Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

While enjoying a very good game between my beloved St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves this evening, I was struck by comments made by the Fox Sports Midwest announcing crew.  Al Hrabosky and Rick Horton were covering the game this evening, and made a point of lifting up the success of Braves’ pitching coach Roger McDowell for the success of a very young Atlanta pitching staff.  While this credit is no doubt deserved, I found myself taking exception with comments made to the effect that McDowell was an “example” for his young players.  After his inexcusable behavior earlier this season prior to a game against the San Francisco Giants in which he made homophobic comments and gestures towards fans (actions for which he was suspended and fined by Major League Baseball), McDowell shouldn’t be paid the compliment of being an “example.”

And frankly, if we want to see positive change made surrounding the bigotry, we need to hold our media and its personalities accountable for lapses such as this.  So I’ve emailed the booth live during the game (through the FSMidwest website) and sent the following email to their rather generic contact email: midwest@foxsports.net.  I hope you’ll take a moment to draft your own letter – feel free to lift liberally from mine if that’s helpful – and make it clear that we won’t accept the excusing of bigoted behavior in the public square.

To the staff at Fox Sports Midwest, a letter to the broadcast team for the September 9, 2011 game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves.

Dear Mr. Hrabosky and Mr. Horton,

I want to thank you for your well informed and enjoyable coverage of the game this evening.  I’m a die-hard Cardinals fan and look forward to tuning in every chance that I have.  However, this evening I was disappointed by your praise for Braves’ pitching coach Roger McDowell.  While his record as a player is strong and it is hard to argue with his results considering the youth of the Atlanta pitching staff, I have to take exception with your comments lifting him up as an example for the team.  His behavior earlier this season in San Francisco for which he was suspended and fined by Major League Baseball for homophobic comments and gestures is not the type of example I would like to see set for young players or for young fans of the game.  While we all understand that there are certain provisions of the old “gentleman’s game” that allow for less than gentlemanly behavior, this type of bigotry should never be applauded, and surely should not be lifted up as an example.

I don’t expect a personal response, nor do I necessarily expect that any retraction or further comment will be made, but I feel personally that it is necessary to bring this contradiction to light regarding your words concerning Mr. McDowell.

Respectfully,
Clint Collins

It’s long past time that we demand accountability from our public figures.

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I stumbled onto an incredible little factoid while doing some research. Apparently there are two human-made structures that can be seen from space. One of which you may have guessed: the Great Wall of China. The other, you likely will not have guessed. It’s the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, New York. So when the angels look down upon us, they see one of our great ancient achievements and one of our greatest contemporary failures.

Unfortunately, our record doesn’t look to be improving on this count. As our garbage output increases, the amount of landfill space has decreased to about 80% of its capacity 30 years ago. Many states – including Oklahoma – only have about 20 years of landfill space left, and that’s only if our waste production rates continue to increase at a constant level – leaving no room for population growth or other factors. Furthermore, the landfill practice of dumping and burying waste actually creates an environmental problem for organic materials. When plant waste is buried, it will break down, but only very slowly and will ultimately create large amounts of methane – a greenhouse gas more potent that carbon dioxide.

However, the art of gardening offers a potential solution: composting. Large amounts of plant waste that we throw away – vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, and the like, can be safely and quickly composted to create nutrient rich soil for growing next year’s vegetables. This not only reduces the amount of waste going into landfills, but also decomposes the waste in a faster manner that doesn’t produce methane gas. A little effort to separate plant waste from the rest of the trash could save land, help save the atmosphere, and grow healthy food all at the same time.

In a way, it’s resurrection x 3 (that’s multiplication if it didn’t make sense at first). Plant waste is composted back into new plant life, landfill space needs are reduced, and greenhouse gases are diminished. We are already considering a compost project for our community garden at First Christian, which includes the possibilities of getting everyone involved in composting efforts to make it more successful in the long run. And I’d love to hear your thoughts about it! So pull me aside on Sunday morning or send me an email and let me know what you think. Christians are in the business of resurrection, and multiplying it by three sounds like gospel to me! What say you?

