"Death" has come up a lot recently. This is especially significant given our season of post-resurrection Easter.
I center this around a 2002 movie many of you have probably seen, "About Schmidt." I had heard wonderful things about this movie but didn't catch it till two nights ago. In a nutshell, it's about an aging father who retires from a mundane lifestyle. Soon afterwards, his wife dies and he finds himself without much purpose and drive for life. On top of this, his estranged daughter is marrying a man whom he severely dislikes (for good reasons). Needless to say, Schmidt finds himself facing mortality with little left on earth to prove for. In the midst of this, he was also driven by guilt from an infomercial to sponsor a young boy in Africa. The movie is centered upon letters Schmidt writes to this young boy detailing his life. The letters are extremely confessional and honest, more than what you assume from Schmidt. Here is the last letter you witness Schmidt write in the film:
Death is a growing, nearing, negative, reality for Schmidt.
I was asked yesterday to lead a Committal service for a Korean-American family connected to Arch Street Presbyterian. I agreed to it. This is my first burial committal service, and it so happens to be for a family whose primary language is Korean, who live on the outskirts of the city, and who somehow find a home at the slowly rebuilding community of Arch Street Presbyterian Church. They wanted someone from the church to lead the service, despite having several Korean pastors on hand. I was deeply honored to be welcomed into leading this service.
The service was for the family's young son who passed away. A powerful testimony and deeply difficult situation for the family. Despite this situation and the cultural differences, they still welcomed my leadership. Although I felt I handled it fine and it was powerful to witness, I still felt like I may have missed some cultural understandings of the service. Regardless, they were very welcoming of me, even taking me to lunch afterwards. I won't get into any more specifics here. I bring up this situation to again present the constant reality of death across cultural boundaries and viewpoint we take in relation to it.
That very evening, I led Bible study for the week's passage: Psalm 23. One of the most commonly used passages used at funerals. The people gathered that night acknowledged this history with the Psalm. However, they also acknowledged a distinct feeling of comfort and peace in the midst of this as they were exploring this Psalm again for the first time in years. Do we ever really pay it much attention?
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Although Psalm 23 deals with the dark areas of life, including death, the end of our days, it is bolstered by words of peace and comfort. Trust in God's sovereignty is the reigning theme of this psalm. This is both the most comforting element and most challenging concept in death. Trust in God's providence in the life of an individual, both on earth and beyond.
As always, it is the relationships that bolster our dealings with death. We are constantly seeking how our lives have been a reflection of God's love for humanity and our love for one another. We must know that our ability to share of ourselves and love one another are what stand beyond death.
The young man buried today was taken much earlier than many would have desired. The "why" question here can never truly be answered. Trust in God's plan can be difficult to understand. We are only left with memories of the relationships with this boy. We learn and grow by acknowledging God's supremacy in relationship and acknowledging the power of our own relationships. We must acknowledge those that are significant and life-giving because they are what stand beyond death.
Schmidt was unable to see the impact of sharing himself to the young African boy through mail. His letters were raw and authentic. However, Shmidt did not believe they were making much of a difference. He was caught up in the mess of his current life situation. Not until the very end of the movie does he realize the power of relationship over death (I recommend seeing the movie before watching clips - watch at your own risk!):
When we give of ourselves in relationships, we experience the peace of God. God works through us to impact others more than we can ever imagine. Within the finitude of daily life, may we recognize the people and situations that give us life as well as those we give life to. They reflect the life death and resurrection of Christ until our days on earth are done.
(apologies for the rambling thoughts of this post - they happen like this from time to time)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
easter between the two worlds
Christ is risen indeed! Ok...now what? What does that mean exactly? During Lent, we acknowledge darkness and absence of hope. The resurrection promise holds that new life, a better world is possible. It opens the way for radical hope. Easter worship at Arch St. Pres and BSM represent this claim in two differing ways.
Arch Street Presbyterian has been in the process of revitalization. We have been building new ministry there in a congregation that was quite dim. A congregation should never be defined by numbers, but new life is a valued commodity in a congregation void of such. Therefore, when we had a 50% increase in people in worship, MOSTLY young adult couples, the vision of the resurrection promise became visible. A church in the business district of the city can become a unique place for worship and mission. New life can blow through an old place.
BSM is a church community to many of the city's most desolate people. Holy Week took on such greater depth as it coincided with the annual closing of the 315 S. Homeless Cafe for the spring/summer/fall. Basically, 300 people throughout the city were put back on the street after temporary housing for winter months came to an end and homeless shelters remained at capacity. This Easter Sunday, BSM experienced the OPPOSITE of what usual "churches" experience on Easter Sunday. There were noticeably LESS people in worship! Although this may have been in large part to an evening service, you can't help but notice the absence of many of the usual Cafe guests. During the months they stayed at BSM, they had a sense of ownership and empowerment in the place. This is gone, for now.
