More Moves and More Books

It has been almost two and a half years since my last post. I just didn't have anything to say and didn't think it mattered much anyway. But, things have changed. Once again, my family finds itself in the midst of a move and I find myself with more books to move than the last time. The total number is now around 14,000 which seems crazy even to me, but as a lover of books I cannot decide which ones to get rid of, which ones to store, which ones to put on shelves. I guess that decision will determined at least in part by what I decide I want to read over the next few months. Which brings me to the point of the post. For years I have considered myself a fan of Karl Barth, the great theologian, although I had read very little of his published works. Well, that is going to change. I have made the monumental decision to begin reading Barth's multi-volume Church Dogmatics. I was fortunate to purchase the new edition (all 14 volumes) from Christian Book Distributers. This is a daunting task made even more difficult by the fact that I have just begun my new job at a new congregation. My last reading commitment had been to try to get through all of Hemingway's works, but I failed to reach that goal, at least not yet. Hopefully, I will work hard at both Barth and Hemingway. I also hope to begin posting more regularly to the blog in light of the upcoming election. There continues to be so much division in our country over the "Christian" position on politics. I am not sure that one can say that either candidate or party could be referred to as the Christian choice. There is so much to consider when one thinks about who to vote for. Both candidates stand for things that I think are important but neither stands for everything that I believe in. So, like many other people, I will have to think and pray about what to do. Hopefully, thinking out loud on this blog will help in that endeavor.

Books, Books, and Book People

I am a lover of books. Currently, I have about 7500 and I continue to buy books with almost reckless abandon. One of the things I love about books are book people. My love for books has enabled me to make good friends among those who buy and sell books. In every town I have lived in, I have become friends with the owners of local books stores. I was raised in Jacksonville, Fla; one of the greatest used bookstores in the world is the Chambline Bookmine in Jacksonville. I started going almost 30 years ago when I was a young teenager who couldn't even drive. My kids are still amazed when we go in and the owner treats me like an old friend. Recently I moved to New Bern, NC and have already gotten to know the owners of the two used book stores in town. I don't think I have ever met a fellow book person that I did not like. And usually, book people are incredibly interesting. Just today, I met a man (and bought some books from him) who sells books online and at a local Antiques Store/Flea Market. He's a retired newspaper editor and I really enjoyed talking to him and dealing with him. I guess book people are some of my favorite people of all. It is hard to explain to a non-book person what the love of books is like. I don't think you can teach it, you are just born with it.

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

Recently, I have made a change, both geographically and vocationally. I have moved from Scotland Neck, NC to New Bern, NC. Vocationally, I moved from being the pastor of a Baptist church to being the pastor of Disciples of Christ congregation. For the last eight years, I have had one foot in Baptist life and one foot in Disciples' life. And this apparent paradoxical situation has caused me to question - what is it that I believe about the Christian faith; and who is God calling me to be within the context of pastoral ministry. My move to Broad Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was in a sense an answer to that question. While I have Baptist blood running through me, I have come to the conclusion that the Baptist church (specifically the Southern Baptist Convention of which I was a part) is no longer really Baptist, at least historically speaking. The SBC has become what early Baptists feared the most - a hierarchical, creedal group that seeks to prevent individuals from making their own decisions about belief and issues of faith. While the SBC is not the only expression of what it means to be Baptist in America, the overall thrust of even moderate Baptist groups like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is still one that presents an exclusive view of who is welcome in the church, and what it means to be in relationship with God.

Hopefully, I am home. I will always cherish my Baptist heritage, and all that being Baptist once stood for - freedom, autonomy, liberty - but I also now recognize that those virtues are hard to find in Baptist life. The Christian Church has one requirement for membership and fellowship; one must acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Beyond that, we can disagree with one another and still stay together. I resonate with this freedom and inclusive spirit. I am not sure what I will do with my other blog, Baptist Ponderings; for now I think I'll just enjoy my changes.

