Death brings morning sun
Each revolution unites
All of us as one

This semester has been an interesting one class-wise. I’m taking Dr. Stephen Johnson’s Preaching Skills and Strategies class. I have to admit, I wouldn’t want to take a preaching class with anyone but him. He gets the function of preaching. So often, preaching becomes about perfunctory presentation for the pew-sitters. Preachers, for fear of losing their jobs, have to placate the crowd, and especially their big contributors, if they want to keep a paycheck.

That’s just not how I see earliest preaching functioning.

Peter, Paul, Apollos, and more found themselves out in the market square gathering a crowd that believed in non-violently resisting the powers of systematic oppression in their society. It involved pointing to a hope that was beyond human ability (we can’t pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps when we’re sinking in the quicksand of Sin). Christ’s resurrection was the focal point of the sermon’s hope in Acts, but rarely was it followed by an invitation song.

When I think about someone today who is doing biblical preaching, I think about Steve Connell. This is a guy who pounds the earth with gospel truth, and leaves everyone from Christians to lesbians to Communists nodding and shouting in agreement. His passion is mixed with his genius, and it remains on display for the world to see.

It sounds more like poetry or hip-hop than a heady lecture, and it deals with issues facing the world, (like climate change, the oil crisis, or slum lords), rather than the irrelevant issues most churches squabble over. Listen to this one to get a feel for what I mean:

Recently he and a few of his comrades came to ACU. Bruce George, Steve Connell and others can be found on HBO’s Def-Poetry. A highly provocative, free-flowing poetry SLAM! It has become a place for open expression in a culture that prioritizes brand-name conformity.

Stephen Johnson said in class last week that he saw Def-Poetry as the “future of preaching.” I’m inclined to believe him. He wants to spend the next 10-15 years of his career devoted to studying what this kind of preaching might do for churches, but more importantly, what it might do for the whole world.

Finally, someone got me thinking positive about preaching again. Way to go Dr. Johnson.

Last night was my first open mic night experience at Monk’s Coffee Shop.  I’ll post my poems  on here as I have the guts to do so.  Until then, here’s a sweet one I heard on the radio today.  Well timed.

And on the ninth day, God
In His infinite playfulness
Grass green grass, sky blue sky,
Separated the infield from the outfield,
Formed a skin of clay,
Assigned bases of safety
On cardinal points of the compass
Circling the mountain of deliverance,
Fashioned a wandering moon
From a horse, a string and a gum tree,
Tempered weapons of ash,
Made gloves from the golden skin of sacrificial bulls,
Set stars alight in the Milky Way,
Divided the descendants of Cain and Abel into contenders,
Declared time out, time in,        stepped back,
And thundered over all of creation:
“Play ball!”

by Philip E. Burnham, Jr. from Housekeeping: Poems Out of the Ordinary

Last night was an amazing time of intergenerational “discernment of the Body”.

One of our great friends here in town, Karen, had invited us to meet with her church family because Father had moved her to pray for the people in the state of Texas. Trina and I are always looking for excuses to hang out with Karen and her husband Kent (my prof and mentor), so we asked our church to come along with us.

The conversation was incredible. Meeting with several older couples was very enriching to our group. After some time of solid prayer and singing (how long has it been since our church has done any a cappella singing?) Kent mentioned that it might be a good time to hear what we have been hearing from the Spirit in our own lives…then he corrected himself and said we really need to share what we’d heard from him, since it edifies the whole Body…then pausing, he said, “so you’d jolly-well BETTER NOT hold back!” with a smile on his face. That really got the conversation rolling.

While we came to focus on the state of Texas, we found ourselves moving toward issues of climate change and how industrialized nations are “raping the earth” in their quest for economic prosperity and political supremacy. The utilization of fossil fuels has allowed nations like the United States to live on the “high hog”, careening through a lifestyle that capitalizes on resources that have been building on this planet for millions of years, and tearing through the majority of them in just the last 100. One man said that as he was flying home from Europe two weeks ago, he looked down on Greenland, once a huge sheet of solid ice, now has massive blue lakes all over its surface. This fresh water is boring down through fissures in the ice and becoming a lubricant for the ice on top to slide into the warm ocean. He went on to say that for the first time in recorded history, Antarctica’s peninsula failed to connect to the larger ice formation last year, meaning we have reached a threshold that is now impossible to recross.

The times they are a changin’.

As we talked about our earth, and the greedy lifestyle of so many industrialized nations, I just kept getting a picture of the Prodigal Son. For years he has lived “high hog”, blowing his inheritance on reckless living, and now he (we) are just beginning to wake up, staring down at the bottom of an empty trough, wondering how we got here.

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it,” the LORD said to a riotous Israel. I believe we as a nation are hearing these words afresh.

I guess you could say I feel sort of jipped. I mean, what do I say to generations who went before us, who put personal wealth before their call to nurture the earth? My theology of creation has shifted.  No longer will I simply “have dominion” over the earth.  Being a follower of Christ for me now is inextricably linked with a nurturing relationship to the Earth.  With everything that I have in me, I want to pray for and protect “sister earth”.

A prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:

The Canticle of the Creatures

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,

All praise is Yours, all glory, honor and blessings.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong;

no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

We praise You, Lord, for all Your creatures,

especially for Brother Sun,

who is the day through whom You give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,

of You Most High, he bears your likeness.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars,

in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

We praise You, Lord, for Brothers Wind and Air,

fair and stormy, all weather’s moods,

by which You cherish all that You have made.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Water,

so useful, humble, precious and pure.

We praise You, Lord, for Brother Fire,

through whom You light the night.

He is beautiful, playful, robust, and strong.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Earth,

who sustains us

with her fruits, colored flowers, and herbs.

We praise You, Lord, for those who pardon,

for love of You bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace,

by You Most High, they will be crowned.

We praise You, Lord, for Sister Death,

from whom no-one living can escape.

Woe to those who die in their sins!

Blessed are those that She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm.

We praise and bless You, Lord, and give You thanks,

and serve You in all humility.

There is so much to do –

Books to read,

                        Houses to clean,

            People to meet,

Errands to run.

We have little time to share with each other what matters

In between the lines.

At the end of the day,

            The end of our life,

We look back and see our life wasted at high speed

When we never took the time

To sit with you, to walk with you.

To commune

With You.

My frenetic nature keeps me

Looking over my shoulder at all the things that need done,

And for even this moment I am tempted

To forget to be.

Who am I? 

How will I ever know, if I never am?

Hold me, clasp me, and gaze into my eyes.

I am - I want to be - hypnotized. 

                        With You.