2009 June

The Cobb Challenge: Working with God for the Salvation of the World

June 17, 2009 by Tripp Fuller 1 Comment

A leader from church came back from the regional UCC gathering and asked me if I knew a theologian named John Cobb because if not I should. Luckily I know John quite well (and could possibly run his fan club), but what she said next was pretty exciting for me as a minister, ‘Tripp he said we got to get busy. We need to work with God to save the world.’ It would be hard for a minister to not be excited when a lay person says they want to get busy doing God’s mission and they want to talk about a favorite theologian of yours.

Any way, the address that so inspired my friend is now posted here online. This is not your stereotypical UCC speech, this is progressive missional theology. I suggest you read it, but let me tempt you with a few things.

Cobb makes a series of opening assumptions: 1. the world needs saving, 2. God cares about the salvation of the world, 3.God is already working in and through creatures, and especially human beings, toward the salvation of the world, 4. there is some very important work to be done that is not now being done, 5. the United Church of Christ is uniquely positioned to give national and even global leadership in accomplishing this important work.

On the church outsourcing its mission: ‘We Protestants have grown accustomed to looking elsewhere for leadership in thought about global matters. We assume that these are dealt with by governments, for example. But clearly no one government would have credibility in the effort to guide the efforts of people everywhere who are concerned for the fate of the Earth. Even the best governments are primarily committed to the well being of their own people, even if this is costly to others.’

There is much more in the article and while he makes the case that the UCC is uniquely situatied to address some of the issues we face, I think that there is a growing group of people (the new progressives, or the ‘nones’) who are waiting for a faith community to really be invested in something awesome, maybe even joining in God and working for the salvation of the world.

Rock on John Cobb. PS, you should listen to his podcast or him lecture on Eco-Theology!

Filed Under: engaging

Take Action: Tell Your Representative to Pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act

June 16, 2009 by Chad Crawford 2 Comments

UPDATE: The bill passed! It was very close. Thanks to everyone who took action!

We just sent out a national alert today. The American Clean Energy and Security Act, introduced by Reps. Waxman and Markey, will put a cap on carbon dioxide emissions and create millions of green jobs here in the U.S. It is a crucial step toward an environmentally and financially sustainable economy. We will not be able to prevent global warming and protect life on the planet unless we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. We can’t accomplish this dramatic feat by only making changes in our personal lives, as important as these changes are. We need this bill. We’ve got to put pressure on Congress to pass it. Especially those of us in the religious community who support it need to be heard, because you can believe that they are hearing from the opposition.

How do we make our voices heard?

You can go to Interfaith Power & Light’s Action Center right now and spend a few seconds sending a message directly to your representative. Also, you can sign up for our action alerts to get updates on this legislation.

Here is the message that we sent out from IPL’s founder, the Rev. Canon Sally Bingham:

Dear Supporter,

With the introduction of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) in the House of Representatives, we are very close to the clean energy revolution that we have been working and praying for. In order to get to the finish line we need to increase our efforts to push this legislation through in its strongest form.

The bill has faced an onslaught of attacks by interest groups trying to weaken it at every turn. But the faith community has been calling on Congress to do the right thing. On May 6, 50 IPL state leaders descended on the Capitol to deliver our message of support for strong and fair climate legislation. In addition, IPLs in five key states ran ads in local newspapers urging fence-sitting Congressmembers to pass the bill out of committee.

The bill is now almost to the House floor, and we are inviting you to contact your representatives. We know they are hearing from the opposition, which is generating thousands of calls and letters. Now more than ever, we must make sure the voice of the faith community is heard loud and clear! Don’t forget to mention the moral obligation that every one of us has to leave a healthy future for the least among us and the people that come after us.

Yes, I will tell my representative that global warming is a moral issue and we must pass effective and equitable climate policy this year!

Keep the Faith,

The Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham

P.S. Please forward this message to your friends!

Want to do more to help? Post this on Facebook and use the ‘Tweet This’ link below to help get the word out.

Filed Under: living, public policy Tagged With: ACES, Congress, global warming, Interfaith Power and Light, Sally Bingham

Turning to the Future in Hope

June 13, 2009 by Tripp Fuller Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago I spent a couple days with a whole bunch of the leaders of Mainline Protestantism as part of the Transforming Theology project. (Clayton has blogged on it here) One of the things I left wrestling with in my mind is how much fear can control us as Christians. Throughout the discussions there was an apprehension about much of the transformations taking place in culture and society. Clearly the make up and shape of Protestantism will be different in the future. Clearly what was wonderful, successful, and connected people to God in the past cannot be continued with the same results. What will the future church look like? What new things are emerging now? What needs to die so that new things can rise? You can throw in more questions, but to get to these questions we can’t be defined by fear of change, death, and transformation.
Pete Alcorn, the head of podcasting for Apple, gave this really short TED talk titled ‘On the World in 2200.’ Here’s my translation of the thesis into the future of the church: ‘If we have a positive view of the future we may be able to accelerate through the turn and not run off the cliff. If we can make it through the next 150 years our great grandchildren will forget all about the whimpering out of Protestantism and be busy following Jesus in new ways, bringing beauty, truth, and goodness to the world.

