As I listen to the music from “Dances with Wolves” and imagine the visual of looking out at the plains from atop a horse post Civil War. This morning I’ve read many news reports and blogs about the bills in several legislatures dubbed, “religious freedom act.” I’ve not spent a lot of time reading the bills themselves, but the “think tanks” behind these bills, as best as I can tell, care little about religion or freedom for anyone that does not identify with their brand of Christian witness. Two perspectives seem competing, yet, broadly settle on the indefensible nature of the latest Arizona bill that has drawn national media attention, scrutiny and shown light on others like it moving through state legislatures around our Nation.
Rachel Held Evans claims the identity “evangelical Christian.” I’m not sure why except that her theology, that I’ve gleaned from her writings, embraces the approved dominant Christology and soteriology. She is an “evangelical” that, like Jim Wallis, is balancing a practice of the ways of Jesus alongside a belief in Jesus Christ. Crudely stated, what one does after being saved is as important as being saved itself. It is this kind of evangelical that I feel a kinship with, appreciate, and with whom I think mainline Protestants and Catholics must unite to reform Christendom from a Colonial/kingdom worldview and a prosperity Gospel. Here are a few of Rachel’s words on this topic.
Waling the Second Mile: Jesus, Discrimination, and Religious Freedom
And I think that refusing to serve gay and lesbian people, and advancing legislation that denies others their civil liberties in response to perceived threats to our own, does irreparable damage to our witness as Christians and leaves a whole group of people feeling like second-class citizens, not only in our country, but also in the Kingdom. There may be second-class citizens in the U.S. and in Uganda and in Russia, but there should be no second-class citizens in the Kingdom. Click here to read more.
And, a second perspective from John Stewart at The Daily Show. Caution, if you are a youth that reads my blog this content could be inappropriate; and now that I’ve said that I’m sure you are going to follow the link. I would have when I was your age, but I’m not encouraging the language that John uses. What I like about John Stewart is that he is in the satire business and quality satire makes one think even as it offends with language and ideas. It is why I’m a fan of George Carlin and Lewis Black. John and his staff take satirizing culture, politics, and day to day life seriously without taking themselves too seriously. After all, it is “the fake news.” Often his “making fun” of culture, of news outlets, of us as a Nation, of our legislative Reps, and of himself are what I think serious news shows (the so called “hard news”) wish they would do: point out the obvious contradictions, point a path to the connections, and actually shine light on what is deemed “news worthy” that day, but the corporations that own the news cannot afford to let that happen. Today, our news choices can be as gated as some of our communities and schools. Last night John Stewart’s opening block addressed the Arizona “religious freedom” bill. Click here to watch the second half of that opening block which I think compliments Rachel’s words and also begs the question, “What is morally repugnant?” That would be a good Top 10 List for a future blog. It would, of course, require some definition of terms.
Framers and Polishers(1)
by Seth Godin
The framer asks the original question, roughs out the starting designs, provokes the new thing.
The polisher finds typos, smooths out the rough edges and helps avoid the silly or expensive error.
Both are important. Unpolished work is hardly worth doing.
Polishing is relentlessly reinforced in school and feels safe. Framing is fraught with risk and thus avoided by many. Too often, we spend our time on a little more polish, instead of investing in the breakthrough that a framer can bring.
Settle into a Posture that is comfortable for you to focus on yesterday, in your mind’s eye.
Remembering yesterday, for what are you grateful?
Remembering yesterday, for what are you not grateful?
Remembering yesterday, when did you feel most connected to God, to family, to your congregation?
Remembering yesterday, when did you feel most disconnected from God, from family, from your congregation?
Focusing on today, who needs you to remember them in prayer?
Focusing on today, who do you need to remember in prayer?
Close your time of remembering and focusing in a way that centers you for the day.
Emotionally Obsolete(2)
by Seth Godin
Innovations often succeed by creating obsolescence.
There’s functional obsolescence which is powerful but rare. If I own a word processor so I can create documents and edit them with others, a new version of the software (with a new file format) makes my software obsolete. When my colleagues send over a document, I have no choice but to upgrade.
Functional obsolescence is almost always caused by interactivity–when files or cables or parts or languages don’t connect any longer, they become obsolete.
Far more common is emotional obsolescence. The rage you feel when an improved laptop is announced a week after you bought a new one is an example of this. Your old laptop does everything it used to do, of course, but one reason you bought it was to have the ‘best laptop’ and the launch of a newer model undoes that for you.
Modern architecture has made many existing office buildings emotionally obsolete, because they are no longer the trophies they used to be. A newfangled digital device for audiophiles doesn’t do anything to make old CD players functionally obsolete, but it certainly can shatter the illusion of sound perfection that a stereo lover who doesn’t own one may be experiencing.
Start by realizing that most people who buy a new innovation are not brand new to the market. They buy the new thing as a step up from an old thing. Most hockey equipment is sold to people who already play hockey.
It’s tempting to argue, logically and step by step, why your new product or service is better than the one that’s already on the market. It’s far more likely, though, that your story will resonate most with people who aren’t seeking functionality but instead were happy with the thing they had, but now, thanks to you, believe it has become obsolete. Our neophilia is a powerful desire, and buyer’s remorse is its flip-side.
Matthew 17:1-9 (NRSV)
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Go and transfigure your community, your congregation, your life.
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Notes
1. Seth Godin, Framers and Polishers, February 25, 2014.
2. Seth Godin, Emotionally Obsolete, February 24, 2014