Contemporary art or thoughtless desecration?

An open Bible sits on a podium at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, Scotland. Next to the sacred text is a container of pens and a sign reading "If you feel you have been excluded from the Bible, please feel free to write yourself back into it."

The public has responded by writing slander, jokes, obscenities and more on the Bible's pages.

The exhibit is part of a larger exhibition entitled Made in God's Image. The Times (London, not New York) reports:

The exhibit, Untitled 2009, was proposed by the Metropolitan Community Church, which said that the idea was to reclaim the Bible as a sacred text. But to the horror of many Christians, including the community church, visitors have daubed its pages with comments such as "This is all sexist pish, so disregard it all." A contributor wrote on the first page of Genesis: "I am Bi, Female & Proud. I want no god who is disappointed in this."

As you may have guessed, various churches and Christian leaders have expressed disgust and outrage at the invitation to deface the Bible as art. Anthony Schrag, one of the exhibition's artists, said he wonders whether people are offended by what was written or by writing in a Bible in the first place. He also states that human rights are at the center of the show.

"If we are to open up the Bible for discussion, surely we have to invite people to speak out," he said.

I am inclined to agree with him.

The church as a whole certainly has a right to be upset by the general lack of sanctity this Bible was shown (one person wrote "The Gospel According to Luke Skywalker"), but I think they have a greater obligation to address the reasons behind the actions. It seems to me that people feel judged and unloved by Christians so often that they feel nothing left for the Bible but anger, dismissal or otherwise.

Perhaps the thing the worldwide church can do is ask itself how to be more welcome to discussion of the Bible without feeling threatened by the questions people have to ask. If they are to properly represent their Christ, they need to be willing to eat, drink and talk with prostitutes, corrupt businessmen and religious nut cases just like he did. Otherwise the church--and by extension, the Bible--cannot expect to receive the respect that Christ receives.

Shelf life

My husband and I were on our way home from the store last night when he asked if I had seen his Bible. In truth, it's a funny question, because he has a camouflage-covered Bible. Naturally, I hadn't seen it. We decided it was probably left on the back table at church and possibly taken by someone who thought it was free. (Maybe they'll read it.)

Somewhere in the conversation he mentioned toting around his old leather-bound Bible again. The small maroon Word of God was with him when he went to Iraq in 2003, so it holds a lot of sentimental value. He's managed to keep it in good condition all these years, despite leaving it on top of the car and driving off. Twice. I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. What if he lost it again? I asked. Isn't it better to keep it safe at home?

"What good is it to keep a Bible on the shelf if all it does is gather dust?" he said.

Good point.

Too many times I leave my Bible on the shelf. Or on the desk. Or in the car. Or on the table. Or at the church. But wherever I leave it, it looks the same: unopened. Unopened is no way for a Bible to be.

Though I haven't been able to find references, I've read in blogs and articles describing how many cultures treat the Bible with a reverence I rarely see. I've read that Koreans keep their Bible on a shelf above their heads as a sign of respect. I've been told that some Muslim converts won't set any items on top of their Bible. I've heard of villages that have only one Bible for everybody. That one Bible, though, is everything to them.

I've heard incredible Bible stories that have nothing to do with the text. Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian whose family was arrested for resisting the Nazis during World War II, snuck a Bible into a concentration camp by tearing the Bible apart and taping each page together in a line. She had a string around her neck and the pages fell down her back. The Gideons, businessmen dedicated to distributing the Bible, tell stories of prisoners who use pages to roll cigarettes or joints. Instead of refusing to give prisoners Bibles, they ask that they read each page before tearing it out for a smoke. More often than not, their lives are changed. Though they might not stop smoking, the prisoners will find something else to roll their cigarettes.

Knowing how precious the Bible is, why does it stay on my shelf? Why is it important to keep the pages pristine? Isn't it better that they be wrinkled, dirty and written on? Isn't it better that those pages be worn from study than beautiful from neglect?

I've decided that it's time I take my Bible off of the shelf. It's time to write notes and turn down the page corners. It's time for my Bible to be open.

After all, what good is it to keep a Bible on the shelf if all it does is gather dust?

Lakeside

Well, I've made it.  Sort of.  I'm in Lakeside, OH for the West Ohio United Methodist Church Annual Conference 2009.  (Long title.)  Lakeside is, and I'm not exaggerating, on the tip of one of Ohio's peninsulas.  If I could figure out how to save the map without chunking it into little squares, I'd show you.  :)

As part of my WOUMCAC packet reading, I learned a little bit about the heritage of Lakeside, OH.  A letter from Kevin Sibbring, President and CEO of he-doesn't-say-what, sums up the history of Lakeside this way:

During the summer of 1869, some two hundred and fifty Methodists gathered for a picnic along the shore, giving birth to Lakeside.  140 years later, we remain faithfully committed to transforming lives by providing growth and renewal opportunities - spiritually, intellectually, culturally and physically - nurturing mind, body and spirit.

