Religion and the Repression of Women

 

                                                                      illustration from Wired 

Sometimes I regret that I don't believe in Hell as a place of eternal torment because there are people who I would gladly consign there. And even if I did, I doubt I would be given the role of judge by the God of justice and mercy. Who would I send to Hell? A lot of religious people, mainly men, from a variety of religious traditions. They are the ones who have convinced themselves and others that their religious convictions give them permission to control the lives of women because the deity or deities has given them this right. 

I see this in the United States where male legislators who often claim to be Christians have passed dreadful laws regarding the reproductive rights of women based on bad theology and even worse science. We've  also seen images from the fundamentalist Christian sects where women are required to dress as though they lived in the 19th century, often with heads covered,  while men wear current clothing.  

I am appalled by what is currently unfolding in Afghanistan where the Islamicist Taliban are crushing the rights of women in every sphere of life. No girls or women are allowed to attend school and they can't leave their homes without accompaniment by a man. Women who provided leadership in the country before the return of the Dark Ages are in exile or are being assassinated. Now Afghans are dying of the cold and starvation because women who are workers in foreign aid agencies aren't allowed to fulfill their roles. 

Now we're told that the Iranian government is using facial recognition with women who aren't "modest" enough in fulfilling draconian quasi-religious laws regarding wearing the hijab.  

This is evil, plain and simple. Religion is not meant to be a blunt tool for repression. Should we be surprised that so many people have been turned off religion when all of this is done in God's name, whatever name is used? It is essential that we identify these regressive practices in any and all religions, decry them, and pray for change. 

Under the Taliban, the mannequins in women’s dress shops across the Afghan capital of Kabul are a haunting sight, their heads cloaked in cloth sacks or wrapped in black plastic bags.

Pope Francis & the "Crime" of Being LGBTQ2S+

 Does it matter to you that Pope Francis says that being an LGBTQ2S+ person in not a crime? Lots of people, including three Roman Catholic theologians and advocates for the LGBTQ community claimed it is on CBC Radio a few days ago. Father James Martin, who has taken a lot of heat for his support of LGBTQ2 persons in recent years pointed out that homosexuality is still a crime punishable by prison sentence and even death in a number of countries. One of them is Russia. He also noted that Roman Catholic bishops in some of those countries vocally support the criminalization and this will challenge their perspectives. So this reflection by the pontiff is important, in Father Martin's estimation. 

“These bishops have to have a process of conversion,” Pope Francis said, adding that they should apply “tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us."

Francis did not say that homosexuality should no longer be considered a sin, although he has attempted to clarify by saying that the orientation is not a sin, but the sexual expression is. In other words, it seems to me, if you're gay you have no choice but to be celibate if you want to be a practicing Catholic.  And he certainly didn't suggest that the Roman Catholic church will consider blessing or consecrating same-gender marriages.

 I suppose it's good that Francis says that LGBTQ persons aren't criminals, and that they are loved by God, but it seems that in the view of the RC church they are not like "regular," aka straight folk, and can't expect that will be treated as such.

The panel members reminded listeners that we are all sinners, which is true. But as a heterosexual person my orientation and living as a straight person with the possibility of sexual expression (I'm married and have three adult children) does not exclude me from the rites of any church nor suggest I am a special sort of sinner.

Thirty one years ago I was on the working group for same-gender unions for the United Church General Council in Fredericton, New Brunswick, as we wrestled with these issues. We realized that there was inherent hypocrisy in what was then the UCC position.  How could we say we were accepting without full inclusion, including unions blessed by the denomination? 

Thanks, Pope Francis, but there is still a long way to go toward inclusion. 

God's Tent & the Unhoused

 

O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

   Who may dwell on your holy hill?

Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
   and speak the truth from their heart;
who do not slander with their tongue,
   and do no evil to their friends,
   nor take up a reproach against their neighbours;
in whose eyes the wicked are despised,
   but who honour those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
who do not lend money at interest,
   and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

Those who do these things shall never be moved.

