Additional Thoughts on Eschatology

Upon reflection of the previous post some additional clarification may prove to be helpful in how we wait with hope. More importantly is how do we engage actively in waiting.

For me Jeremiah 29  helps with solid biblical eschatology balancing hope and reality and how we respond in faith. First the often quoted verse out of context:

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 

Jeremiah 29:11-13 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jeremiah spoke these words to a people facing 70 years of captivity. This was not a "get out of jail" free card. There was no swift exit. They had to be resolute in their faith, hopeful all would be well, seek God with all their heart and not cease calling upon the Lord. Our faith is never passive, it wrestles with God, with his word, as we seek to press forward his vision despite what we think we see or feel. It was the resolute faith of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. every time he spoke the grief/ hope laden words, " I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!" 

Dr. King in his message "I've Been to The Mountain Top" said these words: It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here! It's all right to talk about "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preacher must talk about the new New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do."

This is the message of Jeremiah. There is the future hope but by faith we must live it as reality until we see it or our children see it. 

Julian of Norwich facing of death, struggling with her thoughts of sin, wishing to die, calling upon God heard these words from heaven: “But Jesus, who in this vision informed me of all that is needed by me, answered with these words and said: ‘It was necessary that there should be sin; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'

Her words are in agreement with Jeremiah and John in exile on Patmos, "I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus..." Revelation 1:9

There is the suffering but there is also the kingdom and the patient endurance that are ours in Jesus. We are companions together in all of it - the suffering, the kingdom, and the patient endurance with the resolute hope that we will get to the promised land. It may be 70 years, 40 years, or any amount of time. Time is irrelevant all that matters is our prayer "Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory both now and forever." 

We are brothers/sisters and companions in the kingdom and for the sake of all people we must live by faith that all manner of things shall be well. It happens when we press forward in God's power for God's glory into the reality of the kingdom of God that is it hand. Take Jeremiah's words and place them in the following context: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Jeremiah declared God knows the plans he has for us to give us  a future and a hope. There are people waiting for us to demonstrate the kingdom of hope.

ESCHATOLOGY

The blog has sat quietly waiting for words to be added but they have been few and far between. The words have been rattling and echoing in my mind and deep within but they bubble up to the surface at less frequent intervals. It has been the season of silence, listening, hoping and not allowing my self to give way to fear. That is why a recent reading on the topic on Eschatology by Kathleen Norris jarred open some long closed doors. Kathleen Norris' take on eschatology resonates with my journey and life. Eschatology is a good word but unfortunately has been taken hostage by not so meaningful religious practitioners with one goal to assure they are burn free while others unlike themselves would face the largest wienie roast in history in which no one will be singing "I wish I Was an Oscar Mayer Wiener." Very inspiring theology and possibly why Teddy Roosevelt abandoned church for a time because he was afraid the "Zeal of the Lord was going to kill him."

I digress and some are saying but 'hell' is a reality and you can not dismiss it. I would not think about dismissing because I see it daily in the trauma at our border, in mass shootings, and in the incivility that has cast a pall over our land.  I could go on but I believe in eschatology.

For me my eschatology has already centered on one verse "I am confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord..." Psalm 27:13-14. There is no need to have a misplaced cataclysmic theology that sorts out the losers and winners in the life to come nor in this present life and misinterprets dominion that leaves the earth vulnerable and the mass of humanity exploited.  This view of eschatology is void of the mind, heart and voice of Christ and has lead to brutal suppression and displacing of countless millions, apartheid, segregation of those outside the norms and brutal wars in the name of religion, This same false eschatology props up empty, useless, hopeless and futile talk and false misrepresentation of First and Second Amendment rights, gun controls and the protection of our borders. This false eschatology of the acceptable and unacceptable, the losers and winners, and to misinterpretation of dominion is kept alive by those who have enjoyed the power and the glory of their privileged life but it's not the power and the glory of the kingdom now or in the life to come.  I abandoned that years ago but will never abandon my hope in God and the utter beauty and decency of God who came to us, comes to us, and will come to us. Christ simply asks that we pray His kingdom come daily and then stand back and behold the power, the glory, and the beauty of that kingdom in the land of the living.

I have beheld the glory of the Lord in the land of the living in my life time. I am still taken aback every time I listen to recordings of Martin Luther King Jr., the power and the glory of God overflowed his life. Dr. King interpreted Psalm 27 in four simple words, "I have a dream!" I have experienced the glory of the Lord in the land of the living each time I read a book by Mother Teresa. Her words are just an overflow of the glory and goodness of God she saw in the most cruelest places each day.

