Presby-Musings

When I was in my late teens and early twenties I was part of a subculture of mostly young men my own age who were referred to back then as a "metalheads."   We all listened to hard rock or "heavy metal" music almost exclusively.  We all attended the same heavy metal concerts and generally, all wore the same kinds of jeans, shoes and black concert t-shirts when we did.  We all thought we were such unique individuals.   You see, we lived under the illusion that we were special even though we did everything we could to fit into a group with which we longed to be associated.   Most of us live with these kinds of illusions every single day in a culture that is constantly creating them at a feverish pace.   And so, far too many of us become part of a desperate and mad scramble to fit in with our chosen tribes by any means necessary.   We do this, even if it means silencing our questions, blindly accepting the ...

Yesterday evening I attended the sweet wedding of two beautiful and awesome people, who I've come to know and care for very much.  After the ceremony, we all gathered for the reception while we waited for the wedding party to finish with their post-ceremony photos.  Joy permeated the room.  Laughter was on everyone's lips.  Food tasted better.  The drinks were ambrosia.  The lights twinkled like stars.  All of it was imbued with meaning.  No matter what was happening outside of that room, for the moment all we felt was joy and hope at the prospect of new beginnings.  For a few precious hours, we all stepped into eternity and simply reveled in it.  I think most of us long to feel that eternal joy in every moment.  We long to know the kind of peace that comes from a hope that is secured through our trust in God's love and mercy.  But we relegate most of our moments to "ordinary" status and resign ourselves to day...

There's a strange notion that many people have when it comes to what they consider "spiritual" activities as opposed to "non-spiritual."  This contrast has also been described as the difference between what is "secular" and what is "sacred."   For example, going to church has often been classified as a "spiritual" or "sacred" activity, whereas meeting friends for dinner at the pub is described as "secular."   Some people might take this farther and extend the descriptions to vocation.  Being a pastor, for instance, is considered by many people to be a sacred vocation, whereas being a businessperson is considered a secular one.   I can't tell you how many times I've had conversations with people about their life of faith and they will say things to me like, "Well, I'm just a banker, not a pastor..." or "I'm only a stay at home mom, not a minister..."   The great Chri...

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been attending some of the Festival of Homiletics, a preaching conference that is being held in San Antonio this week.   Being in a room full of a couple thousand pastors and church leaders has been a great experience, but it also has been a sharp reminder of the very real issues facing the Church right now.  The Church is going through a reformation, and reformations are painful.   Not all followers of Jesus who call the Church home, receive the evidence of that reformation with the same enthusiasm.  It's pretty clear that the Church is sharply divided over many of the same issues that divide our society.   I read something today by E. Stanley Jones that spoke to me.  He wrote, [The Church] must be held together by a single-minded devotion [to Christ]; otherwise we begin to disintegrate."   I've been watching the news lately, and it's disturbing on so many levels. Our society is seemingly being torn apart by c...

I was reading something that Christian mystic, monk, author, poet and theologian Thomas Merton wrote, and it was too good to keep to myself.  He said:  "I do not know if I have found the answers.  When I first became a monk, yes, I was more sure of "answers."  But as I grow old in the monastic life and advance further into solitude, I become aware that I have only begun to seek the questions."   Sometimes I start to believe I have things figured out.  I'm nearing the half century mark in terms of my age, for starters.  But then again, simply living a number of years doesn't make you wise.   So, I could fall back on all of the degrees I've managed to amass over the years.  But all of my study essentially brought me to the realization that (in the words of Bono), "the more you learn, the less you know."   The Apostle Paul put things into perspective when he wrote in his letter to the Corinthian church: " For the foolishness of God...