                          Psalm 15:NRSVue

I've been attempting to read a psalm each day as I prepare for a study series at Trenton United beginning this Wednesday morning, February 1st. I suppose I could describe my good intentions as spasmodic, but in the daily lectionary psalm selections run for three days, demonstrating that our God is gracious and provides second chances. 

I was moved by the opening words of this week's Psalm 15 which asks who gets room in God's presumably spacious tent. I appreciate that this question has nothing to do with our homelessness crisis in the 21st century, except that maybe it does. 

This past couple of years, including this Winter, we've heard so much about unhoused people who have set up temporary encampments, usually with tents and other makeshift shelters. Do an internet search of "tent encampment" and up comes dozens of examples from across the continent. 

There doesn't seem to be any ready answer, other than providing housing.  Some municipalities remove them, at times with seems to be excessive force, while others set deadlines for closure, then debate some more, then extend the dates. These tent encampments can be dangerous because of the risk of fire and residents have died. 

There are attempts to develop liason teams in communities with varying outcomes. A few months ago in British Columbia a police officer who was a member of a mental health and homeless outreach team was stabbed to death by a lone homeless camper, although this sort of violent interaction is unusual. The majority of unhoused tent dwellers are leery of shelter systems and find a greater sense of community in these precarious encampments. 

What if we did some thought experiments with God as a tent dweller who welcomed others who are not as a problem to be solved but persons of value and worth? Can we say that we are walking blamelessly and speaking the truth when we look upon the unhoused with contempt?

This may be stretching the midrash or imaginative interpretation of Psalm 15 beyond reasonable bounds, but it spoke to me in that moment. 

Psalm 15 is also the psalm for this Sunday as is the passage from Micah 6 which includes these powerful words:

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

New Drinking Guidelines & Abundant Life

 

 When the person in charge tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), that person called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

                                       John 2:9-10 NRSVue

The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. 

                                                            Matthew 11: 19 King James Version

So, have you decided to drastically alter your habits in consuming alcohol? Last week the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction served up a report saying that no amount of alcohol is safe and those who consume up to two standard drinks per week face a low health risk. This increases to moderate risk for three to six weekly drinks, and is high beyond that. In the blink of a bleary eye the safe standard went from two drinks a day to two a week. 

It's been fascinating to see and hear the response to this report. The sputtering outrage amongst some would suggest that the booze-busters will be showing up at doors to spirit away our spirits.We all still have the freedom to decide about our alcohol consumption, providing we don't climb behind the wheel of a vehicle. 

I've mentioned that I have been the source of some amusement in our immediate family through the years because even though I enjoy craft beer and wine, I would fit in the low to moderate range for consumption, all the time. Interestingly, several of those family members now drink rarely or never, for various reasons. 

I didn't start drinking, even in moderation, until my late teens. The outlook of my tee-totalling parents (they had grown up Salvation Army) seemed to temper my consumption -- older child? When I did a chaplaincy internship at Kingston Penitentiary in my early twenties I saw the disastrous outcome of alcohol use and abuse for so many of the guys and I gave up drinking altogether for a year or more. 

The United Church has expressed an ambivalent outlook on alcohol consumption since its formation in 1925. The Methodists were strongly anti-alcohol and often supported Prohibition, which didn't work, along with formidable organizations such as the Womens Christian Temperance Union. When I began ministry in very Methodist outport Newfoundland having a beer with the floor hockey guys was a secretive experience. The general United Church tone seems to have been that it's okay to drink, as long as you don't enjoy it too much, and don't ask about serving alcohol at church functions. 

There is the awkward gospel fact (for some) that the first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine at a wedding feast, and it was the good stuff. I've heard earnest Christians attempt to weasel out of that one, but I was never convinced. And Jesus was accused of enjoying a glass or three too much by some sanctimonious religious types. The King James term "wine-bibber"  has always seemed to be a rather jolly condemnation. Conviviality with food and drink is not a sin, if we follow the example of Jesus. 