For 34 years my vocational calling placed me in the midst of people facing cancer, tragic deaths, and utter despair. I have sat though night watches of loved ones final hours and in those difficult moments the Lord's Prayer has been recited and the glory of the Lord rushed in to catch those falling in despair. I have been with parents holding their still born children and have seen those parents not lose faith that they will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living even if it would be a mere shadow of the glory their child is experiencing.

In my own life I have experienced a life time of sleep related problems and all the health issues that come with that. I spent a year with Shingles and now I am having a round of Bell's Palsy. Seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living does not dismiss us from the trials of this life, it simply calls us to refuse to allow our pain to become the front windshield of our life that obscures our forward view. God can redeem all the suffering we experience by his grace and set before us the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living and we can participate in the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living no matter the circumstances.

A few years back while in Utah I was looking for the goodness of the Lord in the land  of the living when God led me to Kim Correa who was founding and launching a Homeless Hospice Center called The Inn Between in Salt Lake City, Utah. The goodness of the Lord overflows that place daily providing grace, shelter and care to the forgotten. Those they serve are not the losers now or in the hereafter, they are God's beloved. Those being served and those who serve them are together seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. That is good eschatology - The trust in God to make all things new now and forever. God invites us to live and display this hope.

I site this one example and could name many others demonstrating the goodness of God in the land of the living and practicing practical, honest eschatology. All it requires is to be present in the land of the living. It is a simple process. If you are alive this moment, you are in the land of the living. And being alive is all that is necessary to be present. There is no requirement to be whole, perfect, right or anything but simply eternally grateful for the overabundance of God's grace who loves me for me and and every single person I will encounter in the land of the living. The next time you desire to see the glory of God in the land of the living, look into the face of your neighbor, those you work with, those you go to school with, or someone on the street corner, homeless shelter, prison, hospital or crises center and recognize in your neighbors, people who are deeply loved by God and believe as never before in the communion of the saints.

Words

Words

Transition. Diana's and my life since 2011. It followed 25 years of stability in North Dakota. First, the flood. That is when we moved into my office for temporary shelter. Change was initiated by circumstances outside of ourselves. That is life. Two years later we were off to Austin, Texas. A new geographical area of the country for us but who doesn't love an adventure? Actually, many of us. Abraham and Sarah struggled with their reassignment late in life. But the good news is, neither of us has had a visitation revealing that we would also have a child late in life. You always need to look for the positive aspects of any situation.

One and half years in Austin and more transition. This time to Utah. Beautiful state and another new geographical area of the country. It did afford us closer proximity to North Dakota and our family and friends. North Dakota is home for us even though we do not currently reside there. The prairie speaks to us.

One and half years later we are now back in the Austin area. The Hill country of Texas is beautiful. Many changes over the past five years. It might be best to reserve those changes for earlier in life and then settle down. That seems more normal but the last several years have proven there is no normal for anyone any where in the world. The only grounding is the unchanging God, who calls, moves, creates, and sustains Creation in his care, mercy, and grace.

Downsizing. That has been the theme over the past five years. We have made every effort to live with the basics. That will be tested when our furniture arrives and we will have to put all of our belongings in a one bed room apartment. This will be a six month adventure until we can find permanent housing. Diana and I have a nearly 40 year track record of getting along so it should not be a problem living in close proximity.

Reality. See the previous paragraph; we needed to down size more. I am hopelessly optimistic. Regroup. It will be fine, really. We will deal with it. It could be worse or maybe it could be better? No, comparisons do not apply in this situation. It simply is what it is and life moves on.

Donkey. Yes, in the middle of no where in New Mexico there was a small donkey on the side of the road. There was no sign of life for miles. He seemed fine, we really didn't have time to stop and talk. It would have been possible (for reference see talking donkeys in the Old Testament). I think the donkey was more surprised to see us.

Questions. Our children are grown right? We didn't leave any kids at the Travel Stop did we? Wait, we have grandkids. Great, the kids are safe. No its not that means we are old! We are not old are we? We are old and its already Thursday? No, I said we are not old and I am thirsty. Who is Bob? And why do we care if he has a job? Presidential election? Who has time for that? We will vote independent and do everyone a favor. I am still backing the Kingdom, the power and glory. I have a lot of questions and concerns but not about my Father. That is a relief.

Tacos. So many tacos, beans, brisket everything, migas, huevos rancheros delicious fried stuff, kaloches, German food and beer, HEB, Willy Nelson, Gackles every where, yes we are back in Texas.

