Riverwood Presbyterian Church

Christian Chaff

You Say It Best, When You Wear Nothing At All

by Tim Lien

After some discussions from a bunch of “non-commenters,” I think it would probably be helpful if I offered some real affirmation and proper critique of the “Christian” products that I doom to carry the label of “Christian Chaff.” (And, no, these products will not eventually begin to carry a proud dignity ala Hester Prynne’s prominent ‘A.’) Sometimes their weaknesses seem so garish, blatant, and self-evident, that I don’t think it needs my added derision. But I don’t think that serves anyone to fully, critically, tactfully, carefully, and responsibly interact with their environs. (Yes, that was a continuous string of 5 adverbs)

These t-shirts were found online here. However, full credit goes to Miss Prathima Ryali-Hancock for discovering the site. Although not shown below, she had a particular bewilderment at the entire “Jesus Is My Homeboy” line of t-shirts and accessories.

Now, after you chuckle with Reformed Disdain— look, again. We have to take these examples seriously, because there are fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who, indeed, wear these shirts. An unbelieving world rarely can make the proper distinctions between denominations, or between fanaticism and orthodox belief. Whether we like it or not, we are lumped together in a giant ball of doughy Christianity. Consequently, I think it is proper and important for there to be continual examination and reformation within the Church, by the Church, regardless of denominational affiliation.

First, I would like to point out the praise-worthy aspects of these shirts. It is tempting to assume that the makers of these shirts, primarily, have monetary gain as their motivation. However, I think that this would be a dangerous and inappropriate leap. I think many of these Christian Chaff products stem from sweet and sincere motivations. Note Exhibit A: Patriotism is not altogether bad; neither is exuberance at proclaiming that “Jesus Saves!” Taken separately, I don’t mind either sentiment. Note Exhibit B: There seems to be a desire to pattern our lives after preceding saints, coupled with a plea/exhortation to stick with it when the going gets rocky (pun intended). Those are excellent messages. Note Exhibit C: Truly, Christ is the King of Kings—a proclamation that will find its fruition when “every knee will bow and every tongue confess” those very words. Note: Exhibit D: I think part of the designer’s motivations included a real urgency for people to a) know the reality of a much larger spiritual realm, and b) realize that all people will be called into account for their belief. In isolation, all of these messages are great. However, there is more work to be done.

Although motivations and intentions can be sweet and sincere, the final result of an action or product must also stand alone in its ability to be assessed. And that makes this stuff Christian Chaff.

Exhibit A: This t-shirt is the most appalling to me. Popular evangelicalism has confused patriotism with the Gospel. When Scripture paints a picture of heaven with “all tribes and nations,” I hardly think that the Stars and Stripes will be waving behind the seraphim. In juxtaposition, it would seem that God has blessed the good ole U.S. of A with divine right, and a monopoly on true religion.

Exhibit B: Ask yourself, “Who is the intended audience for this shirt?” If it is intended for believers (evidenced by “stand your ground”), then the edgy statement “Get Stoned” is unnecessary and inappropriate. Is this the proper venue to deliver encouragement and exhortation to a fellow struggler? Surely, there are better ways. In the same way, if the shirt is targeted towards unbelievers, then it has truly little or no meaning without defining context. Misperception will be imminent if there is no shared understanding of the biblical story.

Exhibit C: Parody, imitation, and satire are all tools that have dramatic rhetoric value while, simultaneously, being humorous. However, imitation shows a great lack of creativity if it is unable to highlight something beyond the original meaning. In other words, the t-shirt logo fails to emphasize anything profound or extraordinary. Principally, it is pronouncing, “The King of Kings is just as amazing as the King of the Whoppers.” And, sadly, that’s not saying much.

Exhibit D: If I were to read this t-shirt, I can’t imagine that my heart would be suddenly turned to repentant mush. I liken this t-shirt to the “Hell Houses” that are so prominent in October. If that is the Gospel message, then I want no part of it.

As the title suggests, I believe we might just be more effective if we didn’t wear any Christian t-shirts. I have no evidence to support this following statement, so take it with a grain of salt, but: I sincerely believe that Christian t-shirts have done more to detract from the Gospel than to promote it.

