Inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr.

I've recently picked up a book by Philip Yancey that my father bought for me a couple months ago for my birthday. It's called "Soul Survivor: How Thirteen Unlikely Mentors Helped My Faith Survive the Church." I have to admit that I feared Yancey would be too "evangelical" for my liking, but I have been pleasantly surprised at what I've found. Here is a man who is genuine, who has been hurt deeply by dysfunctional religion in ways I've never come close to, and who is earnestly willing to follow the truth wherever it may lead.

For those of you who know me, you might be aware that I'm going through some tough times. I'm struggling with my daily walk with the Lord and feel under attack each day. Ministry has been grueling; the inner city has been overwhelming; my spiritual disciplines have been eroding. But today as I read in Yancey's book about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. (one of the thirteen), I was moved to tears. In fact, if I hadn't been sitting in a public place, I would have been weeping. So today for my blog entry, I just offer an except from Soul Survivor:

"[One night after being released from the Montgomery City Jail at the age of 26] King, shaken by his first jail experience, sat up in his kitchen wondering if he could take it any more. Should he resign? It was around midnight. He felt agitated, and full of fear. A few minutes before the phone had rung. "Nigger, we are tired of you and your mess now. And if you aren't out of this town in three days, we're going to blow your brains out, and blow up your house."

King sat staring at an untouched cup of coffee and tried to think of a way out, a way to quietly surrender leadership and resume the serene life of scholarship he had planned. In the next room lay his wife Coretta, already asleep, along with their newborn daughter Yolanda. Here is how King remembers it in a sermon he preached:

'And I sat at that table thinking about that little girl and thinking about the fact that she could be taken away from me any minute. And I started thinking about a dedicated, devoted and loyal wife, who was over there asleep... And I got to the point that I couldn't take it anymore. I was weak...

And I discovered then that religion had to become real to me, and I had to know God for myself. And I bowed down over that cup of coffee. I will never forget it... I prayed a prayer, and I prayed out loud that night. I said, "Lord, I'm down here trying to do what's right. I think I'm right. I think the cause that we represent is right. But Lord, I must confess that I'm weak now. I'm faltering. I'm losing my courage."

.... And it seemed at that moment that I could hear an inner voice saying to me, "Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo I will be with you, even until the end of the world." ... I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No never alone. No never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.'

Three nights later, as promised, a bomb exploded on the front porch of King's home, filling the house with smoke and broken glass but injuring no one. King took it calmly: 'My religious experience a few nights before had given me the strength to face it'" (20-21).

I don't dare compare myself to the great Martin Luther King Jr. He was a prophet of the first order. But as I read his story... that he was only in his twenties (as I still am for another 10 months), about his fears for his little girl and wife, his weakness and loss of courage, and his desire to retreat to a "serene life of scholarship" (all of which I can relate to perfectly), I was deeply impacted by the simple message given to him by God: "I am with you."

That's really all anyone ever needs. We don't need a home or clothing or a car to drive. We don't need food or water or air. But we do need God with us. Today I realize that that is the one thing I need. And I have it.

Midrash: Luke 1:46-55

The Jewish rabbis have it right. For centuries, they've been telling us that we don't just "read the Bible as it is" -- we are always interpreting the text whether we're aware of it or not. It's actually an insight that only recently mainstream scholars in both biblical studies as well as in literature have come to accept. The French postmodern Derrida has helped us to see this. And, although I don't agree with him in his extreme arguments that all meaning lies within us rather than within the text, his observations are entirely accurate inasmuch as they make us aware of our own theological biases and the inability of us to transcend those biases.

The Jews have a long tradition of what they call midrash. A midrash is an extended , very loose paraphrase of the sacred texts which makes explicit the ways the reader interprets what she reads. (Ha'aretz, the oldest news daily of Israel, offers a better definition: "Midrash is a way of interpreting biblical stories that goes beyond simple distillation of religious, legal or moral teachings. It fills in many gaps left in the biblical narrative regarding events and personalities that are only hinted at.")

I recognize that some conservative Christians who think of the Bible as some immutable, purely divine document handed down from on high with little or no human influence (much as Muslims view the Qu'ran) will be uncomfortable with the seemingly biased nature of midrash. Nevertheless, I find it to be a helpful practice on many levels since it elucidates the way we read the text, makes us aware of our own biases, and expounds upon the Scripture in a manner similar to what preachers do every Sunday.

