Anarchist Reverend

theology, bodies, and more

Best of 2012: My Favorites

January 4th, 2013

Today I am sharing my favorite posts of the year. Thank you for reading along, sharing comments, writing emails; for our conversations on twitter, for arguing, for dialoging, for being a support. You all have been such a blessing to me and I am excited for another year of conversation.

In Best of Both Worlds I finally managed to start putting words around what I’ve been longing for in a church community. This post was the beginning of much of my thinking and writing this year and has shaped how I’m building House of the Transfiguration.

In Throwing My Lot In With The Catholics I talk about my decision to pursue ordination in the North American Old Catholic Church.

I wrote a short series about Calling that I think I need to read once a month or something, just to remind myself of what calling really means.

I wrote a bit about the Grief I sometimes experience as a trans* person.

I finally got the interview I did with Jennifer Knapp edited and online! Interviewing her was a wonderful experience and she had a lot of great things to say.

In June I had the wonderful opportunity to present with Joy Ladin at the Philadelphia Trans* Health Conference. We did a presentation on Encountering Sacred Texts.

At that same conference I was ordained to the Diaconate of the North American Old Catholic Church.

I wrote about Kaya Oakes’ book Radical Reinvention, a book that very much shaped my year, and shared about the growing pains I was experiencing as I embraced my Catholic identity.

I wrote about transition as Resurrection.

I shared my response to the question “Why Are You A Christian?”

I released my first ebook (for free!) called A Guide to Recovering From Fundamentalism.

I wrote a post In Praise of the Subversive Queer that was a rallying call to shake things up.

I wrote about the church as a Base Community for Resistance.

It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of this community this year. I am excited about the year ahead and look forward to growing together.

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Most Popular Posts of 2012

January 2nd, 2013

This is one of the first years where I have written pretty consistently. I thought it might be fun to do two posts looking back on the year. Today’s post will highlight the posts that have been the most popular (judging by number of page views) in the last year. On Friday I’ll share my favorite posts of the year. Thank you for reading along, sharing comments, writing emails; for our conversations on twitter, for arguing, for dialoging, for being a support. You all have been such a blessing to me and I am excited for another year of conversation.

(The posts go in order from least to most popular)

I did a series of posts called “Ask the Anarchist Reverend” and the most popular post was my answer to the question Things Not To Ask A Trans* Person.

Progressive Vs. Liberal turned out to be one of my more controversial posts garnering comments, emails, tweets and more. In the post I try to figure out what we mean when we say we are either “progressive” or “liberal” as well as asking us to be more clear about the terms we use.

The Queer Theology Synchroblog 2012 collected and shared all of the people who participated in the synchroblog this year. A range of viewpoints, theologies, and expressions are represented.

What I Learned When I Went To The Christian Bookstore. After a decade or so of staying away, I went to a local Christian bookstore. I was flooded with memories about growing us as a fundamentalist evangelical and also was finally able to have some perspective on my past. In this post I share my initial reactions to spending time in the store.

In the lead up to the Queer Theology Synchroblog I presented a Quick And Dirty Intro to Queer Theology where I sketched out some of the various streams of queer theology (and offered some recommendations of who to read) as well as offering a few thoughts on where Queer Theology might be headed next.

In Radical Living: Family I talk about how as queer people or religious misfits many of us have had tension with our families of origin and have had to create new families that support and love us.

Once again, the Call For A Queer Theology Synchroblog 2012 got a lot of attention. We had a bunch of people writing this year on the theme “The Queer God.”

In Mark Driscoll Is Right I take the wishy-washiness of the progressive/liberal/mainline church to task and call for a new level of boldness.

In Radical Living: Food (TW for those with food/eating issues) I shared about the experiments I was doing with the youth around food justice. I sketched out why we are doing what we’re doing and offered some experiments for youth to try with their families.

The most popular post this year was “Reflections on Dorothy Day”. In it I shared some of the reasons why Day is so inspiring to me as well as ruminating how she might have dealt with struggles and still been loving.