My blogging of quotes and ideas through the event. Day One. Day Two.

Filed Under: thinking

Is God a Delusion? A Philosopher’s Response to the New Atheists Homebrewed Christianity 53

June 10, 2009 by Tripp Fuller 4 Comments

090422ericreitanjpg This week we are joined by OSU philosopher, progressive Christian blogger, and author of ‘Is God a Delusion? A Reply to Religion’s Cultured Despisers’, Eric Reitan. In the book you get two things for the price of one. 1- An intro to the philosophy of religion and 2- a fun, readable, and vigorous critical response to the New Atheists. We had a good time recording the interview and I am sure you will enjoy it and want to check out the book. Thanks to Eric for joining us and you for listening.

If you were involved in a previous discussion where Eric mentions Richard Dawkins’ shoddy philosophy and in particular Dawkins’ inability to understand Aquinas, he explains just how bad it is in this interview.

Apart from his own blog he has posted a series of hotly contested posts at Religious Dispatches.

This book has also been making its rounds in the blogophere, so check these posts out for more.

Standard Podcast [ 1:04:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: atheism, Eric Reitan, new atheists, Richard Dawkins

The Elusive Hand of God

June 9, 2009 by Tripp Fuller Leave a Comment

This is a pretty entertaining conversation on God, evolution, and divine action. Karl Giberson, author of Saving Darwin, and Richard Wright have a little blogging heads encounter. Did I mention that you could get a copy of Richard Wright’s new book ‘The Evolution of God’ if you give us a question for the podcast? DO IT.

Filed Under: engaging

Good Question = Free Book

June 8, 2009 by Tripp Fuller Leave a Comment

41fnot62g8l_ss500_ You want a free book…… Deacon Serious has a message for you…..

Tripp and I have been lucky to land a podcast interview with the brilliant Robert Wright, author of the new book The Evolution of God. I have have been a long-time fan after reading his books The Moral Animal and Nonzero, and although I am still not very far in The Evolution of God, I have been impressed so far.

Tripp and Chad at Homebrewed Christianity have a weekly podcast where they interview theologians and scholars about their theological systems and world views (archive here). They have had some big names on their podcast, with a listenership that literally spans the globe. I am thankful to Tripp, Chad, and Robert Wright for this opportunity.

We are going to be interviewing Robert Wright next Wednesday. Importantly, we are soliciting questions from you to ask him. Mr. Wright and his publicist have been gracious enough to give us several copies of his new book, so those who offer the best question will not only get their question asked in our podcast interview, but will receive a new copy of The Evolution of God. Importantly, you can ask your question here, you can email me your question (email on the top-right of his blog) or you can call into the Homebrewed Christianity caller hotline and ask it there (210.787.1057). Please remember to leave your name and contact information so that we can contact you if/when you win.

If it helps, we have discussed Robert Wright several times on this blog before. We discussed an article on religion and globalization, pointed out a great quote of Andrew Sullivan in Sullivan’s review of The Evolution of God, and we highlighted a NYT‘s Q&A with Wright. Please read through these previous posts for more sources and information.

Do you have any questions that you would like to ask Robert Wright? Ask the HERE

I blogged on this earlier @ the HBC

Filed Under: thinking

Talk Me Down (I Don’t Want to Be a Baptist Today)

June 5, 2009 by Chad Crawford 6 Comments

Yesterday was one of those days. Before I put up another link to an embarrassment to Christianity, let’s play a little game.

There is a Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC) segment called ‘Talk Me Down’, where Maddow introduces a topic related to federal policy that she generally supports, but isn’t sure if it’s working (i.e. the stimulus), and then invites a guest on to talk her down.

Yesterday, I read (and tweeted) the news that a pastor, radio host, and former Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, is praying for President Obama to die. He says that imprecatory prayer is a Biblical practice, demonstrated by King David in the Psalms, praying for the death of his enemies.

So here is the topic…

Every group has their bad apples, but sometimes the Wiley Drakes make carrying the banner of the same denomination seem utterly unredeemable. Talk me down.