Book Group Redux

by Jeff Miller

Just a note & a plug….

The Riverwood Book Group has one week left on Augustine’s City of God. Last night’s discussion was very engaging. We talked about ‘degrees of Heaven & Hell’, aesthetics & culture and attributes of God among other things.

Everyone is more than welcome to come next Tues night to the last meeting on Augustine, or to join the week after as we begin Sanctuary by William Faulkner.

Education

Must Reads

by Jimmy Hopper

The September Salt and Light is now up on this web site under “Ministries”, “Newsletter” and Peggy Drinkard’s page, “Our Kids” is a must read. It is the first of two successive articles on the catechism for children but, as background, she addresses not only the loss of an overall cultural Biblical knowledge; knowledge that was, and is, an essential part of the Western Canon, but in a very real sense, the loss of the Canon itself. This dearth of knowledge that is such an important part of our heritage and even the essential part of Western Civilization, must be addressed as we educate our children. This idea is the driving force behind the establishment of the Riverwood Classical School, which looks to provide a rigorous academic program based on the Bible and Biblical principles. Be sure and read Peggy’s thoughts on this important subject and I look forward to next month’s concluding article.

Also be sure to check out Dana Miller’s very inspiring thoughts on dealing with pain as a Christian in the Reflections section. It is titled “Finding the Profound in Pain.” Read it and marvel at God’s interaction with Dana.

General Theology

Hearing Voices

by Clay Staggs

The New York Times this weekend published an article about women in the clergy and, more specifically, how few women lead large congregations. They call it the “stained glass ceiling.” The full text of the article is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/26/us/26clergy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&th&emc=th

The Rev. Dottie Escobedo-Frank, pastor of Crossroads United Methodist Church in Phoenix, is quoted in the article saying, “I speak differently than a man does … To hear the fullness of God’s voice, you need to hear both men and women.”

What an amazing statement. I read stuff like this and find myself yelling at the screen “Um, the Bible? Hello?” The implication here is that God’s revelation is ongoing and incomplete, and, indeed, can’t be complete until all the quotas are filled. It really is shocking how far from the authority of scripture modern American Christianity is straying.

Education

John Knox Spins in his Grave

by Clay Staggs

Our good friends in the PCUSA have published a book (under their Westminster John Knox imprint) that purports to examine the events of 9/11 from a Christian perspective. Apparently, the book ultimately concludes that there was no attack. Instead, people in the administration conspired to bring down the World Trade Centers in a controlled demolition and foist blame on the countries they desired to invade. [Full disclosure: I have not read the book myself.] The Washington TImes article on the book can be found here:

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060818-122729-2030r.htm

Lest anyone doubt the paper’s veracity, if you point your browser to the publisher’s site, this book is the LEAD book being promoted as I write this. Check it out:

http://www.ppcbooks.com

Now, there are any number of comments one could make about the PCUSA’s decision to publish this book, and I reserve the right to come back later to those (or perhaps commenters can pick up my slack). The thing that struck me the most, though, has to do with education, and, more specifically, the consequences of lack of historical knowledge on the public’s part.

On the publisher’s page, there are several reviewers’ comments. This was the one that got me:

“Do American Christians want the United States to act like the New Rome, invading other countries to impose its imperial rule and its control of other peoples’ resources? That is just what the U.S. is doing, increasingly so since 9/11, explains David Griffin. In this gripping summary of evidence for the truth behind 9/11 and the 9/11 Commission report, Griffin makes a compelling case that the imperial practices of the American government have become a destructive force in the world. And he clarifies the biblical and theological basis for Christians to challenge the resurgent American imperialism that often claims divine blessing on its destructive actions.” - Richard A. Horsley, Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and the Study of Religion, University of Massachusetts, and author of Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder

Opinions about what the US is doing in the Middle East surely vary, and people of good will can disagree. However, what the US is doing is certainly not replicating the Roman empire. To my knowledge, we’re not collecting any taxes from the lands we’ve supposedly conquered. We’re not persecuting religions there that offend our government. We’re not conscripting Iraqis and Afghans into our military.