This absence on Sunday, despite a wonderfully energetic, exciting, and moving service, was the reminder that the resurrection promise is not an end into itself. The very poor and destitute people Christ lived among and promised a better world to are now back on the street. This is a reminder of the stark world we live in and our calling from Christ to serve it faithfully. The resurrection promise propels us forth to radically live out how Christ calls us to be.
The story goes on.
Arch Street Presbyterian has been in the process of revitalization. We have been building new ministry there in a congregation that was quite dim. A congregation should never be defined by numbers, but new life is a valued commodity in a congregation void of such. Therefore, when we had a 50% increase in people in worship, MOSTLY young adult couples, the vision of the resurrection promise became visible. A church in the business district of the city can become a unique place for worship and mission. New life can blow through an old place.
BSM is a church community to many of the city's most desolate people. Holy Week took on such greater depth as it coincided with the annual closing of the 315 S. Homeless Cafe for the spring/summer/fall. Basically, 300 people throughout the city were put back on the street after temporary housing for winter months came to an end and homeless shelters remained at capacity. This Easter Sunday, BSM experienced the OPPOSITE of what usual "churches" experience on Easter Sunday. There were noticeably LESS people in worship! Although this may have been in large part to an evening service, you can't help but notice the absence of many of the usual Cafe guests. During the months they stayed at BSM, they had a sense of ownership and empowerment in the place. This is gone, for now.
This absence on Sunday, despite a wonderfully energetic, exciting, and moving service, was the reminder that the resurrection promise is not an end into itself. The very poor and destitute people Christ lived among and promised a better world to are now back on the street. This is a reminder of the stark world we live in and our calling from Christ to serve it faithfully. The resurrection promise propels us forth to radically live out how Christ calls us to be.
The story goes on.
Friday, April 2, 2010
good? friday.
Tonight, BSM held its annual "execute art, not people event," a night hosted by Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. We had a concert and a very powerful testimony by Vicki Scheiber, someone who was moved to fight for life without parole for her daughter's murderer. We heard a powerful story of redemption amidst a story of pure darkness.
Wait...isn't it Good Friday? Shouldn't a church be celebrating Christ dying on the cross? Once again, BSM pushes people to search deeper for meaning: A story of redemption against a story of darkness.
Good Friday is one of those holidays a lot of people grow up celebrating as the precursor to Easter. It's usually dark and solemn, a recognition of Christ's death and the apparent loss of all hope before the occurrence of resurrection. It's a pretty significant occurrence, particularly given that the cross is the most sacred symbol of the Christian faith.
Do we ever reflect on the significance of the cross being an instrument of capital punishment? Christ was murdered by the state. The way we view Christ in relation to this event should be the way we view our faith in relation to the state. The event is the story of darkness - of the fallenness of humankind. The reality of death.
What is this relationship? My understanding of Christ is redemption and forgiveness that knows no bounds. It is a Christ who told us to love our enemies. It is a Christ that in no way insinuated that we are to kill those who are a threat to society. It is a Christ who teaches us that ALL people are able to be redeemed. The relation to our story of darkness is one of hope, hope that should compel our every action here on earth. Hope for humanity.
I know this discussion is a heated one. I believe it is reflected in the larger discussion of how our faith influences public life. It is my firm belief that ALL Christians believe that their faith should influence public life, whether they admit it or not. Both sides just express it in different ways.
Tonight was a witness to the hope for redemption in the midst of darkness. It was a reminder that forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption ALWAYS win. However, we are not there yet. We may never get there. Yet we know it's out there. Our salvation is here, yet not yet fully realized. There is so much more we are called to work towards.
As Tony Campolo often says..."Ssssssunday's a comin'!"
Good Friday is one of those holidays a lot of people grow up celebrating as the precursor to Easter. It's usually dark and solemn, a recognition of Christ's death and the apparent loss of all hope before the occurrence of resurrection. It's a pretty significant occurrence, particularly given that the cross is the most sacred symbol of the Christian faith.
Do we ever reflect on the significance of the cross being an instrument of capital punishment? Christ was murdered by the state. The way we view Christ in relation to this event should be the way we view our faith in relation to the state. The event is the story of darkness - of the fallenness of humankind. The reality of death.
What is this relationship? My understanding of Christ is redemption and forgiveness that knows no bounds. It is a Christ who told us to love our enemies. It is a Christ that in no way insinuated that we are to kill those who are a threat to society. It is a Christ who teaches us that ALL people are able to be redeemed. The relation to our story of darkness is one of hope, hope that should compel our every action here on earth. Hope for humanity.
I know this discussion is a heated one. I believe it is reflected in the larger discussion of how our faith influences public life. It is my firm belief that ALL Christians believe that their faith should influence public life, whether they admit it or not. Both sides just express it in different ways.
Tonight was a witness to the hope for redemption in the midst of darkness. It was a reminder that forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption ALWAYS win. However, we are not there yet. We may never get there. Yet we know it's out there. Our salvation is here, yet not yet fully realized. There is so much more we are called to work towards.
As Tony Campolo often says..."Ssssssunday's a comin'!"
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