Author: Les Shultz

Thoughts from here and there…The Congregational Way: What does it provide us?

Joe Polhemus, the late editor of the Congregationalist, published by the National Association sent an e-mail message inviting me, and anyone else to address his concern which is as follows:

“The current issue of The Congregationalist, now languishing at the printer for several weeks, carries seven short definitions of the Congregational Way by seven Congregationalists, including Arthur Rouner, Jr.

“We talk at length about the merits of the Way, but when asked for specifics we get varied, sometimes vague, answers. If our Way is relevant, which I am sure it is, I believe we have a responsibility to articulate it in concise terms.

“I would welcome your definitions, in 150 words or less, by September 7, to be considered for publication in the Oct./Nov. issue of one of Christendom’s great publication. No prizes are being contemplated.”

The date has come and gone and I did not write anything for the Congregationalist. Mr. Polhemus’ concern is a genuine one, and one that ought to gain the attention of all who claim to be Congregationalists.

Specifically, what are the merits of the Way? What benefits do we acquire from our membership in the Congregational Christian Church?

If I were going to write a definition in 150 words the point that I would emphasize is FREEDOM! I would approach the meaning of freedom in this way.

In Congregationalism we have and must have freedom of choice, for good or ill. My reading of the biblical material defends this position. God created us and gave us choice. The first human used choice badly by eating fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God does not physically, emotionally or psychology restrain their choice, and neither does he ours. Choice is one of the qualities that defines what it means to be human.

In Congregationalism we are free from creeds and statements of faith. Creeds and Statements of Faith have their place. What often happens is that creeds and Statements of Faith become fixed once and for all time. It is at this point that they become restrictive to spiritual development. God wants us to grow. Growth towards spiritual maturity is the work of a lifetime. It never ends. Dependence on a creed has the tendency to stifle growth by allowing us to believe that we know all that there is to know. This is not true.

Well, I am already at 261 words in this response, but let me add one more thought. In addition to freedom of choice and freedom for growth there is in Congregationalism the freedom to be.

I was startled and comforted when one day when I read, “God is not so much interested in what we do, but why we do it.” We cannot do enough work to satisfy the claim of God on us, we can only love. God helps us to develop the understanding and the capacity to be loving people. Even as you pastor in Congregationalism I am only one amongst equals. We are together in Christ, above all else, people who love and care for one another.

Mr. Polhemus wrote: “We talk at length about the merits of the Way, but when asked for specifics we get varied, sometimes vague, answers. If our Way is relevant, which I am sure it is, I believe we have a responsibility to articulate it in concise terms.” I hope that what I have tried to share with you in this brief article articulates the benefits of our Way in concise terms. I am delighted and proud (in the best meaning of the word) to be a Congregationalist.

Thoughts from here and there…Reform

“I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! We are the church together!” (©Richard K. Avery and Donald S. Marsh, 1972)

I am the church. You are the church. What kind of a church are we? October 31 is Reformation Day. gives us an opportunity to confront this question. This is a day which commemorates a day of extraordinary changes in the religious thought and practice.

It was on this day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg. He challenged the commonly accepted theological understandings and religious practices of his day. He stood firm in the face of severe and brutal opposition. He was so completely convinced of the rightness of his position that he could not be moved from it. He could do nothing else. He wrought great change which led to the birth and development of the Protestant Church.

In recent weeks, how many times have you heard the word, “change?” It’s time for a change in direction. It’s time for a change in leadership. It’s time for a change in policy, and so we have various reform bills that either have been signed by the President or are being passed by Congress so that they may be signed.

Change as a rallying point is as old as history. Change in itself may be meaningless. The value obtained from change depends on the rational for change and how the changes will be made effective in personal life, church or society. One of the most important points that we need to remember about change is that we usually strongly resist change until the crisis overtakes us and we are forced by personal health or economic reasons to, of course, change.

