After several months of thinking and work, I am letting everyone know about my new site World With End, found at postmoderneschatology.com Over the last few years around here, I have started working through a new focus and interest regarding eschatology. After thinking about it, and getting some class credit for it, I want to launch this site today. Over the next few weeks, posts will move out at a quick pace, mainly to set in a good foundation. My hope is that this new site can really start conversations about a topic that many Christians get nervous about, and especially bring interest to how social and cultural situations influence eschatology.
Over the last 2 years, my call to a pastoral vocation has been confirmed over and over, especially to those who aren't a part of traditional church life. It is a ministry that has to interact with despair and hopelessness and that has caused me to think even more about how Christians talk about the end. That was one of the main driving forces behind starting this new site. I am not abandoning Outside Is better, and it will continue to be my "homebase", but I am really excited about building a newer place for conversation, so please go over and visit it, interact and be a part of the community.
I finished up a few backgrounds for worship projections this morning. These are advent specific, being blue and a two of them (to this date) have advent specific themes inside of them. If you want the whole set, you can find it here. Please feel free to use these to design worship this (and any future) advent.
This is one of the final pieces in the changes that I have made over the last few months (see the main announcement here). One of the reasons that I left my previous church (and denomination) was that I wanted the freedom to develop more of my academic work into more of a pastoral focus. This means that all of the complicated work I have done in the last few years regarding liturgical theology and eschatology can really get aired out on in a better way.
But I need your help.....
I have it cleared with one of my professors to develop a series of Blog Posts instead of writing a 25 page research paper. I get to cite Amazon for my resources, engage with video clips and review movies....AND IT ALL COUNTS. My working title for the project is "Developing a Post-Modern Eschatology", and I am really excited about doing it. The release method will be announced shortly, but I have a list of topic (blog post) ideas. I want you to help me out with these...especially those that are in youth, college and young adult ministry. Here is what I have so far.
Popular Catacysm Why Study Eschatology? Apocalypse Vs. Eschaton Vision or Prophecy? Zombies as social critique The prophetic voice in the 21st century Christianity and Postmodernity Eschatology and the Sacraments Canonical view of scripture and Revelation Handling Judgement Apocalypse in the Old Testament
And a few movie reviews (2012 and The Road for sure)
So let me know in the comments what you think. Suggest topics, or problems that you have had regarding the subject. I want this to be a resource, so I need to know different directions that I may not think of.
This morning in chapel I am preaching a sermon that in some form I have preached 3 times. I linked to it a few months ago from chapel this summer, and I am preaching a "redux" form this morning. Its nice to be able to work with the same idea/theme but spread it across multiple scripture texts. This morning it is Revelation 21:1-5b.
This clip above is my intro into the sermon, but I wanted to post just a piece regarding why it is important that the Church enter itself into the cultural eschatological landscape.
Robert Jenson describes the problem of modernity as “having a universal story without a universal storyteller”. When the world puts itself on a timeline, but has no shape or form to the story, we will end up making up our own stories regarding beginning and end. If the world started by chance...then it must end by chance. Apocalyptiscism, as presented by Hollywood, is our culture making its own timeline, reacting against the idea that humans could make everything perfect themselves. Our pendulum has swung to the opposite side of early 20th century liberalism When a finality is created apart from the idea of salvation and worship, we have a pretty bad fracture.
This is all part of a bigger project that I am working on that should go live in the next few weeks. I am excited about it.
After spending more time reading Webber's "Ancient-Future Time", I ran across two pieces that would be handy to use in designing worship during advent. Both of these are from the chapter on advent.
We have gone astray; in the multitude of our sings we have been made unclean. Fallen, fallen, stricken as leaves of autumn. The storm wind carries us away, the tempest of our evil deeds. You have turned us from the face of your mercy, and our iniquity has crushed us like a potter's vessel. O Lord our God, look upon your people in their affliction; be mindful of your promises. Send us the lamb who will set up his dominion from the rock of the wilderness to Zion, enthroned on her mountain. There is no other whose power can break our chains and set us free.
Merciful God, who sent your messengers, the prophets, to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
These could be used for calls to worship and benedictions. The liturgical tradition, while confusing to some, provides some great readings that can be used congregationally without to much explanation or confusion. I have found that using classic prayers and readings during other times, by those on the pulpit, will acclimate the congregation to the style of language, so when corporate readings are done, there is a level of familiarity.
This week I have started to do some planning for our Advent services at Asbury Seminary for next month. A quick trip to the library for some resources both excited and disappointed me. While Advent has been getting press over the last few years (mainly through the great Advent Conspiracy movement), I was surprised to not see more short theological works on the holiday. I found some interesting devotionals, and great additions in books that dealt with the Christian Year, but nothing "full-length" really jumped out. Below are a few books that I did pull of the shelves and took a cursory look at. If you have any additions, please leave them in the comments.
I don't want to discourage anyone from looking more into advent, my liturgical geekery just got the best of me today.
Bock offers a wide (but quick and accesible glance) toward the topic of the Christian Year. His strengths are in explaining the devotional attitude for the seasons, as well as an interesting look at the development of the festivals, as well as some of the transitions from pagan to Christian Holiday. A sense of consecration as well as deep sacredness to many things are the books strength. It’s weakness lies in the fact that it really doesn’t say that much. Written in the late 40’s (I couldn’t find an exact date, this is the 5th edition) it seems to be in step with the unique theological situation of Protestantism coming out of Continental Liberalism. A good book, but for a practical and theological view of advent, it didn’t hit the mark.
A devotional book (dated from Nov 24th to Jan 7th) it is filled with daily readings from numerous authors. The meditations can be used in private worship, but also would serve as a great source for thoughts surrounding the holiday for teaching and preaching.
