Shawna Atteberry

The Baker Who Also Writes and Teaches

A Christian Viewpoint from Inside the Gaza Strip

I have found Philip Rizk’s blog, tabula gaza. Philip is an Egyptian-German Christian leader who lives in Gaza. He moved there in 2004. His blog gives an inside view of Gaza, the Palestinians who live there, and the politics and violence of the region. He gives us a view of Gaza and the Palestinians who live there that we do not get in the news here.

I first read Philip when he wrote a post for God’s Politics. Christianity Today’s Liveblog also uses his blog to keep their readers updated on what is happening in Gaza.

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Readers Theater: Luke 8:26-39

This is a readers theater I put together from the gospel lesson for this Sunday. Please feel free to use it in own worship service.

Narrator 1: They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly opposite Galilee. As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a victim of demons. He hadn’t worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home; he lived in the cemetery. When he saw Jesus he screamed, fell before him, and bellowed,

Demoniac: “What business do you have messing with me? You’re Jesus, Son of the High God, but don’t give me a hard time!”

Narrator 2: (The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.) Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds. Jesus asked him,

Jesus: “What is your name?”

Demoniac “Mob. My name is Mob,”

Narrator 1: he said, because many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit.

Narrator 2: A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the lake and drowned.

Narrator 1: Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus’ feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense.

Narrator 2: It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved.

Narrator 1: Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave—too much change, too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off.

Demoniac: [I] asked to go with him, but he sent [me] back, saying,

Jesus: “Go home and tell everything God did in you.”

Demoniac: So [I] went back and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in [me].

(Taken from The Message by Eugene Peterson.)

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Zimbabwe, the Church, and Justice

The country of Zimbabwe and its Christian leaders need our prayers. In High-Stakes Protest Brenda Lane gives a succint description of what has been happening in Zimbabewe:

Zimbabwe’s economy has crumbled since Mugabe, 83, took over following the end of white-supremacist rule in 1980. Inflation runs 1,593 percent annually, and unemployment tops 80 percent. Nearly two years ago, Mugabe launched Operation Murambatsvina (“Take Out the Trash”), during which the government bulldozed homes he said were built illegally. Thousands of victims remain homeless.

In response nine Catholic bishops signed an open letter to President Mugabe pointing out that nothing had changed since the Rhodesian white regime was overthrown: a few wealthy people still control all the money and power and are determined to remain in power. The only difference now is that the few are black and not white. The letter urges the president to make needed economic changes that would give his people jobs and houses. It urges him to trust a democratic process and let the people govern themselves. Here are excerpts from the letter from Mugabe Threatens Zimbabwe’s Bishops:

The present crisis in our country has its roots deep in colonial society. Despite the rhetoric of a glorious socialist revolution brought about by the armed struggle, the colonial structures and institutions of pre-independent Zimbabwe continue to persist in our society. None of the unjust and oppressive security laws of the Rhodesian State have been repealed; in fact, they have been reinforced by even more repressive legislation …

Why was this done? Because soon after independence, the power and wealth of the tiny white Rhodesian elite was appropriated by an equally exclusive black elite, some of whom have governed the country for the past 27 years through political patronage. Black Zimbabweans today fight for the same basic rights they fought for during the liberation struggle. It is the same conflict between those who possess power and wealth in abundance, and those who do not; … between those who only know the language of violence and intimidation, and those who feel they have nothing more to lose because their Constitutional rights have been abrogated and their votes rigged. Many people in Zimbabwe are angry, and their anger is now erupting into open revolt in one township after another….

The God of the Bible is always on the side of the oppressed. He does not reconcile Moses and Pharaoh, or the Hebrew slaves with their Egyptian oppressors. Oppression is sin and cannot be compromised with. It must be overcome. God takes sides with the oppressed. As we read in Psalm 103:6: “God who does what is right, is always on the side of the oppressed”. …

We conclude our pastoral letter by affirming with a clear and unambiguous “yes” our support of morally legitimate political authority. At the same time we say an equally clear and unambiguous “no” to power through violence, oppression and intimidation. We call on those who are responsible for the current crisis in our country to repent and listen to the cry of their citizens. To the people of Zimbabwe we appeal for peace and restraint when expressing their justified grievances and demonstrating for their human rights.

