MINISTRY FROM TWO POLES

Archive Page 9

Mar

Road Trip to Love

Categories: Feminist theology, Liberation theology and Sermons & Studies
Tags: Christian, Church, cultural competence, Ethics, Faith, God, Kingdom of God, PC(USA), Progressive, reconciliation, society, Theology

When driving on a long trip, the route I take depends on whether I am driving for pleasure or expediency. If my schedule is tight, needing to travel a long distance in the shortest time possible, I prefer to travel on the interstate. I want to get where I’m going quickly; I print off a map, set the cruise control, zoom past the sights and stop only when absolutely necessary. But when time is not a big factor, and the sun is shining, my priorities change. Then, I avoid the interstates whenever possible – they’re boring. I drive on state routes and even occasionally back roads, enjoy the scenery and occasionally stop in interesting towns even if I don’t need to gas up. I always have several options for getting from one place to another.

When Jenna is with me, a third way to travel sometimes develops. You see, Jenna is kind of averse to going too far without stopping to see something interesting, or to enjoy a moment of peace. Generally, she reminds me that I also need this kind of break in the journey – generally. Continue reading ‘Road Trip to Love’

Mar

God’s Economy

By Rev Andy Little Leave a Comment

Categories: Economic Theology and Ethics
Tags: Capital, Christ, Christian, Church, cultural competence, Economy, Equity, Ethics, Faith, PC(USA), poverty, Progressive, reconciliation, society, Theology

Having accepted the challenge to discuss economic theology with a Presbyterian session of a large metropolitan church, and having overheard in conversation the “ideal” minister being described as a “CEO” type, I began with a simple exercise – one I had presented several times before to different audiences. The exercise takes advantage of the preponderance of business language and processes being used by sessions and boards of religious institutions.

Continue reading ‘God’s Economy’

Mar

Anatomy of Conflict

By Rev Andy Little Leave a Comment

Categories: Ethics and Justice & Mercy
Tags: Christian, Church, conflict resolution, cultural competence, Ethics, Faith, group dynamics, PC(USA), Progressive, reconciliation

Any group of people, whether it is a club, company, church, synagogue, association or other entity, is a body or system. While very few of the people involved may relish conflict, it is a critical component of a healthy system. Absent opposing pressures, the system will cease to function. The body serves as the best example, as almost all muscles are formed in pairs. Movement of any kind, even as simple as changing the gaze from a near point to a far point, is accomplished by the opposing mechanical processes of muscles. A healthy system recognizes the inherent value of conflict, mitigates the normal human responses of “fight or flight”, and uses the opposing pressures to create healthy and viable action. That being said, most human systems or organizations have little to no capacity for utilizing conflict constructively. Continue reading ‘Anatomy of Conflict’

Mar

Critical Life Incidents – Entering Seminary

By Rev Andy Little 1 Comment

Categories: Personal Stories
Tags: bias, Christian, Church, conflict resolution, cultural competence, Ethics, Faith, God, initiatives, memories, Progressive, reconciliation, remembrance, Theology, writing

In August 2001, I began my seminary education as a “special” student. The special classification was because I had no undergraduate degree. I was allowed to take three courses for each of two semesters, after which the admissions committee would decide if an exception to the undergraduate degree requirement would be granted.

Two seminary professors I had met in different circumstances had originally told me of the exception. Each had been aware of my interaction with students who were experiencing difficulties – some while on an immersion trip in Mexico, and another while doing her internship at a church where I worked. In each case the exception was used as a trump card when I played my “I can’t go to seminary – I don’t have a degree” card. Continue reading ‘Critical Life Incidents – Entering Seminary’

Mar

The Nature of Prayer

By Rev Andy Little 1 Comment

Categories: Justice & Mercy and Prayers/Liturgies/Litanies
Tags: Christ, Christian, Church, God, Holy Spirit, PC(USA), Progressive, reflections, Theology

What do I consider to be the nature of prayer? I’ve been asked many questions about prayer and people’s prayer lives, but this one caused me to really think about my answer. As it turns out, I’ve written twenty page essays on less involved topics, but will do my best to address the high spots of my thoughts.