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Collars and Queers

December 19th, 2012

The other day, at the request of one of the Fathers in the Old Catholic church, I put the following on our Facebook page: “Please pray for our Seminarians, as they take the next step in their preparation for the Priesthood. Pray that the Lord will continue to send workers for the vineyard.” It seems like a simple request and lots of people “liked” the post and a couple commented. But then someone wrote “And pray that they don’t become child molesters”. I was caught off guard by the comment.

When I came out to my mom she told me that my being queer was the same thing as my step-father having an affair. I have been told that my “choices” have “consequences” with the insinuation being that my queerness hurts other people.

Tony Perkins basically claimed that the sexual abuse scandal in the Boy Scouts was because of gay men and many people have made the same claim about the sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic church.

As I began to be perceived correctly as male I quickly realized that when I smiled at a child in a store what was once seen as innocuous now carried a hint of threat. My talking to small children was no longer welcomed.

I have struggled with all of this. I work with youth, I have small siblings that I adore, I love little kids. I like to smile and wave at little kids on the bus, make funny faces and place peek-a-boo with babies in strollers, coo and grin, and I feel like I can no longer do those things; or I have to be incredibly cautious when I do them lest I be seen as threatening. It makes me angry. And sad.

I am pissed (and pissed isn’t even a strong enough word) at the priests who have violated the trust of children and families, pissed at them for taking advantage. I am pissed at the priests who have dishonored the collar and pissed at the Bishops who covered it up and created a space that allowed it to happen to more children.

I am angry at the people who use the abusers to blame and scapegoat queer people. I am angry at all of the people who think that queer people are sexual deviants, sinners, or predators. I am angry that instead of figuring out who the actual abusers are and getting them the help they need that we instead scapegoat queer people.

I am angry that as a queer priest I will always been seen as a double threat, both for being a priest and also for my queerness. It makes me sad that I have to worry about greeting children, that I can’t be myself.

I have wondered whether or not I should even wear the collar. Maybe the symbol is too tarnished, maybe too much evil has been done by people who wear the collar to ever reclaim it. I often feel the same about Christianity in general. With so much harmful history and so many people continuing to say harmful things in the name of the church and Christ, I sometimes wonder if we’d be better off just packing it all in. But there is something within me, and within this tradition, that doesn’t allow me to give up so easily.

I want to reclaim the priesthood. I want to reclaim the image of the Priest as the person who shows up when you are in need, who helps to craft rituals that bring life meaning, who walks with people in their lives and spiritual journeys. I want to take back the collar as a sign of hope and blessing.

I want to reclaim the idea that priests are people who can be trusted; I want to earn the trust of people. I want people to begin to see the collar as something trustworthy again, as a symbol of something good.

It means, though, that I have to work twice as hard to be above reproach. Things that would be seen as innocent with other people will be seen as threatening when coming from me. I have to make sure that I am always aware of how I am coming across to people. Most days I am able to be pragmatic about it, realizing that it is simple the way the world is; other days I find it frustrating and hurtful.

I try to look for the empowering in all of it. It matters that a queer person is wearing the clergy collar. It matters that a queer person will be ordained as a priest. It matters that queer people know that these symbols, this church, this religion is for us as well. We queer people are priests. We are ministers of the Word and Sacrament. No matter what you say about us or how you try to pin your sin upon us we know that we are worthy and we have a place in this church.

I will wear the collar and I will earn the trust of people. I will work to reclaim both the symbol and the church and work to make it a place that is safe for all people.

The church and these symbols don’t solely belong to the people in power. They don’t only belong to the people who get the press, who get on tv or who get published. They belong to you and me as well. They belong to the queer people who have been silenced or kicked out, they belong to those of us who have clung to the faith even though we have had every reason to toss it away. This is our church, our faith.

It’s time we claim it.

There is only 14 days left! Can you chip in to support House of the Transfiguration? It’s a new, radical, Old Catholic community starting in Minneapolis.

Want posts by email and occasional extras, including my new ebook “A Guide To Recovering From Fundamentalism”?

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Investment

November 14th, 2012

I have been thinking a lot about investing lately. What do we invest in and why? What is it that causes us to be people who invest in things?

There are certain groups and types of people that invest really well. They see the potential in a project and they do all they can to make sure that project succeeds, even if it happens to be in the same field as the one they work in. Now when we talk about investing we usually think about money, but that is not the only way that we can invest. We can invest our time, our energy, and our expertise.

