Approaching the Manger

 

For Christians the Christmas season traditionally runs all the way through the celebration of the arrival of the magi on January 6.  I have been using these days since Christmas to reflect more on Jesus and what his birth has meant for humanity and for all creation. 

As this Christmas week has passed I have collected an amazing mixture of impressions.  I have enjoyed family gatherings, I have listened to the ongoing news of political brinksmanship, I have walked in these December evenings and marveled at their beauty, and I have learned of people struggling with things like the after-effects of storms and the grief and fear of the Newtown shootings. Through all of this I have wondered about the import of Jesus, born among us on that first Christmas.  I have been thinking about how to understand the difference it makes in our day-to-day lives that Jesus was born.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a well-known 20^th century theologian, pointed out that we approach the manger, hearing of Jesus’ birth, in one of two ways: either we approach out of faith, or out of habit.  According to Bonhoeffer, people of faith approach the cradle recognizing that in this baby, somehow God has come among us to judge creation and to redeem it.  Bonhoeffer then goes on to ask this:

What does that mean? Isn’t all of this just a way of speaking? Isn’t it just pastoral exaggeration of a pretty and pious legend? What does it mean that such things are said about the Christ child? Those who want to take it as a way of speaking will do so and continue to celebrate Advent and Christmas as before, with pagan indifference. For us it is not just a way of speaking. For that’s just it: it is God himself, the Lord and Creator of all things, who is so small here, who is hidden here in the corner, who enters into the plainness of the world, who meets us in the helplessness and defenselessness of a child, and wants to be with us. And he does this not out of playfulness or sport, because we find that so touching, but in order to show us where he is and who he is, and in order from this place to judge and devalue and dethrone all human ambition. The throne of God in the world is not on human thrones, but in human depths, in the manger. Standing around his throne there are no flattering vassals but dark, unknown, questionable figures who cannot get their fill of this miracle and want to live entirely by the mercy of God.

 

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich , God Is In the Manger (Kindle Location 768). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition (emphasis mine).

Over the next few days I want to lift up Bonhoeffer’s suggestion that God came among us in Jesus Christ in order to show who he and where he is, and in order from this palce to judge and devalue and throne all human ambition.  I think Bonhoeffer is right that people come to Christmas either through faith or through habit or civic tradition.  I would like to think more about what it entails to approach the manger out of faith.

And surely it begins by recognizing the mystery that God has, indeed, come among us.  I am one of many who have marveled that the creator of this universe has taken on flesh among us.  When I walk in the evenings and think about the mind-boggling vastness of the universe, in which our solar system is but a speck, and our planet is but a speck within a speck, and baby Jesus was but half-a-speck within a speck within a speck…how is it possible that the Creator of all of this is somehow fully among us in that baby?  And how is the majesty of God, the Creator of all, shown to us in the defenselessness of that child?

I look forward to sharing more on this over the next few days.

Why Christmas Joy?

                                          But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
                                          I wait for God my Savior;
                                          my God will hear me.                                  Micah 7:7

I always love the season of Advent and Christmas.  Advent is a season of reminding us that God acts in concrete ways that really make a difference, and that we should always be waiting, with great expectation, for those tipping-point moments when unusual things can happen. 

People of faith have always waited with that kind of expectation.  According the Bible, the people of old suffered and waited for God to send the Messiah to restore the people, and all creation to God (see Isaiah 11, one of my favorites for this).  Over the years the expectation of a coming Messiah grew so much that many wondered if John the Baptizer might be the Messiah (Luke 3:15).  Indeed, because of this growing expectation, when Jesus appeared, some were ready.  There were a few who were ready to follow him, learn from him, and to be a part of that amazing moment of history when Jesus, the Messiah, would act to bring salvation to the world.  Christmas celebrates that amazing moment in history, when Jesus, the Messiah, was born.  It was a long-expected and long-awaited moment in history:  the moment for the birth of a baby was also the moment for the coming of the Savior.

We are at a different moment in history now.  People are worried about many things, and some still know that watching for signs of God’s actions in the world is the answer.  But for some reason many seem to believe that converting Christmas into a consumerist holiday marks a better spirituality than waiting with expectation.  We live in a world with such overwhelming needs, how did Christmas change from a time of watching for God to a time of self-indulgence?