Another devotional book. Instead of offering meditations, this book prompts the reader with scripture readings (daily and weekly), directed prayer and short meditations. A good feature of this book is the integration of the advent hymns of Charles Wesley. This seems to be an involved devotional, but good for someone wanting to spend time this advent season in private worship and reflection.
The Vigil takes the reader through Advent and Christmas. It deals heavily with the Old Testament witness. I find that this resource really helps ground the prophetic theme that rests inside of advent, as well as the eschatological idea of waiting and promise. This is a theological resource, while still remaining accessible.
Dealing with the liturgical idea of Antiphon, this book draws through the “Great O’s”, some of the great advent hymns from the high church tradition. These hymns are part of the prophetic tradition and they deal with Mary’s Magnificat. Good resource for designing services for advent.
This contribution comes from Protestant worship giant Robert E. Webber. This is a short book that gives glancing worksheets on the Christian Year. It’s advent contribution is minimal, but still loaded. The book also gives a good introduction to Christian time. This would be a great read for anyone interested (or skeptical) about the Christian year and it’s importance.
While longer in form (and not a workbook), another Webber resource offers broader strokes regarding the Christian Year. This is a deeper theological resource, and like everything of Webber’s I have seen, it looks great.
Like I said, this is just the fruits of my labor this afternoon, I wouldn't call this list anywhere close to exhaustive. From previous experience, I would also welcomes Wesley's Hymns on the Nativity
Grace seems to be one of the words that we throw around alot in Christian conversation. How often do we really think about the theological significance of grace. Almost all summer I used this quote (within a quote) in sermons, papers and general conversation. It had me thinking deeper about what grace truly is.
Dons Scotus went on to teach that, even if the fall had not happened, the incarnation would have still taken place. It was his way of saying that Jesus Christ did not come only to save us from our sins, but supremely to bring to fulfillment the Trinitarian purposes of grace in creation......
.....It is in this trinitarian way we have to see worship, as the fulfillment of God's purposes in creation and redemption, to bring us into a life of communion with himself and one another. The triune God is in the business of creating community, in such a way that we are never more truly human, never more truly persons, than when we find our true being-in-communion.
James B. Torrance Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace pg.73
How does grace enable us to truly live life? Lets stay away from the Christianese around the word,and think about the idea of fulfillment. Grace is the realization of complete shared personhood with God, an action by a divine superior towards a subordinate (but desired) being that enables us to function within the original design of the Godhead. Thats just fancy language for saying that grace allows us to be the people that we were designed to be (in relationship to the triune God).
It is easy to use the language for forgiveness in grace, and it definitely is part of the idea, but I think that we cheat ourselves when we allow grace to only have bearing in relation to negative human issues. The only reason I say that is I think many people don't actually believe in some sort of limitation, but don't know how to communicate it.
Grace is what sets us apart. Grace is what makes us beloved. We understand God in a way that no other created being, even those of heaven that guard the throne room, has the ability to. The core love of God (what Robert Mulholland calls cruciform love) is in saving and reconciling action. Thats how I am trying to think about grace.
Yeah I confess...and most of you know it. I am a Bible and Liturgy geek. I will easily start talking about either topic. One of my favorite combination of the two is using the Book of Common Prayer (or BCP). It took me a few years to get used to how to actually use it, until I actually met some Anglicans. The cycle of readings in the BCP won't get you through the Bible in a year, but it is nice to be reading scripture with people all over the world, and readings that have been done for ages.
The easiest way to jump in is to check out the ESV daily BCP. You can subscribe to it in your RSS reader and have it pop up every day. That way, when you forget what week of Ordinary Time you are on, the text is right there in front of you.
I was digging through an older notebook today, and I found this poem. I think I wrote it around a year ago, but I am not even sure of its origins (i usually mark an author if I find something interesting), but as far as I can tell-I wrote this around June of 2008. This picture is from one of the prayer rooms at Asbury, from a batch that I shot before orientation in 2007. So I guess we can call this post a re-discovery.
I vaguely remember trying to write benedictions and calls to worship during last summer, so I think this poem is from a night of working on that Project.
EDIT In the comments, my good friend Omar (and worship design team alum) notes that he found the prayer in a Lutheran liturgy (here and here). I thought it sounded too familiar and to good to be anything I came up with. A note to me (and other notebookers) to always cite things, because you never know when you will come back to it years later.
The Living Christ go with you Behind you to encourage you Beside you to befriend you Above you to watch over you Within you to give you power And before you to show you the Way....
I know I have posted this clip before, but it does such a good job of storytelling. This ill-informed group of kids attempt to tell "their" story every night, so the young ones won't forget who they are and where they came from. It is full of interpretation and prophecy, and it has a liturgical element to it.
I was spending time yesterday in the Book of Common Prayer and Psalm 78 was one of the readings. It made this clip jump out at me again and I wanted to share it. The psalmist understands the necessity of retelling, and so should we.
When we (the church) forgets who we are, we start scrambling. Just start telling the story again....
1 O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-
3 what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their forefathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle;
10 they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law.
11 They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall.
14 He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.
15 He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.
17 But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert?
20 When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?"
21 When the LORD heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens;
24 he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents.
29 They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths,
31 God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.
33 So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland!
41 Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power— the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,
43 the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned their rivers to blood; they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility— a band of destroying angels.
50 He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.
52 But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies.
54 Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken.
55 He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
56 But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.
57 Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow.
58 They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols.
59 When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men.
61 He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with his inheritance.
63 Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs;
64 their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame.
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
Recent Comments