So many churches and organizations don’t invest well. They get so concerned about survival that all of their focus gets turned inward. What about our programs? What about what we can do? The truth is that evangelical churches are pretty amazing at investing in new church starts. Churches (even new churches) often make a point to give money to new church planters. They give of their time and their knowledge to equip new pastors, they sometimes even give permission for church planters to recruit a core group out of the existing church. These are people who get that by investing in others more good can happen. They aren’t selfish with their resources. I have never seen that kind of support in the mainline/liberal/progressive church. I hope that I’m wrong and that it does exist, but I have honestly never seen it. What does this say about us and our culture?

I went to a workshop yesterday afternoon called “The Habit of Asking”. It was a workshop about giving people the opportunity to be generous and to invest in the things that you are passionate about. It was a really great workshop, but what was even more powerful was how much I felt invested in by the people who ran it. They didn’t give me money, but they listened to the vision, they helped me think of ways to share the vision better, and then they told me they wanted me to succeed. I left that place feeling affirmed. I felt like is a group of people who wants to see new church starts and creative non-profits succeed. They are invested in people doing creative work in new ways.

When I think about the people in my life who are the most generous, I think not only about money but also about time and expertise. I think about the people who are willing to sit and brainstorm with me, the ones who will critique the business plan, and help to frame the vision.

And when people invest in me, I feel better about investing in others. I feel like I have been given gifts that I want to pass on. I feel like we’re all in this together and that there are people who have my back and so I can go out on a limb and have someone else’s back.

There is so much conversation about churches and organizations dying, about their not being enough money to fund everything. I think that’s bullshit. I think it’s that we’re not willing to invest in each other. We’re not willing to share our resources and our knowledge.

What happens when we invest in one another is that we help each other succeed. I know that House of the Transfiguration isn’t going to reach everyone. There are some people who don’t want that much ritual, they want something more contemporary and casual. Before I might have tried to change my vision to make them feel welcome, or I might have tried to get them to stay even though it wasn’t a good fit. But now I know that the people at Safehouse are doing something different. And because we have worked together I can refer people to them. We’re not in competition, we’re working together. We’re investing in each other and because of that investment we’re both more likely to succeed.

We need to stop operating from a model of scarcity. There is enough to go around if we would all be more willing to share. Instead of being worried about your our churches dying, let’s figure out how we can better invest in one another so that we can all succeed.

What project or person can you invest in today? Can you give a new organization you really believe in some money? Is there a skill or area of expertise that you can share? Can you connect someone to someone else that can help them? Where can you invest?

Can you chip in to support House of the Transfiguration? It’s a new, radical, Old Catholic community starting in Minneapolis.

Want posts by email and occasional extras, including my new ebook “A Guide To Recovering From Fundamentalism”?

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Rituals for Resistance: Prayer

November 9th, 2012

Lately I’ve been talking a bit about rethinking rituals of the church so they can be used to bolster resistance. The ritual I want to talk about today is prayer.

I have always had a complicated relationship with prayer. As a kid I felt like I didn’t pray enough, or that I prayed for the wrong things. I was often afraid to pray because I had a picture of God as kind of a bully and what if God was mad at me? Or what if God wanted me to give something up? I remember as a small child praying one night that my Grandmother (who was dying of cancer) wouldn’t die that night. And then she died. I thought that if I hadn’t prayed such a selfish prayer maybe she would still be alive. I was terrified that God would punish people I loved for my mistakes.

And then when I stopped believing in that bully God I didn’t really see the point of prayer. I no longer believed that God would help me to find a parking spot if only I prayed hard enough (even though in times of stress I still found myself praying out of desperation). But I also had no idea why I still prayed. If God wasn’t there to simply give me things, why should I bother praying? What good would it do? What was the point of wasting that time praying for things that wouldn’t be granted?

I am now in a tradition that has a long history of prayer and have begun to pray more regularly (although I still feel like it isn’t often enough). I use the Benedictine breviary. And recently I prayed the rosary for the first time and found it incredibly moving. And sometimes I still pray as if I were simply having a conversation with God, talking about my stress and asking for direction, asking for healing for people I love, and asking that God would make me more like Jesus.