Prayer, for me at least, fits into three categories: personal, communal and liturgical. Admittedly the last two are not neatly separated, but in my definition communal prayer is that which occurs between two or more people outside of a formal service or liturgy.

Personal prayer varies considerably but generally fits under an umbrella of “conversation with God”. Continue reading ‘The Nature of Prayer’

Mar

The Fullness of Communion

By Rev Andy Little 2 Comments

Categories: Prayers/Liturgies/Litanies and Sermons & Studies
Tags: Christ, Christian, Church, Faith, inclusive, Kingdom of God, PC(USA), Progressive, reconciliation, Theology

For those who are unfamiliar with the significance of the Lord’s Supper or Communion, I’d like to offer my thoughts. Since Communion is a sacrament observed by the Church, it is a little risky to assume what someone does or doesn’t know about Church, Church Mission and Membership. So, before moving into the discussion of the Lord’s Supper, I’ll spend a little time unpacking the luggage with which it travels. This is necessary because communion doesn’t exist as a separate ritual, but as an integral part of the life of the Body of Christ. It is also necessary because many ask for a quick explanation of the meaning of communion which, for the life of the church, is like asking for a short answer to the meaning of life. Without communion, church may largely lack meaning. Much of this is sourced directly, or interpreted, from the PC(USA) Book of Order. Continue reading ‘The Fullness of Communion’

Mar

Religions Put Emphasis on Least Theological Issues

By Rev Andy Little Leave a Comment

Categories: Economic Theology, Ethics and Justice & Mercy
Tags: biblical authority, Capital, Christ, Christian, Church, conflict resolution, cultural competence, Economy, Equity, Ethics, Faith, GLBT issues, God, inclusive, initiatives, Kingdom of God, Liberation theology, marriage equality, Obama, oppression, PC(USA), poverty, Progressive, reconciliation, society, Theology

Theologically speaking, God can be found in all situations. In even the most heinous of events, we can trust God to be at least suffering with those who suffer, mourning with those who mourn and crying with those who cry. So even in this trying economic time, we can envision God’s concern for those who are worst hit by our unfolding system of commerce – the worst hit, of course, being the poorest of the poor and not particularly those whose fortune may have been trimmed by a few billion. Given this, I find interesting the results of a Pew Forum survey of religious people in which they were asked where President Obama and the legislature should concentrate their efforts. Additionally interesting, although I have yet to find an explanation, is the fact that the categories include only white religious people. We are left to surmise the purpose of that decision.

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Continue reading ‘Religions Put Emphasis on Least Theological Issues’

Mar

Government Averse to Curbing Big Business Arrogance

By Rev Andy Little Leave a Comment

Categories: Economic Theology and Ethics
Tags: Christian, cultural competence, Economy, Ethics, God, history, oppression, poverty, Progressive, society, Theology

In his commentary, AIG bonuses follow an American tradition, Julian Zelizer cites long-standing tradition as the real culprit in the AIG bonus scandal. While both parties are trying to paint the other as complicit, Zelizer makes the cogent point that the Fed’s long-standing tradition of avoidance when it comes to the management and profit-making of big business has been the real enabler.