That's all well and good, but it seems strange to me that a city was founded so that the Methodists  could have a place to get together.

Local publication "Lakesider" states that the Lakeside Mission is "To enrich the quality of life for all people, to foster traditional Christian values and nurture relationships through opportunities for renewal and growth...spiritually, intellectually, culturally and physically...while preserving Lakeside's heritage."  (Just so you know, the ellipses were included in the mission statement--I'm not leaving anything out.)

The publication also has a letter from Sibbring welcoming the WOUMC for its annual conference.  He describes Lakeside as "a Chautauqua community dedicated to Christian values and cultural excellence."  It makes me feel like I'm not in a town, but in a corporation.

Walking around Lakeside is very, um, how shall I say this?  I feel like I arrived at the county fair early and caught the workers setting up the food vendor booths and tents.  Except there are houses and streets.  Actually, it's a little bit like Downtown Disney with houses.

But it's pretty.  The cabin I'm staying in is three or four houses away from the lakeshore.  The cabin is beautifully furnished.  It's also for sale, if anyone's interested.

I know this is a short post, but I don't know what to make of this place yet.  I guess I'll find out after attending my first laity meeting tonight at 7 p.m..  

So, in the spirit of United Methodism (or in the spirit of not being in Dayton, I can't tell which), Annual Conference, here I come!

Music Lessons: A Rehearsal

Alright, alright, this has nothing to do with church trends.  However, as this blog started out as a class assignment, it is still prone to class requirements.  As such, here is a link to the video I made for my class "group" project.  (If you're in the class, you get the joke.)  :)

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=106378134433

Enjoy.  ;)

Love in action? We'll see.

Is there something wrong with me?  

Wait, don't answer that.

This coming Sunday marks the 2009 West Ohio United Methodist Annual Conference held every year at Lakeside.  Every year clergy and laity gather on the shores of Lake Erie to discuss the purpose, plans and direction of the West Ohio United Methodist Conference.  Hundreds volunteer their time and efforts to pray for and discuss the future of the hundreds of churches in the conference.  It's quite a gathering.  Each and every pastor I've ever known who has attended has come back with the same report of the festivities: It's a snooze-fest.

You know what, though?  I'm looking forward to the snooze-fest!  Since the first horror story I ever heard, I've wanted to attend and see for myself the inner workings of the conference.  For example, rumor has it that if someone recommends a particular issue should be tabled until the next annual conference, the issue is undisputedly tabled.  Further rumor suggests that one particular woman tables a certain topic every year.  I wonder who she is and what she doesn't want to deal with.

There are other things that I'm curious about.  For example, why are there four events listed for 7:00 a.m. on Monday morning?  One event, the Internet Cafe, is not so much an event as it is an open space.  But the men's worship, women's clergy breakfast and donor's appreciation breakfast are also held at that time.  Why do the men have their own worship?  Why do donors and women clergy have to miss out on worship in order to have pancakes and eggs?  It doesn't make sense.

Also, why does last year's slideshow feature candles and kid's crafts in the 'prayer' slides, but no person actually praying?  Why is a picture of a bicycle with roses important to the conference?  How does wind surfing on Lake Erie help the homeless?  Heck, how does a picture of an antique car help men and women find transportation to their job or doctor's office?  Again, it just doesn't make sense.

To add to the nonsense is the agenda.  There are normal items on the agenda such as orientation for newcomers, a financial report presentation and the ever-important lunch hour.  But what is the "Election of Election Task Force"?  Why is the greeting of the churches halfway through the second day of the conference?  Why is there a Black College Fund report, but not a Hispanic college fund?  Or an Arab college fund?  Or a refugee college fund?  And why do we need a "Resolution to Investigate Companies Supporting the Occupation of Palestinian Territories" before Monday's closing hymn?  I'm not even going to ask why we're receiving offering twice on Wednesday.

I think what I'm most unsure about, however, is the theme of the week.  The conference is entitled "Love in Action: Leadership Development."  However, the recommendations and constitutional amendments that are being proposed/voted on have little if anything to do with leadership development.

The first recommendation suggests that pastors exemplify healthy living to their congregation in order to help make up for a lack of health care in Ohio.  It also suggests writing letters to government legislatures to get everyone covered.  Okay, so it's a good thing.  But how is that leadership development?  Why does there need to be a recommendation for special offerings on certain Sundays in the year?  I kid you not, "Rural Life Sunday" is recommended to be held sometime in May.  Look it up if you don't believe me; it's number four.