I suppose we all have to decide what health risks we're willing to take -- is my love of bacon more hazardous than my alcohol consumption? There is no doubt in my mind that our society has steadily drifted toward more acceptable and too often excessive drinking. Through years of ministry I saw the negative effects in the lives of families, often hidden from others. I even had a public health nurse tell me that alcohol abuse was a signficant problem in the seniors community where many of the members of one congregation lived.

Perhaps the next time we're taking the miniscule amounts of non-alcoholic grape juice in a United Church communion service we can ponder what the new guidelines mean for us. Bottoms up!

Amazing Grace and Freedom

 

                                                                        Chineke! Orchestra

1 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

* that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

was blind, but now I see.

                           Voices United 266

Some of you will have read my comments along the way that I wouldn't care if I never heard or sang Amazing Grace again. This may seem harsh but I've heard this 250-year-old hymn written by the bawdy slave trader, John Newton, whose conversion to Christ eventually led him to Christian ministry, far too many times. It's estimated that Amazing Grace is sung ten million times annually and some years I feel that I've heard them all. 

And yet...there are occasions when it touches me because it is so direct in its honesty, and in offering the powerful gospel message of repentance and forgiveness. Hey, there are times in life when I have been wretched and felt like a wretch, so a song about God's abundant grace is meaningful.

I would love to be in the audience for a new orchestral and choral piece which celebrates the important place of Amazing Grace in the Civil Right movement of the United States. The title is Freedom and the  musicians are Black and ethnically diverse.According to an article in The Guardian:

...the award-winning poet Rommi Smith is writing the libretto for music composed by the leading operatic baritone Roderick Williams. Their piece will be premiered this summer by Britain’s much-garlanded Chineke! Orchestra as part of the Milton Keynes International Festival.

John Newton eventually became friends with William Wilberforce, the British Member of Parliament, whose Christian faith motivated him to work toward the abolition of slavery. 

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once observed that 11:00 o'clock on Sunday morning was the most segregated hour in America which was antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q881g1L_d8 

I imagine that if Dr, King was still alive today at the age of 93 he would appreciate Freedom and what it represents in honouring civil rights for all. 

Outreach Ministry at Mountain Goat United

                                                                     Trenton United Church

Yesterday our pastor, the Rev. Isaac Mundy -- our son -- was on local radio to share information about an upcoming event for Quinte West, the "In Their Shoes” Fundraising Walk. This will entail a two kilometre walk to visit five agencies who address the day-to-day challenges experienced by the unhoused community. Isaac was interviewed  to explain the work of the Quinte West Warming Centre which theTrenton United Church congregation hosts in its space in conjunction with the municipality and region.

This got me thinking about how we employ our facilities in a time when many church buildings are closing, a reality which has accelerated because of the pandemic and shrinking congregations. Even though we have said for decades that Christ's church is the people, not the building, in too many situations remnant congregations have stubbornly held on the bricks and mortar until there were few people left or the structures crumbled or both.

What is the purpose of our buildings? For five years now we have been driving half an hour to attend worship at Trenton UC, aka Mountain Goat United. There is ample parking but it is a steep climb to the sanctuary!

Despite this drawback, a lot has happened since Isaac began his ministry there. An energy audit was done and changes planned. A lift was installed to make the sanctuary more accessible, new doors installed, and a new ramp constructed from the parking area. Rock climbing skills are no longer needed. 

The kitchen has been redesigned and fitted to accommodate the meal ministry, while the hall itself has been upgraded. A large space which was largely unused is now repurposed for the warming centre. Several of these projects have received generous grants from different organizations because of the emphasis on accessibility and community outreach. 

The church is on a busy corner in Trenton, which has its drawbacks, but it also means that the Pride flag and the Every Child Matters flag are visible to passers-by, in season. They are important public statements to a society where religion is often perceived as exclusive rather than inclusive. 