As the title of the article says Mugabe’s response was to threaten the bishops. He says that the bishops are no longer spiritual leaders but political and will be treated as political entities. Already no group larger than three people can get together and talk in Zimbabwe without seeking police approval. Even people talking while having dinner have been broken up by the police on suspicion of political dissent. This means churches are not allowed to legally gather, but Christians still gather to worship and pray, knowing that they could be arrested. Several Christians have been arrested and beaten for breaking the law.

The bishop’s letter concluded with this prayer. Please join our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe as they pray:

God Our Father,
You have given all peoples one common origin,
And your will is to gather them as one family in yourself.
Give compassion to our leaders, integrity to our citizens, and repentance to us all.
Fill the hearts of all women and men with your love
And the desire to ensure justice for all their brothers and sisters.
By sharing the good things you give us
May we ensure justice and equality for every human being,
An end to all division, and a human society built on love,
Lasting prosperity and peace for all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Sources:

High-Stakes Protest from ChristianityToday.com

From God’s Politics:

Mugabe Threatens Zimbabwe’s Bishops

Where Is Christ in Zimbabwe’s Crisis

“The Passion of Christ” in Zimbabwe’s Context

The picture is Farid De La Ossa Arrieta’s “Church vs. Non-Diversity” found at Boheme Galleries.

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What Is Worship?

Worship is not primarily about you and your bundle of felt needs, wishes, desires, good intentions, or a desire to escape dull or threatening realities of life through a swooning spiritual experience. “Worship is not about performance! The worship leaders are not there to keep us amused and entertained; they are not performers fishing for double encores. They are to guide us in offering a sacrifice of worship to God.” Worship is about God. We worship God because of who he is (Tracy, The Wesleyan-Holiness Way to Spiritual Formation, lesson 15). ” From “Spiritual Direction in the Wesleyan-Holiness Tradition” by Wesley D. Tracy in Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls: A Guide to Christian Approaches and Practices.

I think this is why I lean toward liturgical worship. It is firmly centered around God in music, sermon, prayer and communion. It’s focus is this is how we come into God’s presence corporately. I also like how music cannot take over the worship service. So many times worship is reduced to music and singing, and that is only one part of worship. Public proclamation of the Word is also worship (one of the reasons I like the lectionary: reading all the passages for Sunday focuses us on the importance of God’s Word itself instead of just the interpretation of a passage during the service). The sermon is part of worship as is the prayers of the community, offertary, and communion.

The one thing I have loved about the emergent movement is its insistence on broadening what worship is and its communal nature. Corporate worship is “us and Jesus” not “me and Jesus with all these other people.” That’s one of the reasons responsive readings and readers’ theaters are some of my favorite forms of worship: it emphasizes that we are worshiping together as a community (as does singing, but I’m not great singer, and I love to proclaim Scripture). We are not sitting in a cocoon separated from everyone else (which is why I rarely close my eyes during singing–I like looking at the people I’m worshiping with).

What about you? What do you think worship is and what should it do? How do you like to worship with your community of faith?

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What should the church look like?

Chuck Warner of Confessions of a Small Town Pastor had this wonderful quote from The Great Giveaway.

I imagine our congregations becoming smaller, not bigger, yet teeming with the life of his body. And I hope there are more of them, so many of them in fact, that they become the alternative to the Starbucks of our day. I hope our churches become known for servanthood in the neighborhoods and warm hospitality that invites strangers into our homes. I pray that the home of every evangelical person becomes an incubator of evangelism, inviting strangers to the gospel out of their lostness and into the love and grace of life in our Lord Jesus Christ. I imagine real fellowship in our congregations, the kind that shares joys and suffering and potluck meals. I pray our leaders take on the form of humble servants who sit, listen, and suffer with real people through many years of leading them through this life in Jesus Christ. I hope we leave behind the CEO models of leadership. I look for our worship services to become liturgical places that form our people into faithful participants in the life of God.

