Another View

Read this Washington Post Magazine article about Evangelist Mike Feree of Cleveland, Tennessee. Mike has been to speak in my Holiness-Pentecostal History classes a time or two. This article captures the other side of Pentecostal ministry, the one you don't see on TV.

Icons of Pluralism, Pt. 2 - Washington, DC

These icons can be found in the US Department of Justice, the US Supreme Court Building, the US Capitol Building and the National Cathedral. Depicted are Hammurabi, Mohammed, Moses, Menes, and Charlemagne. By far the most audacious and blatant of these icons is the Darth Vader sculpture in the National Cathedral.

Suddenly...the Kingdom of God

I've visited St. Paul's Chapel at Ground Zero in New York City on four occasions now, not because I'm that drawn to it necessarily, but because I've been with various friends and family members touring NYC. When I hear and read the story of how this church, not only physically survived the disaster but in the moment it was called upon became the epicenter of relief and care for rescue workers, I'm startled byt he realization that at any time, a church professing to be Christian, could be "on point" to be the signpost for the Kingdom of God to the watching world. I'm challenged by the thought "Are we really ready if called upon?"

Read this account from National Geographic
After the towers fell, a tiny 18th-century Episcopal church became a relief center. Clergy counseled, cooks dished out meals, and medical workers treated stiff muscles and burned feet.



An associate for ministry at Saint Paul’s shares his thoughts on 9/11.

On September 12, after having escaped the maelstrom of 9/11, I returned to Lower Manhattan to survey the damage to St. Paul’s Chapel—just yards away from where building 5 of the World Trade Center stood—and to find ways to be helpful in the rescue effort. At that point we assumed there would be many survivors. As I walked down Broadway from my apartment in Greenwich Village, my heart was pounding, not knowing what I might find. I assumed the chapel had been demolished. When I saw the spire still standing, I was overwhelmed. It took my breath away. Opening the door to enter St. Paul’s was an extraordinary experience; except for a layer of ash and soot, the building survived unscathed. Many proclaimed that “St. Paul’s had been spared.” It seemed clear to me that if this was true, it was not because we were holier than anyone who died across the street; it was because we now had a big job to do.

Taking this challenge to heart, we set up a cold drink concession and hot food service four days later for the rescue workers, and men from our shelter, and many others, proudly flipped burgers at what came to be called the “Barbecue on Broadway.” The relief ministry at St. Paul’s was supported by the labor of three local institutions—the Seamen’s Church Institute, the General Theological Seminary, and St. Paul’s, in the parish of Trinity Church—and volunteers from all over the country. More than 5,000 people used their special gifts to transform St. Paul’s into a place of rest and refuge. Musicians, clergy, podiatrists, lawyers, soccer moms, and folks of every imaginable type poured coffee, swept floors, took out the trash, and served more than half a million meals. Emerging at St. Paul’s was a dynamic I think of as a reciprocity of gratitude.a circle of thanksgiving—in which volunteers and rescue and recovery workers tried to outdo each other with acts of kindness and love, leaving both giver and receiver changed. This circle of gratitude was infectious, and I hope it continues to spread. In fact, I hope it turns into an epidemic.

There are so many stories that illustrate such selfless giving. One of the earliest, which continues to inspire me, is the story of the elderly African-American woman, probably in her 80s, who heard that a man working at ground zero had hurt his leg. So she got on the subway in the South Bronx and came all the way down to Lower Manhattan. She talked her way through the police lines, which at that time was no small feat, and came to St. Paul’s. Once inside she presented us with her own cane and then hobbled off. In that moment the universe became a little more generous.

A poet once said “midwinter spring is its own season.” The period from the terrorists attacks to the end of the recovery efforts at ground zero was its own season, lasting 260 days. Although the calendar tells us that it lasted for three seasons—fall, winter, and spring—many of us have little recollection of any climate changes. We just got up, day after day, dressed accordingly, and went about the monumental task of trying to make sense out of absurdity, bring order out of chaos, and reclaim humanity from the violence that sought to make human life less human. This was also a season of remembrance as we mourned the loss of loved ones. It was a season of improvisation as we tried, often at our wit’s end, to respond to the needs emerging from these never before experienced acts of terrorism. It was a season of renewal as we sought to look toward a day when our commonalities will overcome our divisions, when compassion will overcome violence, and kindness will swallow up hatred. Ultimately, what began in hatred evolved into, in the words from that great song from the musical Rent, a “season of love.” It was a season in which people of love and goodwill, compassion and generosity, sought to practice the art of radical hospitality.