Now, Distinguished Professor Horsley probably knows exactly what the Romans did in their empire. What’s disturbing is that he can make such comments and have them taken seriously by mainstream organizations, and, by extension, parts of the general public. I would like to think that the PCUSA’s publisher would be embarrassed to publish such comments because their readers would scoff at their obvious inaccuracy.

Mark this down as yet another argument for broad liberal arts education.

General Theology

Prayer for the sick….

by Jimmy Hopper

I have always thought that praying for healing of the sick was necessary but needed to be done in a particular way that addressed the omnipotence of God. What we see in the “healing” services on television and, I’m sure, in certain churches, is an emphasis on results based on superior spirituality that almost “forces” God to do something, and on self indulgent rhetoric. While I’m certainly not advocating prewritten or canned prayers, I thought this prayer for the sick from www.catholic.org addressed the proper issues:

Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and Healer of the sick, we turn to you in this time of illness. O dearest comforter of the troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden. Dear God, we place our worries in your hands. We place our sick under your care and humbly ask that you restore your servant to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge your will and know that whatever you do, you do for the love of us. Amen.

In it, there is humility, dependence, a plea for strength to deal with the situation, and acknowledgment of God’s will in all things, as well as the desire for healing. All of which seems to me to be what we should pray for in times of illness, even illness unto death.

Christian Chaff

Jesus Bluffed, and I Went All-In

by Tim Lien

Today’s Christian Chaff (formerly known as Christian Cr@p) comes from the purveyors of all things tacky and tasteless. The company, Kerusso (© 2006, All Rights Reserved, ®, etc….), is aptly named. “Kerusso” is the English phonetic equivalent of ‘κηρύσσω’—the first-century Greek word that means “to loudly proclaim some good stuff.” It is often used in the NT as “to preach [the Gospel].” And, boy, oh, boy, this company loudly proclaims.

However, I didn’t come across their website until one of our college students handed me a poker chip that felt and weighed….yes, just like the real thing. After my Vegas flashbacks subsided, I began to wonder if I could actually slip this chip into my pile, when I get short-stacked down at Wilhagen’s. But seriously, take a look at the front and reverse of this circular piece of “evangelism.”

Adding words might actually be anti-climactic, so I will limit my observations. Something to ponder: should I now refer to death as, “Cashing in your chips?”

Christian Chaff

Overt Christianity

by Jimmy Hopper

On a recent vacation trip to Atlanta and South Carolina, I decided that there must be a religious revival taking place among Southern young people, or at least, what passes for Christianity amidst the teen set. Everywhere we went; Stone Mountain, the Carolina Aquarium, Six Flags, and even individuals in the streets, there were groups and groups of young people wearing identical tee shirts with Christian “messages” enjoying the sights. Some of the shirts simply had the church name on them and were probably helpful in keeping the group together in crowds. Others added some catchy name for the group, i.e. Teen Mission ‘06. Still others teetered on the outside edge of taste. Finally, some of the groups were, in my opinion, downright detrimental to the cause of Christ.

Many of the shirts had variations of ad slogans. As an example, one of the most obnoxious used the Dairy Association slogan, “Got Milk?” except this was changed to “Got Jesus?” I guess the “message” was: If you haven’t got Jesus, you need to run by your local Pak-A-Sak and get him. He’s there on the shelf and he’s good for you! There were others almost as bad and many were in very garish neon colors that screamed “Look at me!”

The “look at me” idea is a constant for these displays. This was demonstrated most vividly in an episode I’ll call “The Stone Mountain Choir.” We had climbed Stone Mountain; my daughter, myself and my grandchildren. It was late in the afternoon (I’m old and slow) so we decided to ride the trams down. Because it was the last trips available, the building was packed with people waiting in line. Immediately ahead of us was one of these church groups, actually one of the larger ones we saw, maybe forty kids. Their shirts had a Bible passage on the back that was so long and the lettering so small that it couldn’t be read unless you were less than ten feet away and had some time available. When they saw that they had a large captive audience, they broke into a very “cheesy” (to use the new vernacular) praise song, and they sang it for many verses. What was fascinating was to watch the faces of the kids involved and the people forced to listen.

Most of those forced to stand there and listen looked pained. Some of the kids were obviously proud, staring out at everyone with almost a “I dare you to complain” look, indicating that they were Proud to be working for the Lord.Others, especially one particular guy, stood there with a beatific smile, proud to be joyous and holy. After seven or eight verses, it finally died down as some, then finally all, tired of it.