Obligatory I’m-not-one-of-THOSE-Baptists disclaimer: Jo Ann Goodson made sure to point it out on my Facebook wall yesterday, that the Baptist church where she serves as a deacon, and the body that ordained me, hasn’t been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention for a long time. So I shouldn’t be concerned with some random pastor trying to get a share of Limbaugh’s fame. (A random pastor who happens to be a former leader of the largest Baptist denomination in the world…) But, as Jo Ann also pointed out, most people don’t distinguish between American Baptists or Alliance of Baptists or Cooperative Baptists – nor should I expect them to – and the SBC…or even Westboro Baptist Church for that matter.

Even if you don’t talk me down I’m sure I’ll be down on my own by tomorrow, or at least by Sunday…

Update: Dem Bones Drew on Wiley Drake: ‘It’s like I am reading a completely different Bible.’ Maybe he understands Jesus’ instructions to ‘pray for our enemies’ as ‘pray for them to die’?

Filed Under: engaging Tagged With: Rachel Maddow, Southern Baptist Convention, Wiley Drake

Thomas Berry (1914-2009): His ‘Great Work’ Continues

June 3, 2009 by Chad Crawford 2 Comments

I just pulled my copy of The Great Work down on Sunday to reread it, and yesterday I heard the news in a staff meeting. The preeminent cultural historian and Passionist priest, Fr. Thomas Berry, died June 1 peacefully at age 94 in Greensboro, North Carolina, surrounded by people who love him.

The Great Work was published at the dawn of the 21st century. In it, Berry, who uses the title of geologian, eloquently tells the story of the planet’s 3.4 billion year history, describing all of the ‘moments of grace’, when life flourished and unfolded. He passionately encourages us all to find our own time as another moment of grace when the Cenozoic era ends and we enter into what he hopes will be an ‘Ecozoic’ era, rediscovering a mutually beneficial relationship with nature. His words will continue to inspire us to search for a new cosmology – one in which humans are the consciousness of the universe and exist for the perfection of the universe rather than the other way around.

Berry’s thinking has influenced me quite a bit, obviously. Probably the most apparent way is that I never use the word ‘stewardship’ when talking about our relationship with creation. I prefer words like ‘kinship’ and ‘partnership’ because in these terms, a mutually beneficial relationship and intrinsic worth is implied. As Berry puts it, ‘the universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.’

So I encourage you to check out some of Berry’s writings or revisit them; they will prod you to want to participate in the great work of planning for a new universal community. His writings are a huge reason why I don’t do things that normal 27-year-olds do; instead I saunter off into the wilderness for 5 months at a time and sit around and dream about how to create communities that will improve our relationship with Creation.

I’m grateful for Tom’s great work, a work that continues.

Filed Under: thinking Tagged With: evolution, Thomas Berry

A Parable of Hospitality

June 2, 2009 by Tripp Fuller 1 Comment

Deacons, I occasionally receive emails from you with links to your sermons or blog posts. Often I will tweet them, but rarely will they evoke such a tug at my soul that I think it must be shared with all the HBC Deacons. This sermon did it for me and I am sure it will do the same for you. Below is the set-up from the Deacon Zach who I recently blurbed in a little post on parables. Click on the indented paragraph to hear or download the audio.

This sermon was given April 26th at Ridge Road Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.

The biblical text for the sermon is Luke 24:13-35. As I read the story of the Emmaus Road encounter, episodes began to run in my mind about the people in my life who, by loving me, awakened me to the real tangible presence of Christ. The parable I wrote for this sermon is rather localized. It certainly has a ‘southern aroma,’ but you should have an easy time making the imaginative adjustments in your own mind to fit your context.

I had a great time writing the parable over the period of a week. I got attached to the characters and would wake up some days eager to discover where the story would go. Any good story will give you characters that you have an easy time connecting to. We all know someone like Karen and her Mamaw, even if the circumstances are different from the one I present in the story. I hope you connect with this parable, and like those we find in the gospels, I hope it leads you into questions that you can walk with and grow from for a little while.

Thanks for the listen.
Deacon Zach

Filed Under: sermon

Bringing the Pop to the Theos – Logos

June 2, 2009 by Tripp Fuller Leave a Comment

Barry r and Ryan Parker were both at the last Transforming Theology conference. Here’s some video clips from a conversation they had on film and culture.

Barry Taylor on Contemporary Religious Cinema from J. Ryan Parker on Vimeo.

Barry Taylor on Theology and Film from J. Ryan Parker on Vimeo.

Filed Under: engaging

The Cobb Challenge: Working with God for the Salvation of the World

Take Action: Tell Your Representative to Pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act

Turning to the Future in Hope

Is God a Delusion? A Philosopher’s Response to the New Atheists Homebrewed Christianity 53

The Elusive Hand of God

Good Question = Free Book

Talk Me Down (I Don’t Want to Be a Baptist Today)

Thomas Berry (1914-2009): His ‘Great Work’ Continues

A Parable of Hospitality

Bringing the Pop to the Theos – Logos

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