Colbert Discusses the Dangers of an Extraterrestrial Christ

With two small children, I barely can stay up to watch The Colbert Report, but for some reason last night I remained awake. I was thrilled to catch his discussion of the Vatican's recent conference on the theological ramifications of extraterrestrial life. As it always is whenever Colbert discussses religion, this is hilarious!

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Glee and Overzealous Youth Ministers

I've been subscribing to Time in recent months--it's the only weekly newsmagazine that doesn't bore me to death (are you listening Newsweek, U.S. News ???). It's still full of fluff as likely as not and like everything else these days it is quite obvious that they have cut back on their reporting budget. Nonetheless, it's decent and I can't sit in front of a computer monitor all the time when I feel like reading.

One of the essayists is Nancy Gibbs. I know nothing about her. She could be a xenophobic neo-Nazi who likes to strangle kittens for all I know, but I have found a number of her essays to be meaningful. This week's essay was especially so.

She wrote about an overzealous youth minister criticizing the TV show Glee because of its "anti-Christian" message. I always appreciate it when someone points out the ridiculous overreaching of youth ministers who feel the need to condemn what all of their kids are into. Gibbs does a nice job of pointing out the less obvious moral messages mixed in with the more obvious sensational plot lines. She even throws in a nice "Remember when everybody was condemning Harry Potter. . . ?" Yes, those were the good old days when self-righteous church leaders only had to contend with the evils of Hogwarts School of Wizardry instead of stuff like Glee's teen pregnancies, homosexuality, drug use, etc. For that matter, does anybody remember the uproar over Bart Simpson?

Despite Gibbs' protests to the contrary, I suspect that there will always be plenty of fodder for overzealous youth ministers.

Wendell Berry Interview on NPR

The Sunday before last, I read two poems by Wendell Berry--poet, farmer, activist mystic. For those wishing to hear Berry read his own poetry and speak eloquently and humbly about the relationship between our relationship between the land we live on, the food we eat and our souls, check out an episode of The Diane Rehm Show aired this week where she interviews Berry.

The callers gush quite a bit over getting to talk to Berry, but having read some of his poetry, I have to admit I would gush too if I had the same opportunity.

Great letter to the editor

I'm a few days late in acknowledging the great letter to the editor in Monday's News-Press written by First Christian's former pastor Tom Russell. Thanks Tom for standing up for the right of every person to have access to affordable health care. I'm amazed that the debate has turned to whether or not we can afford to reform health care rather than where it should be--can we afford not to reform health care?

Kelly's on the front page!

It was nice to open the paper this morning and see First Christian's own Kelly Kibirige in a picture of the World AIDS Day march yesterday. We're proud of yo9u Kelly! Thanks for all you do for people suffering from HIV/AIDS in our county.

Invite a Friend (not just any friend) to First Christian (Dialogue Column 12.1.09)

I wrote this for The Dialogue, the newsletter of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in St. Joseph, MO. Often, I'll post my newsletter columns here.

There are two times of year when people who do not normally attend church think about doing so: Christmas and Easter. Rather than being critical of such thinking, we regular churchgoers should be thankful that Christmas and Easter still have enough of a religious cache in our culture to provoke people to consider darkening a church door. The thought of going to church by people who have either stopped attending or who never have attended may be something that has been in the back of a person’s mind for months or may be something that pops in their head when they hear a familiar Christmas carol. Either way, from the perspective of faith, we should consider these moments to be the promptings of the Holy Spirit and an opportunity for God to bring a person into a community of faithfulness and care.

The window for people to actually take action to try out a church is relatively short during Easter; maybe you’ve got Palm Sunday and Holy Week, but the window shuts quickly. At Christmastime, however, the window stays open for about a month after the busyness of Thanksgiving passes and people turn their minds to gift-giving, holiday parties and maybe even things of a spiritual dimension. This month is the time you need to invite a friend to church.

Pay close attention because I am not talking about just any friend; I mean the friend of yours who may actually be interested in a church like First Christian. This friend is the one you have actually talked with now and then about spiritual matters, the friend who grew up in church but quit coming as an adult because he or she couldn’t find a place in his or her life for a religion that was close-minded, exclusive or judgmental. This may be the friend who doesn’t quite believe you when you say, “My church doesn’t believe that.” Or, “My church would not have judged that kind of person.” You need to invite that friend who would be pleasantly surprised that an open-minded and welcoming church like First Christian actually exists.

I am not asking you to invite a friend who already attends another church; there is no need for stealing sheep from another pasture. I am not asking you to invite a friend in order to convert them or sell them anything. No, I am asking you to invite your friend who can use a church like First Christian, a community of faith that will care for them and walk with them on their journey. If you will think hard about what First Christian means to you, I believe you will quickly think about someone who could use the same. (By the way, those of you who claim all your friends already go to church, feel free to let me know, because I have some suggestions of who you could invite.) The Christmastime window is only open for a short time, so invite your friend before it closes.

Grace and Peace,
Chase

World AIDS Day--a day late

Yesterday was World AIDS Day. I didn't get around to posting anything yesterday--of course, ever day someone suffers from and/or dies from AIDS is World AIDS Day, but did put the following in The Dialogue, my church newsletter:

Today is World AIDS Day, a day to remember the men, women and children who have died from AIDS, to renew efforts to care for people living with HIV/AIDS, to increase education and awareness about HIV/AIDS and to honor those who battle this disease. For Christians, this day serves not only as an opportunity to address these goals but also a time to repent of past and on-going church-sponsored prejudice against people with HIV/AIDS. To commemorate this day (in addition to any other events you take part in), I invite you to say the following prayer with me. It is provided by Wes Jamison, a leader in the GLAD (Gay, Lesbian and Affirming Disciples) Alliance.

God of Compassion,

you are with us here

and with all who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

You beckon us to be with the lonely,

to touch and heal those who suffer.

Stay with us and strengthen us

so we may learn to live with passion and compassion

through Jesus Christ, the One who offers healing to all

in the power of your Spirit, who tears down all walls that divide.

Amen.