Yes, church structures can be an anchor for congregations, but they can also be places where Christ's gospel of compassion and inclusion are lived out. We continue to be impressed by the sense of mission amongst the members of Trenton UC, and the minister is leading the way. 

Of course, meaningful worship still takes place each Sunday morning, as well as a host of other congregational activities. Christ has not left the building!

Protecting the Ozone Layer as a Statement of Hope?

 

                                      © NASA

 

The ozone layer, a thin shield of gas, is seen from space.

O Lord, our Sovereign,

    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

    Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger. 

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established; 
what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?

 Yet you have made them a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.

You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,

all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

                                                   Psalm 8 NRSVue

Do you remember the ozone layer? That's a silly question really because it makes it sound as though this layer of the stratosphere which protects the Earth from the Sun's ultraviolet rays is something from the past. It is still vital for the wellbeing of all living creatures and it's been in the news lately. Atmospheric scientists reported recently that the huge hole in the ozone layer which was discovered in 1985 continues to shrink and may be mended by 2040. I'm now into the "do the math" stage of life and this would put me into my mid-80s, if I should survive that long, but this is about the health of the planet my grandchildren will inherit from generations such as mine which have messed up a lot.

The other reason that the ozone layer is on the media radar is the 35th anniversary of what is called the Montreal Protocol. According to a news release by the United Nation: 

The Montreal Protocol was signed in September 1987and is a landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the consumption and production of nearly 100 man-made chemicals, or ‘ozone-depleting substances’ (ODS). The overall phase-down has led to the notable recovery of the protective ozone layer in the upper stratosphere and decreased human exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. “The impact the Montreal Protocol has had on climate change mitigation cannot be overstressed,” said Meg Seki, Executive Secretary of the UN Environment Programme’s Ozone Secretariat. 

This protocol was and is remarkable in that nations came together quickly, they set hard targets to reduce the offending substances, and to this day it has been 99% effective. 

Around the time of the 35th anniversary there was another gathering in Montreal, the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Again,governments from around the world came to an agreement called the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework. The hope is that this will be a historic global framework to safeguard nature and halt and reverse biodiversity loss, putting nature on a path to recovery by 2050.

It is so tempting to shrug our shoulders in despair or indifference over the complexity and enormity of addressing the climate emergency and the calamity of the loss of biodiversity. Even as Christians this can all seem overwhelming and discouraging. Some "species" of Christianity simply ignore or dismiss the issues because God is in charge. Others are earnestly aware but may feel helpless to make a difference. 

There is nothing in scripture about the ozone layer, and it's unlikely that many if any people in the times when the bible was written had an inkling that the Earth was a sphere with a remarkable protective envelope around it which allowed the intricate web of Creation.

I come back to Psalm 8 and the awe expressed for the heavens above and the diverse creatures which inhabit the planet. There is also an invitation to employ human agency to ensure that all will thrive. The term "dominion" is used, which is not to be misinterpreted as reckless domination and hubris, which is what has happened in the past 250 years. We are called to responsible stewardship as humble children of the Creator. 

Will December 2022's Montreal Protocol 2.0 be recognized as a planet-changer, the way the 1987 accord was? I hope so and pray so. I would suggest "go and thin no more" but who needs another Dad Joke? 

Christian Communities & Honesty about Suicide

 For a few years Ruth and I engaged in a sort of guilty pleasure watching a network television competition called So You Think You Can Dance. Aspiring young dancers auditioned to be part of a select group of competitors with some eliminated each week. I don't have much interest in dance but there was something about these exuberant and talented kids that was quite compelling.

One of the contestants in 2007 was a lanky guy named Stephen Boss, although we knew him as tWitch. A hip-hop dancer, he learned other styles, as did all the others. Even though he didn't win that season his enthusiasm and charm made him a crowd favourite and his appearance opened the door to a certain fame, including a lengthy gig as the DJ for the Ellen Degeneres show. 