One of the reasons I so love the Christmas worship services is that it stands in such marked contrast to the emptiness of a consumerist Christmas.  Christmas worship speaks of great mystery.  In the infant, Jesus, the fullness of God entered the world, and entered human society as one of us.  The birth of Jesus was the birth of a real person in history.  By celebrating Christmas we remember what God has done already, AND we also remind ourselves of that God is still active in the world.  In celebrating Christmas, Christians recognize that

·      God really is in relationship with us,

·      God really has a purpose for history

·      God really does take action in history, and among us

·      And God really does call people to become disciples, which means to live with and for God’s purpose right now.

Christmas services of worship, and all Christian services of worship, point people to God by standing in contrast to some of the empty ideas that tend to gain traction among us.  We worship a Savior who came among us in self-sacrificing love, not in self-indulgence.  We worship a Savior who cared about those who suffered from sin and from injustice and from those powers that would bring them down.  Jesus came for the poor, the lost and the downtrodden, and calls us to join him in that ongoing ministry.

I intend to celebrate this Christmas with great joy.  Unto us a Savior is born!  Jesus is not a theological idea, but a real person.  And God is not a convenient idea, but the One who is moving all history toward completion.  And we are not empty vessels with no purpose in the world, but Christ’s followers and imitators, God’s agents, God’s amazingly empowered faith community, participating in God’s work to redeem the world. 

Christmas is a time for worship, because God is at work setting things straight.  In worship we remember that, and we hear the call, once again, to know who we are: God’s chosen!  And then to take action ourselves and join-in on what God is doing in the world.

Living as Christians in the Real World

On Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 three more congregations from the Presbytery of Yukon will participate in presbytery’s Acts 16:5 Restart Event.  This event will start a second round of congregations participating in the Acts 16:5 Initiative, a process to help congregations to identify God’s mission for them in the real world communities they live in.  

Personally, I am very enthused about churches entering into this process.  Both the real world experience of our presbytery—which recently participated in an essential, and spiritually vibrant cross-cultural Reconciliation event in the village of Gambell—and my recent reading of The Faith of Leap (please read this book!) have made it clear that not only congregations, but also presbyteries need to grab onto the opportunities offered through the Acts 16:5 Initiative.

Why am I pushing for this kind of work in our churches now?  There are many, many reasons.  For now, though, let me offer two, based on our presbytery’s experience and on one example from The Faith of Leap.

Church leaders in our presbytery know that celebrating cultural diversity is a must for us.  Clearly, we must expect that churches operating in the off-road villages do two things.  They must nurture Christian community work, discipleship and worship in ways that honor God, and they must do it in a way that enhances the faithfulness and health of the people within their own Native Culture.  Similarly, the Korean churches must fit their context and the other road system churches must fit their own, specific communities.  God’s mission is not a fast-food franchise that makes all Christians culturally identical.  Rather God’s mission is a relational one that celebrates the way God created us as diverse peoples across the world.  Jesus Christ died for all of those people, and the church is called to take its form only after observing and learning what God wishes within the local context.

Unfortunately, it has always been a temptation for missionaries to come to a new people and impose their own assumptions upon a people.  We have had to admit the damage that giving-in to such temptations has sometimes caused.  The Acts 16:5 Initiative asks us to learn from those mistakes not make the same kind of mistakes again.  

Instead, the Acts 16:5 Initiative asks the local people to study their own towns, their own hearts, and God’s Word, and only then to take action to form ministries that fit their time and place.  This is an initiative that embraces God-given diversity, while calling on church leaders to mold their uniqueness according to the demands of the gospel. 

The authors of The Faith of Leap insist that this kind of contextual work is essential everywhere today.  Anything less results in a failure to offer Christ’s hospitality to our neighbor—and we all know that Jesus holds loving God and neighbor as non-negotiable.  

On the other hand, loving one’s neighbor is risky.  To consider one’s neighbors concerns as important, and to shape ministry with those concerns in mind is always risky, because when we consider the world’s concerns there is always a risk of syncretism (becoming too much “of the world” rather than “of God”).  Yet, churches dare not become places that refuse to be sent into the world on behalf of Jesus. In the words of The Faith of Leap:

To rediscover the church as missional adventure, we will have to start by reJesusing the church—we need to be willing to factor Jesus, the wild Lord (his life, teachings, ministry, salvation work), back into the equation of church—to become disciples on the Way. And in terms of the church, we will need to rediscover the meaning of the word movement ...[as opposed to] being administrators of a stifling status quo, or worse, purveyors of fine religion.