The line about small churches becoming an alternative to Starbucks reminded me of a really good article that Leadership Journal has too: Coffeehouse Connections. In this article a pastor decides to be a barista one night a week at the coffeehouse where his wife works. This article is what the coffeehouse is teaching him about pastoring and doing church. Here’s one of his observations:

One night while working a couple months ago, I introduced one of our regulars to a friend from church. For the next two hours these new friends, one a twenty-something artist and the other a single mom of two college-age kids, sat at a table listening to each other’s stories.

Where else do soccer moms mingle with Goth kids dressed for the Friday night show? Or young, upwardly mobile commuters interact with a homeless man? Or a local pastor (me) interact regularly with anyone outside the church?

And I think: isn’t this what the church is supposed to look like?

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It finally happened

I have been waiting for a non-Christian religious group to say they have the same rights in the public forum that the Religious Right have insisted on having. It has finally happened in Virginia. This is what happens when we take freedom of religion seriously instead of thinking that the only religion is “our” particular brand of religion: Falwell’s Faux Pas Leads to Religious Equality. This is why separation of church and state is a good thing: if you want your Christian flyers put in a public school’s publicity packet then do not be surprised (and pleased don’t be outraged–it makes all of us look stupid) when in the next school packet there is something from the Moslem mosque or the Buddhist temple or even the local Wiccan coven. This is what religious freedom looks like in a pluralistic society, and if Falwell did not insist on obliterating the separation of church and state then we wouldn’t have to worry about any of this. May be Falwell and his collegues need to revisit Deuteronomy where Moses tells parents that it is their responsibility to teach their children about God and why they believe what they believe. It is not the public school’s job (or any sector of government) to teach our children faith: that is the family and church’s job.

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A Timely Quote

It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision. * We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us. * No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. * This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities. * We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, and opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest. * We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. * Amen *

Oscar Romero wrote this. If you don’t know who Bishop Romero was, then go here: Oscar Romero: Bishop of the Poor.

I think this is the biggest area American Christians fail in: it’s not about us. It’s about God–always has been, always will be. We are only one of part of his Kingdom–not the be all, end all. He is in control; this is his reign; and our responsibility is to obey him and do what we can where we are. God will use our little bit of yeast and continue to build his reign.

Sovereign God, Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

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Jesus Camp?

Jesus Camp, a documentary film by directors Heidi Ewing and Rachael Grady opened nationwide on September 22. The film follows children through Becky Fisher’s “Kids on Fire Summer Camp” in North Dakota. According to the trailer, the camp is designed to make the children into an army of God in order to take back America for God. Included in this training the kids are taught: “There are two kinds of people in this world: people who love Jesus and people who don’t.” They are told, “This means war! This means war! Are you a part of it or not?” They pray for President Bush by laying hands on a life-size cardboard figure of him. A young boy affirms, “We are being trained to be God’s army.” Holy war dominates the theology of this camp. One of the most disturbing things Becky Fisher says in the trailer is this:

Where should we be putting in our efforts? Where should we be putting our focus? I’ll tell you where our enemies are putting it, they’re putting it on the kids. They’re going into the schools. You go into Palestine, and I can take you to some websites that will absolutely shake you to your foundations and show you photographs of where they’re taking their kids to camps like we take our kids to Bible camps, and they’re putting hand grenades in their hands, they’re teaching them how to put on bomb belts, they’re teaching them how to use rifles, they’re teaching how to use machine guns; it’s no wonder, with that kind of intense training that [garbled], that those young people are ready to kill themselves for the cause of Islam.