Walking the Lenten journey of justice,
Clint

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I just recently discovered a small blurb of an article posted on the Disciples New Service at our denominational website, and thought that it really deserved a little bit stronger coverage. It announced that Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins had signed onto a statement entitled “Religious Leaders Stand Shoulder-to-Shoulder Against Extremism of All Kinds in Support of American Values.” Although it is clear that we are called not to participate in religious intolerance of any kind, this document specifically addressed the hearings on “the extent of radicalization of American Muslims” in the Homeland Security committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. The following is an excerpt from the full statement:

As American religious leaders, we share a deep sense of obligation to call upon our fellow citizens to treat each other with compassion and honesty, and to foster an ethical commitment to bedrock American values such as pluralism and religious freedom, mutuality and respect—values also at the core of our religious traditions.

As the House Committee on Homeland Security convenes hearings on the putative ―radicalization‖ of American Muslims, our obligation takes on renewd urgency. We gather together to affirm that we stand united with all Americans in urging our elected representatives to act—not against a single, unfairly maligned group, but against all forms of violence and extremism that endanger our security. As spiritual leaders and people of faith, we call on the United States Congress, elected officials at every level of government, and all American citizens not to perpetuate damaging false witness against our neighbors. Instead, we encourage all communities of faith and people of good will throughout this country, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in communities of growing awareness, trust and hope.

All of our faith communities share a powerful prohibition against bearing false witness, with the understanding that destroying a person‘s reputation is tantamount to destroying his or her life. To assert that Muslims as a broad group are not deeply devoted to America‘s safety and the peaceful interaction of its entire citizenry – that is false witness. By subjecting American Muslims to such scrutiny, we weaken our more perfect union, and we harm the national vision of our common good that is a witness to the nations. We encourage all citizens of this country to honor freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution that enable the free exercise of religion across our great land.

I just want to take this opportunity to publicly join our General Minister and President, and sign on to this statement as the Pastor of FCC Tahlequah. Religious intolerance, especially that which is rooted in ignorance and intentional blindness, is not a national value, and we as Christians, as Disciples, and as human beings are better than this shortsighted attempt to continue to politicize terrorism at the expense of an entire religious community’s dignity.

Walking the Lenten journey of justice,
Clint

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Ok, I’ve been flirting with this idea and trying to ignore it for a couple of weeks now, but after I followed a “this day in history” link, I realized that it must be a sign that I could no longer avoid the topic. This day in history (Tuesday, March 29), 38 years ago, the final U.S. troops withdrew from South Vietnam, effectively ending the Vietnam War for us as a nation. This long, bloody, and incredibly unpopular war not only left the bitterness of what was termed a “defeat” in our mouths, but also forced us to re-examine as a nation how we go to war.

Which leads me as a pastor to ask: how do we as Christians respond to war?

Just War Theory is a tradition that traces all the way back to the writings of St. Augustine in the late 4th and early 5th centuries. He was looking for a way to solidify the marriage between Christianity and the Roman Empire, and was struggling to figure out how war could be justified and how Christians could serve in the military. So he wrote what began hundreds of years of discussion of what constituted a “just” war.

The results have proven to be a pretty mixed bag. A firm “Just War” tradition has developed around a set of rules such as no wars of aggression, no bombarding of civilian targets, and so forth. Yet, even in spite of these rules, a strong pacifist tradition has continued to live within the Christian movement. Even amongst Disciples, many prominent leaders have taken an outspoken stance against war, with Alexander Campbell being just one of the many voices to declare war one of the greatest sins against God and one another.

While I don’t have the space to provide any solid answers in this column (and as a Disciple, I can’t provide them for you anyway – I can only help you to make your own decisions), I can encourage you to prayerfully contemplate the question of war. With our country engaged in three foreign wars, there is no better time than now. We may not be able to change the events that have already happened, but we can be better prepared to make wise decisions on the events that are still to come. I hope you’ll join me in extensive and serious prayer over how our faith plays into our decisions to fight.

Walking the Lenten journey of justice,
Clint

…

James had inherited an official Bible from the Elizabethan Church, the so-called Bishops’ Bible. Its translation was badly done, often obscure and generally disliked by everyone who had the right to an opinion. The most popular English Bible by far was the unauthorized Geneva Bible, translated into vigorous English by exiles in Geneva, complete with notes, maps and illustrations.

But James loathed the Geneva Bible in spite of its unchallenged popularity. The translation was far too Puritan in its sentiments for his taste. For example, whenever the original text of the Bible used the word “king,” the Geneva translators invariably — and, from James’ perspective, inexcusably — rendered it in English as “tyrant.” No king with even a modicum of political sense could let that seditious translation stand unchallenged, much less appoint it to be read in churches.