I also believe that prayer is more than just words. Prayer can be sitting silently in meditation, it can be the work of our hands as we feed people and the community that happens when we work together to build a better world.

But how is prayer resistance?

I have long believed in action fueled by contemplation; that in order to do the hard work of changing the world for the better we also need to have a deep spiritual center. In this way, prayer is resistance. It is the fuel that keeps us from burning out as we work. It is the language that binds us together in community.

It is also the connection with generations who have gone before. When we prayer the prayers from the breviary or pray the rosary we know we are saying the same words that people over centuries have said. We are connected to their prayers and to their lives. When Catholics pray the rosary on the steps of the Cathedral as a protest to injustice they are also connected to all of the other people who have fought injustice.

I do believe that prayer changes things. Even if the only thing that is changed is the person praying. If prayer helps me to be a more centered, kind, calm, and peaceful person and I bring that into the world the ripples can be unending.

But I also believe that praying connects us and that in our connection we are stronger.

These rituals matter. They bolster our courage, they help us to know that we are not alone, and they strengthen us. They encourage our resistance and our resistance can change the world.

Can you chip in to support House of the Transfiguration? It’s a new, radical, Old Catholic community starting in Minneapolis.

Want posts by email and occasional extras, including my new ebook “A Guide To Recovering From Fundamentalism”?

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Lectionary Thoughts: Mark 12:38-44

November 5th, 2012

Mark 12:38-44

Teaching in the temple, Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

James C. Christensen’s “The Widow’s Mite”

On the surface this passage seems pretty straightforward; religious leaders who walk around looking for prestige and position are condemned. And then a widow who gives all of her money is praised. The lesson here is that we should humble ourselves, and give everything we have to the church/God. This is how I was taught this passage growing up. It belonged with the “give until it hurts” mantra. There was also an underlying message that if you gave until it hurt you would either get more back or, at the very least, be taken care of.

In reading this passage again I see some new things. I notice the repetition in the mention of widows: In the first part the religious leaders are chided for devouring widows’ houses and in the second part the widow gives everything she has to live on. What if this story of the widow isn’t an example to emulate but instead a specific illustration of what it looks like when religious/political leaders devour widows?

At the same time there is a question here raised about charity: Do those of us who give, give our of our abundance? And if we do, does it actually do any good? This is a question that is for people with wealth and power. It’s a question about the system. When you give out of your abundance you aren’t actually changing anything. You might help the people who receive your gift, but the systems in place that keep people in poverty haven’t been changed. There is still a great disparity in wealth. For things to change the rich might have to give until it hurts so that the widow has enough to live on.

This is why some people of power, wealth, and privilege get so stressed when we talk about changing things; because they know that in order for everyone to have enough they might have to have less. For someone who has less, this is good news; this is the promise of all being fed and clothed, of everyone having the health care they need.

Are we one human family? Are we willing to have less so that everyone can have enough? Are we willing to take to account the people who hoard wealth and goods while others go without? I don’t want any widows to give until it hurts, but I do want the wealthy to do that. I don’t think Jesus is praising the widow in this passage, I think he is chiding the wealthy. He is bringing a critique on a system that has a widow giving all that she has while the powerful and wealthy do nothing to help.

Can you chip in to support House of the Transfiguration? It’s a new, radical, Old Catholic community starting in Minneapolis.

Want posts by email and occasional extras, including my new ebook “A Guide To Recovering From Fundamentalism”?

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Radical Living: Food

October 31st, 2012

trigger warning: This post talks about food and eating and might be triggering to folks who struggle with those issues.

I’m teaching a unit on food justice with my high school students. I thought I would share a bit of it here and see if other folks are interested in maybe participating. I’m including some of my class notes as well as the handout with the experiments that you can download as a pdf. Let me know if you’re interested in participating! I should state up front that I am teaching in a context where families are mostly middle to upper middle class (including some in the upper class), so this is an empathy and awareness raising exercise. It will also hopefully encourage baby steps in life change to live more justly. Radical living sometimes has to start small.

This year our program is called “Experimenting with resistance” and this is the first of our experiments. We spent a bunch of time talking about the book of Mark; we talked about the kind of movement Jesus was trying to create. A movement dedicated to peace making and to inclusion, but also a movement that would resist injustice. When we talk about resistance we’re talking about the steps we can make (both individually and together) to stop injustice from happening and to change the world in which we live.