There is an illustration from the life of William Randolph Hearst that well illustrates how desire may drive us to look for that which we already possess. He wanted a painting. He wanted it so badly that he told his staff to go in search for it; to pay any price, take any tack, to acquire it. Hearst’s staff traveled the world over searching for the desired artwork. One day a member of his staff sheepishly approached Mr. Hearst with the news that they had found the painting, and it had not cost him anything. He was excited and happy. He wanted to know where they had found the painting and how they had tricked the person into giving it to them. It was at this point that they candidly had to admit that Mr. Hearst owned the painting, and they had found it in his warehouse.

We desire change and reform. We may search the world over and remain dissatisfied. We want a painting that we already possess. We are the Church. Our Church can be what it is that we, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, desire it to be. It takes time, thought and work to create our vision of God for us. It is better to do this than to travel the world looking for something that we already have. Reformation Day is a day to examine, explore, evaluate, and then determine what kind of a church we are going to be. We will be the church, regardless! It is better to be constructive and helpful.

Thoughts from here and there…Dry Old Well1

John Sanford recalls his boyhood experience spending a month each summer in an old farmhouse in New Hampshire. The house was more than 150 years old and had never been modernized.

Sanford reflects, “My father was the minister of a modest-sized Episcopal church, we were always short of money, and so for a long time we lived in the house quite simply without the benefit of modern plumbing or electricity.” Their water supply came from an old well which was just outside the front door. He recalls that the water from the well was unusually cold and pure and “a joy to drink.” The well never ran dry even in the severest summer droughts. Other families would be forced to resort to the lake for their drinking water, while this well continued to yield its cool, clear water.

Eventually the Sanfords decided to modernize the house. Modern plumbing and running water were installed. They no longer needed the old well so they sealed it. The old well would be kept in reserve in case their new modern well would ever fail them.

One day a couple of summers later John’s curiosity got the best of him. He decided to uncover the well to inspect its condition. “As I removed the cover,” he writes, “I fully expected to see the same dark, cool, moist depths I had known so well as a boy.” It was quite a shock for him when he discovered that the once faithful well was bone dry.

“It took many inquiries on our part to understand what had happened,” he writes. By not using the well the hundreds of tiny underground rivulets dried up. As water was drawn from the well, more water moved into it, keeping the tiny apertures clear and open. When the well was not used and the water not drawn, the tiny rivulets closed up.

Sanford compares his boyhood experience with his faith, “What happened to the old well can also happen to our souls if the living water of God does not flow into us.”

Does living water flow in our souls? Is our faith alive and do we bear fruit as a result? Those are some questions to keep in mind as you consider John Sanford and the well..

1THE KINGDOM WITHIN. John A. Sanford. San Francisco: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1987, pp. 7-8.

A New Beginning

A Theme for life can be “A New Beginning.” New beginning is not only related to the beginning of a new year because every day is a new beginning.

A story that helps us to better understand new beginnings is told by John Powell, S.J. in his book, The Christian Vision, A Nearsighted Young Man. (Powell, S.J., John, The Christian Vision: the Truth That Sets Us Free (Allen, Texas: Argus Communications, 1984) pp. 36-37

Dr. Powell writes, “I once knew a young man who was born seriously myopic. He could see clearly only those objects within a few feet of himself. when the schools he attended sent this word home, his parents reasoned, ‘When we were his age, we did not need glasses. Why should he?’ And so the boy grew up in the only world that was available to him through his nearsighted vision. He actually worked out an explanation for this world in terms of his nearsightedness. For example, do you know why the teachers at school write on the chalkboards? They are not writing for the pupils who cannot possibly read what they are writing. They are rather writing those notes on the board for themselves, so that they can remember what to teach. And do you know why cities put street signs so high up on telephone poles where no one can read them? Well, this is done for the bus drivers. They sit high up in the front of the buses and can read those signs. Then they can call out the names of the streets for their passengers. And so on.

