I am (incredulously) watching the 11:00 news on Portland's channel 6 right now. Apparently there's a bit of an uproar in a Portland neighborhood because a church opened its doors to the homeless during the cold front that has hit Oregon and the homeless folks left garbage up and down the street. Apparently there were also indicators that folks were "defecating" (I hate that word) along the street as well.
As much as I wouldn't want to find my street littered or pooped upon, I just don't think I could ever find it anywhere within me to stand on the front porch of my nice, warm home in the midst of an arctic cold front and complain about ANYTHING to do with the homeless....except maybe for the fact that so many people are homeless in this excessively rich country of ours.
Come back soon, Jesus. Please?
January 22, 2008
January 16, 2008
baptists and blogs....
I met a woman today who told me that when she met my Pastor (years ago), she told him she needed to re-think everything she'd ever learned and / or thought about Baptists. I've had people tell me the same thing - well, the same concept, not exactly the same words. I always take it as a compliment.
I'm fairly outspoken (I'll pause a moment here for those of you who know me to quit laughing and get back to reading....), and I'm incredibly liberal, both politically and theologically. I used to love a good margarita every so often. (I still do - they just don't seem to enjoy me that much anymore, so I'm a tee-totaler now.) I've been known to say bad words - sometimes really bad words - when I am not at my best. I'm a feminist. My church is openly welcoming of our gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and trans-gendered brothers and sisters. I believe that God's love has no borders, and that "illegal aliens" (what an AWFUL label) are the least of this country's worries. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. I campaigned for Jesse Jackson when he ran all those years ago. I'm an Obama Mama this time around. I'm a pacifist. I'm very close to becoming a vegetarian because of the way the animals are treated in the food industry (I just need to find a few more veggies that I actually like....) and I tend to lean in the direction of the Bible being more of a metaphorical accounting of humankind's search for closeness to God as opposed to God's literal, word-for-word direction to humankind out of His/Her desire to be close to us. However, all that said, I am perfectly, perfectly fine with the fact that a lot of very good, spiritual, kind, deep-thinking, moral, wonderful people in this world do NOT share all, if any, of those same beliefs. My God is bigger than all of our differences, and S/He is the author of all of our similarities. I figure that most of the other stuff is all going to be worked out (or we'll find it all completely irrelevant and unnecessary) when we are sitting at Jesus' feet.
Most folks I meet can't quite reconcile all of my very strong opinions, and my very left-leaning beliefs with my being a Baptist. I know the stereotypes that are out there, so I am always flattered when people are shocked that I am a Baptist. What most folks don't know, I believe, is the history of the Baptists. Realistically, to be a Baptist is to be a lot like me!! (Nobody panic - you don't have to change anything about your life, your voting record, and your belief system!!) Baptists have a great, rich history, of "room for all", based upon our great Baptist distinctive of "Soul Freedom" (that whole "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" thing). What I love love love love LOVE about my "branch" of the denomination (I am an American Baptist, as opposed to a Southern Baptist, or Conservative Baptist, as example) is that there is a great need and respect for the minority opinion to be welcome and valued at the table. Our local churches are all autonomous - meaning that we do not submit to denominational creeds and doctrinal statements - thus we have some very conservative churches, as well as some very liberal churches. We all remain around our denominational table, however, because - - well, because of Soul Freedom, the autonomy of the local church. Those two Baptist traditions build into our denomination what should be a healthy respect for, and desire to hear, the minority and differing opinion, because the individual and / or community of believers who hold that differing opinion just may be bringing a word from the Lord on the subject. So, within our communities of faith, there should always be a healthy respect for our differences in thought on all matters. Obviously, sometimes we are good at this and sometimes, quite frankly, we suck. But what matters is we stay at the table; we stay in conversation; we work, and serve, and pray, and love together in hopes that we can keep from majoring on the minors, and just get about to the business of loving God's chlidren, feeding Jesus' sheep, and passing the Spirit's peace.