Methodist. Back at our church and that has been refreshing. They even left the porch light on for us and had donuts waiting. Let's see, what is it they say in Texas? Yes, bless their hearts. Our grand son starts kindergarten at a Methodist church in North Austin this week. He is very methodical so this should go well.

Theology. What about predestination? It is losing viability if we have to believe Hilary and Donald have to be the choice for president. I know Charlie Strong wants to believe in predestination. He is praying the University of Texas  is predestined to have a winning season. But they open against Notre Dame. He might want to study the theology of suffering. Can Alabama and Ohio State both  be predestined to win it all?  No, that is not even logically possible. So maybe it is predestined Clemson wins it all and Gary Johnson becomes president. Theology. I like the doctrine of hope and faith.

Documentaries. The Eagles, Three Dog Night, The Carter Family, Muscle Shoals, Grand Funk Railroad - I have been on a musical journey. Music speaks to all of us and it knows no barriers or race or religion. It moves us and calls to the deep places of life. I propose that the Government do something worth while for a change and sponsor a week of free concerts in every major city in America. Book every major artist and every small time band. Furnish a free picnic. Let's just picnic and listen to music for a week. No internet, no news, just fellowship.

Chronicles of Narnia. Listened to the entire series on the way from Utah to Texas. The last time I read the entire series was in a class on works by C.S. Lewis. It was like hearing them again for the first time. It fuels your imagination and it is life giving. I highly recommend this book on tape series.

Prayers. All kinds of prayers. Help prayers. God what is going on prayers. Walk in the midst of their suffering prayers.  Angry prayers. Prayers of frustration. Prayers of peace. Every emotion running to and fro in my mind. At least it is working. Our grand daughter made it much more simple. In one of her nightly prayers she thanked God for food and her legs. Hallelujah!

Connected. All of the above could be taken as ramblings. In some ways it is and then in other ways it is not. It is all connected through God and his grace. It is the life that is happening right now in God's presence. In all of it I hear the voice of God. It even seems disconnected to me many days. But I press on adjusting to the different rhythms and sounds and sometimes the discord hoping ever and staying focused on the one promise that has propelled my life forward. I am confident I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living. (Psalm 27) Amen

James Shackelford

A New Glass Ceiling
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Four words: Gary Johnson, William Weld. Back to that in a moment. In a year where, after much tumult in the primaries,the Democrats have given us Hillary and the Republicans have given us Donald. Each have been right only once in my estimation. Hillary, when she called Donald a bigot and racist. Donald, when he called Hillary crooked. Other than that, they leave us bankrupt and in the same political quagmire we have been in for the last 16 years. We have had two Presidents, Bush and Obama, that have ruled by Presidential fiat. Bush doubled the debt and Obama not to be outdone doubled it again. He will leave office with a 20 trillion dollar debt. That is absolutely outrageous, unacceptable and immoral.

Early in the year I gave support to Bernie, not because I agreed with all he proposed but because we need a new voice in Washington. Now, I find myself very disappointed as Sanders and Warren have coalesced their voices behind Hillary who betrays everything they have said must be corrected in Washington. That leads to but one conclusion and that is to realize it is party partisanship that is killing us on both sides of the aisle.

There is no reason to be locked in the continual party pettiness that leaves many people without faith in the political system. Have we not seen the face of Reid and McConnell enough? We are at a serious crossroads in this country. The Democrat and Republican parties will engage us in empty rhetoric that will not change the current division, but it will ensure that the powers to be; remain the powers to be. Which will lead to more immoral debts, more investigations, more acquiescing to Wall Street, more Clinton foundation scandals and a more hostile and divided nation.

It is time to break the real glass ceiling, the choice of only Democrat or Republican. It is time to let those who have failed to lead, failed to act honestly, and failed in the very act of integrity, sit this election out. It is time we stop letting the media herd us to one political persuasion or the other and in broiling further the unrest in this country.

The real glass ceiling in this election is Gary Johnson and William Weld. They are qualified, level headed and lead us away from all the recent gridlock. If all those who wanted a voice with Bernie, and all those who feel loss at the thought of Trump, then we can add our voices that take us away from politics as usual, professional politicians and the hope the dialogue in this country can change for the better. As I see it we have no choice, when we consider the divide in this country and terrorism abroad.