Road to Serfdom

Like many people, my political views have changed over the years. I was raised by Reagan Democrats, parents who had always been Democrats, had voted for Carter, and then voted for Reagan in 1980. They became Republicans after that, part of that group of Christians who converted to Republicanism as a result of the "culture wars." I was therefore raised in a very conservative environment that equated being Christian with voting Republican. I bought it hook, line and sinker. In my mid 20s though I began to change and by the 90s I called myself a liberal. Mainly, this had to do with my reading of the Bible, and the way in which I interpreted Jesus' way of relating to people. Once again, however, I am rethinking things a bit. I have pulled out some of my old economics books dealing with things like supply-side economics and the redistribution of wealth. This is all in the news today with President Obama's economic policies. In fact I am rereading Frederick Hayek's classic The Road to Serfdom.

So, what does this mean from a faith perspective? I am not sure. I am constantly struggling with how we can relate the Bible to our contemporary situation. On one hand I believe that the church should take care of people who can't take care of themself. And yet, I also believe that in America, where freedom is important, we should not forcibly take from people who are successful and give to people who won't work. Arthur Laffer, one of the formulators of supply-side economics has recently written a new book about how raising taxes too high lowers govt. revenue (this is the main premise of supply side economics) and the inecentive that people have to work and be innovative. He makes great sense. If people have no incentive to work and make money, they are not going to work. And so once again, I find myself rethinking where I am on the spectrum.

Too Many Books, Too Little Money

I spent a couple of hours at Barnes and Noble last night waiting out a terrible thunder storm. Of course, every time I go to B&N I find more books to buy. The problem is that I don't usually have enough money. At least not if I want my family to have food, clothes, electricity, etc. Nevertheless, I found three great new books that I would like to read. One is the new book by Joe Scarborough, The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise. I love Morning Joe, and I think Scarborough understands better than almost anyone what it means to be a conservative. His thesis is that the Republican Party has been hijacked by religious ideologues on the Far Right, Neo-conservatives on the issue of foreign policy, and fiscal idiots on the issue of spending. I think he is right on track.

The second book is called the Evolution of God and it is written by Robert Wright. Although I don't share Wright's religious views, I am interested in this book. The book is about two things - first, the necessity of the world's major religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) finding ways to be more hospitable to one another in the light of globalization; and secondly, the importance of reconciling religion and science.

The third book is Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision by NT Wright. Recently, Wright the Bishop of Durham and a noted Anglican NT scholar has been in a debate with John Piper, a not very tolerant Reformed Baptist pastor/scholar over the issue of Paul's understanding of justification. Piper has already written a book, and this is Wright's definitive book on the subject.

Shocked Again

Once again, I find myself shocked by the way in which some Christians respond to people or positions that they disagree with. Yesterday, the president gave what I thought was a great speech. In humility and with great integrity, he spoke to the Muslim world in a way that few previous presidents have had the courage to do. Basically, this president understands that our position or our understanding of a particular situation or group of people is fallible. We are human beings who are imperfect and who often make mistakes. In light of this realization, President Obama tries to respect and understand people with whom he has disagreements. He tries to listen and then move forward based on mutual respect. What is most amazing to me is the criticism he has received concerning his desire to talk to people in an effort to solve problems. Christians, more than anyone else, should support this effort. All through the Gospels, Jesus talked about how to restore broken relationships - you talk, you forgive, you try to understand. You don't attack, or retaliate, or seek vengeance. And yet some of the most vocal critics of President Obama's foreign policy are Christians who seem to ignore the teachings of Jesus unless they coincide with their own presuppositions. Personally, I am excited about having a Christian in the White House who takes seriously the radical nature of following Jesus.

Current State of Affairs

It has now been seven months since we elected our first African-American president. The jury is still out on how well our new president is handling all of the problems he inherited, but one thing is for sure. This guy is different from what I have seen from presidents in the past. He just seems to be so honest and genuine. Now this is not an endorsement of any of his policies. In fact, I have some problems with the amount of money he wants to spend, but from a character perspective, President Obama strikes me as someone who really does care about people and who wants to change the old Washington way of doing things behind closed doors and then lying to the American people in order to cover things up. I for one am excited about this breath of fresh air. For a long time, I had sort of given up on politicians because none of them seemed very trustworthy. Well, maybe things are changing. My encouragement to those Christians who are being critical of him is to give him a chance. We are never going to agree completely with any elected official, but who knows what can happen now that we have someone in office who is interested in what is best for the American people.