Post #128 Poets, Prophets & Preachers: Day 3, Session 3

Day 3, Session 3
Shane Hipps
"You are the Medium"

Who you are, as a person, is the message.

-the rest of the iceburg
1. you have a body, do not underestimate the power of it.
a. There is a reason God utilized the form of a human when he came as Jesus.
2. You are more than just a body, you are actually three bodies
a. physical - 5 senses
b. energetic - emotion (love, anger, sadness, fear), thinking, presence, sexual energy
- sexual energy is connected to creativity, connection, and life. it is not necessarily about sexuality.
c. essential - our essence, that part of us that has always been part of us.
1. every cell that made you when you were 6 years old is gone, but that thing that makes you you is still there.
2. essence is unlimited and unchanging

There is nothing you can do to increase or change your essence, but you can change your consciousness to it and how you tap into it.

Romans 8:11 - Paul equates the Holy Spirit with essence.
John 17:22-23 - Jesus gives us "His Glory"
We are merely gestures of Spirit.

Jesus demonstrated mastery of the physical body, his energetic body, and his essential body.

Think of it like this: physical = land, energetic = ocean, essential = sky

When we are tapped into our essence it would be inevitable to live a changed life. We would have no desire but to forgive others, love others, give to others, etc.

Practices
1. Physical body is a conductor of the energetic body; like a hose is a conductor of water.
a. unkink the hose
- understanding our breath can open us to our energetic and essential bodies
- breathing can dissolve tension
- we can use our energetic body or misuse it.
2. We all have a "shadow" or a dark side. That part of us that hides in the darkness
a. in order to overcome it, we must...
- acknowledge it
- uncover it: examine ourself and those things that we despise about others.
- own it: "I don't see the monster, I am the monster."

3. The essence is something you must "eat and know" not just "read and believe."
a. Breath: physical, energy, and essential -> cultivate and experience

Breath and Spirit are the same words in Greek, Hebrew and almost every other ancient language. To understand something really special about God, contemplate the nature of "breath" throughout the Bible.

In our essence is a place of unending peace, wisdom, and compassion. It is our responsibility to taste and know it.

Post #127 Poets, Prophets & Preachers: Day 3, Session 2

Day 3, Session 2
Peter Rollins
"For those with ears to hear: Parables and the lost art of provocation"

A system or an ideology is not what you see, it is the lens through which you see everything.

The question is not "Is Christianity true?" The question is "What does it mean when Christianity claims to be true?"

The importance of "name..."
Exodus 3 "What is your name? Who should I say has sent me?"

God cannot be truly known, not because there is a lack, but because there is so much.

Words are not sufficient when the infinite comes into contact with the finite.

When God reveals his name to Moses he actually says, "My name is Presence."

Revelation has 3 features:
comprehension - understand that we do not understand
bedazzlement - God shakes everything up
transformation - the presence of God changes us

When God reveals himself, we cannot remain the same.
- Jacob wrestles with God and God gives him a new name, a new identity
- Paul encounters Jesus on the road to Damascus and he is transformed so deeply that he embraces what he once fought against.

Everyone talks about how God will make our lives better. When I allowed God into my life, he wrecked everything. Nothing has been the same.

Post #124 Poets, Prophets, & Preachers: Day 2, Session 3

Day 2 Session 3
Shane Hipps
"How Technology Shapes the Sermon"

Shane, a former marketing and advertising executive, focused on the brilliance of Marshall McLuhan, the man he refers to as "The greatest thinker you've never heard of." McLuhan predicted concepts similar to Amazon.com 30-40 years before the internet was available to the public.

We often hear the statement "The methods always change, but the message stays the same."
Shane explained that "The medium IS the message."
The way you say something is more important than what you actually say.

"Our conventional response to all media, namely that it is how they are used that counts, is the numb-stance of the technological idiot...for the content of any message is the juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind." -Marshall McLuhan

In another thought, Shane explained, "We are what we behold."

He added, the printing press was the first assembly line of the industrial age. It was linear, sequential, uniform, and repeatable type. It helped to shape how we interacted with various areas of our lives, including other technology, even architecture. Before the printing press, churches met to share the stories of Jesus. But with the printing press came the concept of "transfer of information." Clergy deviated from leading the conversation and now started lecturing on the topic. The first pews were created and the church's architecture was changed in order to better provide the "transfer of information."

