hour.

I can see why people want to come here to Italy and even to live here. We met an American who found an apartment last night and is going to move here in May. He's been a recruiter for American soccer teams but is going to be working for a tour company in Rome.

The city is relatively safe and while the traffic seems initially to be chaotic, it's pretty safe and even speeding cars and motorscooters are very courteous to pedestrians. We have not been brave enough to rent a motorscooter, however. Although the Sedgeway scooters do look like fun.

I understand that Mary Jane has come back from the Stephen Ministry training ready to lead us into this important ministry. Also, I've heard that Dan did a great job with his sermon. I look forward to hearing more and seeing you all "face-to-face" in an interchange of encouragement, as the Apostle Paul once wrote.

Today was a day of relaxation. Those of you who have been to Rome could probably tell that we were "on the move" at a pretty brisk (grueling) pace these last few days. It finally caught up with us today and we decided to pull back just a little.

I, along with two of my companions, spent the day strolling leisurely, as opposed to breakneck speedwalking, through some of the streets of Rome. The Old World charm is wonderful and the eating experience continues to be incredible. I'm a real seafood eater and I've enjoyed some incredible seafood dishes here. It seems that we cannot find a bad restaurant.

All of us met up for conversation in the hotel lobby and then on to an amazing dinner. Each of us have been considering how this experience and the things we have learned can be assimilated into our lives as Christians and as clergy. I do not believe that anyone of us has failed to be challenged by our time here.

There are so many images of these last few days that are indelibly marked into my memory. As I was walking along on the walls of the Vatican, which is a veritable storehouse of precious art and unbelievable wealth, we were struck by the appearance of two beggars on the sidewalk. One, a man clearly stricken with horrible physical deformities and the other, a woman completely bent over at her waist and unable to walk upright. They were begging for spare change within mere feet of such incredible wealth and prosperity. While there is a claim by the church to be the visible representative of the Kingdom of God on earth, there was no one to extend a hand of aid to these people.

I wonder, how do I live out my claim to represent God in the world? What do I ignore? What are my failings, both by commission and by omission? And the church? How is the church, the universal church of Christ's followers throughout the world, culpable of misrepresentation?

I am finding that confronting the choices I've made moves me to continue in my struggle to live the life that God would have me live.

May the whole church live and grow in the image of our Creator in grace and love.

Don

ANCIENT TOMBS

Went to visit Etruscan tombs today in Orvieto, about 1 and 1/2 hour south of Rome by train. These are pre-Roman tombs just outside of the city, which is a walled city built by the Etruscans. Interestingly, the tombs are laid out just as was common during Roman times and are almost exactly like the tomb of Christ. It was quite fascinating to enter them and get a feel for what it was like in those early centuries.

There is also a fabulous Duomo (Cathedral) with incredible design features which words fail to properly describe. I will be able to show many of the photos I took in the near future. I believe that a study of the history of the church would be very beneficial to our expanding appreciation of what Christ would have his church be and become and I hope that my experiences in Rome and the surrounding countryside will add to this. I have learned so much in this last few days and I'm looking forward to sharing this with you all.

Tomorrow, we may visit another site of early Christian catacombs and visit an Etruscan museum in Rome, as well.

Tonight, however, I'm nursing sore calves and blistered feet. We have done an incredible amount of walking and much of it uphill.

May God bless you all.

Don

THE CHURCH

Wow!!! This has been simply incredible. We started out the day by visiting the Roman Coliseum and the Palatine Hill, where Roman emperors had their palaces. Then we went in to the Roman Forum and took two guided tours. This also included a visit to what is traditionally thought to have been the jail in which the Apostle Paul was imprisoned. Then, we went to eat (fabulous!) followed by a walk to the Spanish Steps, where the Spanish embassy once stood but is now a "touristy" place with restaurants and shops.

I am attempting to assimilate everything that I have learned about the 1st Christians and the way they viewed Christianity. There are so many implications for the church's mission and purpose in today's world.

I found it to be quite interesting, for example, that the bloody, gladiatorial games held at the Coliseum gradually became less and less popular as the number of Christians increased in the city. The Roman emperors financed the games, which first opened with 100 days of gaming, but finally ended when so few people would come. It is nice to know that Christians actually stood up to the violence of Roman society and effected change. I know I've left out some of the details, but will give a more full account of the Christian reaction toward the Roman culture of the early centuries.

