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Christian Landscaping?

April 24, 2017 by joe Leave a Comment

At first, Christian landscaping might sound like another form of consumer Christianity. You know, the subculture that offers a Christian variant of everything secular. Music, books, movies, and clothing are a few examples. With landscaping, I see rock features highlighting an empty tomb or three crosses on top of a small hill. For the ambitious, a water feature with carefully placed translucent pads so you can reenact Jesus walking on the water.

But that’s not what I mean by Christian landscaping.  Instead, I suggest a faith in the God of the Bible that shapes all of life … including how we landscape and care for the ground surrounding our homes, churches, schools, and businesses. Never thought of it that way before? Honestly, I hadn’t thought either. Then, a couple years ago, a church I used to work had the opportunity to landscape their property.

When the discussion first started, I suggested we develop a theology of landscaping. Some looked at me with confusion, others literally laughed out loud at the perceived absurdity of the idea. But when I rephrased the idea as sort out how our faith informs the use of our “dirt” assets, interest seemed to grow.

The remainder of this post takes the thoughts I developed then, expands on them, and offers thoughts for application beyond churches.

Christian landscaping
Is this what Christian landscaping looks like?

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Do You Follow the God That Failed?

April 19, 2017 by joe 11 Comments

The God That Failed is a 1949 book featuring six essays on the authors “conversion to and subsequent disillusionment with communism.” In 1991, Metallica released a song by the same title. The lyrics explore the grief of a son who lost his mother to cancer because she refused to seek medical attention but trusted that god would heal her. When she died, that god became the god that failed.

While these examples involve belief in a failed system or being which is ultimately declared the god that failed, there is another God that failed … a God whose failure the church continually seeks to justify in what I see as the world’s most prevalent and damaging, yet unrecognized theodicy.

For those not familiar with the term, a theodicy is an attempt to create space for the belief in God/god. For example, the most popular theodicy attempts to explain the question the goodness of a God who permits evil. Oddly, there is nothing that undermines the divinity defended more than the theodicy itself because it takes something beyond comprehension and makes it both comfortable and accessible (for more on theodicy, I suggest Placher’s, The Domestication of Transcendence.).

So who is this god that failed at the heart this ultimate theodicy? Who is the God that failed who the church seeks to continually justify? Christ crucified.

Who is the God that failed who the church seeks to continually justify? Christ crucified. Click To Tweet
Jesus Crucified is the God that Failed
Jesus Crucified is the God that Failed

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The Multiple Meanings of Easter

April 16, 2017 by joe 5 Comments

How, in light of what I wrote about Good Friday, do I understand Easter? In other words, according to the model I grew up with, the resurrection evidenced God’s acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice for sin. However, if the crucifixion isn’t God punishing Jesus, but is Jesus taking our violence, hatred, and anger upon himself, and leaving them in the grave, what is Easter supposed to mean?

I argue that different biblucal authors have different perspectives. While they all hold to the broader perspective outlined above, they each have a different nuance. In this post, I explore the synoptic Gospel accounts. I’m not including John because it is at the core of reframing God’s glory in Friday’s post. If you want, you can read a more expansive version of this post in Chapter 2 of my dissertation, Re-Storying God: Re-Imagining the God of the Bible and Re-Enchanting Our Neo-Secular Selves.

What is the meaning of Easter?
What is the meaning of Easter?

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Learning to Love Good Friday … Again

April 14, 2017 by joe 4 Comments

Growing up, Good Friday was my favorite day on the Christian calendar. Why? Because the brutality of that day, more than any other, reinforced my understanding of the world. My understanding of the crucifixion both legitimized and gave meaning to my self-understanding. In a very twisted way, it both affirmed and normalized my cognitive reality.

Tonight, I’m learning to fall in love with Good Friday again, but it’s been quite a journey to reach a place where that’s possible. Here are a few thoughts on then and now.

Learning to Love Good Friday ... Again.
Learning to Love Good Friday … Again

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Therapist vs Pastor

January 24, 2017 by joe 1 Comment

No, this is not a call for a Royal Rumble, a Battle Royal, or a Steel Cage Match that pits therapist vs pastor. I believe both serve valuable roles in our society. At the same time, the roles are different, and quite often, a good pastor can lay the groundwork for a good therapist.

This post aims to help you understand the therapist vs pastor distinction and decide which one you need. In the end, if you need a pastor, I’m here to help.

Theology vs Therapy
Theology vs Therapy … which one is right for you?

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The Gift of My Theological Crisis

January 17, 2017 by joe 2 Comments

I never imagined spending a semester as a guest professor at an international seminary would prompt a theological crisis. Yet that’s exactly what happened in 2010 while teaching at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa.

When I arrived in South Africa, externally, I was on top of the world. A recently finished ministry leave of absence designed to focus on family issues was behind me. Based on the metrics established, the time was successful. It was time to step back into the limelight as an international guest professor. Given that teaching is an area of strength and a role that inspires confidence, I was ready to shine.

But internally, I was a mess. My life, a house of cards built on the easily shaken table of performance-based acceptance. Feelings of unworthiness fueled a sex addiction. But rather than seeking help, I denied the existence of my addiction and thought finding my ministry groove would make the temptation go away.

Then came my theological crisis.

theological crisis

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