So we’re going to spend the next several weeks talking about food and hunger. In class we’ll examine different aspects of food justice, watching some clips of documentaries, and have discussions about hunger and food. At home students will be asked to do experiments with their families.

At the bottom of this post is a list with some ideas. But first I want to say a bit more about why we’re doing this and offer some warnings.

I want to say right up front that this unit isn’t about shaming any of us for the amount of food we have or the money that we spend on it. However, sometimes I think that a little twinge of guilt can sometimes be healthy. When we feel guilty about something it is sometimes helpful to sit with that feeling: Why am I feeling guilty? Is there something about my behaviour that I should maybe change? Guilt can be the first sign that something in our lives should change. Shame, on the other hand, is when we start to say that we are bad people because we have enough to eat. This isn’t about shame. Shame immobilizes us, guilt motivates us. This is about being motivated to examine our lives and see where we can live more justly and sustainably.

I also want to say a word about eating disorders. I want us all to be really sensitive to each other during this time. If you are struggling with an eating disorder or are in recovery, I want to encourage you be aware of what you are feeling and to not participate in any experiments that could be triggering for you. If you feel like you need extra support, whether emotional or professional, please talk to me and I can get you resources. Eating disorders affect men and women and people of all ages and I don’t want this unit to be harmful to anyone. So please, if you have concerns you can talk to me.

As we talk about these experiments, it’s important to note that doing things like this are spiritual practices. Justice making is a spiritual practice. When we examine our lives to see if we can live more justly we are doing spiritual work. When we try to bring about concrete changes in the world, we are doing spiritual work. This unit on food isn’t separate from the studying we did on the Gospel of Mark, they go hand in hand. When we talk about Jesus’ call to discipleship; to change our lives and try to be like him this is what we’re talking about: Concrete changes that make us more aware of our connection to one another.

Here is a list of suggested foodexperiments. Some are specific to my context, but you can find substitutes in your area.

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Nanowrimo and Prophetic Imagination

October 29th, 2012

Every year for the past 5 years I have participated in Nanowrimo. It’s a rather madcap adventure where one writes a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It’s always good fun and a bit exhausting. This year I was debating on whether or not to do it.

Each year I have hit my word count but felt like what I had written wasn’t worth much. Lately I have been feeling good about the essays I am writing, the non-fiction I am creating, and I didn’t (and don’t) want to mess with that groove. Maybe this year I should sit out. Maybe doing Nanowrimo is a waste of time.

But I’ve also been thinking about what Walter Brueggeman calls “The Prophetic Imagination”; the idea that in order to live into a new reality we must first be able to envision it. He says that you need to be able to take things that people can identify with, situations they can understand, and weave them into something Essays and sermons are wonderful, but there is nothing like stories to help us imagine. I think of books like “The Hunger Games” and other dystopian novels that send warnings about what things might become if we don’t change, stories like “Harry Potter” that teach us about sacrifice and friendship, stories that take us into lives unlike our own and open up new worlds. In fact, it’s the stories in the Scripture that manage to resonate the most deeply.

This idea of engaging the imagination needs to be more than just heavy handed allegory. It can’t simply be “christian fiction” with a nice, tidy moral. There has to be such depth that it can ignite passion and move hearts. Maybe what the world needs is less sermons and more stories. Maybe we need less theology and more characters to emulate.

So this year I will embark on Nanowrimo once again. I’ll write furiously (and probably badly) but I will try to use my words to engage that prophetic imagination. It might not be anything worthwhile, but if nothing else it will use different parts of my brain and will help me to begin to articulate the future I want to live into. It will hopefully deepen my own skill for weaving stories that can ignite change.

If you want to join me, sign up at the website and friend me!

Want posts by email and occasional extras, including my new ebook “A Guide To Recovering From Fundamentalism”?

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Living Radically: In Community

October 24th, 2012

Last week I talked about some of my initial thoughts with living radically; some of my struggles and concerns, some of my excuses and wonderings. Travis, in the comments, brought up a great question: How do I do this, especially if I don’t have a community to support me? That’s a great question. I’m not sure it’s possible to do this without community.