Zelizer wrote: “In many ways, the bonus scandal was utterly predictable and would likely have happened regardless of which party was in power. And if history is a guide, the populist outrage over the bonuses may not fundamentally change the federal government’s relationship to private business. Traditionally, American politicians in times of crisis have resisted aggressive interventions by government into business which would tamper with managerial prerogatives and profits.” Continue reading ‘Government Averse to Curbing Big Business Arrogance’

Mar

Finally, Laying Blame Where it is Due

By Rev Andy Little Leave a Comment

Categories: Economic Theology and Ethics
Tags: conflict resolution, cultural competence, Economy, Ethics, oppression, reconciliation, society

I don’t normally like the “blame game”. It is, many times, used to lay blame for negative outcomes on the lowest level of management possible, so that when heads roll they are insignificant. It is a process of scape-goating – finding the lowest person on the ladder of decision-making on which the corporate sins can be laden and then slap them on the behind and send them out into the wilderness of public scrutiny. When, however, there is a systematic strategy of avoiding responsibility, laying blame where it is due becomes the method by which healing can occur. Continue reading ‘Finally, Laying Blame Where it is Due’

Mar

Post-Exilic Community in Haggai & Zechariah 1-8

By Rev Andy Little 1 Comment

Categories: Justice & Mercy and Sermons & Studies
Tags: biblical authority, Church, conflict resolution, cultural competence, Economy, Ethics, Faith, God, initiatives, oppression, poverty, reconciliation, Theology

While there seems to be little disagreement over the dating of the prophesies of Haggai and Zechariah[1], the same cannot be said about conditions of the society to which they were delivered. To a large extent, the differences stem not so much from the content of these Biblical books as from varying ideas about the nature of the Babylonian exile of the Judeans. Knowledge of the number and societal standing of the exiles would, of course, have great bearing on the current understanding of both the returning exilic population and those remaining in Judah during the course of the seventy year dispersion. The details relating to the Judean society that can be gleaned from the pages of these prophetic books must be examined in light of the range of ideas that prevail about the previous period. Continue reading ‘Post-Exilic Community in Haggai & Zechariah 1-8’

Mar

“Abstinence Only” Rears Again

By Rev Andy Little Leave a Comment

Categories: Ethics and Marriage & Sexuality
Tags: bias, Christian, Church, Ethics, Faith, oppression, poverty, society

I would always prefer to avoid criticizing other religious beliefs, opting instead for simply offering an alternate view. I find myself, however, struggling in order to deal with the Pope’s stand on condom use in the battle against HIV/AIDS in a way that is not derogatory. I understand that Catholicism takes an official stand against contraception – well, that isn’t quite true – I accept that it does, even though I do not understand it. In the case of HIV/AIDS, however, the issue isn’t contraception, but the very life of millions of Africans. Continue reading ‘“Abstinence Only” Rears Again’

Mar

What Do the Numbers Actually Say?

By Rev Andy Little 1 Comment

Categories: Economic Theology, Ethics and Liberation theology
Tags: Christian, Church, conflict resolution, cultural competence, Ethics, Faith, God, group dynamics, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Liberation theology, oppression, PC(USA), Progressive, reconciliation, society, Theology

It’s no secret that the the American Religious Identification Survey, conducted by researchers at Trinity College of Hartford, Conn, had some interesting, if not troubling, news for U.S. churches. In a culture and age in which numbers take precedence over other indicators, the results of the survey are sending shock waves down the spines of many denominational hierarchies. As is customary, however, the concentration is on solving the numbers problem, rather than taking a good, long look at the causes. That would require collective introspection – not a process at which mainline denominations are adept. As is not uncommon, it is those outside of the fray that often give the most reasoned critique of the situation. Continue reading ‘What Do the Numbers Actually Say?’

Mar

Many Tribes or One Nation?

By Rev Andy Little Leave a Comment

Categories: Economic Theology and Sermons & Studies
Tags: biblical authority, God, history, Progressive, reconciliation, society, Theology

The Concept of Nation in Relation to Israel in the Period of the Judges.

In discussing the concept of nation within Israel’s political, social and/or religious structure during the period of the Judges it becomes imperative, first of all, to remove the obstacle of modern concepts of nationhood from the equation, in favour of attempting to determine the nature of the unity expressed by the final author(s) of Judges. To this end, this paper will try to ascertain the characteristics of the “nation” being claimed in the finished work and then decide, using existing scholarship about supporting and/or contradictory evidence within Judges, whether the claim appears valid. Separating early or core stories from the redactions that followed will help in focussing on the most likely circumstances that existed, as well as the nature and extent of the rhetoric and propaganda used by the redactor(s) to recast the period in a different light.

