Jesus ≥ Religion, not Jesus > Religion

I’m sure many of you remember the common catch phrase that became popular a few years ago in our churches that everyone seemed to like and respond well to. The one that preachers could easily attach to a sermon, “Christianity isn’t a religion, It’s a relationship!!” This post is what happens on the other end when those such phrases become theologies.

Please take a few minutes to watch this video (if you haven’t already). This, like most things I choose to write on, is controversial at the moment (Especially among my Divinity School colleagues). It also has become viral over the past week on Facebook; therefore, I feel that it is necessary to resolve my own thoughts on a couple of important topics brought up by this YouTube Poet.

When I first watched this video I felt as though it was ascetically so pleasing that most ‘common’ people would have one of two reactions: One, they would love it regardless because as most well done art performed the emotions outweigh their ability to critically assess it. Or two, they would see through the ‘art’ and try to critically assess every line and thought and give no attention to the Spirit of God clearly working through this individual to bring over 959,000 viewers (last I checked) this important message.

With that said, YouTube is reporting that a vast majority of viewers “like” the video, even though close to 10,000 claim to “dislike” it. But is total democracy the right voice to give to a matter of such importance as peoples beliefs? Does an overwhelming “like” mean that this message should be memorialized like scripture?

I do not feel, because of the artistic nature of the poem, that is should be critically assessed line-by-line as a liberal arts religion professor would want her students to do with regards to Historical Approach to the New Testament. However, I simply want to flesh this issue out with myself. (And as I have said before, writing helps me best do that) There are things about this video that I feel that should be thought about a little more deeply, and not just bought into, as I am sure that most people will do. But I do want to give credit where it is due, and I feel that Jefferson Bethke (The Author) has a couple of major points that ‘everyone’ should ascribe to when approaching salvation through belief in Jesus Christ. First, I will give a critical assessment of things that I heard in the poem that I want to bring into question. Then, I will conclude with a praise of his work and faith.

Questions? and Concerns~

The title of this post is meant to be a friendly edit to the first thing you see in the video. (Jesus > Religion) I think the first and the last things of this video capitulates the main point(s) that Jefferson wants to make.

- “Jesus” and “Religion” are naturally opposed, and must be compared and contrasted to one another. (Mostly “contrasted” by Jefferson) He seems to reiterate this concern over and over, and the majority of the poem is dedicated to reinforcing and clarifying what he means by pitting Jesus again Religion. My question is, “Can this opposition be made?” Is Jesus and Religion necessarily on “two ends of the spectrum” as he puts it?

Before we continue by throwing around an all too important word, I think a definition of “Religion” should be made. “Respect and awe for the sacred and divine, strict observance of religious ritual, or conscientiousness in morality or ethics” (New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 2009) Also there are three greek words cited that can be translated ‘religion’: δεισιδαιμονια, ευσεβεια, θρησκεια. (Look them up on your own if you want to be more engaged with the scriptural references Jefferson makes.)

For Jefferson, his definition from what I can gather is- an absolute ideal, made up of people that prescribes rules for people to follow in order to be saved, described as “man searching for god… slave masters… an infection… and man made.”

All the one-liners sound like they are great examples that would lead one to think that he is right. He starts by addressing the failures of Religion. (Cause of War, Unbalancing of wealth, social double-standards, etc.) I think that he is right with regard to the way most “religious people’ and “churches” are viewed. (Especially from the outside) I agree that Church and churches have failed greatly in these areas. But is that the “problem” of Religion? Or is that simply the reality of the sinners who make up the institution. Should the Institution as a whole be on trial with Jefferson and with us, or is it the people that make up the institution that which must be “judged”?

I would say BOTH, but separately. I also think we need to be aware of what we call the responsibility of the Religion and the responsibility of the individuals that make up the institution. I want to be clear about this, so I want to make my readers aware of what is at stake here. Jefferson seems to want to blame the failures of “religion” on the whole of the institution of Religion; thereby making the term “Religion” to him an absolute.  We must remember, that while Jefferson points to scripture where ‘religious people’ are on trial, nowhere is the idea of Religion on trial. In fact, if I wanted to be a Baptist for a min. (very rare for me) I might want to cite scripture where Jesus embodies Religion as an Ideal, but condemns those who practice it wrongly or even ‘Idolizes’ Religion. Jesus even founds a Religion, when he tells Peter “upon this rock I will build my church.” It is very hard for Jefferson to continue to claim Religion as what Jesus came to abolish (as he suggest in the first line of the Poem) Yes, Holy Scripture condemn those within the institution that do not properly embody it, but Jesus nor any other of the biblical heroes attempt to live in a world where Religion should be abolished.

