Freedom!!!

Today I want to talk about something that took me forever to understand: Freedom. and I still don't fully understand it, but I believe I understand it better now then I ever did in the past.

See when I was younger and even when I was in college, and even when I was at my first Job as a pastor I struggled with the burden of perfection. I knew I wasn't perfect but I wanted to be. I was raised in a good evangelical church, I knew about entire Sanctification. But I didn't get the paradox of Freedom in Christ but also Being Perfect.

It is a paradox.Paul says, "it is by faith and not by works so no man can boast." Yet James Says, "faith without Works is dead" and Jesus said, "If you love me you will follow my commandments." It doesn't make sense, we are free but there are still laws. now growing up I heard all the explanations of how this paradox works itself out, I went to bible school, I have had multiple hours of theology classes. I participated in holy week, and went to camp meetings. Sanctification is a big deal to Wesleyans.

But it all came back to the actual living out of this idea which seemed to preach free but not free. and I was not perfect, In fact I didn't understand some thing that people pointed to as what a perfect person did and believed. In some ways I gave up the idea that could be perfect. Sometimes it felt that everyone else was perfect and had arrived be me.

when I came to Seminary I was so tired from trying to be a good example for the youth, seeing church as a job, and feeling that I could do little right that I decided that while at seminary I was going to not live under the rules and regulations I had given myself. For example I was going to take one week off from church every month. this was a big deal I was not allowed to miss church in college, and never did unless i was sick or the weather was really really really! bad. and even in high school I had rarely missed. but that one week a month helped me to breath, it wasn't something I had to do anymore.

The thing I didn't do was 'forsake' the gathering of believers. I was with other Christians all the time. and I met some Christians who had completely different views on things then me. where I had always thought that every Christians was a republican (for example) I met people who had real issues with that party. I found people who cared about things that were more important and less self centered then the way people dressed and talked. I had always known in my mind that perfection wasn't my job, and that freedom wasn't the ablity to do whatever I wanted. but somehow at Seminary when I desided not to care about the rules society had placed on my I really began to know that perfection wasn't my job, and that I could really be free.

Sure I still make mistakes but that is why i love being at a church that has an older liturgy. every week we say: Almighty God, Creator of all, you marvelously made us in your image; but we have corrupted ourselves and damaged your likeness by rejecting your love and hurting our neighbors. we have done wrong and neglected to do right. we are sincerely sorry and heartily  repent of our sins. cleanse us and forgive us by the sacrifice of your son; remake us and lead us by your spirit, the Comforter. we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And then the priest reminds us all that we (himself included) have been forgiven by saying:

Almighty God have mercy on you forgive you all your sins though our lord Jesus Christ, Strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life Amen

Some times it is just good to say aloud, "I missed the mark again, either by something I did or something I left undone, in thought word or deed. and then to be reminded that God still forgives. it is why I need confession every Sunday, and to go to the Lord's table every week. that is how i am reminded that despite all my failings I am forgiven, I am free in Christ.

Fun High-Jinks in the Library.

for most of my seminary time i have worked at the library.  it is a good job to have, great people and just generally a good place to be.  it even has it's little quirks, like an alarm system that goes off and on when ever it wants to.  the lights that sometimes come back on all by themselves after turning them off.  and the usual complaints of being a technology center.  we at the library often jock about the place being haunted.  I wrote something about this back in October.  but there is something very fun that happened today, yes more fun then the library rave we had over spring break last year.  we had a bird caught in the upstairs quiet floor.  how did it get in?  good question, i would guess it got in the same way that the bats get in...Magic.

any way this bird was tricksy and it took several people to corner it.  including the very brave former zoo employee, Jon Todd.  it flew here and there, landing on books stealing crumbs and hiding in mysterious places that only magic birds know about.  in the end after wearing the bird out by chasing it and acting like a dysfunctional pack the thing that finely caught the bird and returned it safely back outside?  well as the young man said who caught it, it was his mad Asian skills. 

Snow fall at Asbury

Snow is falling gently in quiet Wilmore making it seem as if the campus of Asbury Theological seminary has been transported into the magical realm of the snow globe. as the spring semester gets kicked off the students are treated to a landscape of white snow and treacherous ice which has caused the seminary to delay its opening and cancel the earliest morning classes.

Which has allowed plenty of time for the time honored past time of yeti hunting. yes i know it may sound completely observed that in the southern state of Kentucky (at least south of the Ohio river) there would be a yeti. But it is as true as tales of leprechaun, gremlins, and poltergeists which reside in the library.

The yeties which are native to Kentucky are of a very odd breed who spend much of the year sleeping in hidden caves surrounding the Kentucky River. they only appear when the smell of snow pull them from their deep slumber calling them out to play and gather food. they have little fear because they have a special type of magic which makes them very difficult to see.

and so as with so many students of the past the students of Asbury Seminary go forth in hopes of finding the ever elusive Yeti. it is very rare that a yeti is actually caught but enough have been caught to provided several stories to be pasted down along with a special recipe for Yeti stew.

So may to all the hopefuls I bid you good luck!