So James asked 50-plus translators not to make an entirely new translation of the Bible but to revise and improve the Bishops’ Bible in light of the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic texts.

Read the rest of the article here.

This past year has been a difficult one in ministry for me. Several people I like very much have chosen to leave the congregation I serve. People coming and going is not an unusual occurrence in a larger church. Even though I know I am not supposed to, I took the departure of these people very personally. They were close friends in whom I had invested much time and energy, and who I cared about deeply. Each one, for different reasons, left the congregation because they were no longer happy.

I fully realize that the conventional wisdom of the American culture says that the ultimate goal in life is happiness. The general sentiment seems to be that if I am not happy then the world is out of kilter and this profound wrong must be righted immediately. It is our constitutional right to pursue happiness. It is God’s job to make sure we live lives that are comfortable and problem free. God’s job is to make sure we are happy. If we do business we all know that the company’s responsibility to make sure I am a satisfied customer; that I am happy. Everyone knows that the customer is always right. This also applies to the church.

The Church, during the 50 years I have observed it, seems to follow right along with the cultural norm. If someone in the life of a congregation is unhappy about anything, all they have to do is bring their unhappiness to the attention of the congregational leadership and then stand back and watch the show. Apologies are immediately extended. The congregational machinery cranks up to make sure that whatever change is needed is made, and any unacceptable changes that are being proposed are stopped from being pursued. No one rests until everyone is happy.

It never seems to occur to anyone that this is an incredibly senseless approach to doing ministry and being the Church.

Read the full article here. (PDF)

Bill McConnell has been the Lead Pastor of Legacy Christian Church in harrison, Ohio for nineteen years.  He is the author of Renew Your Congregation: Healing the sick and raising the dead, published by Chalice Press.  Bill is a Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership. He is a congregational leadership coach and transforming congregations consultant.

The Columbia Partnership is a non-profit Christian ministry organization focused on transforming the capacity of the North American Church to pursue and sustain Christ-centered ministry.

I am an atheist.  Sure lots of people have heard me talk about God, write favorable things about God, pray and worship.  And it was all sincere.  Still I am an atheist.  I’m an atheist the way the members of the early church were atheistic.  Atheism was one of the central charges officials of the Roman Empire made against Christians.  They were vilified for “irreligiosities” and “sacrilegium.”  Christians were regarded atheists because they rejected the gods of the state.  They refused to honor the religion of the empire.  The charge of atheism was at least as much – if not more – about politics as it was religious.

I am an atheist in the same way.  I reject the religion of the state, the civil religion.  This religion is expressed in the national motto “In God We Trust” which is printed on currency.  It is found in the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, “under God.”  It is expressed in the incessantly evoked phrase, “God Bless America.”  It is reflected in the claims of those who say that the constitution was inspired by God. It finds its way into speeches of politicians and proclamations of Presidents.  This god is more form than substance, more decoration than an expression of spiritual depth.

Consequently, I can’t fret alongside those who fear that the word “God” will be dropped from the Pledge of Allegiance.  I don’t share the concern of those who worry that “In God We Trust” won’t appear prominently enough on coins.  I have no investment in such things and wonder why any Christian would see them as important.  I don’t believe in the god of flag pledges and national mottos.  Such a god is not the God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Read the rest of this article here.

Craig M. Watts in the minister of Royal Palm Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Coral Springs, Florida, a member of the DPF Executive Committee and the author of the book Disciple of Peace: Alexander Campbell on Pacifism, Violence and the State (Indianapolis: Doulos Christou Press, 2005).

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It turns out that this late Lenten Season is making for a very busy time of the year – and busy can mean a lot of excitement. This year we are definitely living up to that billing, and I want to take a moment to fill you in on what’s going on.

Aside from our Lenten outreach campaign to raise money for our local ministry partners (a campaign that is right on track, by the way – we’ll be giving you a full update this coming Sunday!), we are also moving forward in partnership with Project Osiyo and the existing Tahlequah Community Gardening initiative to put in our own garden plot right here on our property. Things are still in the early stages of growth (Ok, so I did intend the pun), so there’s plenty of time to jump in and help. If you’re interested in becoming part of the leadership team that will help us get this project off the ground, please get in touch with me so we can this work moving!