I'm looking forward to sharing more of what I'm learning in the near future. Until then...
continued Blessings and Prayers,

Don

THE WORD

Today was quite a day. We went to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and two of Rome's 5 catacombs that are currently open to the public. All I can say is "Wow!" In the span of one day, we have traveled from the pre-Christian decades of the Roman empire to the beginning years of the church, right up to modern church art of the last few years as displayed in the Vatican's Museum.

What I have really enjoyed is seeing how the early church used symbology that seems to express a Christianity that is different from what we usually think of as Christian theology. I am considering ways by which we, at Danville, may be able to explore these themes.

I've taken a lot of pictures but am having trouble connecting to the internet with my laptop. The technology here is "stone age." I'll have to figure out what the problem is but may have to wait until I return to publish them.

Ate at a great restaurant tonight....clams and pasta, gelato, and coffee. Pete and Joan Davis told me that the food would be fabulous and they were right!!! I'll never be able to enjoy "Italian" food in the same way!!!

Tomorrow, we hope to get to the Coliseum and other sites as time permits.

May God Bless you all.

Don

THE GATHERING

All of us have arrived safe and sound, from Indianapolis, Noblesville, Geist, Naples Florida, and Ft. Myers Florida and, of course, from Danville (me). We're doing well but really tired. Our plane flight was just over 8 hours, so we didn't get into Rome airport until 8:30a.m. Italian time this morning (Wednesday) having left yesterday morning around 10:30a.m.
Today we went out into the city and checked out several of the sights, including Trevi fountain, which was the inspiriation for the film and the movie, "Three Coins in the Fountain." Of course, I had to throw in 2 euros.
The food here is incredible! Pizza, foccacia, and spaghetti doesn't taste ANYTHING like what it does in the States.
We also went to the Pantheon, which was the main building where Romans worshipped pagan gods and goddesses originally built in 26 B.C. It was destroyed around 80 A.D. and the current building, which we went in to was built 126 A.D. by Emperor Hadrian.
We also went to a basilica (church) that was built by Michelangelo's brother.
We have done a lot of walking and I'm back in the hotel using the Wi-fi, which is only available in the lobby.
I got no more than 2 or 3 hours sleep on the plane last night and not getting to bed after arriving here in Rome, I'm pretty well "beat up."
So, I'll be heading off to bed and not writing too much tonight. I was misinformed by the salesclerk when I wanted to by a power converter for Italian electic sockets and am going to have to use one of the other's power converter to upload some of the pictures I've taken.

Blessings and Prayers,
Don

PRELUDE

I'm sitting in the Charlotte, N.C. airport waiting for my flight to Philadelphia; then on to Rome. (By-the-way, if you haven't been to the new Indianapolis Airport, it's quite a building. It has the feel of a large airplane hanger.)

I believe that all of the necessary preparations have been made for my trip; exchanged U.S. dollars for European Euros, cleared foreign travel use with my credit card company, bought a plug adapter so that I may use my laptop in Italy and packed the security belts that George Mayo loaned me since pickpockets are quite prevalent in Rome. I've spoken to two of the people who are a part of this and we've made arrangement to meet at the airport in Philly for our flight to Rome.

One of my traveling companions called a couple of nights ago and we found our hotel on Google Maps and took a "virtual tour" through parts of Rome near the hotel. The images portray a city quite different from any other I've been in. Certainly, the buildings are quite old and I'm curious to find out how old the hotel is.

We are just a couple of blocks from St. Peter's Basilica and not far from Trevi fountain (I'm old enough to remember the song and movie, "Three Coins in the Fountain," and hope to see this Roman landmark.) We have tickets for the Vatican for Thursday. Saturday is "Liberation Day," whatever that is, and all the museums offer free entry. The crowds shoud be pretty large so we're thinking of going to the Amalfi coast.

In spite of my excitment, it was a difficult task, however, saying good-bye to Sabre and Scottie. I'm reminded, as I am whenever I'm away from home for more than a day, how much the people we love and who love us are truly the most important gifts that God has given us on this earth. Even now, my thoughts turn towards my family and what they are probably doing at just this moment; Scottie sitting at her desk at her office and Sabre sitting at her desk at her school. Indeed, love is the strongest force in this reality called "life" that God has created for us.

I know that a week is a relatively short period of time and the busyness of the days ahead will keep me occupied, but yet...

Blessings and prayers,

Don

Ciao amici miei

My trip to Italy begins on April 21st and I invite you to follow along with me as I experience this astounding country.