Between 1850 and 1900 many technologies had started to harness the use of electricity. Among these was photography.

Shane explained, "With technology comes an increased inability to utilize abstract thought."



The words create a thought of an image, but the picture creates an emotion connected to an image.

Shane explained that "a picture is worth a thousand words" is a good thought, but words are not interchangeable with pictures.

In "the boy is sad" the words stimulate the left brain....the image stimulates the right.
The words are conceptual...the picture is holistic.
The words are sterile...the picture is emotional.

"Images pin the logical side of our brains to the back of our skull." The image overrides any logical thinking. This is why advertisers use images instead of essays to sell their products.






On the left is text that represents a syllogism or an argument used in explaining a logical conclusion. On the right is the eastern symbol, the Yin Yang, used to explain the existence of opposing forces in nature, spirituality, or human thought.

Image based cultures move from western thinking to more eastern thinking.
Left brain - semi colon plus closed parenthesis
Right brain - :) emoticon

Letters in and of themselves do not mean anything. That is what makes them useful. We ascribe meaning to them when used in context.

The letter "L" does not, on it's own mean anything.
But when used in a specific context:



it means something very specific.


- Image based cultures create a literary deficiency.
- you will remember an image far better than the description of that image.
- image limits possibilities but creates a shared experience,
- what does the image actually do? vs. what do the words actually say?

-if you want to unleash imagination...use words.
-if you want to create a shared experience...use images.

Image vs. Words has shaped how we view many things.

Before the printing press, people focused on the Gospels when examining the Bible. Why? Because they were basically stories about Jesus. They were easy to share with others verbally.

Shane explored the use of images and words through modern eras:

Middle Ages - the message was the story of Jesus. Because of imagery, the ability to communicate through image, stained glass was utilized to tell the story. (it was difficult to put Paul into pictures)

Martin Luther believed that John, Paul, and Peter were more important than Matthew, Mark, and Luke, because they appealed to logic, thought, and reason.

We must understand how to use technology instead of being used by it.

-So what does all of this mean for the sermon?
In order to understand the shift in the technological impact on the sermon, we must consider the focus of the church service:

In the middle ages, the service was focused on the Eucharist and the homily. The alter was the visual focus.
The homily was given in Latin. This was not the common language of the people. In fact it was the language of the educated. Because of this focus, there was an emphasis on mystery...or not really understanding, but welcoming the unknown into the service.

In the industrial (print) age, the service focus was shifted to the sermon and the visual shift was directed to the pulpit. The church became a lecture hall. It was common for a "sermon" to be a four-hour scholarly dissertation.

In the television (broadcast) age, the stage became the focus. The church became a studio with lights, sound equipment, and projection. The pastor became the host or star of the show while a band became the opening act.

In the internet age, the focus shifted to connecting people and providing a shared experience. The church became a coffee shop. The pastor became the facilitator.

Interestingly, you can find an example of all of these types of churches within a 20 mile radius of most major metropolitan cities.

There are some practices that can help us become better artists of preaching:
-the art of surprise: this is not necessarily the use of paradox or absurdity.
"When you keep them guessing, they pay attention."
3 types of surprise:
- exegetical: this is providing contextual information, asking questions of the text, find answers to those questions.
- rhetorical: used with familiar texts or topics. Create dissonance where there was none. Planting an itch so they can scratch.
- linguistic: become a student of language. Fine new words for old thoughts. Use poetry to get to the heart. Use prose to illuminate the crux of the passage.

Shane then walked us through a case-study of the John's account of Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana.
- rhetorical surprise: John mentions this as the 1st miracle. Why? Isn't this an odd miracle? Examine the Hebrew perspective on wine in relation to celebration, joy, and abundance. Rabbinical thought: "without wine, there is no joy." Connect Jesus with the "abundance of God."

-exegetical surprise: notice the jars - the container not the content. Jesus used the jars that were for "ceremonial washing" when empty wine jars (amphora) would have been available. Using ceremonial jars for anything other than washing would have violated purity laws. Jesus chose the ceremonial jars for a specific reason. What was that reason?

- linguistic surprise: examine the amphora, study Rabbinical sayings, look to other biblical passages for insight. Find a new way of saying what we have become familiar with.