  (Kindle Locations 281-285).    

The risk of becoming “administrators of a stifling status quo” or “purveyors of fine religion,” rather than followers of our surprising and world-changing Savior is absolutely abhorrent to me!  We must be willing to bring the gospel into the world, addressing the important issues of our own places.  And we must be willing to allow different places to experiment with new ideas on how to form Christian communities that proclaim gospel (good news) in a way that fits their own context.

So, as these churches begin exploring the Acts 16:5 initiative this weekend, please hold them in prayer.  At the same time, take a look at your own church.   Has your church taken the leap that begins the adventure with Christ?

A Few More Quotes

On Adventure

By definition, an adventure is a journey with an uncertain outcome. (Kindle location 363)

We live in an age of considerable uncertainty—who knows what five, ten, twenty years will bring? The combination of climate change, revolutionary technologies, and massive geopolitical shifts alone is enough to cause overwhelming excitement or anxiety.

  (Kindle Locations 367-369).   

Adventure does not consist in something won or lost, enjoyed or endured. Rather, it is the very rhythm of life itself, and acknowledging this transforms mere experience into an adventure.

  (Kindle Locations 373-374).    

It is not an overstatement to summarize Jesus’s work on earth as that of starting an adventure.

  (Kindle Locations 375-376).    

On Doing Ministry That Fits the “Neighborhood”

Part of the problem for the traditional church today is that in many places it is not seen as being for the neighborhood. (Kindle Locations 3269)

Part of the problem with the traditional approach is that the church often blunders into a neighborhood with a preconceived idea of what is wanted or needed. (Kindle Locations 3316)

We need to get to know our neighborhood, intimately and without presuppositions or prejudgments.  This is what Paul Hiebert was suggesting when he talks about doing exegesis on our culture [which is explained in detail in the book]. (Kindle Locations 3316)

Often we launch ministries just for the sake of doing something, anything.  What if we stopped doing something and just sat there in our context?

1. Listen to the rhythms of your context
2. Be employed in the neighborhood.
3. Engage in snowball research.  That is, meet the community gatekeepers, the movers and shakers.  Listen to them.  Hear of their dreams for your neighborhood…
4. Get rid of your church building!!  [At least get rid of “building” as a primary goal!]
5. Say yes to every invitation you receive.  [At the least, always be ready to consider saying “yes,” rather than being too busy for what is your neighbor’s interest]
   “What would happen of we as Christians took the risk of saying yes…?  What groups would we join?  At whose table would we find ourselves eating?  What adventures would we end up having?”
6.  

On the Importance of Risk

Likewise, a church addicted to security and safety is not the church of Jesus Christ; it is in reality something else.

  (Kindle Location 670).    

Living systems theory maintains, rightly, that the sweet spot of innovation takes place on “the edge of chaos,” or on what is called “a burning platform”—a situation where the organization is threatened with possible dissolution.

  (Kindle Locations 698-699).   

Those Amazing Neighbors

[Cindee, my wife, and I live in a bioshelter, and have set up our home as a learning center for sustainable building and living.  Our land is slowly being adapted according to the principles of permaculture.    With that in mind, I have begun a blog on living in a bioshelter.  This article comes from that blog.]
 

Life has been busy and full this summer.  Between working on the various projects that go along with life in our Bioshelter Home, the subsistence fishing and gathering that go along with life in Alaska, and various family activities, we have been busy.  As a result, this blog has fallen on the back burner for some time.  Today, however, I feel moved to write.

One of the great joys this summer has been experimenting with growing things in a greenhouse.  Our neighbor took a job in Oregon and had to vacate her house, at least temporarily. She knew that we wanted a greenhouse eventually, but did not have the time to build one, yet.  She therefore suggested that we use her greenhouse this year.  What a gift!

