CCBlogs thinking critically, living faithfully

Michael K. Marsh's blog

Most journeys can be understood in three parts – leaving, traveling, and arrival. We leave with a particular destination in mind. There is a point of arrival. We have probably all asked or heard the familiar travel questions: “Are we there yet?” “How much longer?” “When will get there?”

Whether our journey is geographical, emotional, or spiritual those seem to be underlying questions. We want to “arrive” – with all the various meanings of that word. We want to arrive safely at the end of a geographical journey. We want to arrive in our career with success and recognition. We want to arrive emotionally in the sense of being complete, whole, and satisfied. “To arrive” is somehow seen as having been successful, accomplished, known.

Many of us not only want but often strive to arrive spiritually. Arrival is not, however, the destination of the spiritual journey. Are we there yet? No. How much longer? Eternity.... READ MORE.

Julie Clawson's blog

Most countries around the world are celebrating a holiday today. While here in the United States we might have a few blog posts and an auxiliary lunch or two, other countries are hosting parades and setting aside time to honor women. For today, March 8, is International Women’s Day. A national holiday in some countries, this is the day set aside to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Of course, just mentioning the day’s existence prompts some to ask “well, why isn’t there an International Men’s Day?” In response I’d echo my mom’s reply when on Mother’s Day I would ask her “why isn’t there a kid’s day?” and she would say “because every other day is kid’s (men’s) day.”

But the fact remains, if women truly were treated as equals, valued for our contributions, respected for our ideas, and not assumed to be inferior or incapable in any way, then there would not need to be a day to bring attention to the achievements of women.... READ MORE.

Amy Julia Becker's blog

When my husband was in college, he and his roommates were captivated by Christian asceticism. "Beat my body and make it my own," was one of their mottos. This discipline mostly translated into not sleeping much and fasting from meals on a regular basis. It seemed a bit silly to me at the time. "Honor God with your body," I would retort. "Take care of yourself. Get some sleep!"

Our culture picks and chooses areas of self-denial.... READ MORE.

Debra Dean Murphy's blog

It’s the stuff of cross-stitch samplers and sunny sermons: “God never gives us more than we can handle.”

It’s meant to console, to inspire confidence, to help us “claim victory” over illness or heartache or the wiles of the devil. For all the earnestness with which it is exhorted and embraced, it is also patently untrue.

Some people, lots of people, millions of people have more than they can handle.

They are overwhelmed, undone by sudden catastrophe; buried under crushing burdens related to debt, disease, death; drowning in a sea of unstoppable pain or white-hot grief. Some, miraculously, find a way out of the staggering misery (more on that in a minute). Others don’t.... READ MORE.

Roger Lovette's blog

More than anything else, for me Lent is coming home. Nothing captures this idea more than the story of the Prodigal son. We know it like the back of our hands. The boy, mad and foolish, went far from home and found that over there was not all it was cracked up to be. In time, he lost everything and had no place to go. Finally—in desperation he decided to go back home, groveling in the dust, ashamed and embarrassed. Hopefully his father would take him back, maybe as a servant. We know the rest of that story.... READ MORE.

Amy Julia Becker's blog

I was recently asked to reflect upon the question, "Who/what is God?" in 100 words or less. It took me longer to write those 100 words than it would if I'd been given 1000! They've been published on a new religion and spirituality website, patheos.com. I'll give you my response below, but to read the six other bloggers who responded, and to post your own attempt, go to "God in 100 Words or Less."

My thoughts:

"He is the image of the invisible God..." (Colossians 1:15).
In Jesus, we see God, broken and beautiful. The abstract becomes concrete.... READ MORE.

Marvin Lindsay's blog

Jim West has composed some anti-Lent screeds that sound like they've been preserved in amber since 1525 and contain all the snark of the contemporary blogosphere. Quite a rhetorical feat.

A question about Lent is really a question about how Christians sanctify time. A big difference between early Christians and pagans (both Romans and barbarians) was how each marked time. Pagans believed that time was cyclical, and religion's task was to appease the gods in order to make the endless cycle of death and rebirth run as smooth as possible. But Christians believed that time was linear. History is hurtling toward an End, a final judgment, and the judge has already appeared in history.

As pagans converted, the pagan way of reckoning time got Christianized.... READ MORE.

It’s Ash Wednesday, and the CCblogs network is filled with thought-provoking posts.

Ashes are dirty, says Debra Dean Murphy, like coal dust. They get under Pamela Fickenscher's fingernails, and they get Roger Lovette thinking of other smudges. They take to some foreheads more readily than others, as Darren Cushman Wood details, and we bring them out on what Maria Evans points out is the one service of the year in which we go to the altar twice. James Schaap explores the ashes’ effect on a fictional fifth-grade classroom, while Adam Thomas's story focuses on a fourth grader at church on a weekday.

What are you giving up or taking on for Lent? asks Nancy Fitz. Paul Stroble reminds us to keep it Christ-centered, and Frank Showers talks about what constitutes true treasure. Lent has the potential, says David Henson, to be a time of self-importance; Chris Brundage warns against the perils of public piety. Shawn Wamsley notes that Lent disciplines are rightly personal, though Michael Marsh reminds us that each individual journey takes place within community. Although Lent disciplines are complicated, Martha Hoverson assures us that they are “not intended to ruin your life.”

Bob Cornwall draws from Joan Chittister on the urgency of repentance, while Mark Powell points out that we already know how. Will Willimon talks about preaching on the cross; Ed Sunday-Winters pushes for a less safe Jesus. Warren Hicks asks: what has your attention?

Milton Brasher-Cunningham prays for disquiet; Amy Julia Becker longs for grace that disrupts routine. Lent is about transformation, says Julie Clawson, not denial; Ernesto Tinajero points out that self-control is itself about being transformed. How will Lent change Ryan Dueck?

James Lumsden describes his eucharistic angle on Lent this year and offers a short reading list. As for Weston Williams, he comes from a church “non-tradition” in which it’s a stretch to observe Ash Wednesday at all. Joshua Hearne offers that the reason we prepare for Lent’s journey is that we can’t see Easter yet. One way to prepare, according to Ellen Haroutunian, is—well, was—to party.

Angela Shier-Jones talks to God about being dust, while Dianna Woolley and Rachel Hackenberg offer poems. Janet Edwards, Jan Richardson and Elmer Ewing reflect on the lectionary readings. We are creatures, says Steve Woolley. Still, Allan Bevere doesn’t want to die.