This past December came the shocking news that tWitch had taken his own life at the age of 40 in what was a carefully planned death which protected his family from the immediate trauma of finding his body. Everyone who knew him seemed stunned because he was such a positive person who loved his wife and kids. This death was yet another reminder that the stereotypes we might have about who takes their own life simply aren't accurate. Yes, some exhibit depression or lengthy periods of mental illness, yet there is no template for suicide. 

                                                                 Stephen Boss -- tWitch- and family

Following tWitch's death I saw an article about the importance of acknowledging the reality of suicide within Christian communities. Many congregations have got better about recognizing mental health issues and moving away from a false notion that if just have faith in Jesus we can be healed of depression and other physical and psychological causes which may contribute to people taking their own lives. 

I can't say I was all that good at addressing this during my ministry, although I did speak about depression and mental illness through the years. There was always a fair amount of response from folk, often those who were still living with the trauma of the loss of loved ones. There was everything from guilt, to shame, to anger about what had transpired with their family members and friends. 

Thank God that some of the stigma around this form of death has passed and those grieving no longer feel the need to hide what has transpired. Even the term "committing suicide" suggested that a crime had been committed. 

I was also directly involved with situations of suicide, including a teen, an elderly widow who was inconsolable after the death of her husband, and a man in his thirties who had struggled with bi-polar illness for years. I can't recall any seminary training which equipped me for this possibility, yet the shocking death of the teen occurred a couple of weeks into my first pastorate. 

I wonder how we can be better equipped to address the challenging scope of mental health issues, including self-harm? Now retired for a while, I'm no closer to having answers. I do agree that this must be part of our conversation, not just as an abstract theological subject but as part of the reality of our existence. If Bell can provide leadership with its Let's Talk day (tomorrow), can't we talk about this together? 

Our New Creed statement of faith in the United Church serves as a reminder that the God of life walks with us and we walk with one another. 

                                                        

Blessed Peacemaker, Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the death of Buddhist monk, mystic, peace activist, writer, and poet, Thich Nhat Hanh. He was born in Viet Nam in 1926 so was in his twenties as the turmoil of war developed in his homeland, first under French rule, then with the Americans. He established a community in the mountains with the goal of establishing peaceful Buddhist practice in the midst of violence but he was eventually forced into exile in the United States, where he taught at universities, and wasn't permitted to return to Viet Nam for decades. 

Nhat Hanh was known as the "father of mindfulness" and was a major influence on Western practices of Buddhism. I wrote last year that he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by another recipient, Martin Luther King Jr., and he explored interfaith contemplation with Thomas Merton. 

I considered visiting Plum Village, the contemplative community in France which Thich Nhat Han established. This is how they describe their beginnings and purpose:

Plum Village is where Thay (Nhat Hanh) has realised his dream of building a Beloved Community: creating a healthy, nourishing environment where people can learn the art of living in harmony with one another and with the Earth.Plum Village began in 1982 as a small, rustic farmstead, and has today grown into Europe’s largest Buddhist monastery, with over 200 resident monks and nuns, living and practising in four different hamlets spread out across the French countryside. It is a continuation of the original “Sweet Potato Community” that Thay first founded near Paris in the 1970s, soon after he was exiled from Vietnam.

On the weekend someone posted the link to a half hour documentary about Thich Nhat Hanh which I found informative and challenging and inspiring. It's worth the time to watch and consider how we can be people of peace as Christians in conversation with other traditions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRObW9noiVk&feature=youtu.be

                                                                         Plum Village, France

Lunar New Year & the Heavens Above

 

Happy Lunar New Year! Through the years I've offered that greeting in this blog and on Sunday mornings in one congregation where there were four children who had been adopted from China and whose parents wee conscientious about upholding their heritage. I was even coached in how to offer the greeting in Chinese.

 It was always "Happy Chinese New Year" in the past, but I've learned that this is a highly significant festival in Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, and in the diaspora -- as much as a quarter of the world's population. 