As a side note, I was introduced to the practice of midrash by two Christians, Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat, in their wonderful book called Colossians Remixed that I highly recommend to anyone. So, with fear and trembling, I am trying my hand at midrash for the first time. Eventually, I might even do one on the entirety of Luke-Acts (since those are my favorite books of the Bible and the ones I've studied the most in an academic manner).

Below is a midrash on Luke 1:46-55, known as Mary's Song or the Magnificat.

*******

Unable to contain herself any longer, the virgin Mary broke out into song and this is what she declared:

The innermost depth of my soul -- that part of me which makes me human and sets me apart from animal creation -- is compelled to sing glories and praises to YHWH, my God.

The breath within my lungs -- which animated to life the first man Adam from the dust -- aches to scream praises and honor to the Saving God whom I serve --

For he, yes YHWH the Unspeakable One, has actually turned his attention, his Divine Mind to me -- a lowly, humble, insignificant young woman of no social standing without any prestige to my name.

Because of what He has done, generation upon generation will remember the name "Mary" and declare that I am honored and favored by God Almighty.

And why will people honor me for centuries to come? Because the strong and mighty One who defends me against the proud has looked at me with favor. He has decided to choose me and to delight in me. Oh how sacred His Name is to me!

To those who show Him the awe and honor that is due to Him, YHWH has proven merciful and faithful throughout the ages from one generation to another.

God's arm is strong. He actively works in this world to bring about justice on behalf of those who are powerless.

Those who are arrogant are brought low by Him. Those who think they control the world because they have large bank accounts or plenty of lobbyists -- those who handle politicians like puppets on a string and think that the rules do not apply to them -- those who trust in their own power and make a mockery of the poor and powerless -- those who sit on the thrones of kings and make decrees that change the lives of millions of unseen people -- those who place money and power above all else: these people are being and will be brought low by my God. Such so-called "rulers and authorities" will in the end learn that all of their self-aggrandizing will amount to nothing.

And in their place, who will God put into positions of honor, power, and authority? Silly little girls like myself who were once thought to have no significance. He will raise up the orphan in China. He will raise up the sex slaves in Thailand. He will raise us the Dalits ("Untouchables") of India. He will raise up the unborn baby that never had a voice. He will raise up the poor in urban centers of wealthy nations who have been caught in systems of oppression created by those with power. He will raise up the lowly even as He brings down the powerful.

Those who go hungry at night and know the pangs of thirst as they fall asleep will be invited to a grand banquet -- the likes of which has never been seen by even the richest corporate executive. The hungry will hunger no more. They will eat fine foods and drink fine wines late into the night.

Meanwhile, those who once thought of the world as their playground will go away in hunger, destitution, and poverty. The wealthy and powerful will have the rug pulled out from under them and they will have nothing, NOTHING left to stand on.

YHWH made a promise to Abraham and his children centuries ago. And although it may seems as though He has long since forgotten that promise, He has not. The nation that cries out to God, "Where are you? How long, O Lord?" will once again break out into jubilant song and dance when they realize that YHWH has remembered them and shown mercy to them and uplifted them from their pit. The merciful protection of God is still upon his people like myself who place their trust in him. The oppressed shall go free and the oppressor shall be brought low.

I cannot help but sing.

Books or Basketball?

I was pleased to see that they used something I said in this story.

Blessed are the Peacemakers...

I'm seriously wondering if these people read the same Bible I do. Get serious. When these people speak of "the gospel" they mean something totally foreign to my mind.

Two More Spotlights

http://www.nuvo.net/nuvo/closings-loom-for-libraries/Content?oid=1354794

Conscientious Objector

I thought I would make this letter public since I do that sort of thing.

- Greg

**************

April 28, 2010

To the Wabash Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America:

I am here declaring my right to register officially with the Free Methodist Church as a conscientious objector to war in accordance with the Book of Discipline Section A, Paragraph 332.3 (1995 Book of Discipline).