Our friends might have said that it was predictable that one of the problems Cindee and I ran into with this amazing opportunity was a desire to try EVERYTHING in the greenhouse at once.  Indeed, we decided to try three different types of tomatoes, and tried growing them as close together as we could possibly get away with.  We planted several varieties of peppers, both sweet and hot, but at opposite ends of a 15 ft. greenhouse.  We planted two different varieties of cucumbers, two types of beans (bush and runner), and one variety of squash.  The greenhouse was full, maybe too full, but it has been a rush to watch everything grow, and to  begin, just now, to see the produce emerge.

The thing I want to especially point out in today’s blog, though, is our gratitude to Patty, our neighbor, for making this possible.  We simply had too many projects this summer to begin working on a greenhouse.  Patty’s great belief in the value of sharing, and her naturally generous heart, made the greenhouse a possibility this year.  We are, indeed, grateful.

One of the key principles of permaculture is the absolute necessity of building community.  For instance, as we work with the land we have been given, we take advantage of the existing water flow and enhance it for best drainage and poolage.  Similarly, we take pains to develop the soil and to nurture the combinations and series of plants that grow on it.  As we do all of this we are developing a set of relationships—a community, if you will—of people, water, plants and animals that work together in a sort of harmony.  

Besides the gardening aspect, permaculture also understands how important it is to build sustainable and enduring human communities.  Humans are one species that needs good community to live well and sustainably.  Humans are also a species uniquely capable of either nurturing the whole of life across the planet, or of living so as to threaten life across the planet. We followers of permaculture principles must therefore work to develop healthy and sustainable human communities with the same passion, and the same diligence as we work to develop life on our land.  

In much of America these days people do not get to know their neighbors, nor even think about the values one needs to be a good neighbor.  In these times when our economies are stretched and the need for the radical reform of our social systems stares us in the face, it is essential that we go beyond the comfort zones of what is normal or comfortable to claim ways of living that nurture abundant and sustainable life.  Naming and nurturing the values necessary to be a good neighbor are a part of that.  It helps build local communities, where people care for one another in ways that go way beyond institutional systems.

In this blog I have named two of the qualities behind being a good a good neighbor—the importance of being intentional in reaching out to those around us, and the important value of sharing and generosity.  Indeed, in this example e are so grateful to Patty for her neighborliness.  Besides the greenhouse, we are richer for knowing her.

Since this is a Christian blog, I would add one more thought. As I said above, humans are created to need human community to live well and sustainably.  In previous blogs (May 14, March 6, Nov 16) sI wrote about how the Bible describes the human relationship with the land as one of caring for, protecting and gaining sustenance from the land.  Actually, the Bible often describes God as the gardener, and all creation as the garden.  It is our task to participate with God as both part of the garden, and as a unique part, empowered to help God in the nurturing work.

It should therefore not be a surprise that for Christians, faithfulness to God includes participating in the building of sustaining, nurturing human communities.  Indeed, knowing God is primarily about learning and practicing the values of the kind of relationships that cause humans, and all creation, to thrive well into the future.  For Christians, knowing and caring for one’s neighbor is a primary value.

Matthew 22:36-38:
³⁶ [They asked Jesus,] “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind [Deuteronomy 6:5].’^{[ 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself [Leviticus 19:18].’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

1 Corinthians 3:10-17:  (The Apostle Paul on Building Christian Community)

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Luke 10:25-27

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”
²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

06 10 12 What I Should Have Said

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,            1 Peter 3:15

It was one of those moments when I wished I had responded better. 

Steve Heimel, host of Alaska Public Radio Network’s Talk of Alaska, was bringing Jonathan Haidt onto the show to talk about Haidt’s new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics And Religion.  Haidt is a “moral philosopher” and an atheist.  Haidt believes religion developed as a natural, but accidental response to other evolutionary forces, but also believes that religion has served humanity well in developing moral codes that strengthen societies.  

Heimel asked me to sit in, because I am a part of One People-One Earth, an interdisciplinary group trying to make a moral case for a more disciplined effort to address climate change.  Heimel hoped to give focus to Haidt’s rather academic book by talking about climate change, and probably hoped I would add a counterbalancing voice to the conversation.

 At one point Haidt asked me a question, to which I should have given a better answer.  He asked me what I thought the role of religion is in society.  I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I know it was a rather lukewarm response that I was not happy with.  I am more familiar with responding to the question of why I am Christian, or what role Christians play in the world, than religion.  Asking about religion in general threw me off for a bit, and I am sorry.