When we lived in Sudbury the Chinese association would hold an annual shindig in the large hall of St. Andrew's UC, my congregation. We had a commercial sized and equipped kitchen, which made food preparation relatively easy. In our modern building the offices, including my study, were off the open mezzanine above this hall, so I was aware of the decorations, hubbub, and fragrances of the popular event which attracted hundreds. My study was directly above the kitchen so the aromas were tantalizing.

It never occurred to me that this was a lunar festival, yet another cultural and spiritual connection to the phases of the moon. Both Judaism, with Pesach/Passover, and Christianity, with Holy Week/Easter literally look to the moon. Islam has its crescent moon symbol and it represents the guidance of God on the path through life.Even though Lunar New Year is now a largely secular holiday it includes cultural rituals that have roots in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, as well as from ancient myths and folk traditions.

We live in a time of global urbanization where the vast majority of humans have little awareness of the night sky or the rhythms of the "heavens." The religions of the world, past and present, can point us toward the skies with a sense of awe and appreciation. 

How Can Helping the Desperate be a Crime?

 

 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 

Matthew 25:34-36 NRSVue

We watched the Netflix film, The Swimmers, after seeing the trailer and reading positive reviews. It's a biopic about two Syrian teen sisters, Yusra and Sarah Mardini, who are accomplished competitive swimmers. After much soul-searching they leave their war-torn homeland in the hope of establishing themselves in Europe and finding a place to continue training. While they are ultimately successful it is an arduous journey which includes crossing the Mediterranean. 

In the end Sarah gives up on swimming while Yusra...well, watch the film. This picture had been on my radar for a while we watched because Sarah is currently on trial in Greece for human smuggling, espionage, money laundering, and seeking state secrets. She chose to return to Greece to become part of an organization which assists those seeking asylum, as she once did. If  Sarah and others are convicted they could spend years in prison yet human rights organizations and the United Nations insist that the work they are doing is within the parameters of international agreements developed to uphold the safety of migrants and asylum seekers. The charges are ridiculous and are likely intended as a deterrent to others doing similar work. 

Here are a couple of paragraphs from the press release from Amnesty International: 

Ahead of the trial on 10 January of rescue workers Seán Binder and Sarah Mardini, Amnesty International is renewing its calls to the Greek authorities to drop all charges against them. Seán, a trained rescue diver, and Sarah, a Syrian refugee and activist whose story inspired the Netflix film The Swimmers, stand trial together with 22 others from the search and rescue NGO that they volunteered for. They are facing unfair, baseless charges simply for helping refugees and migrants at risk of drowning at sea.

“If I can be criminalised for mostly doing little more than handing out bottles of water and smiles, then so can anyone. This trial is not about me and Sara, or even the 22 other defendants. This trial is about the Greek authorities trying to crush compassion and prevent people from seeking safety. But I trust that justice will prevail and we will be able to get on with our lives,” said Seán Binder.

I have been praying for these compassionate and courageous people who are being tried as though they are the criminals who do traffic in the desperate migrants who take great risks for the possibility of freedom. There are others who have charged or harrassed for doing what many governments now refuse to do in responding to those who are in grave danger. We know that there have been deaths along our Canadian borders as well, including the family of four originally from India which died attempting a crossing almost exactly a year ago in Manitoba. What may seem foolhardy and illegal to us is perceived as a risk worth taking. 

Oh yes, biopics are often not stellar films, yet we found this one well acted and quite moving. It certainly brought to mind the Syrian refugees brought to Belleville by our faith coalition in 2015 and 2016 and the many others sponsored by Canadians of good will. Watch The Swimmers and ponder. 

David Crosby and the Bible

 

To everything turn, turn, turn

There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven

A time to buid up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rain, a time of sow
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

             Turn! Turn! Turn!: Pete Seeger

It's strange to mourn the loss of someone who could easily have died ten years ago, or thirty, or even fifty...and probably would have deserved their untimely death. David Crosby was a member of two amazing folk/rock groups of the 1960's, the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young.) Both of these groups had big hits which were characterized with sublime harmonies. Crosby led a rather drug-addled life for years, which resulted in a liver transplant nearly thirty years ago and a wonky ticker which he knew could give out at any time. He squandered most of his wealth until selling rights to his songs a couple of years ago. He had an abrasive personalty which alienated him from most of the people in his storied past. 