The art of the sermon has much to do with mastering the art of letting go.
- We pour ourselves into a message and then we have people tell us it was "a good sermon." We didn't want a good sermon, we wanted pure life transformation.
"When I learned to be divested in the outcome, life change started to take place." Sure we want life change to take place, but when we fearlessly and honestly offer what God has given us without reservation, bias, or expectation, we will see His results.
"You do not need encouragement to breath, you just do it."
"I have not achieved, I have tasted."

Prior to image, we had heroes for what they had done or accomplished. With image, we now have celebrities who are known simply for being seen.

There are technophiles and technophobes. We must have both eyes open and see technology for what it is: a tool, not a solution.

Simplicity:
The problem is not simplicity, but simplicity on the front side of complexity. It is very different from simplicity on the far side of complexity. This is why wise sayings mean much more from an older person who has seen much life. Their simple, "God has a plan for us" has depth to it in light of their lives.

Post #121 Poets, Prophets, & Preachers: Day 1

What follows are a collection of my notes and thoughts from the Poets, Prophets, and Preachers conference in Grand Rapids. Some of these will seem very cohesive and coherent. Other parts may seem disconnected or confusing. As a preface, you should have been here. (They are apparently recording the seasons in order to make DVD’s for sale later, so you have that going for you.)

Poets, Prophets, and Preachers

Session 1, Sunday Evening

Rob took the stage and immediately asked the question, “What would the average person on the street say when asked to describe a sermon?”

Unfortunately, the response would probably not be “empowering, inspiring, revolutionary, and challenging.”

Much more likely you would hear, “boring, lecture, patronizing, or irrelevant.”

With such negativity towards the art of sermon, why would anyone want to give a sermon?

As the world becomes for virtual (twitter, facebook, blogs) people will eventually crave personal interaction. We will eventually be drawn to “actual reality.” This is good news for those who have a message to give. People will crave real conversations, in real settings, with real people.

A lot of people seem to believe that a sermon only exists in order to be evaluated.
Some people see a sermon as pure propaganda.
Others see a sermon as a burden, and anchor that weighs them down and ties them up.

Why would anyone want to give a sermon?

Sometimes, when we give a message, we might think, “this is going to be the best one yet. It is going to blow them away.” Then, once the message has been given, we only get crickets in response.

Other times, we think, “Oh man, this one bombed. I really stunk it up today.” Then someone responds, “that was the most powerful thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life!”

Rob explained that often, people in our churches will want to go back to “the way we used to do it.” Or they might say, “great job, that was like the old Rob.” How can we move people forward if they are focused on the past?

Ezekiel 4
9 "Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. 10 Weigh out twenty shekels of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. 11 Also measure out a sixth of a hin of water and drink it at set times. 12 Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel."

This is actually describing a sermon. Zeke is told by God to “go into the public and do something very specific.” Giving a sermon is going and doing. It is not merely saying.

In a way, the sermon is:
Performance art
Guerilla theatre
Actions that evoke

Sermon is:
A witness,
If you don’t share it,
Speak it,
Tell it,
Point to it,
Express it,
Preach it,
You’ll spontaneously combust.

Jeremiah 20
“…his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

Jeremiah 2:14
“14 Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? Why then has he become plunder?”
This is not the way God intended things to be. Jeremiah has to let the people know this.

Mark 1:15
5 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Sermon is:
A call to return
An invitation
A fresh word
An implicit critique
The first punch

Isaiah 52
1 Awake, awake, Zion,
clothe yourself with strength!
Put on your garments of splendor,
Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
will not enter you again.
2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive.
3 For this is what the LORD says: "You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed."

Sermon can be subversion
-there is another story.

Luke 4
“28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.”

Sermon is
Provocation
Loaded language
A warning

Stravinsky’s “Rites of Spring” actually evoke such a response from it first listeners that they rioted.
We have to be willing to take the bad and the good when we preach/teach.

Acts 17
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject."

Göran Kropp – Mt. Everest Journey Wikipedia Article
If you do things that have not been done before or seen before or heard before you will get funny looks, angry letters, or worse. But you might get inspiration, truth, lights, revolution, excitement, anticipation, enthusiasm, dedication or even better.

Words can create worlds:
“In the beginning, God created…” “The Word was God and the Word was with God…”
Our words can show new worlds to people.

Sometime we have a series of seemingly unconnected thoughts and ideas. Trying to connect them is like “tying the clouds together.”