What I wish had said is this:  The role of religion is to help people recognize their contact with the divine, and then to help them to live, both individually and collectively, as faithfully as they can.  As a Christian I have come to understand God most fully through the revelation that comes through Jesus, who is unique because he embodies the perfect, unified presence of both God and creature in one person.  In Jesus we see that God is engaged in history—the real happenings of life; and in Jesus we see that God is also at work through human faithfulness—through the real actions of the faithful.  The Christian religion teaches that God makes it possible for each person to really live well in the world—to make a difference—because of their relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

However, on live radio, one does not have time to carefully craft a response.  Because we were talking about the moral divide in politics and religion, I talked about how churches provide the perfect place for liberals and conservatives to be drawn into meaningful relationships, and to work out moral responses together.  I fully believe what I said, having worked on this very issue through Café Conversations and other efforts in churches.  However, I don’t believe I spoke well of the role of a living faith, and I am sorry.

1 Peter tells us to always be ready to give an answer for the reason that we have.  Matthew 10:19-20 tells us to “not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”  In my case, I regret that I was not as ready for that question as, perhaps, I should have been.  My hope, however, is not in how quick I am on my feet in such situations, but in God, who is Lord of all things.  Indeed, God uses even our poor efforts to point people to the real and living hope, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

This is the report on the PbYukon FB page and on the Yukon Presbyterians for Earthcare page.  I reprint it here for those who do not have FB.

On Monday, someone reported a severe incidence of racism at First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage in a FB post. This posting tapped into a huge reservoir of hurt that is still present in the Indigenous communities of the world (not just Alaska) and we have been hearing from them and from their allies. The hurt is present because racism is real and continues to damage individuals and whole classes of peoples.

Unfortunately, the post that triggered all of this was based on a misunderstanding. Yes, things should have been handled differently. However, because of the misunderstanding, what was originally reported is not what happened. Many of us have therefore been at work this week to seek a proper response.

This week the First Presbyterian Church and the Anchor Presbyterian Church leaders have joined with one of the women who was named in the original posting, and with one of the women who posted the inaccurate report on FB. We have been at work to put together a joint statement on what happened. About an hour ago, we finished with a statement we could all endorse. I have printed it for you, below. It was put out on FB by one of the same people who put out the original statement. When she put out the original statement, she thought it was true. She is happy to put out the correction.

Part of what this has been about is the very real depth of hurt that is out there. One of the remaining questions for us is how to continue this ministry of ending racism, and working for healing. This is obviously a burning ministry need in our state, and I hope we will continue to find ways to address it together. I am happy to report that all who have been working on this together have discovered that we are allies in this effort, even though we started off somewhat distrustful of each other.

I suspect that it will take some time for word to get out about what really happened, and our desire to continue to work on this ministry. Many have been planning to come to the church tomorrow to stand against racism and for including everyone. I suspect that many will still come, not knowing about our efforts together this week, and our joint statement. Please continue to pray for all of us as we continue in this ministry.

  Joint Statement

The Facebook posting which led people to believe that the First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage engages in discrimination against Alaskan Natives, or people of any other nationality or ethnicity, needs to be corrected.  It was a misunderstanding.  On Thursday, the mother in the account described, below, along with two of her friends, met with church leaders from the First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage and the Anchor Presbyterian Church.  This statement comes from them.

The First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage includes people of many races, including Alaska Natives, as members.  It also has been helping to start a new church in Anchorage, the Anchor Presbyterian Church.  Anchor Presbyterian was formed to provide Native food and fellowship to people who are looking for it, and especially to those who come from villages for medical or other services.   Both First Presbyterian and Anchor Presbyterian churches have worship services at 11:00 a.m.—on opposite sides of the same building.

Last Sunday an Alaskan Native woman and her daughter, who regularly attend Anchor Presbyterian Church, arranged to meet the mother's adult son at church.  However, the mother forgot to tell him that she attends Anchor Presbyterian.  Her son went to the First Presbyterian Church.  After not finding the son at Anchor Pres, the mother and daughter went to First Pres to look for him.  A female member of First Presbyterian happened to be outside the sanctuary.  The mother was dressed in her Native regalia, and the woman outside the sanctuary assumed she was looking for the Anchor Presbyterian Church.  She told her, “The Native church is down that way.”  The mother explained that she had just come from there and was looking for her son.  She asked if they could peek in and check.  The First Pres member said the worship service was almost over, if they wanted to wait.