Ruth and I attended a Crosby, Stills & Nash concert at Maple Leaf Gardens in the summer of 1978 but of course they didn't sing the Byrds 1965 hit, Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season). As the bracketed portion of the title suggests, this song is based on a passage from the Hebrew scriptures, Ecclesiastes, one of the Wisdom books. There is an irony that a band which experienced all the excesses of hippie stardom went to the top of the charts with a song based on a bible passage and which endures in the soundtracks of many films. 

It's also interesting that the Byrds didn't write the song. Peacenik Pete Seeger did, in the late 1950s, and there were a couple of recordings before it became huge for Byrds. Apparently Seeger's manager wanted him to write something other than a protest song, and he came up with the verses he'd written in a notebook which contained various ideas. 

Through the years I included the passage from Ecclesiastes in funeral and memorial services, particularly for those who'd led a long life and death was not an enemy. That Crosby improbably made it to 81, seemed to have mellowed -- well, somewhat -- and died with loved ones close at hand actually fits the theme of Ecclesiastes 3.  

For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: 

               a time to be born and a time to die;

a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted;
 a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to break down and a time to build up;
 a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
 a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek and a time to lose;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
 a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;

a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NRSVue

Here are links to versions of the song by the Byrds and Pete Seeger and Judy Collins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNjDNyc4pzzBg9JIoSC1JVShOTU1PLVLIKk2pVEjOz8nJzCsGAAmoDdM&q=pete+seeger+judy+collins&rlz=1C1OKWM_enCA849CA849&oq=peter+seeger+judy+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46i13i512.8769j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:65930e76,vid:qURAnrk30ng

Artificial Intelligence and Preaching the Word

Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region.  He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.  When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,  and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to set free those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

                            Luke 4:14-19 NRSVue

I've come to realize that my blog readers -- you -- are smart and informed, so of course you are well versed in the rapidly emerging field of artificial intelligence. Um, maybe you still have some catching up to do? I definitely don't know a lot about about AI's applications and I'm inclined not to care -- or at least that's what I think. The truth is that AI will do more and more of our thinking, even if we aren't aware that it's happening. 

There are now applications which simulate human conversation:

Artificial intelligence chatbots are chatbots trained to have human-like conversations using a process known as natural language processing (NLP). With NLP, the AI chatbot is able to interpret human language as it is written, which enables them to operate more or less on their own.

One of the current challenges in the academic world is that AI can be used to write essays with a sophistication which goes well beyond the "buy a paper online" racket or "cut and paste" plagarism. Colleges and universities are scrambling to keep up with this latest form of cheating.

We had lunch with a couple recently where she is a fairly active lay preacher. She mentioned that her tech savvy son-in-law pointed out to her that AI could help her write sermons. She found this amusing but he coaxed her to offer a subject and using a program called ChatGPT he came up with a credible message within minutes, which he tweaked on her suggestions. Voila. 

Plagarism by preachers has long been a reality but far more so in recent years. Some search committees for new ministers now submit phrases and passages from sermons offered as original material by prospective pastors and discover that they have been taken whole from other people's work. 

I've always found this mind-boggling. In all my years as a preacher I've never repeated one of my own sermons, although I have used personal stories and anecdotes or credited quotations from messages used in other congregations. I figure that reusing examples from my own life story ain't cheating. 

The argument that is often made by "borrowers" is that they are so busy with the demands of ministry, and there are certainly challenges in a profession which is unpredictable in what can unfold in any given week. I just can't fathom living with myself if I'd chosen this way out. 