When it comes to the people within the Religion, Christians namely, I think that Jefferson’s point is right on cue. In fact I would say, that if he would prophesy toward/against faulty Christians (all of us) directly instead of blaming the institution, his message would be better understood even though it would scare the crap out of people instead of giving them a whipping boy (Religion) to blame for their own irresponsibility. I think Jefferson is to unread to understand that if you tear apart an institution another will always rise in its place. Though the Church is not the perfect institution it is the best we have, or could have (and Lets not forget it is still being oversaw by God’s Holy Spirit not man.)

Two things I would personally wish to put forth is response to this video are:

-One, the Church is made up of confessed sinners, and though that does not mean that joining the Church makes you sinless from then on, it is an institution that is willing to recognize its sinful tendencies. This is one thing that makes Christianity The Truthful Religion. It has continued to exist, thrive, and make a meaningful contribution to society and individuals for 2000 years not because it simply has become the best institution that has forcefully adapted because of wealth and lies. No, it has succeeded because its people and especially leaders are honest about their own place in the world. It is a tension that we as ministers are called to live in and fight through. We must acknowledge our individual sin every day, but profess the Church as the embodiment of Christ in and for the world. And I would agree and support Jefferson’s cry for others who claim the Love of Christ for themselves to learn what it means to recognize that we are all sinners continually but that we are called to live in community with one another so that Christ’s body may forever live, be seen, and witnessed to in our world.

-Two, We can’t forget the Holy Spirit’s continued involvement in the Religious Institution of the Church. Jefferson is right that we Confess God in Jesus Christ, but I wonder is he only knows God as Jesus for as the Father and Spirit as well? Apparently the Spirit is alive and working in and through him in his poetry and video, but does he ‘confess’ the Spirit or only Jesus? When Jesus ordains the Church and founds the Religion, he didn’t say, “go men and create this religion in my name.” Jesus did create the Religion, call men to lead it, and he sent His advocate, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit to dwell in the leaders and the Church forever. This is my last reason the Church has never been abolished for 2000 years. The Spirit still dwells among it. Jefferson is wrong in his definition when he claims religion is Man-Made and Created. It is God created and Spirit sustained with Men.

This is the reason I want to help Jefferson out with the title by symbolizing Jesus as Greater than and equal to Religion. (Jesus ≥ Religion). They aren’t opposing, but Jesus is greater than religious people, but he is equal to the church too because the Religion is created by him, it is him, it is also God: Father Son and Spirit on earth and for the Earth. If we reject Christianity because it is an institution, then who knows what other institution will rise in its place.

But Let us also praise the work the Spirit has allowed Jefferson to do in this video. He has brought up many good points that need to be addressed to the Church. We must remember Jesus is greater than us, we must try not to make our own religion out of what God has created for us, we must be in service for the world instead of one another, we must strive for a Holy “core” to ourselves instead of being nominally Christian on Facebook, and we must be the Hospital for the broken as well as the museum displaying the Love of God. And we do those things by becoming a slave to Christ and His Church. Thank you Jefferson for teaching us all something. May God continue to work in your life as well as perfect you into His child, and may He do the same for all of His Church. But please don’t hate religion or resent it. Those are strong words to use to oppose something God has created.

 

The Para-Religious Campout

During my experience with campout this year, I couldn’t help but to reflect upon campout in a more “religious” way. I must go ahead and say that those of you who are reading and do not know exactly what I mean by “campout” might be a little lost during this blog. (but keep reading anyway) it might just enlighten you to the experience.

This is of course on the lighter side of my blogs post. It is all meant for fun and shouldn’t be taken as though I am in anyway comparing Campout to a religion in some ontological way. (These are simply fun observations I made) maybe even to make an analogy for religion to those that might be apart of

Duke but not necessarily understand all of the technical theological terms.

Duke University is of course known as an elite university. (among the top in the world for its high standards in academics) There are many things that distinguish it as part of the greater academy. However, unlike all prestigious universities, Duke is more popularly known (among the general populous) for its high standards on the Basketball Court.

The Trinity – Among some of the proper nouns that are commonly related to Duke Basketball are Coach K, Cameron Indoor, and the Cameron Crazies. We can call these the holy trinity of College Basketball. (Coach K, the father, the creator, sustainer of the team. Cameron Indoor, the Son, eternally begotten by the father “Coach K Court,” redeemer for the home team. and The Cameron Crazies, The Spirit, proceeding from the father and the son, uniting force of basketball, the example by which all other schools aspire.) Again, my fellow Divinity Colleagues, please don’t call me a heretic.