I’ve asked myself if I over-reacted to this stuff. After reflection, I really don’t think so. I’m almost certain that no one ever decided that they needed to find out more about Christ from a tee shirt or other over the top dress, bumper sticker, etc. I am fairly certain that people are usually turned off by these things, and this was quite plain as I surveyed the faces of the listerners to the Stone Mountain Choir. I could normally care less about this silliness but it does bother me that the name of the Lord is used, and I do mean used in its worse sense, so casually, so crassly and with such obvious self satisfaction and self exaltation.

General Theology

Lost in Translation While Walking Through the ‘Hood of Death

by Tim Lien

Newsweek recently published an article about the power and new popularity of “hip-hop” masses or “hip-hop services” for youth and the urban sub-culture. (Newsweek, July 31, 2006, “BeliefWatch: ‘Word’”) One pastor even created the Hip Hop Prayer book, inspired by the Book of Common Prayer. After recognizing that this would create controversy with some, the article ended like this:

“But proponents argue that using vernacular language in services is a way to draw young people to church. Everyone’s down with that.”

Aside from populating the pew, there were no other reasons given for why this approach would seem profitable. Understanding the Bible was not a real concern. The article also printed the “hip-hop” version of Psalm 23, by way of example. I’ve used the actual words from the article below, and I’ve added the New American Standard (NAS) and the New International Version (NIV) in an interlinear format:

Bible translation is a fascinating and complex discipline. And the debates for proper methodology are more heated than many realize. (In other words, this may only be interesting to geeks like me.) The King James camp, fiercely contends that their Bible is superior due to the sheer amount of manuscripts that support their translation. The NAS boasts that their translation is the most “literal” and “wooden,” while the NIV uses the phrase “dynamic equivalent” to describe their own translation. Example: To describe Saul using the bathroom, the NAS will transliterate the ancient idiom and render the phrase, “Saul covered his knees,” meanwhile the NIV will convert the ancient idiom into a modern or “dynamic” equivalent by translating the same thing as “Saul relieved himself.”

Enter the Hip Hop Prayer Book. I am not really concerned with variances in vernacular or even foreign words. I cannot expect the fluidity of linguistics and language to scare me into demanding a static translation. What does concern me, however, is the meaning of words. Faithful Bible translation is far more difficult than exclusively highlighting your modern context. It is imperative, necessary, and paramount that the original context of the writing is understood, as well. Failure to understand both, results in a sloppy, misleading translation. My critique of the Hip Hop Psalm 23 does not, I repeat, does not, include a negative reaction to words that I don’t often employ myself. My main concern is that responsible translation has taken place. And I would also argue that the translator, in this instance, has been far from careful or meticulous.

I will only highlight two, but there are more. Compare “The Lord is all that,” with “The Lord is my Shepherd.” This is an irresponsible translation. If “all that” is an adjective that means: “in possession of all good qualities,” (or some close approximation), then this is not the meaning. Although it would have made me cringe, I might have accepted “Coach.”

And finally, compare “He provides back-up in front of player-haters,” with “You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies.” “Back-up” refers to “an ally that is prepared to assist you in a time of violence or peril.” (my definition) However, the Psalmist is actually describing a Great Benefactor that is bestowing blessing, honor, and publicly raising us in full view of those who would have us brought low. Additionally, “player-hater” insinuates that God’s people are really a bunch of smooth swingin’ cats that have great skills in conquering the opposite sex.

And, yes, I do hope that all of you fall back in the Lord’s crib for the rest of your lives.

Pastoral Musings

Feigned Deference

by Tim Lien

Recently, one of our elders took me to his place of business for the grand tour of the facilities and to meet some of his employees. After checking out the premises, he introduced me to a coworker, “Hey, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine. So-and-so, Tim; Tim, So-and-so.” I was about to cringe, but nothing happened. They casually said, “Good to meet you,” cracked a joke about my height, and we continued down the hall. Believe it or not, that was the best introduction that I’ve received for a long time.

Usually, the exchange is something like this:

Friend: “Hey, there, Charlene, I’d like you to meet my pastor.”