Not only does cheating in writing a sermon go against everything I hold true about honesty and integrity, it also quenches creativity. As well, I have always figured that the Holy Spirit is at work in unique ways in each moment of our lives. The Spirit is ruach, breath, so even when it comes to my own writing and preaching a message will be "breathless", soulless, without the activity of the living God. Because I generally followed the ecumenical lectionary I was challenged along the way to preach passages of scripture which were challenging and required prayerful wrestling with the text. 

Here's the question: could decades of my sermons be uploaded to a chatbot to create  messages based on a blend of my own work? Probably. But would it be me if I then preached the homogenized outcome? 

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, the senior pastor at New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, California, appears as a hologram to preach to a church in New Zealand. (Screenshot credit: City Impact Church/Youtube)

I figure that holographic worship leaders can't be far off as an option for congregations. Actually, a quick search reveals that it's already happening. Every church can have a young, vibrant preacher who never goes on vacation! Don't feel comfortable with the content of the message? Reset the parameters and tweak the Gospel! 

Ah, what a brave new world. 

 

Bread of Heaven and Bono

 

                                                                    U2 360 Tour, Zagreb, Croatia

1 Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,

pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak, but thou art mighty,

hold me with thy powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,

feed me till I want no more,

feed me till I want no more.

Yesterday I wrote about reading Surrender: 40 Songs, one story, the autobiography of rock star Bono, the front man/lead singer for the band U2. U2 has sold 170 million records and they have also been a hugely popular stage band, worldwide. Their concerts are high energy events of inclusion with hits which are almost mesmerizing invitations to participation. 

I would describe some of these songs as anthemic but I was intrigued when Bono suggested that they were hymnodic, ecstatic church music. There is plenty of religious imagery in the lyrics of U2 songs but at one point he has a heading hymns and arias, followed by the first verse of the great hymn with a great tune, Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah as an example of the stirring music of the Christian faith. 

U2 guitarist The Edge comes from a family of Welsh hymn singers and Bono grew up with hymns written by Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, and John Newton. He observes 

When you hear these huge hymns you can survive any loss. You can take any amount of blows. You can make the most difficult decisions...when I was a young man they were exactly what I was looking for. My soul had a desperate need to be stirred.

How true! This is deep insight into the power of hymns of our tradition, although perhaps not to the same degree with current hymns and songs, even though many of them are excellent. Contemporary hymns are often meaningful communal ballads rather than the marching music of our faith. Some of the ones with the most energy are from other cultures. Today many congregations have diminished in numbers to the point that there is rarely a service with enough voices to do those old hymns, or the new ones, justice. 

As someone who has read several "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" bios and autobiographies of bands and their stars I definitely was not prepared for so much theology in Surrender, but I certainly enjoyed it. 

Bono cites the song New Year's Day in his reflection, so here is the rather lengthy link:

https://www.google.com/search?q=new+year%27s+day+u2+lyrics&rlz=1C1OKWM_enCA849CA849&sxsrf=AJOqlzVWDrXJ4nZGQF-iZgHq5NzfEYm72g%3A1674055163264&ei=-w3IY4zjD7K0qtsP0PqDqAU&oq=new+year%27s+day+u2+lyrics&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQARgAMgcIABCABBANMgcIABCABBANMgcIABCABBANMgcIABCABBANMgQIABAeMgYIABAFEB4yBggAEAgQHjIGCAAQCBAeMgkIABAIEB4Q8QQyCQgAEAgQHhDxBDoKCAAQRxDWBBCwAzoICAAQCBAHEB46CAgAEAUQBxAeOgUIABCGAzoGCAAQBxAeOgQIABBDOgUIABCABDoLCAAQCBAHEB4Q8QQ6CAgAEAUQHhANOggIABAIEB4QDToLCAAQCBAeEPEEEA06BQgAEKIEOggIABAHEB4QCkoECEEYAEoECEYYAFDhBlj2V2CLc2gGcAF4AIABvwGIAdoVkgEEMTkuOZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:742b3945,vid:SlDi4hpJsaY