With this being Truth with a Capitol “T,” I must then explain the rest of the analogy that makes this tradition para-religious. Campout is the process by which a Graduate Student of the university

is entered into the spirit that are the Cameron Crazies. This “campout” is a requirement for those wishing to enter into the son of Cameron Indoor and become united with the trinity in heaven (which is the entertainment of Basketball being played.) Needless to say, the students individually are those needing this redemption. So campout is the one focal point for those desiring to see games in person. The process is simple but also extremely complicated. Only attempted by those completely dedicated to the religion of Duke Basketball. Simple by the process and rules. One must register to camp out for 36 hours, at the end of which, if the individual completes all the checkins, will be entered into a lottery for the chance to buy season tickets to all home games that coming season. This is also the complicated part, because those wishing to go to games know that they are taking a risk to receive tickets or not based on the lottery. So as “extremely int

elligent” students, they “commune” into groups/pacts. That will greaten the chances to at least go to “A” game. So, Simple but complicated. I can not possible go into detail about all of the different ways to “play the game,” but it makes sense to anyone that has done it before.

The Pilgrimage- to campout is one observation of the campout experience. People come with tents, chairs, u-

hauls, RVs, food, drinks (all kinds), $10, a canned good (for charity), Id Cards, and whatever they believe is needed to camp out in whatever weather the gods ordain to survive the weekend. They come from all different directions to the holy site of campout. In

the thousands, they come. As pilgrims on a journey to find redemption they come. As the people wondering in the desert, they are on this pilgrimage.

The registration tent remains the one single meeting place for the weekend. Used for checkins, sign up for weekend events, to meet the team, (and the father), and for all other purposes for those on the pilgrimage. This tent or “Tabernacle” is the gathering place to meet all that is sacred to campout. All knowledge and Truth flows from the tabernacle, as though god himself sits under it dictating to all of creation.

Covenant – Part of the covenant has been explained above as the rules of campout. In addition to the covenant all people make with the powers that be for the weekend, there are all kinds of official and unofficial covenants made during the weekend. Covenants exist among the groups formed, between the different schools, and between all the people of campout. There is (in a rather light form) a common understanding which flows among all the participants of what is at stake and how to reach “the end or eschaton.” In other words, with as little official “rules” made for campout, anarchy is not ever reached. There is at least a minimal mutual respect for all those at campout. (of course this kind of mutual respect can not in any way be comparable to Christian understandings of respect, love, or any of the fruits of the spirit.)

Migration- As part of this holy pilgrimage in sight of season tickets, the migration phenomena is certainly realized during campout. Those seeking redemption listen closely for the siren summoning all to the tabernacle for checkins. When the call is heard, a migration happens toward the tent for checkin. Masses immediately follow group dynamics to reach the tent by the required time. Like a river flowing, people move in mass around trees, through any open spaces available, sometime without even hearing the call. People just seem to move at the appointed time. Sometimes because they heard the call themselves (those of us in divinity school relate closest to this model), Sometimes they are urged on or woken up from sleep by closest friends, and brought along. Sometimes they migrate by observing the mass movement of those around them (as are for those who are clueless, wondering around in a drunken state).

Denominations – All religions soon create sects of division between tradition (From age), positionally (from outside circumstances), understanding of the “right way” to approach the sacred, and many other situations that usually cause division. All submit to the religion of Duke Basketball, all make the pilgrimage, all give into a covenant, all migrate. But they do all this in different ways. The cause is many divisions (denominations) formed to approach campout. There are those in the tents, those in the U-hauls, those in RVs, Those from the Med School, those from the Business School, those from the Law School, those from the Divinity School, First year groups, Second Year groups, Third Year groups. Large groups, small groups. Some of these denominations work better than others. But regardless they are each designed for the same purpose. To get to heaven.

Prophets and Priest – Every denominations has its leaders, those sages who have a special intuition about how to do campout. There are the priest, that occupy the tabernacle registration tent that randomly call those in for a check in. There are the prophets, that try to guess every situation to predict the outcomes. Many kinds of people fill these roles. All of whom arise as active in the planning, and carrying out of campout. They heed the call to arise and participate directly with the divine in a way others do not. These super-religious followers can be found at campout, just as in any other religion.