“One day the young man, in his eighteenth year, consulted an eye doctor. The doctor sat him down and kept experimenting with corrective lenses until he had the proper prescription. The doctor then told the boy to look out the window. ‘Wow!’ the young man gasped. It was so beautiful. He could for the first time see the blue skies with white puffs of clouds. He could see the smiling faces of people, the billboards, and the street signs. Later he told me, “It was the second most beautiful experience of my whole life.’ So naturally I had to ask him about ‘the most beautiful.’ What was it?

“‘The day,’ he replied, ‘I came to believe in Jesus. When I at last took him seriously and saw that God is truly my Father, when I saw that this really is God’s beautiful world, when I saw myself as a child of the heart of God, and felt the warmth of his love, when I saw others as my brothers and sisters in the human family of our Father-this was the great turning point, the most transforming and beautiful experience of my whole life. It was like the beginning of a new life. I know what Saint Paul means when he says that faith makes us a brand-new creation.’”

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5.17, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” Jesus offers the option of newness. We are not instantaneously changed. We know that everything has not become new. We struggle with the same old attitudes. We commit the same old sins.

We also know that everything can become new. It is like Jeremiah writes in Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” God mercies are new every morning. We are reminded that every day is a new beginning. We have the option of newness, what we do with the new day is up to us. God can help us to use the time to maintain the process of becoming new.

Thoughts from here and there…What’s for Dinner

I don’t know why they did it. Maybe they didn’t want to bother. Perhaps it was too much work. Possibly they were only exercising their independence, after all, who wants to be told what to eat. Its worth thinking about.

“The dinner I’m going to starts at 6, John so I’ve prepared everything for you here. There’s a nice casserole in the fridge just put it in the microwave and then into the oven at 350º ‘till it bubbles…Put frozen peas into a covered Pyrex dish and microwave on high for three minutes, stir and heat again. I bought buns, there’s a fresh garden salad , for dessert there is…”

Elizabeth interrupts, “We’ll be fine, mom—honest.”

Mom waves goodbye. John, Elizabeth and April are seen leaving through the front door. They go to a local burger restaurant where they are eating burgers, fries, and a soft drink. Behind them on the wall is a menu board with headings which read: “Burgorama,” “Dogorama,” and “Spudorama.”

This is an episode of “For Better or Worse,” featuring the Patterson’s as drawn and written by Lynn Johnston.

As I read the pictures and the dialogue, I wondered why? In this age of health-consciousness, why? Why the fat and sodium? Why the calories? Why not stay at home and eat the delicious and nutritious meal that Elly had prepared? It is typical, is it not? It gives us something to think about. Just think of the table that God has spread.

In Matthew 22:1-10, it is written that: “Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.'”

I know this is a future banquet, but the invitation and it’s acceptance take place in the present. If Jesus has prepared a great banquet, why should we go to McDonald’s? It doesn’t make sense to do this, unless we are more like the first invited guests to Jesus’ banquet than we might realize.

We have here in stark contrast the bread of heaven. In contrast the food of this world may be characterized as, “Deceitful,” (Proverbs 23:2-3); “Ashes,” (Isaiah 44:20); “Unsatisfying,” (Isaiah 55:2); “Like corn husks,” (Luke 15:16); and “Perishable,” (John 6:27).

People consciousness of their nutrition needs would certainly seek that which satisfies and nurtures; they would wouldn’t they? What Lynn Johnston reveals is that is not always the case.

Worship is a banquet spread with the encouragement of the word which feeds the hungry soul with good things. September 20 is RALLY DAY! Come and enjoy the feast. Psalms 23:5, says “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” You cannot get this kind of food at Burger King.

Thoughts from here and there…Helping

On June 20, 1996 I officiated at a non-member wedding in the sanctuary of Caldwell United Methodist Church. After the wedding the gentleman who is a member of the church, and who opened and closed the building, approached me with a question and an inquiry. A church member complained about non-member families use of the church facilities. The comment was, “They neither will join the church nor attend services. Under these conditions, why should we provide people the services of the church? Why indeed? But then, stop and ponder what the church is for.