  (Charlene blinks.)
  (Slides a TPS report over her cigarettes.)

Charlene: “Oh, my, very pleased to meet you.”

  (Charlene begins to think of ways to end 
     this already-too-long conversation.)

Me: “Hey, good to meetchya, Charlene.”

  (Charlene edges to the door.  
  (Glances at her watch and Blackberry.)

Charlene: “Well, um, yeah, well….see you around.”

  (uncharacteristically, Charlene displays the 
    agility of Jackie Chan—by scaling filing cabinets
    and cubicle walls to escape the “Preacher.”)

We live in one of the few regions that maintain an external respect for clergy. Whether fake or not, my position grants me a modicum of respect from the general community. I can’t stand that. This is only one man’s opinion, but I think that respect should be earned, especially, since the office has become so broadly defined by the various flavors of clergy. It has been my experience that people cease to be themselves once they become aware of my occupation. It’s as if I am down by two touchdowns before the game has even begun. It would be much better, if, after normal conversation, someone asked with incredulity, “He’s your pastor?!”

Christian Chaff

Jesus on the Beach

by Tim Lien

For the past 9 or 10 years, I have been collecting novelties and trinkets that I have found mostly in Christian bookstores. These items have earned themselves the title: “Christian Crap.” These useless, cheap parodies of our secular culture have provided me with hours of sad, sad entertainment. If they are to be taken seriously, they are no less horrible than the indulgences of the 16th century.
But woefully, my Big Box O’ Crap has run out of space. And due to my new position as head pastor, people will grimace at my usage of the aforementioned synonym for excrement. So I have retooled the moniker and have come up with “Christian Chaff.” Yay, it even sounds more biblical.

All that to say, I hope to begin to build a virtual museum of some of the truly bad examples of the Christian sub-culture. If you come across a particularly bad/good example, please email me swiftly. You may even want to apply the Tri-Test:

• Does the item simply copy pop-culture, thereby lacking original creativity?

• Does the item take a bible verse out of context, or is it blatantly heretical/blasphemous?

• And finally, would you personally, use it, wear it, display it, or derive true spiritual encouragement from said object? If not, you have a winner.

Today’s Christian Chaff comes to us from Shoes of the Fisherman (SotF). SotF sells a line of Beach Sandals that leave an imprint on the sand that says, “Jesus Loves You.”

Education

An Argument for Liberalism

by Tim Lien

And I mean “Liberalism,” as in a “Liberal Arts Education.” And by “Liberal Arts Education,” I mean integration of learning across academic disciplines. As I’ve told some of you, I’ve been on a John Steinbeck kick, lately. It struck me, again, while reading the introduction to To a God Unknown, that other disciplines outside of our “niche” or “vocational specialty” are needed for true excellence in our respective fields of expertise. Self-admittedly, writing To a God Unknown was Steinbeck’s greatest challenge— he wrote it over a period of 4 years. The first draft was roundly rejected by many publishing houses. He, himself, said the book was flat and void of real interest. However, he attributes its re-vitalization to the time he spent reading poetry of Jeffers, ancient literature, and studying marine biology and philosophy with a close friend. These seem tangential and unnecessary; however, Steinbeck felt he was enriched and energized by the task of thinking outside of his craft. Today’s educational system has seemed to prefer the quick assessment of aptitude so that a student can be gradually funneled towards specialization. Two year vocational schools have done very well at placing graduates into secure, well-paying jobs, but at what price? Ignoring the elements of a “well-rounded” education actually stunts the growth of our specialties. Am I saying that a welder could benefit from a Fine Arts course? Yes.

Humor

Just for a Lark

by Tim Lien

Although not for the literal or the super-sensitive. LarkNews has a great monthly “newsletter” that exposes the terrible aspects of American Evangelical Christianity. I guess that’s why I love satire so much— in being so close to reality, the ludicrous and ridiculous come into stark relief. I have heard this from many pulpits, however: “Sarcasm has no place in the Christian’s world.” I had actually bought that line, until I attended Covenant Seminary. Much of the prophet’s writing in the OT is filled with sarcasm and irony. It must be used with sensitivity and circumspection— much like anything else….but it’s a great tool nonetheless.