Our current debt is not sustainable, the Democrat or Republican offerings in this election only exacerbate that debt and will be our undoing. At a critical time in our country we cannot afford to be landlocked for the next four years with Hillary's investigation nor of putting out the flames of Donald's inflammatory rhetoric. Hillary's unethical behavior and Donald's very core have already disqualified them but we find both parties rallying to support them. It is absurd, it is politics as usual, and it is disheartening. It is time to give the Democrats and Republicans some time on the bench to think about their poor performance and behavior, Let's break the real glass ceiling this election and choose neither Democrat or Republican. I think all the voiceless in this country deserve that. There is still hope and there is a way forward and I believe it is Gary Johnson and William Weld. Gary was born in North Dakota - maybe it is the reincarnation of Teddy Roosevelt - Bully!

The Flood / Burlington


It's hard to believe that five years ago this month, Burlington, Minot and all along the Souris River suffered a catastrophic flood. Recently I visited the area and saw homes still boarded up. It was a reminder to not forget the loss, but also a reminder to look all around and see the recovery and rejoice. I reflect on the flood in the following illustration. Right after the flood, Diana and I were living in my office and taking showers at the school. About two days into the process, Jerry W (Weazzy) decided it would be best to create a maze of shower rods and curtains in the men's bathroom. Fair enough. But he placed them all at his height, right about neck height for me. Jerry also decided to place a rod right over the entrance to the shower area. I cannot see without my glasses and had not taken note of Jerry's little shop of horrors he had created when I entered the shower the next day. Then it hit me, literally, right in the neck and knocked me down. I was a little stunned, on the floor in my best attire, the one I was born with, and then looked up to see what was going on and there it was the dreaded shower rod.

Prior to the flood we were just going along day to day, sand bagging many of those days, and staying hopeful. Then out of no where, it seemed, it hit us - the flood. It knocked us to the ground and we all felt naked, stripped of everything and afraid. After we got our bearings we got up, and by God's help and strength, overcame. There are scars that remain, loss that cannot be regained, but there is hope and joy and peace that has come through the travail.

There were times that I questioned if would we make it  and there were times I thought, "Do we have the strength to recover?" There were days that I just sat outside the school and wept and I know all of us had those days. But as a community we spurred one another on in love and Burlington has recovered and flourished. To our family and friends in Burlington I remember with you and celebrate and thank God He gave us strength to not only get up but to flourish in His grace.

 I wish we had escaped the flood, but if it was to be, and it was,  I am glad that I went through it with you. It is folks like you that get up and move forward in faith that bring hope to others. No hard feelings, Jerry, about the shower rod - it really brought into focus all that our community was experiencing.

Pastor Shack

Tortured Beauty

Today, I saw my first cotton field in bloom. It was beautiful, in the present tense. I pulled over taking in the beauty of the cotton plant but my eyes could not look past the past. Cotton once turned our nation red. All I could think was how tragic. The cotton plant is not the blame - man and his greed alone are culpable. Value is attached to a plant, mineral, natural resource or whatever and people are exploited and subjugated to harvest, mine or assemble the valued resource with no regard to the human labor. A plant, mineral, or product is now valued more than human life.

That is the past I see in this cotton field. I saw a field of tortured beauty. What God had created was good. What man can do with this good is often unthinkable. My present and past tense with this field is one God shares. God looked upon the Son on the Cross - tortured beauty. The good God had given in Christ was exploited and subjugated to the cross.

Until the kingdom comes on earth we must be satisfied to witness beauty even if it is a tortured beauty.

A Change is Coming

There are times you just want to stop the bus and get off. When you think the world cannot get any madder - it one ups crazy and a whole boat load of insane spills out. Insane killing, racism, prejudice, and the list can go on and on unfortunately. But I am as I tell people "a hopeless optimist."  Yes, that is a conundrum of words together but I remain steadfast. What do I do in times like these - I calm my fears as best as I can. I pray. And I listen to Patti Labelle sing "I Am Your Friend / What a Friend We Have In Jesus". If you have never listened and watched Patti sing this then do so my friend. Then watch her sing, "A Change is Gonna Come"(Yes, I know Patti is in the news for a fray with Aretha Franklin and for ordering her security guard to ruff up a guy but let's not jump to conclusions)  Don't get off the bus and give up in cynicism - get off the bus and believe that change is gonna come. I have to do that from time to time so I don't  lose hope and so I press on in my belief a civilized world is gonna come. It is rooted in the very prayer Jesus taught his followers to pray. The belief in justice and God's kingdom come on earth has driven women and men of faith in every age to demand change. To demand justice and mercy for all people. It is what steady's the hand of every unknown person of faith, wiping away every tear of injustice until the day there are no more tears nor sorrow.