Katrina and I have been enjoying a PBS Documentary entitled, Joseph Campbell: The Power of the Myth. Campbell was not a historian, though he did study history. He spent most of his life digging deep into the realm of human consciousness, and seeking out the mythological stories that sustained mankind throughout the millenia. You can read more specifically about his life and work here. Check out the videos here.
In the third episode, Campbell mentioned the lack of stories or myths in our own society today. The interviewer, Bill Moyers asked what happens when a culture does not subscribe to a myth, and Campbell said, “Just read the New York Times! No one feels responsible for anything, especially today’s kids.”

I beleive this wholeheartedly. Much like my boston-bound friend, I feel one of my major callings is to help bring a story to the “story-less”. Many third-worlders have left their poverty-stricken countries to come to America, only to find that it exhibits a much deeper kind of poverty. They have called it different things, but the root of our lostness comes from not subscribing to a meaningful story.

Much of our told story comes from what we hear from an average of more than 4 hours each day - the Television. The media has convinced us that we each hold the pen to our own stories, and that no one else matters as long as we continue to be satiated. When the story is no bigger than me, I find all sorts of ways to condone any and all of my actions and feelings…yet I will never be satisfied - I will always be alone. We as a culture in this nation will never be fulfilled until we join a story that MATTERS to everyone.
Think about it - who are the storytellers in our world today? It is the artists! The artists are the shaman, the prophets of our day. They and the poets - they depict, just like the Native Americans did so many years ago, our story. On the walls of museums and galleries we find remnants of the cave markings of the Native American folklore. The spirits of the horses and the buffalo dance wildly throughout the cave as the torchlight flickers beside our eyes. In the darkness we are initiated into the story - our fear compells us forward, we must see the end of this story. It is the artists who show us the way further into the cave, it is the artists who aim us toward seeing the unseeable; the unseeable which sustains all that we can see. That is the goal of the story. Just like Joseph Campbell tells us, the artists are the storytellers.

Here is a great article by a guy who has been through the thought process of “becoming a church” rather than just going to one.  He is thinking contructively about organic church, and its implications for the Christian life.

Wish I had more time to reflect on his thoughts, but reading for Systematic Theology is taking over my life!  What are your reactions to this intriguing article?

Today in my class Systematic Theology we discussed the necessary application of “communities of informed judgment” in studying about God. These communities are multifaceted, meaning the constiuents hold different jobs, personalities and perspectives on life. The key to beneficial dialogue is allowing these communities to live with a disposition to learning; authentically seeking the truth, rather than just affirming their own beliefs.

The professor also stated that a “mature practioner” of theology be present to help inform the community of the resources available for informed judgment on deciding who God is and what he is about in the world. As we discussed, it was made clear that this “mature practioner” is someone with a formal theological education.

My question is: where is the benefit for the revelation of the Holy Spirit on this community to speak to those least likely to, from our own perspective, know what they are talking about? If it is true that insight into who God is can happen in a seminary, can’t it also happen through revelation and spiritual transformation through years of study and prayer?

My professor does make a good point: why do we defer to doctors on everything medical, and yet feel that anyone can lead a Bible study? He asked, “Why do any of you think you are getting an Master’s Degree?”

But I wonder: if I truly believe every person is made in the image of God, and that God reveals himself (though mysteriously) to his image bearers, then orienting myself to a clergy/laity system of professional ministers coupled with “the rest of us” is a contradiction to those beliefs. It is true that not every person is made for deep theological reflection 8 hours a day like the academic or the monk might be, but does that mean that only certain people are equipped to show us the resources that point us to God? Sounds a little too much like the OT priests to me…

thoughts?

Today is Project: Graduation at ACU.  It’s Centennial year, I have been amazed at the BIGGNESS of this whole event.  Megatrons all over campus, tents, chairs…it will be something to behold.

Another cool thing: mom is coming into town later today, and will be staying with the Mackey’s, the house we are moving into in a week or two.  It will be good for her to meet them, to know what loving people we are moving in with.

Another really cool thing!:  Yesterday was the second convening of the Secret Agents in Abilene, Agent B, the Librarian, Jack-of-all-trades, and myself.   It was great just sharing ideas and laughter and secret agent stuff with each other.  What I found most interesting was that when we began praying for those who don’t know the Lord, a few of us realized that we were ministering to the same people!

This could have two meanings:  either we are permeating the entire popularion of Abilene’s lost and therefore running into each other, or we are focusing on too narrow a population, while remaining totally blind to the thousands of others who are lost in our fair mother city.  Now, I know that just a couple of secret agents for the chief executive officer of the universe is not the only forces he is working with - but why should we settle for only seeing one sector of our city touched by the Gospel?  Why not at least get to know people from other neighborhoods?

Gotta love these guys, because more than anyone else I know, they are looking for new people who need to know the Lord, and making deep commitments of time, resources and love into these people letting them know that they matter to God.  These are the kind of guys I want to hang around.  Our secret agent group is planning to meet more regularly for prayer and hamburgers.  Not a bad deal.

Every morning I’ve been making it a habit to read through some of the Old Testament as well as one chapter of the Gospels.  Yesterday morning I read through Matthew 1 (I’m starting on round two!).

Matthew 1:23 - “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”

I really sat and pondered just what that means for humanity to have God in and among us.  As I continued to think/pray, I asked the question, “What can I do to make the with-God event more real in my life?  How can I more fully live into the incarnation today?”

I began thinking about the word incarnation, about how the main word is carne or “flesh”; how nuts is it that while we Christians see the “flesh” as such a bad thing it was the cosmic Christ who jumped into a flesh suit!  So much of my life’s aim as a Christian has been trying to deny being part of this creation, being half spirit, half flesh.  This dualistic nature is not what Jesus really wanted in his followers.  Even in his first act of mercy, his coming down to be “with-us” he assumed the flesh: in these imperfect, rotting bodies he made his home.  Who are we to try to transcend this earthly body as if it is purely evil?

I thought about God’s creation, and how good he thought it all was.  We Christians believe that the whole of creation was tainted when we brought sin into the world.  Where is that in the Bible?!?  As I prayed more, I began to see myself as part of a pure, holy, and “very good” creation of God - and that I as a human am a deeply interwoven and essential part of that creation.  We are the eyes of creation, we are the voice of creation.  Jesus said, “If you do not praise your Father in Heaven, then the rocks will cry out!”  Ain’t no rock taking my place!

Finally, I began to see a picture in my mind.  I saw what looked like a huge rock concert, with all of creation, both past, present, and future standing before God as his audience.  God and his angels were blasting forth pure light, which sounded like music that everyone was cheering to.  Some were jumping up and down with their hands in the air screaming at the top of their lungs.

That’s when I understood.  You and I are at that concert right now.  Life is really just a blip on our radar.  Really, this life is just our concert-hop into the cool air, hands held high and screaming praise to our God.  We get this one chance to yell and scream and give him all the credit for the awesome music he is playing up on stage before we return to the earth - before we join again the rest of creation standing before our Great God.

Soon we’ll be watching others take their mighty leap of life before God.  Living the with-God life means jumping as high and as best as we know how at God’s great Concert of Creation, and encouraging others to do the same.

Isn’t this concert great?!?