Circuit Writer

I’m excerpting a copy of this post written by Rev. Craig Watts for the Disciples Peace Fellowship that was also featured in the Disciple’s Advocate (Vol. 9 no. 1) a publication of Disciples Home Missions.  It’s a great theological statement and well worth the read.  You can read the entire article by following the link below.

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” continue reading…

My column for the March 6 – March 19, 2011 edition of The Tahlequah Christian.

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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 continue reading…

My column for the February 13 – February 19, 2011 edition of The Tahlequah Christian.

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This last Sunday I used the privilege of the pulpit to share with you what I would call a “confessional” sermon. In it, I bared a piece of my soul on the question of atonement (salvation is another word for the same idea), and I shared with you my questions about the way it’s been traditionally understood. I’m troubled by the commonly held idea that “Jesus died for our sins,” and don’t really think our God of love and compassion would work to bring about salvation (life) through the act of execution (death). That, and the fact that an atoning death completely ignores the wonder of the resurrection that we celebrate every Easter!

But the purpose of this opening isn’t to introduce a discussion on atonement theory – a discussion that would take far more words than I can squeeze into this weekly column – but to make what I hope will be a simple proposition: I’d like to hear from you. Is there something that you do not believe? Is there something that you do believe, but don’t hear us talking about it as part of our Christian faith? These are all valid and legitimate questions a person encounters when on the faith journey, and I’d like to start a conversation about some of these questions and ideas.

So in our Sunday bulletins for the next couple of weeks, we will include a simple form that you may fill out if you desire, that will let me know the questions and thoughts that we have as a congregation. It will be straightforward – a line stating “This I believe” with space for you to fill in your thoughts and another entitled “This I do not believe” with space for you to write in your thoughts on that as well. Finally, I will ask you if I have permission to use any of these thoughts in a newsletter or sermon, and an optional space to leave your name. You do not have to sign your name if you’d like to give me permission to engage in your questions, and you may sign your name but not give me permission to use them in a public manner. It’s all up to you! Your participation is, of course, optional, but I hope you will consider filling one out and placing it in the offering when it is collected. I look forward to hearing from all you about your questions, ideas, and beliefs when it comes to our faith!

Seeking God’s justice in a new year,
Clint

My column for the January 23 – January 29, 2011 edition of The Tahlequah Christian.

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It seems that the idea of “belief” has become the battleground for the question of faith. If you are not a “bible- believing” Christian who “believes” in God, or more specifically, the God that fundamentalist Christians uphold, then you are not a real Christian. Or, if you “believe” in any form of mystery outside the bounds of scientific inquiry, as the equally loud and belligerent fundamentalist atheists suggest, continue reading…

My column for the January 16 – January 22, 2011 edition of The Tahlequah Christian.

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I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen.
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

These words, written by King as an open letter to respond to a statement made by eight members of the local clergy previously in the week, issue a stinging indictment of the church. continue reading…

My column for the October 24 – October 30 edition of The Tahlequah Christian.

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This week I was proud to announce in worship that thanks to our outreach collections, we have gathered over one hundred Campbell’s soup Labels for Education. With your help clipping labels, I have already had reason to write a letter to Woodhaven, a program dedicated to providing services to adults with developmental disabilities, sending them our prayers and support – and a hundred labels. I’m hopeful this will be the first of many letters to our friends with the Woodhaven program.

But I think it’s important that we know what transforms the seemingly simple act of clipping labels into an act of peacemaking. continue reading…

My column for the August 15 – 28 edition of The Tahlequah Christian.

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All of our recent work in worship relating to providing safe water for those who lack (Aug. 8 ) and thinking about our place in the mission of the gospel as working toward a heavenly kingdom here on earth (Aug. 15) has led me to think about the idea of sustainability. This term has been kicked around more frequently in light of the BP oil spill and other shortages – including water – and it occurs to me that as a Christian community, perhaps the place for us start is in our community. So I’d like to share some excerpts from a blog by David Rhoads and Andrea Orcutt that was originally published at the Sojourners Magazine website. continue reading…

My column for The Tahlequah Christian for the weeks of July 18 -  July 31.

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I came across a fascinating article in The Disciples’ Advocate, a publication of Disciples Home Missions. The headline article for the summer edition is entitled “Considering Peace,” and is writted by Rev. Craig Watts, a member of the Executive Committee of the Disciples Peace Fellowship. It caught my attention from the first sentence: “Outside of the historic ‘peace churches,’ no American religious tradition has a richer peace heritage than the Disciples of Christ.” This piqued my interest enough to want to share some of the highlights with you. continue reading…

My column for the June 20 -  July 3 publication of The Tahlequah Christian.

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“Cursed be Canaan; lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers.”
- Genesis 9:25 (NRSV)

These words of Noah, ostensibly spoken to his sons following his drunken revelry (Genesis 9:20-27), became one of the greatest biblical justifications for slavery in the theological imagination of Christendom in the slaveholding United States. In this exchange, Noah becomes drunk off the fruit of his vineyard, passes out naked and drunk, and his son Ham commits the great sin of looking upon him in his nakedness. On awaking, Noah then proceeds to curse Canaan, Ham’s son, for this affront, and some 2,500 years after the Hebrew canon was collected into one book of scripture, it becomes one of the centerpieces of Christian justification for holding black slaves. continue reading…

My column from the May 23 -  June 5 edition of The Tahlequah Christian.

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It’s that time of the year again: ordination season. As some of you know, I like to attend the ordination services of friends whenever I can, and I kicked off this year by attending the ordination of fellow graduate Geoff Brewster this last Sunday. As you may also recall (especially if you were present for the Pentecost potluck!), last Sunday is the day we traditionally celebrate the birth of the church. And I remember thinking to myself, “I’m not sure about this ordination service taking place on Pentecost…” This is a day for celebrating the whole church, and I wasn’t sure about a service that really seems to celebrate the individual being ordained into the profession of ministry. continue reading…