My answer to the custodian of the day was, “The church is here to be taken advantage of.” We are to demonstrate love and do good works whether they are appreciated or not, even whether there is not a positive response or not. We are here to provide loving service to those in need within the hope that what is done might strike a responsive cord in their lives and turn them towards God in ways that we may not anticipate.

It is and has always been that way, even from the beginning when Jesus taught and performed the miracles of healing for mind and body. Jesus went about the countryside of Galilee and Decapolis, and other places healing people and teaching them the basics of the kingdom of God. Did Jesus ever say that these good people had to become church members? No! Of course, there was not yet a church, but Jesus did have a group of followers. He did not even tell people to become part of the group.

Jesus did not tell people that in order to be blessed by his power and wisdom that they had to change their lives and live according to his plan for them. All that he asked is that they considered what it meant to be a loving human being under the tutelage of a gracious God who loved them and wanted to save them.

Obviously Jesus also pointed out what might happen if individuals were unrelated to the kingdom of God. The results could be pretty severe. This might act as an incentive for life changes, but often it did not.

Jesus met and helped people where they were and so ought we do the same today. When you do the rewards may not be apparent, and yet they may be.

“It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen used this thought to close his television program.

What we have discovered is that it is very easy to “curse the darkness.” Cursing is not swearing. Cursing is a form of criticism. It is a means of expressing a deep dissatisfaction with the way “it” is. “It” being anything that we want it to mean.

Each of us have a candle to light. That is, each Christian has a candle to light. Jesus speaks of the Christian and light:

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven, (Matthew 5:14-16 NRSV)

To light a lamp or a candle is to become involved, in a positive way, in seeking to address perceived wrongs, and to use one’s influence to bring about constructive change. Lighting a candle means to use one’s talents, abilities, and skills to create what needs to be achieved, rather than waiting for someone else to do it for you. It means remaining where you are, rather than seeking what it is that you feel you need in other directions where needs may not be ultimately met.

By getting involved in creating what is needed we do good deeds. As Portia in Shakespear’s play, The Merchant of Venice, says: “That little light we see burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world”

Adlai Stevenson said of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, “She would rather light candles than curse the darkness and her glow has warmed the world.”

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt wrote, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’…You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

Enough said. This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, and shine everywhere.

Thoughts from here and There…In the words of Theodore Roosevelt:

Some time ago, I found this thought by Teddy Roosevelt. I do not remember the source, but I remember the important point that he is making that is useful especially in an election year.

“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points where the strong man stumbled, nor where the doer has done them better.

“On the contrary, the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena–whose vision is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up again and again; who knows the great devotions, the great enthusiasms; who at best knows in the end the triumph of his achievement.

“However, if he fails, if he falls, at least he fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

We live with a courage born of Jesus, and a faith that sees us through all the conditions and circumstances of life.

Dare Greatly!

Does anything more need to be said. With daring, strength, and courage we can accomplish so much more that we first might have thought or imagined.

Thoughts from here and there…A Community of Faith

We are all part of the community of faith. We are all a part of God’s family. We cannot be part of something and live apart from it. We recognize that the community is not perfect. Sometimes imperfection is called hypocrisy; it is not. This conclusion is used to rationalize a view that a Christian does not need to be a part of the community for one can find God in nature, but what kind of nature?

Frederick Buechner1 reminds us of the limitations of this view. “Unfortunately, Adam and Eve took nature with them when they fell. You’ve only to look at the sea in a November gale. You’ve only to consider the staggering indifference of disease, or the field at Antietam, or a cook boiling a lobster, or the statistics on child abuse. You’ve only to remember your own darkest dreams.”