Modern concepts of nation, for westerners at least, serve to confuse the issue when considering the question of whether Judges-era Israel was tribally structured or nationally united in some manner. Nationhood, in the sense of countries having sovereign and fixed national borders and central governmental structures, is a relatively modern concept for Europeans, occurring in the West only over the last three to five centuries, and one that may yet be more idealistic than true. Continue reading ‘Many Tribes or One Nation?’

Mar

Christology – Borg vs Wright

By Rev Andy Little 1 Comment

Categories: Feminist theology, Liberation theology and Sermons & Studies
Tags: biblical authority, Christ, Christian, Church, Ethics, Faith, Feminist theology, God, history, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Liberation theology, oppression, PC(USA), Progressive, reconciliation, reflections, Theology, writing

If I can be allowed a brief introduction, I have a comment about the perceived theological location of each of the authors. During 2003/2004, while attending Westminster College, Cambridge, I heard three out of four lectures given by N.T. Wright about “New Perspectives on Paul”. More interesting than the lectures was the diatribe from the various seminaries regarding Wright. The Evangelical Anglicans, conservative as opposed to traditional (self-description), denounced him as “apostasy on two legs”, while the Anglican Catholic half of the Church of England considered him a defender, albeit somewhat radical, of traditional theology in the current age. The United Reformed Church (Westminster), a mixture of very traditional (reformed) to very conservative, generally considered him to be a liberal Catholic. (All that being said, the lecture hall was packed to the rafters.) Overall, the book we’re now reading was described in Cambridge seminaries as a conversation between liberal (Wright) and very liberal (Borg). The book’s cover, claiming representation from liberal and conservative camps, seems to be heavily dependent on one’s point of view. Very few conservatives in Wright’s home country view him as anything but liberal. Still, overall it appears that both authors fit somewhere in the less-than-extreme centrist majority of the imaginary liberal-conservative spectrum and, as such, posit stands most Christians should be able to get their heads around.

Continue reading ‘Christology – Borg vs Wright’

Mar

Youth See Church as Judgmental

By Rev Andy Little 2 Comments

Categories: Feminist theology, GLBT & Queer Theology and Justice & Mercy
Tags: Christ, Christian, Church, cultural competence, Faith, inclusive, Kingdom of God, PC(USA), Progressive, Theology

A majority of young people in the U.S. today describe Christianity, and the Christian church generally, as judgmental and hypocritical. Many have abandoned the name “Christian” altogether because of the “baggage” that accompanies the name. A new book released by The Barna Group, which does research of and for evangelical churches, found that church attitudes about many groups of people are driving people ages 16-29 to stay away from the church.

Even churches in the “liberal tradition”-otherwise called mainline denominations-have been heatedly embroiled in debate over the exclusion of a certain segments of the population. “The Christian community’s ability to take the high road and help to deal with some of the challenges that this perception represents may be the … defining response of the Christian church in the next decade,” said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president and author of the book, UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity. Continue reading ‘Youth See Church as Judgmental’

... or, preaching from both ends

Rev Andy Little

WELL, HELLO! YOU’RE HERE.

That's too bad - I'm so sorry. Oh, well, just try to make the best of it. What you'll find here is a variety of essays and ramblings to do with things theological, social, whimsical and, sometimes, all three. I don't write to get famous - trust me, I've been told how futile that would be - but to express myself. I love to communicate and browbeat - ummm, I mean dialogue - about the things I find intriguing. Since you're here, and the door's locked, why don't you stay a while. There's a page bar under the header with links to information about us - I mean me. Don't forget to tell me what you think - in a nice way, I mean.