Sometimes the best sermon we can give is to tell someone, “Tomorrow does not have to be a repeat of today.”

There are layers to crafting a sermon:
Theological
Conceptual
Practical
Personal

Transformation happens when talks start talks.
The leader is often looked at to have the last word on a topic
It is more helpful if the leader has the first word and starts the conversation.

Post #93 The End to a Christian America?

I came across this article by Newsweek writer, Jon Meacham. It focuses on the shift in perceived power of the political Christian movement. There are some great quotes, but here is a taste:

There it was, an old term with new urgency: post-Christian. This is not to say that the Christian God is dead, but that he is less of a force in American politics and culture than at any other time in recent memory. To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population.

Kathleen Parker adds to this conversation in this Washington Post article.

If people who call themselves Christians want to see any influence in the culture, then they ought to start following the commands of Jesus and people will be so amazed that they will be attracted to Him. The problem isn't political. The problem is moral and spiritual.... You have the choice between a way that works and brings no credit or money or national attention. Or, a way that doesn't work that gets you lots of attention and has little influence on the culture.

Post #57 Pagan Christianity?

I am reading a book that has been on my shelf for quite some time. It is written by trend tacker, George Barna and house church pioneer, Frank Viola. The focus is on the ancient roots of Christianity--the roots that actually have no biblical basis--the roots that take foot in the ground of the other faiths and religions that have been assimilated by Christianity over the past 2000 years.

The introductory chapter starts with the following quote:

There is perhaps nothing worse than reaching the top of the ladder and discovering that you're on the wrong wall.
-Joseph Campbell, Twentieth-Century American Writer

This is an appropriate place to start this book. The assumption is not that Christianity in message is the wrong wall, but perhaps Christianity in method might be. The way we have been living out the lessons and examples of Jesus may be counterproductive to what He intended with those lessons and examples. It is not that Christianity is in question, it is the possible misrepresentation of Christ that is.

The writers describe a silent revolution in which devotees are leaving old, accepted ways of "doing church" for even older approaches. They explain,

The heart of the Revolutionaries is not in question. There is ample research to show that they are seeking more of God. They have a passion to be faithful to His Word and to be more in tune with His leading. They ardently want their relationship with the Lord to be their top priority in life. They are tired of the institutions, denominations, and routines getting in the way of a resonant connection with Him. They are worn out on the endless programs that fail to facilitate transformation. They are weary of being sent off to complete assignments, memorize facts and passages, and engage in simplistic practices that do not draw them into God's presence.

The writers then tell us what this book is really all about:

This book will challenge you to consider making more significant changes in they way you practice your faith. Altering the ways in which we worship is no simple task. When people suggest significant changes in some of the hallowed practices, cries of "heretic" can be heard coming from all directions. Such protest is common largely because people have little knowledge of the true foundations of their faith.

And finally, Barna and Viola conclude,

That's where this book comes in. Rather than foster continued resistance to methodological innovations, it's time that the body of Christ get in touch with both the Word of God and the history of the church to arrive at a better understanding of what we can and should do--as well as what we cannot and should not do.

The writers follow this introduction by examining several aspects of "church", deeply analyzing the origins and primary practices that birthed the traditions and sacred cows of today.

The following list highlights the proceeding chapters:
-Have we really been doing it by the book?
-The church building
-The order of worship
-The sermon
-The pastor
-Sunday morning costumes
-Ministers of music
-Tithing and clergy salaries
-Baptism and the Lord's Supper
-Christian education
-Re-approaching the New Testament
and finally,
-A second glance at the Savior

It is important to note, that although I might disagree with some of the things the writers have to say, I do believe it is important for leaders in the church and followers of the faith to understand where our traditions come from and why they became traditions. It is healthy to examine our lives.

As I finish each chapter, I will post some thoughts. Constructive comments are welcomed.

Post #17 On My Shelf...

I like to read. Usually I read non-fiction, ministry related books. I know, not very exciting. But there are so many changes happening in ministry that it can be challenging just keeping up. A couple of my favorite writers are Rob Bell and Brian McLaren. Bell is a teaching pastor and McLaren retired from local ministry to do more writing and national speaking.

Anyway, here are a few books that I have been reading recently.