Ritual and Sacrament- There are many things that take place during campout that are certainly ritualistic and sacramental. For many, in differing denominations, rituals can range from drinking and partying until passing out to sitting next to the registration tent on the last night in order to not possibly miss a checkin. Rituals including a wide range of games that must be played, beer pong, flip cup, corn hole, to dancing all night, to all other forms of alternative ways to reach ecstasy dwelling among campers. The sacraments of meeting the team, provide the grace and motivation to continue in the most desperate of times of campout. Campout itself is an initiation rite into the order of graduate school and into the cameron crazies. The final and most important sacrament is occurs at the end of Campout, which is the final line up which invokes the came emotion of all standing in line to find out their judgment. Every year the feeling is the same among all those who have participated.

The Last Judgment- All religions have an ending day, a day where all things are made right, where the sacred prevails, and the judgment is made. The eschaton, the last judgment. The day of reckoning. For campout, this moment happens on Sunday morning. (wow, what a correlation to sunday morning for Christians). At this particular moment all are gathered again to the tent of meeting for the last time. Here all the efforts of the pilgrimage is at a tellos. The scene is very much comparable to the popular vision of the final judgment. The deciding factor is whether or not you as the individual who registered receives tickets or not. Here you receive the news if you are accepted to join the trinity of Duke Basketball in heaven (game day) or not. You wait at the tent to get a thumbs up, and the golden ticket or sadly turned away. There could not be a more uncomfortable moment than this. The Lottery is St Peter as the gate keeper. It determines your fate. If there was ever predestination, it exist at this moment. You may have done everything right and not gotten tickets, or you may have been the pig of the earth and receive them. Your fate is guaranteed by the lottery. Redemption immediately awaits those who are told “yes,” and no greater disappointment awaits those who are told “no.” Here you have somehow been judged by the sacred.

But there is peace in uncertainly with faith. Even though you may not receive tickets and the right to attend the great heavenly banquet that is the UNC game, there is still hope. There is yet a sense of peace for all, found in the peers of the small unofficial group you have formed. The chances are great, if the group is formed properly, that you will still get to taste heaven and attend a game. Remember there are 20 games per season and the season tickets are split amongst the group. Redemption at last.

This is the experience of Duke Graduate School Campout in religious language. Hence forth the doctrine of Duke Basketball. From this, all the mysteries of the sacred are still unknown, but perhaps a taste of this para-religion is thus made available to all who give into the crazy spirit of Duke Basketball.

 

Heaven in Hell, Hell in the Church

Today I witnessed a story on the midday news that caught me off-guard. The details of the story, of which anyone would care to debate as historically accurate, is not what bothered me. (i believe we spend too much time in the church and the world debating what is historically accurate that we miss what is really important in a story) I believe it was Karl Barth who said something like, “it isn’t whether there was a snake who spoke to eve, what really is important is what the snake said.” (again, being able to cite the quote is not what is important as what the quote says)

Anyway, the story was about a church mission ministry which burnt down a few months past, and now they are trying to rebuild. However, “where”  they are planning to build is next door to an established bar. The news was communicating the struggle over the zoning laws of NC which apparently states, “a church and a bar are not allowed to be within 500 feet of each other.”

I do not have any stake in the story. The rebuilding of the church next to a bar does not concern me one way or the other. I’m not sure the particulars of the story (who is making the complaint, why the church burnt down, or even what kind of church it is). I’m not interested in those particulars. (maybe I’m trying to make this blog too idealistic and objective by not taking these perspectives into consideration) But what bothers me most is the law that was quoted.

Why would such a law be written? Why is the State making (or has made) any such law? And most importantly what are the theological implications of the possible consequences stemming from a church and a bar being in such “close” proximity?

I AM NOT ADVOCATING ANY POLITICAL JUSTICE ACTION. In fact I believe when the church tries to overturn or fight against politics, (or tries to lobby for any political action) then the church has automatically lost sight of its theological purpose. (from Romans 12:2) Unless the goal is a theocracy, which I’m not even sure is biblical, then church (concerned with theology) and state (concerned with power) should remain out of each others mission. The church should not aim for worldly power, and the state should not claim spiritual power.

But why did such a law come about? Why should a church establishment and a bar establishment even be considered dualistic opposites to the point where being located within 500ft of each other would cause civil confusion.

Of course the point Im making here is not a metaphysical question trying to prove or disprove the otological differences between church and bar. (I think those are obvious to anyone). The question is epistemological, as in how did these two places become so opposed that a physical distance must be lawfully built between them?