The relief ministry at St. Paul’s has now come to an end. The chapel that once housed massage therapists, tired workers, and thousands of love notes colored carefully by schoolchildren and others has been closed for cleaning and restoration. I’m not quite certain what awaits this marvelous church when it reopens, but I do know that it was a rare privilge to take part in the work of these past months, and I have been forever changed by it.

Now when I make my morning commute on the N or R subway to my office on Rector Street, I pass through Cortland Street Station, the station underneath the WTC site. Traveling through it, I see American flags, red tape, and signs that read, “Do not stop here.” My mind floods with memories, and all I can do is fold my newspaper and say a silent prayer for those who died there and for those who still suffer from the devastation. It’s a moment that is rather surreal as the past intersects with the harsh realities of the present and the hopes for a brighter, more humane future.

— The Reverend Lyndon Harris

Icons of Pluralism

Glen O'Brien has begun publishing a series of Protestant icons on his blog. One of my former students, Mike McMullen, suggested a similar project (actually, COG icons!). These two creative suggestions caused me to think about iconography and worship while on my trip to NY. NY is a city of pluralism and the ideal of capitalism. It's interesting how the "Captains of Industry" are blended with religious ideals in NY. I'll continue to post photos (these are not mine) as I discover examples, but here are a few: Prometheus and Atlas at Rockefeller Center, Einstein at Riverside Church. By the way, Atlas, apparently resembled Mussolini, which caused controversy at the sculpture's unveiling.The most unusual to this point are the sculptures of a man and woman talking on the phone (is that Rock Hudson and Doris Day in "Pillow Talk"?) in Riverside Church, the bastion of Protestant Liberal Theology.

Pastoral Excellence or Prophetic Ministry. A False Choice?

I know I'm meddling here. Area 3, or Practical Theology, is not my zone. But after being involved in pastoral ministry for about 26 years, sometimes it's hard for me to compartmentalize. I tend to think that's a good thing. I recently ran across the following article by Methodist Practical Theologian Kenneth Carder. He gets at something that I think is particularly needful, especially in the 21st century and especially for Pentecostal pastors. I'd like to hear your response.


A veteran pastor, whose ministry began in the turmoil of the 1960s, asked if I thought Amos, Micah, Isaiah, or Jeremiah would fit the definition of excellence in ministry.

“It seems as though ‘excellent ministry’ is being defined primarily in terms of growing and managing efficient and prosperous religious institutions,” he said. “I don’t hear much attention being paid to challenging the injustices and violence in the world. So, I doubt any of the prophets would make the list of excellent ministry.”

How would you respond? My immediate inclination was to remind him that the prophets he mentioned didn’t serve as pastors of congregations and that excellence in ministry includes a variety of contexts and expressions. But the questioner is a pastor, and he would argue that prophetic ministry is integral to the role of every pastor.

I admit my own resonance with the pastor’s question. I, too, began pastoral ministry in the 1960’s and am troubled by the pervasive silence of the contemporary church on such vexing topics as preemptive war, torture, racism, poverty, insidious consumerism, environmental destruction . . .

But the question itself may be too simplistic and even misleading. “Prophetic ministry” is as difficult to define as “excellent ministry.” Both concepts carry baggage in the contemporary context.

“Excellence” gets identified with the corporate business world, athletics, or marketing, and as a result, takes on images of self-generated achievement and elitism. “Prophetic” is typically associated with the political world and conjures up images of strident advocacy on behalf of legislation or denunciation of particular governmental policies.

While excellent ministry learns from the business world and requires personal gifts and effort, its foundation and fundamental character are derived from God’s presence, power, and purposes. While prophetic ministry includes engagement with politics and public advocacy, its foundation and fundamental character are grounded and formed in God’s vision for the whole of creation.

Prophetic ministry involves incorporating God’s reign of compassion, justice, generosity, and joy into personal values and actions, institutional structures, and governmental policies. It includes leading congregations to be alternative communities that look and act like God’s reconciled and redeemed community where “the orphans, widows, and strangers” are welcomed at God’s table of peace and abundance.

When excellence is used in relationship to Christian ministry it inevitably includes prophetic. Ministry without attentiveness to God’s vision for humanity (the prophetic) is not Christian ministry. And, prophetic ministry that fails to embody grace and competence falls short of Christian ministry.