With so much frivolous representation online for everyone to see, how will this be a leadership development conference?  I'm not sure.  I'm not convinced.  And yet, I'm excited.  Is there something wrong with me?

Wait, don't answer that.

It Ain't Cheap

A small house church in China was gathered for communion when the Public Security Bureau (a policing agency) raided their service on April 30, according to ChinaAid.org.  Eighteen Christians, including 10 pastors, were arrested and forced to pay a fine of 1,000 yuan (around $150).  Only two Christians had been released by May 4, the day of the press release by ChinaAid.  This situation is par for the course in the worldwide persecuted church.  In fact, it's somewhat mild.  Nobody was tortured or killed.  

How does that relate to the church in America?  It doesn't directly, unless you believe that supporting organizations like ChinaAid or The Voice of the Martyrs is the expressed duty of the church.  

This is an illustration.  There is a cost to following Christ.  

So, if fines, jail, torture and death don't relate to us, how do we understand the cost of following Christ in America?

Allow me to present a story of three pastors: Tom, Dick and Harry, if you will.  They each work for Holy Cornerstone of Worship Church (Holy COW for short).  Tom is the outreach pastor, Dick is the education pastor and Harry is the head pastor.  Holy COW has an elected council that makes decisions in the church so that no one pastor can make any power plays over the other pastors.  Everything works smoothly between the pastors.

The council, however, is another story.  On the council are three retired brothers who helped rebuild the church after the fire of 1955, the rich old widow who paid for the renovation of the sanctuary last year and the man who lost the head pastor vote to Harry.  They are all very good friends.  They all think alike.  They have discovered that if they work together, they can do what they want with the church, and the pastors will have to listen.

The council has decided that they don't like the riffraff Tom has been reaching out to.  Being riffraff, they have very little money and almost no manners, and therefore offer very little to the church.  They tell Tom to stop reaching out to the riffraff and focus his energy on drawing in people with more to offer.  If Tom refuses, he loses his job.  If he agrees, he compromises his faith in order to make the council happy.

While Tom is considering his options, the council offers the outreach position to Dick behind Tom's back.  Dick would receive a pay increase and a responsibility decrease.  There is no downside for Dick as far as the council is concerned.  If Dick refuses, the council may look for someone to replace him.  If he agrees, he betrays his coworker and friend.  The council tells Dick that if he tells Tom what's happening, they're both out of a job automatically.

Harry sees what the council is doing to Tom and Dick and tells them to find a new option.  He does not, however, exercise his authority as head pastor to force the council to make their actions known to Tom.  Instead he steps back and watches the council's actions from afar.  After all, if they're getting rid of Tom and maybe Dick, and if Harry spoke out against it, wouldn't he be the next to go?

Getting rid of the council is not an option.  The council is elected by the congregation.  Each member has benefited the church enormously through service, donations and loyalty (as listed above).  The congregation has no idea what the council is doing, nor would they listen to the truth.  After all, the council is made up of pillars of the congregational community.  How could they be expected to believe such cruelty from their leaders?

So what do Tom, Dick and Harry do?  If they do the right thing, they lose their job and their opportunity to lead others to God (no matter how misguided those others are).  If they keep their job, they betray each other.  I would go further and say that they betray God.

This is the closest thing I have seen to a cost for following Christ in America.  Each pastor has the opportunity to do the right thing, but it will cost them their job.  If they don't do the right thing, it will cost them their integrity.  If they compromise just this once, they could be coerced into compromising again.  Eventually, such compromises could cost them a real relationship with God.

Jesus told his disciples that there was a cost to following him.  He told his disciples they had to give up everything.  Jobs.  Friends.  Family.  Everything (Matt. 16:24-27).  He went so far as to say "any of you who does not give up everything cannot be my disciple" (Luke 24:25-35)(emphasis added).  It's a steep price.

In real life, Tom lost his job.  Dick didn't take Tom's position, but he didn't defend Tom, either.  Harry kept his mouth shut and signed Tom's dismissal papers.  To this day, the council remains in place, and the church remains ignorant.

It's easy to sit at your computer screen and talk about what fools or cowards Dick and Harry are.  However, it's not nearly as easy when it's your job or your family's welfare at stake.  It's not easy when you feel like your influence protects the church from the destructive influence of the council.  It's not easy when you feel like there's still good you can do in the church with or without the council.  It's not easy.

But Christians aren't called to an easy life.  We're called to consider the cost very carefully before committing to follow Christ.  Once we commit, we're committed, period.  Anything less is not and has never been following Christ.

As my mother says, being a Christian is not for the weenie-hearted.  There is a cost to following Christ, and it ain't cheap.

"Don't Waste Your Life"

I discovered this song a few weeks ago on Christian-HipHop.net.  I discovered the video today.  I'm at a loss for words, so I'll let Lecrae speak for himself.