Jesus Wants to Save Christians, by Rob Bell


Everything Must Change, by Brian McLaren

I hope to post about some of my thoughts regarding these books soon. If you are interested, click the pics to take you to Amazon's page for each one. You can find summaries and reviews there.

Jesus wants to save Christians

I started reading Rob Bell’s new book, “Jesus Wants To Save Christians” this week. Like Rob’s other two books, this one reads in a narrative manner that reminds me of a conversation at a coffee shop between two life-long friends. One chapter into the book and I already think this will be my favorite of Rob’s works.

Rob is the teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church and his teachings are available in the form of weekly podcasts. I have been a weekly listener for nearly 3 years and remember a series Rob did a year or two ago entitled, “Jesus want to the save the Christians…” During the series, Rob suggested that the teaching of Jesus were often focused on those who identified themselves as religious. Those teachings focused on issues such as greed, love of enemies, and serving others.

You see, as those who identify with religion, Christians are often under the assumption that they would not be greedy, hateful, or proud people. Unfortunately, the contrary is too often the case.

Additionally, far too often, complacency and ignorance are our truest sins. When we shop at stores that sell cheap products made in developing countries by underpaid, overworked people, we are contributing to a system that violets human rights, a system that pays its average store employee little more than minimum wage but whose CEO makes billions a year. When we contribute to systems of degradation and exploitation, we propagate the injustices such a system benefits from.

So what do we do? Boycott? Protest?

Well no, and yes.
No, because boycotts don’t really work and protests rarely bring the attention to the actual matter being protested (the crowd gets the attention instead). But yes, we can do something. We can first stop buying “things” just because we want them. That is a symptom of greed and is something we can do without. We can also find other places to make our purchases. Stores that are responsible and focused on helping others. We can shop in stores that strive to empower instead of exploit, stores focused on helping rather than hurting.

That brings me back to Rob’s book. This is not just a book about economics or systems of power. It is a book about doing what is good, by everyone involved. It is a book about doing that next best thing.

Here is the problem: we (as in Americans) are a part of an empire. We are a part of the system. Capitalism is not the enemy, but it can become a religion when it goes unchecked. In the end, we begin to worship God with words only, and our actions are devoted to the dollar.

This book is about the Kingdom, and a Kingdom ethic of responsibility. It is about the economics of Jesus and the stewardship of those things God has blessed us with. Because, after all, if we are followers of Christ, then we are decedents of the Exile. We inherit the promise of God to Abraham. Specifically, that we will be blessed in order to bless others. This is our promise and our calling. What we have been given is not for us to selfishly enjoy. It is for us to unselfishly share. I am blessed in order to bless others. When we finally figure this out, we will truly begin to help heal our broken and corrupt systems. This is the message of Jesus: you were once slaves in Egypt, but you have been brought out of Exile. Go and bring others out as well.

Books to Chew On

I wanted to give you a list of books that have been helpful, influential, and encouraging to me in my growth as a more mature, thinking, and responsible Christian. I own most of these books and would be happy to loan them out if you are interested.


Messy Spirituality, by Mike Yaconelli

This book is a great read! It re-enforces the fact that we are not going to be perfect and that we are going to make mistakes. The point is not perfection, it is in attempting to become more Christ-like. This may be a hard concept to digest, but the fact is that even if we try harder than any one else to be perfect, we will never succeed. But we can try everyday to be more Christ-like than the previous day. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been oppressed by spiritual abuse and legalism.


A New Kind of Christian, by Brian McLaren

This book is for anyone who ever thought, "There has to be a different way to do this." The book is in a narrative form (story-telling), but the concepts that McLaren explains is very relevant. A lot of conservative Christians might take offense to some of McLaren's ideas (I don't pretend to agree with all of his thoughts), but this is a good book to challenge you to find out why you believe what you believe.


Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell

I admit that I am a big fan of Rob Bell. The one thing that I truly appreciate is his ability to connect the Jewish culture of Jesus' time to the applications in our own life. I greatly respect the Jewish theologians and writers. What I believe today owe's so much to what they taught so many years ago. One thought that many Christians unfortunately subscribe to is "We are under the New Covenant, we don't follow the teachings of Moses and Abraham." This is so unfortunate, especially since Jesus affirms these teaching so many times. We have to remember that Jesus was an Israelite and try to figure out how that influenced his teachings, interactions, and beliefs.


I will add more books later.