In addition to our outreach campaign, I will be joining with Help-In-Crisis to raise awareness of domestic violence and help support their efforts financially by participating in their “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event on April 16. I, along with other men from the community (maybe including a couple other members of our congregation) will be looking for folks to sponsor us for our attempt to literally walk a mile in heels. I’ll be bringing a sponsor sign-up sheet with me to worship if you’d like to pitch in, but I’d also love to see people out at the event, which will take place at Norris Park, to cheer us on as we work to walk our mile!

And while I’m toting around my sponsor sheet for Help-In-Crisis in the coming weeks, I’ll also be carrying tickets for Tahlequah Area Habitat for Humanity’s annual Spaghetti Luncheon that will take place on Thursday, April 28 at the Community Building in town. Advance tickets are $5 (it’s $6 at the door), and all proceeds will go to help build house #18 for our local chapter. This event will also feature the Habitat birdhouse auction, so drop in to take a look at the beautifully constructed and decorated birdhouses and maybe even make a bid!

Of course, I’ll be reminding you of all of this in the weeks to come, but feel free to seek me out if you’d like to know more!

Walking the Lenten journey of justice,
Clint

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As we move forward with a proposed community gardening project here at First Christian, composting is a term we might become a little more familiar with along the way. The composting process involves the decomposition of plant matter and other organic materials into a form of fertilizer useful for gardens, lawns, and other growing projects.  In essence, it’s a kind of recycling process for vegetable and animal byproducts where the undesirable waste of today is transformed into the nutrient-rich soil for the gardens of tomorrow.

If this idea of composting seems to have an echo of familiarity to it, perhaps that’s because it’s  not that far removed from our Christian understanding of resurrection: life gives way to death, from which springs new life.  In fact, Paul’s understanding of the resurrection has that type of organic feel to it. The resurrection of Christ into the body of believers sounds as if it works in the same fashion as compost: death provides the foundation for new life to follow. As members of the body of Christ, we become the recipients of Divine possibility through the power that transforms the decay of death into the promise for life. The Gospel of Jesus the Christ roots itself deeply in this soil of resurrection hope.

Now it’s exciting for me to think about the very real possibilities of compost and soil giving rise to a garden plot that will help feed people in need here in Tahlequah (and maybe put a few fresh vegetables on our own plates as well). Yet I find myself more excited about how this is actually a reminder to us that life continues to spring forth, and sometimes in unexpected and surprising ways! This community garden project is one of what I suspect are many seedlings germinating within our soil here at First Christian Church. And these seedlings of new life, nourished by the Divine compost of resurrection, will no doubt bear fruits that defy our human imagination.

I look forward to tending to this great hope which God has given!

Walking the Lenten journey of justice,
Clint

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It’s not quite yet the Lenten season, but it’s close! Next week, on Wednesday, March 9, we will being the season of Lent with our Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 p.m. We will gather to share a contemplative service of ashes and begin our Lenten journey toward Jerusalem and the cross. I hope that you will join us for this!

This year we will also continue our focus on mission. As you may remember, during the previous Lenten season, we took on the H2O challenge and raised money for water in drought-ridden areas around the globe. Through your generosity of grace and gifts, we were able to send over $2,000 to support safe water efforts through Church World Service and Global Ministries. This year, we will be inviting you to turn your eyes a little closer to home as we embark on what we might call a Cherokee County Challenge.

Instead of trying to raise $1,000 for the installation of a small well and tap, this year we’d like to raise $1,000 to engage the great need we experience very close to home. During the six weeks of Lent, we will be hearing from our partner ministries here in Tahlequah: CARE Food Pantry, Help-In-Crisis, Hope House, Project Osiyo, Humane Society of Cherokee County, & Habitat for Humanity. They will share with us the work that they are doing, and help us to visualize the true need for justice just outside our doors. Our challenge this year will be to raise an additional $1,000 above and beyond what we normally send in support of these ministries to help alleviate the needs in our own town.

I’ll be offering more information in my column in future newsletters, but for the time being, I would invite you to pray for the ministries that are working right next door. The need for justice and change remains great, and this year we’re inviting the community to remember how great it is right here at home. I’ll hope you’ll join me in this time of prayer, and that you will be led to join me in this challenge to further the work of the gospel in Tahlequah.

Seeking God’s justice in a new year,
Clint