Forming communities that embody God’s vision for the world is at the heart of all Christian ministry. In a politically and religiously polarized world, communities of civility and hospitality are prophetic communities. A world torn apart by violence and war pleads for an embodied message of peace and reconciliation.

When poverty and preventable diseases threaten the human family, policies and practices that care for “the least of these” are in the lineage of the prophets and Jesus. And when the eco-system is threatened with destruction, excellent ministry calls for stewardship of the creation God loves.

Would the Old Testament prophets make our list of excellent ministers? Perhaps a better question is, do our ministries and congregations include the vision, courage, and faithfulness embodied and proclaimed by the likes of Amos, Micah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah…and Jesus?

[Kenneth L. Carder is professor of the practice of pastoral formation at Duke Divinity School and a senior fellow with Pulpit & Pew: The Duke Center for Excellence in Ministry. He was bishop of the Mississippi Area of the United Methodist Church from 2000 to 2004 and the Nashville Area of the UMC from 1992 to 2000.]

U2charist

Leadership Journal, Spring 2007

U2 Rocks the House (of God)
Bono inspires worship with an edge.
by Elizabeth Diffin

Where the Streets Have No Name. Beautiful Day. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Yahweh. For fans of the Irish band U2, these are familiar rock songs. But to a growing number of Christians, they're becoming tunes for worship, and for the Eucharist.

Services using U2's music, commonly called U2charist, were begun by Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation. The services combine the music of the rock band with traditional communion. They focus on a message of global reconciliation, justice, and care for neighbors as advocated by Bono, the lead singer of U2. Bono, a dedicated Christian, is also a global ambassador for Millennium Development Goals, a movement by the United Nations to eradicate poverty and disease by the year 2015.

U2charist first took hold in the U.S. at St. George's Episcopal Church in York Harbor, Maine, drawing 130 people. Many of those in attendance were in a younger demographic and did not usually attend the church. Since then, dozens of the services have been held worldwide in churches of many denominations.

In a U2charist service, the liturgy remains the same, although the music is markedly different. U2 songs are repurposed as the opening hymn, song of praise, sermon response, and offertory. Most of the songs are seen as metaphors, with lyrics that are layered with meaning.

"In church, you hear [the music] in a different way. It's like new," said Natalie Williams, a 17-year-old who attended a U2charist at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Briarcliff Manor, New York.

Eric Johnson, who attended the service at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Lakeland, Florida, had no doubt about the effectiveness of the music.

"The crowd, the enthusiasm, the energy—I felt like the Holy Spirit was in the room. The message was getting through, and we were worshiping together," he said.

The offerings that are collected at U2charists go to charities fighting extreme poverty and AIDS, as worked out in an agreement with the band's publishing company. Paige Blair, rector of St. George's, estimates that more than $36,000 has been raised from the U2charist services for the cause.

"People are learning there is something they can do to change the world," she said. "And they leave feeling that they really can."

At St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Encinitas, California, the U2charist service was well-received by young and old alike. Teens connected to the "hip factor," while adults found deeper meaning in the music.

At St. Andrew's, the service drew a crowd that compares to normal Christmas or Easter attendance. St. George's is beginning a U2charist team to help others implement the service. And this year, a U2charist service will be broadcast in Great Britain on Easter Sunday.

"It spread like wildfire," Blair said. "We're giving people a way to engage their faith in a meaningful way."

And letting them rock out at the same time.

—with information from the San Diego Union-Tribune, Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation, The Ledger, and USA Today
Copyright © 2007 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Spring 2007, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, Page 12

An Oldie But a Goodie

How Many Christians Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?

Charismatic: Only 1 - Hands are already in the air.

Pentecostal: 10 - One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.

Presbyterians: None - Lights will go on and off at predestined times.

Roman Catholic: None - Candles only.

Southern Baptists: At least 15 - One to change the lightbulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken.

Disciples of Christ: As many as you want, any bulb you want, and even if you are an organized denomination of lightbulbs you are still loved.

Episcopalians: 4 - One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks, one to set the menu, and one to talk about how much better the old one was.

Mormons: 5 - One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it.

Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a lightbulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, you are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your lightbulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of lightbulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, 3-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.

Methodists: Undetermined - Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a lightbulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Bring a bulb of your choice to the Sunday lighting service and a covered dish to pass.

Nazarene: 6 - One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting policy.

Church of Christ: Any number, but you must be a member to change the lightbulb. No music during the changing.

Lutherans: None - Lutherans don't believe in change.

Amish: What's a light bulb?