What I am finding in my new blog world is an almost-overwhelming desire (sometimes to the point of almost-despair) for folks to be in communities of faith where participants are true and authentic in their desire to know God, serve Jesus, and possess the Holy Spirit. I share those same desires, and I am so thankful for all of my communities of faith, but in light of this blog, most-especially the folks that gather together in my church building. At FBC Mac , I have found a family of like-minded folks. No, we do not agree on all things at all times. But what we do agree on all the time is the desire for all to stay gathered around God's table for the common good of God's kingdom and God's heart. Whether you lean left, or right, I have to believe that you recognize what a good, and Christ-like thing that is.
I'm fairly outspoken (I'll pause a moment here for those of you who know me to quit laughing and get back to reading....), and I'm incredibly liberal, both politically and theologically. I used to love a good margarita every so often. (I still do - they just don't seem to enjoy me that much anymore, so I'm a tee-totaler now.) I've been known to say bad words - sometimes really bad words - when I am not at my best. I'm a feminist. My church is openly welcoming of our gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and trans-gendered brothers and sisters. I believe that God's love has no borders, and that "illegal aliens" (what an AWFUL label) are the least of this country's worries. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. I campaigned for Jesse Jackson when he ran all those years ago. I'm an Obama Mama this time around. I'm a pacifist. I'm very close to becoming a vegetarian because of the way the animals are treated in the food industry (I just need to find a few more veggies that I actually like....) and I tend to lean in the direction of the Bible being more of a metaphorical accounting of humankind's search for closeness to God as opposed to God's literal, word-for-word direction to humankind out of His/Her desire to be close to us. However, all that said, I am perfectly, perfectly fine with the fact that a lot of very good, spiritual, kind, deep-thinking, moral, wonderful people in this world do NOT share all, if any, of those same beliefs. My God is bigger than all of our differences, and S/He is the author of all of our similarities. I figure that most of the other stuff is all going to be worked out (or we'll find it all completely irrelevant and unnecessary) when we are sitting at Jesus' feet.
Most folks I meet can't quite reconcile all of my very strong opinions, and my very left-leaning beliefs with my being a Baptist. I know the stereotypes that are out there, so I am always flattered when people are shocked that I am a Baptist. What most folks don't know, I believe, is the history of the Baptists. Realistically, to be a Baptist is to be a lot like me!! (Nobody panic - you don't have to change anything about your life, your voting record, and your belief system!!) Baptists have a great, rich history, of "room for all", based upon our great Baptist distinctive of "Soul Freedom" (that whole "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" thing). What I love love love love LOVE about my "branch" of the denomination (I am an American Baptist, as opposed to a Southern Baptist, or Conservative Baptist, as example) is that there is a great need and respect for the minority opinion to be welcome and valued at the table. Our local churches are all autonomous - meaning that we do not submit to denominational creeds and doctrinal statements - thus we have some very conservative churches, as well as some very liberal churches. We all remain around our denominational table, however, because - - well, because of Soul Freedom, the autonomy of the local church. Those two Baptist traditions build into our denomination what should be a healthy respect for, and desire to hear, the minority and differing opinion, because the individual and / or community of believers who hold that differing opinion just may be bringing a word from the Lord on the subject. So, within our communities of faith, there should always be a healthy respect for our differences in thought on all matters. Obviously, sometimes we are good at this and sometimes, quite frankly, we suck. But what matters is we stay at the table; we stay in conversation; we work, and serve, and pray, and love together in hopes that we can keep from majoring on the minors, and just get about to the business of loving God's chlidren, feeding Jesus' sheep, and passing the Spirit's peace.
What I am finding in my new blog world is an almost-overwhelming desire (sometimes to the point of almost-despair) for folks to be in communities of faith where participants are true and authentic in their desire to know God, serve Jesus, and possess the Holy Spirit. I share those same desires, and I am so thankful for all of my communities of faith, but in light of this blog, most-especially the folks that gather together in my church building. At FBC Mac , I have found a family of like-minded folks. No, we do not agree on all things at all times. But what we do agree on all the time is the desire for all to stay gathered around God's table for the common good of God's kingdom and God's heart. Whether you lean left, or right, I have to believe that you recognize what a good, and Christ-like thing that is.
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