Community can take a lot of different forms. As an introvert, I have found great solace/comfort in online community. In fact, it’s been online where I have found other radicals to share ideas with, to learn from, and to get resources. I have found community in the writings of Dorothy Day, the Berrigan Brothers, and others. And I have been lucky enough to find some community locally. Mark VanSteenwyk (the founder of the Mennonite Worker) lives in my town and has been a wonderful resource. I’ve also got the guys at SafeHouse Church to lean on.

But I have to admit that I want more. I want to be a part of a community who are trying to live in the way of Jesus. I have long felt called to start a church and I have written before about House of the Transfiguration. Over the past year we have continued to refine and rework the vision for the community and we are getting ready to relaunch. My plan is to start a launch group in January (around the time that I am ordained to the priesthood) and then to start public worship gatherings in the Fall of 2013. We will be affiliated with the North American Old Catholic Church which is a progressive, independent Catholic denomination.

I’m not going to lie, part of this is my own desire to finally have a church that I feel comfortable in. I realize that might sound selfish, but I think it points to something bigger than just me; I am sure there are others who are looking for a church that doesn’t quite exist yet. A church that combines ancient ritual with modern practice, a church where all are welcome at the Eucharist table and all are fed, a church that wants commitment and focuses on spiritual development and social justice. It’s the combination of things that fed and challenged me when I was in the evangelical church mixed with the theology that stirs my mind and heart now. It’s the mix of Contemplation and Action that I find in the Catholic Left, it’s the social justice and the daily prayer. It’s the fusion of styles and strategies and worlds. This is the community that I want to start in Minneapolis.

I picture a church on fire to change the city of Minneapolis. A group of people who are committed to peace making in the city. I picture house groups that encourage people in their commitment to follow in the way of Jesus, that hold each other accountable, that help to answer Travis’ question of “how the hell do we do this?” I picture lots of communal meals alongside of weekly Mass. I picture cassocks and converse, chant music and drum sets, candles and projector screens. I picture queer people and women in leadership. I picture deep faith and radical action.

I’ll be sharing a lot more about House of the Transfiguration (including a much more detailed vision and plan) in the coming weeks and months. You can follow us on twitter and on Facebook. I’ll also be updating the blog on the website.

In order to make this church a reality, we need some help. There are several ways to get involved:

* You can donate to our indiegogo fund. We need some help with start up costs.
* You can sign up for our prayer list and commit to praying for us. We’ll send out an email probably once a month with specific ways you can pray.
* You can share our indiegogo campaign with others you think might be interested/willing to support.
* If you (or your church) have old church goods (patens, chalices, altar linens, etc) that you no longer need you can donate them.
* You can donate CEB bibles to the community.
* If you have friends in Minneapolis who might be interested, you can tell them about us.

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Lectionary Thoughts: Mark 10:35-45

October 15th, 2012

Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

In “Binding the Strong Man” by Ched Myers he spends a lot of time pointing out the various calls to discipleship throughout the Gospel of Mark. He says that over and over again the followers of Jesus are revealed to not really get it, to not really understand what is required of them. Over and over again Jesus calls them back to commitment. (And, by proxy, us as well.)

This is another one of those episodes. People arguing over who gets to have the good seat in the Kingdom. And when Jesus scolds James and John the rest of the disciples are more pissed that they didn’t think to ask first. They still don’t get it.

I often don’t get it either. I don’t get what is actually required of me. Or I do get it but I don’t want to do it. My ego gets in the way, my pride. I want attention. I want to be seen as a good person, doing good work.

Or sometimes it’s just laziness. Or wanting to be comfortable. The daily mundane. I get deluded into thinking there is nothing I can do to change things. Or that doing this little thing won’t make any difference (for good or ill).

It can be easy, in North America, to feel powerless to change anything. Or to be paralyzed with privilege or guilt about said privilege.

So what is the solution? I don’t know. Maybe being aware of it. Maybe recognizing these impulses in ourselves. Maybe serving as much as possible. I am trying to be aware of the ways in which my life doesn’t match up to the values I say I hold and trying to take steps to change that.

What does this passage bring up for you? What are you thinking about for your sermon next week? What other resources might you bring in? What questions do you have?

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