Along with four other ordained clergy of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and thanks to a Sustaining Pastoral Excellence grant from the Lilly Foundation, I will be in Rome, the eternal city, as well as other sites in Italy important to the history and development of Christianity.

While in Italy I plan to blog about my trip, not just as a tourist, but as a Christian seeking to connect with the rich historical places, sounds, and smells that inform our faith.

Please feel free to add your comments to this blog and share in this journey over this next week.

Blessings,
Don

A Word From The Pastor
Romans 6:3, 4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
For the apostle Paul, “newness of life” is much more than an assurance of the continuation of our “existence” after our physical death on this earth. Obviously, Paul believed that those in Christ would find eternal life with him, but there was, in Paul’s view, a “right now” result from our immersion into Jesus Christ. That “right now” effect is the newness of life Paul refers to in the letter to the Roman Christians (see also, Romans 6:11).
Lately, many of us in our congregation have been talking about the need to attract younger people to our church. Often, when we talk about this, we make mention that if we don’t get younger people to join and get involved our church will decline and, eventually, die. Richard Hamm, a former General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and current Executive Administrator of Christian Churches Together-U.S.A, wrote in his recent book, Recreating the Church, that most “mainline congregations are now somewhere on the downside of the Congregational Life Cycle [headed towards “dying”]. Some of them are far down that side and have become so contextually irrelevant and so low on resources that there is little hope of turning it around.”
Here’s the reality check: if the primary reason we want to attract and retain younger people is so that we, as a church, won’t die, we are already “somewhere on the downside” of our church’s life. Clearly, every organization of any kind needs new members of all ages in order to keep going. But Paul’s appeal to the Romans was not about keeping an “organization” alive. He wanted those early Christians to know, experience, and share with others the “newness of life” that came from an immersion into Christ.
Our concern, then, should be for people of all ages who need the newness of life that comes from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This is, in fact, the Easter story, that people can put away their old life of estrangement from God and enter into a new life through Christ (Acts 17:26, 27). People who have lost their sense of hope can find a community of support and fellowship that can renew their trust in the God of hope (Romans 15:13); and while life involves challenges that seem beyond our ability to overcome, we can experience the strength and guidance from God far beyond our own limited capacities and resources (Philippians 4:13).
This is something that we should all get really enthused about! This is what Easter is all about: new life, new outlooks, new possibilities and a renewed awareness of the inestimable love and grace of God through Christ! It’s so much more than simply keeping an organization or some institution intact. The real “reason for this season” is to spread the Gospel of the Risen Christ to all who need it. Throughout the year our mission as a church should be to do all we can to engage in the work that Jesus gave us to do, namely, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." – Matthew 28:19, 20.

Happy Easter!

DaVinci Code

Well, I finally did it. Scottie and I went to see the DaVinci Code Tuesday evening (although we always have a difficult time leaving Sabre, our 6 year old daughter, while we are out doing something. I think that we can count the number of times we've done that on the fingers of one hand.) I'd read the book about a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I had to read Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, which he wrote before the DaVinci Code. Scottie hasn't read either book but had really wanted to see the moving.

Actually, we both love just about everything Tom Hanks has done. Of course, we've also enjoyed Opie's...oops!..., I mean Ron Howard's work as well. So, after packing Sabre off to grandma's, we went to the local mulitplex to plunk down an outrageous amount of money to see this movie and an even more outrageous amount of cash for 2 soft drinks, a bag of popcorn and a pretzel.
In spite of all of the above, however, we both absolutely loved the movie. We found it to be a riveting and well done piece of "mystery cinema, " in spite of what most of the movie critics are writing about it. In fact, I'd like to recommend that everyone go see this movie. Now, I know that may seem a little strange that a minister of the church should make such a recommendation. However, I believe that not just seeing the movie, but investigating the claims made in this movie can actually be a faith strengthening activity and one that may broaden one's understanding and appreciation for both the Bible and the history of the church. Here's some ways in which this may happen:

First, the claim that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene does not, in my opinion, have any merit (although this is not a new claim and is one that has been debated over the centuries). However, what is important is that the figure of Mary Magdalene has been greatly misrepresented in the stories of the church over time. She has been characterized as a prostitute, which she was not, and her role as an early eyewitness and evangelizer of the resurrection of Christ has been almost entirely ignored. But what may really be at issue here is the way in which the role of women, once prominent in the early church, has been reduced and relegated to one subordinate to men. In many churches, women are frequently denied many ministerial opportunities as they've been relegated to so-called "non-teaching" positions (though in some churches Sunday School teaching is not deemed important enough, so women are usually allowed to teach the children in many of these churches.)