Briefly stated, after several years of intense study on the morality of war, I have concluded that Christ calls his followers to a nonviolent, alternative way of life which upholds the suffering cross as our example rather than military power or national flags. I believe Christians are called to resist evil, but to do so without entering into the very violence that the world condones. Many of Jesus’ teachings seem to me to be quite clear on this point, especially in his famous Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.

I renounce the desire to control the course of history as misguided and commit myself to fidelity to God’s sovereign purposes even at the cost of my own life. We worship and imitate the Lamb Who Was Slain. On the cross, Christ redefined the meaning of “power” and revealed to us that the ultimate redemption of creation is laid on the foundation of self-giving, suffering love for the sake of the Other rather than upon retaliation.

Violence is cyclical. This has been demonstrated through all of world history and I am convinced that, among his many other missions, Christ came to teach us how to break out of the cycle of violence that has existed since Cain and Abel. Although not a professing Christian, I certainly agree with the insight of Mahatma Ghandi who said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and the whole world would soon be blind and toothless.” Forgiveness breaks the cycle and puts an end to it. We, as the people of God, must have such a radical trust in the power of God and his resurrection that we would rather die than participate in the violence introduced to the world through sin.

Lastly, I believe that blind patriotism and sworn oaths of loyalty to a nation-state can compromise the Christian position. The agenda of God’s kingdom does not always align itself with the agenda of the United States or any other nation. For this reason, I prefer to swear no loyalty or allegiance to my nation lest it compromise my citizenry in a sacred country – the peaceable kingdom. Hence, I would find it a violation of my moral conscience to enter into the military or even public office for fear that it could divide my loyalty and put me in a position of moral compromise.

Respectfully Submitted,

Gregory R. Coates

The Job of a Pastor

Having been a pastor for almost two years now, I have a newfound respect for those women and men of the cloth. Here is the role of the pastor:

Resident scholar of theology and Bible, orator, self-help guide, counselor, administrator, motivator of unpaid volunteers, prayer warrior, living example of how Christ lived, counselor, close confidante, friend, the one who kisses all babies and asks how everyone's grandmothers are doing requiring a very good memory -- and one who is NEVER allowed to forget a name, one who must smile even when hurting inside, worship leader, Scripture reader, musician and/or connected to musical friends to prod into the position, sometimes janitor, computer tech guru, Mr. Fix-it, work-day organizer, perfect husband and father (no outbursts of anger allowed), one who keeps regular office hours, one who is always interruptable, one who changes the batteries in the wireless microphones, back-up sound booth worker, power-point creator, absorber of insults and anger, peacemaker among those who have no desire for peace, reconciler between enemies, solitary monk and the one who knows everyone, host for new members who eat lunch after church, political activist, community leader, one who serves on multiple conference boards, paper-work filler-outer, contact for insurance companies and phone bill companies and banks and disgruntled neighborhood dwellers, voracious reader of new Christian books, keenly aware of the vast body of classical literature (for sermons), youth worker and mentor, one who takes out the recycling bins, mopper, sweeper, and duster, charismatic leader, one who is funny, one who is serious, visionary, prophet, mild and timid listener, and the list goes on...

I'm not complaining. I love my job. But most people seem to think the pastor works one day each week. Think again.

I found this and it is even better than what I've written:

WANTED: SENIOR PASTOR
Handsome pastor needed to preach 10 minutes each Sunday. You will be
working daily from 8 a.m. until midnight. The perfect candidate will have a
burning desire to work with teenagers, and he will spend most of this time with
the senior citizens. He will smile all the time with a straight face because he has
a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his church. He will
condemn sin but never hurt anyone’s feelings. Attendance at all church
meetings is required. The perfect candidate will make at least fifteen home visits
per day and will always be in his office to be available should an emergency
arise. Preference will be given to a young pastor with 15-20 years of experience.
Some light janitorial duties required.

In the news again...

The fight continues. I don't know why they pick me to speak in their clips. I'm so monotone.

Even better...

Even better, my wife's voice has been heard through the letters to the editor in the Sunday edition of the Indianapolis Star. I'm so proud of you, honey!!!

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100418/OPINION01/4180346/1031/Branch-backers-want-doors-open-Don-t-forget-precious-ones

Woohoo! I made my voice heard!