Aside: I remember when I turned 21 (maybe even before I turned 21) I remember justifying to myself, “what is the problem with going to a bar, having a drink and still calling myself a christian?” (believe me at the time I could convince the Pope with scriptural evidence to support my case) However, upon further reflection about myself at that time, I have to be honest and confess that it was just an excuse to make myself fall into the ability to drink. It was sinful for me to even try to misuse scripture to allow myself to do what I wanted to do. (I allowed the original sin of selfishness, to cloud my own reading of Scripture.) (something else I learned that may be a good lesson for all to consider)

Why is Bar and Church seemingly natural oppositions?

I am so confused by this. Why has the church theologically justified creating this physical barrier between sin and itself. (like all who go to church are supposed to be dualistically superior to those who do not go to church) Yes, I affirm that sin exists (and that it “can” exist in the use of alcohol) But as I just confessed so can sin be found in the use of misreading/misusing scripture. Are those in the church fooling themselves to think that they are separated from sin just because of the establishment they go to and support financially? And should those in the bar, feel liberated by the “oppression” of the church, by having distance between them?

Please leave your comments so that I may better understand why this “crying” is bothering me so much.

 

Cuts and Tears

"Here was the first time I witnessed my Father cry as a child. I was three when he (my Grandfather) passed."

Someone once told me that in order for things to truly change (for people to actually recognize “truth” to the point that they will enact the truth to make it come into fruition) one must be cut. The “cut” here that I am referring to is the painful kind of cutting. The type of cut where tears flow, and pain becomes internal enough where true change can occur. The theory goes like this: From birth until death, every exceptional point of growth in life stems from moments where breakage occurs from the old/young way to the new/wise way. That is why they are called growing pains.

I believe this extends into society as well as individual growth. (Though the problem with society or communities is that their life extends much longer than the 85-90 years granted to individuals.) Therefore, growth in communities can take generations to just overcome one “truth” lesson. (the pain here in these communities last longer than the childhood nights of splinter terror)

My experience thus far in this long life I yet have to fulfill is that the “cut” comes from something outside of the self. “I can’t change myself.” Yes, I can recognize the need for change. I can even attempt to work hard at myself disciplining/training myself to control the urges/temptations I feel to live out the personality traits I wish to change. But that will only remain a hidden personality trait that digs even deeper into the being, covered up like make-up covers the pimple. A true change occurs when a gift is given to a person from outside of the self. A gift that hurts to receive. A gift which must be received freely/forcibly. (as quasi-rape, at least in my own life that have been the most painful experiences of gifts I did not welcome all the times with open arms) These blessings that I have received have been forced upon me. Because of my unwillingness to be anything but in control of my own situations, and unwillingness to receive passively and with liberty that which is meant to change my stubborn ways. I have had to be cut in order to recognize these truths.

As John Wesley witnessed to the Holy Spirit, “My heart was strangely- warmed.” These gifts are given by something outside of the self. Our cut can not come from ourselves. (we cant fix our situations of juvenility by attempts of suicide) It hurts to be changed. The result of which comes crying. As men we are told crying is unmanly, because it displays weakness, vulnerability, and yes even feminine passivity. And God knows that I ascribed to this false teaching too often. I internalize my tears most of the time, so that these seemingly negative traits aren’t recognized by others. However, there are those times, as I look back through my adolescence and childhood, I did cry a lot. These moments changed me, helped me instead of hindered me, were steps instead of falls, and become the bonding moments between me and the giver of all gifts.

I am comforted in my reflection upon crying to know that even, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). The man above all men, wept; He cried, He suffered and grew in His humanity through the act of crying. Therefore to be man, is to suffer and cry. To be truly man is not to hide all tears. Even when you try to do so, these moments will still invade you and consume you and change you from the man you thought you were to the Man you are meant to be.

As I remember the words of wisdom my father embedded within my childhood teaching, that as I reflect upon in my journey toward human and divine perfection, “The day you stop learning is the day you die.” I received this wisdom from him that he received from his father. I have cried and I will continue to cry; even if I try to stop it, I know my learning from the Spirit will continue to invade me, cut me, make me bleed, and change me until the moment I pass on into the realm of the eternal.

If you will, accompany me on this journey as you read this and coming blog posts. Reflect with me our shared crying times that move us toward that greater calling to become sanctified in the eyes of God, our Father, our Lord, by means of the Holy Spirit. (Especially those of us who are called into the Word, Sacrament, and Order of Ordained Ministry, let us reflect together on the moments in which we continue to cry on behalf of the church, communities, peoples of the nation, and creation of God that we are called to watch over, proclaim the Gospel to, and even cut if necessary.)