In contrast, Dr. Andrew Weil,2 points out that being a Christian means accepting life in a community of faith. There are not only spiritual benefits, but psychological ones as well. “Human beings are highly social, communal animals. We are meant to live in families, tribes and communities, and when we lack those connections, we suffer. Yet many people pride themselves on their independence and habitually distance themselves from others. Some may indulge in isolation as a defensive strategy — possibly developed in reaction to painful emotional experiences. Others may never have learned how to connect meaningfully to anyone or anything beyond themselves.”

We can learn to connect meaningfully. It is a risk that is taken because the results are far more valuable than what may be had in the moment. Consider this, Can one be a Christian without a community? The answer is obvious.

1Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark: An ABC Theologized (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988), 85.

2Andrew Weil, M.D., “Connectedness Is Vital to Your Well-Being,” Going Bonkers?, December 1997.

Tyops

Typos are mistakes in a publication. Typos may be misspellings. Typos may be an inappropriate word, like using scents for cents. Tpoys is the one thing in this modern age that is neither discovered by spelling or grammar checkers. No matter how hard to you try to get rid of them, they appear at the worst possible time and in the most embarrassing places. For example, The Recipe of the Month in theJune Chronicles was attributed to Helga Shultz. Helga requested that a correction appear in the July Chronicles. I wrote the correction and showed it to her for her approval. Everything to this point was correct. Then I decided to change the structure of the paragraph. If you read the correction on the front page of the July, 1996 Congregational Chronicles you read, “The Recipe of the Month that was in the June issue of the congregational Chronicles was not supplied by Jennie Sanchez from Caldwell United Methodist Church, and not Helga Shultz as was noted. We apologize for the error.” Now I apologize for compounding the error. Jennie Sanchez from Caldwell United Methodist Church did supply the Recipe of the Month that appeared in the June issue of the Congregational Chronicles.

In a recent M.E.M.O. column,1 Martin Marty who writes for the Christian Century, can do a whole column on tsypo that are humorous and gain a laugh or two. Here are a few samples. Some of them are subtle, so read carefully.

“Surly the Presence of the Lord’ by: Chamber Choir.” “Leader: The Living God sends us froth to serve…” “Solo: ‘The Solid Rock/’Tis so Sweet to Rust in Jesus.'” “Births: Stewart and Amy had a baby girl on August 7 in Wisconsin. Material grandmother is Mary.” “A new church member was introduced: ‘In her free time she volunteers as a candy stripper.'” “A trustees report of a church in Connecticut: ‘The eves of the education wing need repair.'” How about one more. “A Lutheran Church announcement: ‘The Associated Ministries will hose Dr. Liebenow in an informal “Coffee and Conversation.”‘” Well, you get the point.

Typos cannot be hidden. They are right out there in front where everyone can see them. You cannot escape the comments that come as a result of your mistake. I mean, you proofread and proofread and still typos rear their ugly heads. It’s as if they were just laying in wait to catch the unsuspecting writer, and/or, editor.

I suppose that you know that the typo is a metaphor for part of our lives. How many times have you spoken when you ought to have remained silent, or vice versa? How many times have you tried to extend to someone a compliment and it came our a complaint. How many times have you told a person that you were a Congregationalist and they understood Congressionalist? We are all too human. We make mistakes. Some of our mistakes we can keep hidden from people so that we do not have to take the heat from them, but at other times there is no way of escape. The copy book is blotted for all the world, or at least as much of the world that we inhabit, to see.

Ah! Well! You cannot hide from typos. Typos are a part of life. I know only one way to handle typos and that is to smile and keep right on going, no matter how silly or how embarrassing they may be. And, I have been guilty of some of the most silly and the most embarrassing. Apologize for the typos that are offensive. Laugh with the ones that are the most silly. Correct the ones that are the most important. Learn from experience and try very hard not to do it again. But you know that it is going to happen. When you least anticipate or expect it, someone will find a typo.

(Martin Marty, “M.E.M.O., Froth and Spray,” The Christian Century, Vol. 113 No. 17 (May 15, 1996), 531.