Although this member of First Presbyterian Church intended to be helpful, her description of Anchor Presbyterian Church could have been better. She also should have let the mother and daughter into the service immediately so that they could have searched for the young man.  First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage truly wishes to encourage effective ministry and fellowship among all peoples.  Everyone is welcome. 

 

04 27 12 New Lessons Are Sometimes Old Lessons

                                                       Gambell Presbyterian Church

I continue to ponder last month’s “New Beginnings” event in the village of Gambell, Alaska.  Without doubt the whole event was good news, because proclaiming the truth through that event allowed light to shine into a darkness we Presbyterians had helped create.  Bringing light into darkness is always a good thing.  The sad thing in this case was that the bringing of the light was necessary at all.

One of the reasons I say this is because part of what we learned was not so much a new lesson as relearning of a very old lesson.  Nearly five hundred years ago Martin Luther, the famed reformer of the Church, complained about those Christians whose arrogance caused them to believe their theological insights were so pure that they did not need to dialogue with others about them.  He called that kind of self-righteous theology the “theology of glory,” as if certain Christians were standing in glory with God and shared God’s sovereign ability to judge others without question.   Martin Luther was complaining about the Roman Catholic hierarchy covering over distorted theology and the abusive ministerial practices that resulted (an example for those who are interested is the selling of indulgences—look up “Indulgence” in Wikipedia if you don’t know what that is).  It is sad that something like that also happened in Alaska.

Indeed, across Alaska, and in Gambell, certain missionaries branded much rather innocent behavior, like Native drumming and dancing, as “pagan” without really understanding what they were talking about.  Similarly, both church and government demonstrated a rather self-righteously arrogant faith when they came to the conclusion that assimilating indigenous people into western culture would be doing them a kindness--something they obviously decided without asking the indigenous people, themselves. [1]

---

[1] R. Pierce Beaver. Church, State and the American Indians: two and a half centuries of partnership in missions between Protestant churches and government. Concordia Publishing House, 1966.

 According to Luther, such arrogance reflects a theology of glory, which calls good things (Native culture) bad and bad things (assimilation) good without real understanding.

For me, on the other hand, one of the great joys of living many years as a Presbyterian in Alaska has been to witness the very different view that has become prevalent in our current ministry.   Alaskan Presbyterians have come to value the cultural diversity that is present in the church.  When viewing matters of faith and life, we have come to understand that traditional values and ways have much to teach all of us, and not just those living in the more remote parts of the state.  Worship in village life should look different, and does look different, than in the more urban areas. Differences in language are important, too, because the thought patterns embedded in each language shape much of a people's worldview. In our presbytery we have learned that bringing together Christians of different languages and cultures, and working together for ministry, brings greater wisdom and greater awareness of the God's possibilities to our ministry.  Since the "New Beginnings" event in Gambell, I also believe that such work requires an intentional humility, so as not to insist that one worldview or perspective should dominate.

This fits with the 500-year-old teaching of Martin Luther.  According to Martin Luther the antidote to a theology of glory is the theology of the cross.  In the cross of Jesus we know that God was present in Jesus Christ, joining with us in the brokenness of sin and mortality.  God recognizes full well that human beings are always being subjected to sin and death, and therefore are not capable of the perfect understanding implied by a theology of glory.  Yet, in Jesus Christ, God joined with us anyway.  Indeed, Jesus humbled himself and was put to death on a cross by the self-righteously arrogant religious people of his own day.  In that death, God opened the way for usto have communion with God, the Spirit revealed the truth Jesus was standing for, and Jesus showed us the proper way of discipleship.

It is my sincere hope that we will hold up that lesson of humble faith as we move forward from the “New Beginnings” event in Gambell.  Self-righteousness is always a temptation.  But a good antidote is to embrace dialogue—diverse Christian people joining their voices in dialogue together and listening to one another with respect—all the while staying focused on Christ Jesus.