I want to see young people who are as committed to the cause of Jesus Christ as the young people are to the cause of Islam. I want to see them as radically laying down their lives for the gospel as, as they are, uh, over in, in Pakistan, in, in Israel, and, and Palestine, and all those different places. You know, because we have… excuse me, but we have the truth!

I’ve recently finished reading Brian McLaren’s The Secret Message of Jesus. In chapter four he writes:

Jesus says again and again, this kingdom advances with neither violence nor bloodshed, with neither hatred nor revenge. It is not just another one of the kingdoms of this world. No, this kingdom advances slowly, quietly, under the surface–like yeast in dough, like seed in soil. It advances with faith: when people believe it is true, it becomes true. And it advances with reconciling, forgiving love: when people love strangers and enemies, the kingdom gains ground (p. 32).

Jesus also said that he came to gather sheep from many flocks (John 10:16). Unlike the Jews of his time, Jesus did not see those who belonged to Yahweh and those who did not. He believed God’s grace and love was for everyone: the poor, prostitutes, tax collectors, Samaritans, and Gentiles. He also commanded his followers to love their enemies, pray for them, and to turn the other cheek. In the face of violence he commanded us to love and to show our enemies a different way to live. Paul also counseled the Roman believers to not return evil for evil and to live in peace.

As we have seen since September 11, 2001, violence is not the answer. Violence only begets more violence and hatred. Jesus commands his followers to respond by submitting to the violence and loving in the midst of it. We are a part of the kingdom of God, which means we are called to act and live differently than the kingdoms of this world. Instead of training our children to be soldiers, we should be training them to be peacemakers. We should be telling them that Jesus loves everyone–not just those who love him back, and that Jesus wants us to show love and forgiveness, and be reconciled to our enemies–not fight with them and constantly be at war (even spiritual war) with them. Jesus did not treat outsiders or his enemies this way, and neither should we.

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Starting Over?

I heard something lately that I have never thought of before. If you’re in church long enough, you inevitably hear someone say, “Why doesn’t God start over?” He did, and it didn’t work.

God started over with Noah. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and they were cast out of the garden of Eden, things went downhill from there. Cain killed Abel, Lamech killed men for hurting him. Humanity quickly spiraled out of control in disobedience, arrogance, and wickedness. Humanity’s drive to be like God had driven it to so much sinful disobedience that God was disappointed that he even created humankind. But Noah was blameless and righteous. He was in a right relationship with God. He obeyed and was humble. Noah was the new Adam. God started over with the flood. He saved Noah and his family and wiped out the rest of humanity. Creation was indespensable because of our sin. God started over with a fresh slate, with a blameless and righteous man.

Then Noah planted a vineyard and made wine. Then he became the first person to get drunk. Canaan saw him passed out naked and did nothing. Shem and Jephteth covered him. Noah cursed Canaan. Then Babel. The descendents of Noah want to make a name for themselves. The arrogance was back. Once again humanity was determined to be like God. God gave them different languages. Starting over did not work.

Babel shows that starting over is not enough. The problem was deeper than that. Something more drastic needed to be done. Sin had become too persistent and insidious—it had to be dealt with another way. At the end of Genesis 11 God is not satisfied with the redemption of humanity. He is once again disappointed. God’s answer will be to call Abraham and his descendents Israel, and through them, he will reverse the curse of Genesis 3—11. When that didn’t work, God would take the most drastic action available: he would become one of us. In the death and resurrection of Christ, the curse of Genesis is finally reversed.

There are mantras that echo through the church: “Why doesn’t God start over?” “Why can’t he just take us to heaven and get it done and over with?” Because God has never given up on us. He has started over, and it didn’t work. Throughout the sin, arrogance, and disobedience, God comes to us again and again. He came to Adam and Eve. Cain. The people at Babel. He has always worked to reverse the curse that humanity brought on itself.

So what does that say about the church? What should we be doing? We definitely should drop the mantras that are so ungodlike. May be it’s time for us to act like God instead of wanting to be God.

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