Secondly, the way the official canon, or approved composition of the Bible, developed over time is a fascinating story in itself. Rather than being fearful or reticent to admit to and discuss this particular aspect of the church's history, I believe that it offers us an important glimpse into the way that humans have always participated in God's work in the world in spite of our human failings and limitations. It further challenges us to seriously examine the foundations of our own beliefs, doctrines and the way "we live Christianity" in view of the diversity that exists among many Christians in the world today.

The diversity of Christian thinking in today's world is not something new in history. The DaVinci Code touches on the historicity of the diversity of Christian thinking and of distinct "Christianities" in the early history of the church as well. I believe that this rich history of the church also reveals to us the faith and dedication of disciples of Jesus Christ even though they sometimes disagreed over issues of doctrine, church structure and even of faith itself. By studying these diverse theologies, for example, we can come to a clearer picture of the difference between elements of the faith that Jesus taught and the doctrines that arise out of human needs and desires of a particular historical time and social/cultural context.

As I assume it must be obvious from this post, I am quite dismayed by recent efforts by some church leaders to organize boycotts of the movie and the book. Some Christians have even picketed in front of movie theaters in an effort to discourage people from seeing the movie. Clearly, this kind of tactic frequently backfires, fueling interest in a film rather than discouraging it. But more than that, I resent some Christian leaders who claim to represent all Christians as though they have some kind of ''corner" on truth and have the right to dictate the way I should think and act as a Christian.

A recent article in the online version of Soujourners magazine, a Christian journal, discusses these attempts to dissuade viewing the movie. Ryan McCarl, a Christian theology student at the University of Chicago wrote in the article, "Is the DaVinci Code Dangerous:"
"It is a bit embarassing to see groups that claim to be the guardians of eternal, timeless truths prominently scrambling to suppress the popularity of a three-year-old thriller novel. If the fundamentals of Christian doctrine are true, then Christians should have no fear of discussing their faith and objections to it in the public and academic arena. Other claimants to truth - philosophers, writers, and scientists - have to do so on a regular basis.
If the tough questions are openly examined and discussed, the truth ought to prevail without the help of boycotts, political intervention, or force. As St. Paul advises us, "test everything; hold fast to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The Christian faith has survived a great many tests over the centuries, and it is hard to believe that a popular novel poses any threat to its survival; if anything, it is the shameful response of some Christian groups to anything that looks like a challenge that makes the church lose credibility in the eyes of the public."
To that I add ... Amen.

Stained Glass concert

Our Praise band, Stained Glass, performed at 7th and 8th Christian Church last night. We'd been invited by Rev. Paul Remick to kick off his 15 weeks as the Sabbatical Interim Minister there, while Jeff Cassiter is on Sabbatical.

This strikes me on two fronts. First, it was such a pleasure to perform with the others in the band outside of Sunday worship. There was a wonderful sense of fellowship coming from this ministry of music we engaged in. And more than that, it felt like the band was one community offering its collective gift to another community of faith.

Secondly, Paul invited us so as to offer us as an example to 7th and 8th that there are dynamic and growing congregations among Disciples churches in our area. I can't help but find this incredibly gratifying. In light of the fact that just three years ago the church was, in my opinion and in the opinion of several of the Interim Ministers who served PCC, clearly facing the possibility of a continuing downward spiral in membership and Worship attendance. When I first came to PCC as a student intern from Christian Thelogical Seminary, the average Worship attendance was 75. However, the next year it went up to 92, 104 the year after that, and now we are averaging approximately 130 in worship.

Of course, we have a long way to go. One of our biggest challenges is to encourage real "discipleship" as opposed to just regular attendance in worship. We need to participate in the life-changing ministry that God has assigned to as as followers of Christ. This will require a continuing willingness to look at who we are and who God wants us to be. This will not be easy. However, I am continually hopeful that this church is not finished yet. I am hopeful that God will guide us and direct us to discern the ministry that we can offer in this time and in this place.

Don

On the Air

This is it! I've finally started a blog. I've been thinking about it for quite some time but have finally done it. Now the question is, "What am I going to do with it?"