I borrow the title for today’s article from H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic, 1975 book of the same title. We will not dive into Niebuhr’s five variations of Christ and culture. But on our church calendar today, we celebrate one of Oklahoma’s own, The Rev. David Pendleton Oakerhater, a Cheyenne warrior who was captured by the US Army, imprisoned in Florida and who converted to Christianity and ordained a deacon at age 34.
White Christianity in America was Born in Heresy
This statement was made by Yale University theologian Eboni Marshall Turman last year at an academic conference. When the Americas were discovered and explored by white Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries, various European nations began their grand history of empire-building. European missionary priests brought Christianity to indigenous peoples around the world. The underlying assumptions in all this conquest and exploration was that the Christian religion was best for everyone, and the specific version of Christianity* was white and European.
Plastics II
I have said this before, but it bears repeating, humans do not “consume” anything. We are not “consumers.” We only transform things. In biological systems, one organism’s waste is another organism’s energy source (food). In our natural world, the end metabolic process of plants is carbohydrates and oxygen which are the input energy sources for animal metabolism. In turn, animals pump out carbon dioxide and protein or various nitrogenous outputs which then become inputs for plants. Natural systems are said to be “closed loop” because everything is recycled. There is no “waste.” Natural systems are beautiful.
My Hopes for the Church
After the 1917-1918 pandemic, the world was eager to get back to what it was before. The pandemic lasted two years or longer, and at the end, churches and schools and businesses continued to churn out the same old same old. At least until the stock market crashed in 1929. But this time, I suspect that we may have an opportunity. Yes, there are strong desires to go back to normal in every corner of life. At the same time, there is a growing suspicion that we won’t be able to go back to the cherished good old days.
The Katy Prairie
It’s a free country. I can do what I want with “my land,” right? Well, maybe. Consider Katy, Texas.
Originally, the vast expanse of land northwest of Houston was filled with native prairie grasses. The Buffalo Bayou runs through the area and on into Houston to become the major fresh water source for Galveston Bay. It is two blocks from my sister’s house which has been flooded twice in three years by statistical “500-year storms.”
Extinction Level Events
The 1998 movie, “Deep Impact” had one scientist confused that another colleague was obsessed with an extramarital affair involving a person named “Ele.” Surprise, Ele, turned out to be an acronym for “Extinction Level Event” and the stage was set for drama.
Anglican Metaphysical Poets
Two of my favorite poets belong to this group, George Herbert and John Donne. We will tackle Herbert today.
Who do you say that Jesus is?
I seldom write extensions for the Sunday sermon, but this time, the topic is too important. Matthew’s gospel this Sunday has Jesus taking the disciples to Caesarea Philippi where he poses the question to them, “Some say that I am John the Baptist… others, Elijah … but who do you say that I am?” To which Peter blurts out the answer and what will become Christianity is started right there.
Apologetics
Wikipedia defines this term as: “Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, “speaking in defense”) is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse”. In the 20th century, C. S. Lewis was one of the best-known Christian apologists. An Oxford professor of classics, Lewis knew a thing or two. His Narnia chronicles portray the Christian gospel through the lives of sentient animals in a make-believe land of Narnia. While critics may deride Christianity itself as make-believe, Lewis’ Narnia helps people understand the fundamental Christian teachings in a familiar way through storytelling.
The Three-Legged Stool
For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church was the only form of Christianity in Europe. The power of the church paralleled the political power of kings. Cathedrals were built throughout Europe paid for by selling “get out of hell” statements called “indulgences.” Men from miles around were forcibly impressed to toil on construction of these magnificent structures in a near slave-labor situation.