Who are you remembering this Remembrance Day?

Forty-one, how can it be that 41 years have passed since Stewart Wesley Conger died?  At times it seems like it was such a long time ago, but other days, it still feels fresh.  The grief lingers.  

I just finished reading The Man Who Read Books, by Rachid Benzine.  It is a short book about a man who is born into pre-Israel Palestine, and how his life in exile is defined by the tragedies that surround him.  As I read, for whatever reason, both Stewart and my father came to mind.  It is amazing to me how much of our lives are shaped by the tragedies that happen to us and those we love.  At one point, talking about his parents, who died during Israel reprisal attacks in Gaza, Nabil says: “Often invisibly, living or dead, your parents accompany you at every instant of your existence. Even without you realising. Like a self-evident truth or a regret that you carry deep inside all your life. You never get over their absence; it kills you a little more each day.”  There is truth to that statement, unless, of course you choose not to remember.

Today is November 11th, Veterans Day (formerly Armistice Day) here in the USA.  But this day has much larger significance than simply honoring our Veterans.  Throughout the British Commonwealth the day is known as Remembrance Day.  Today, I remember.  But the day has even greater significance than that.

November 11, wasn’t always a day to remember lives lost in a war between the great imperial powers of Europe. Across Europe, November 11 was an important festival on the Christian calendar — St. Martin’s Day, or Martinmas, in memory of a pious bishop of the early church, Martin of Tours. And the powers that be, chose that day to end the Great War.

Martin of Tours (ca. 316-397) was born into a pagan family, but as a young man expressed interest in Christianity. His father, a soldier, was appalled by the religion and forced Martin to join the Roman army. While a soldier, Martin’s curiosity about Christianity grew and he became a “learner” of the faith.

According to legend, Martin was on patrol when he saw a naked beggar on the road. Moved with compassion, he dismounted his horse, took off his military cloak, tore it in half, and covered the man. In a dream that night, Jesus appeared to Martin and said, “Martin, a simple catechumen, covered me with this garment.”

Martin decided to be baptized and asked to be released from the army. “I am Christ’s soldier,” he maintained, “I am not allowed to fight.” He refused to wield the sword for Caesar.

Martin stated what most early Christians believed. Before theologians made a case for just war, Christians were primarily pacifists. Indeed, no record exists that Christians served in the Roman army before 170. The overwhelming consensus of the early church was that war was killing in service to the empire, killing was murder, and murder was wrong.

Martin left the army and became a monk, a priest, and finally, a bishop. He was known for peacemaking and his generosity toward the poor, especially children.

So what are you remembering this day?  I will remember all those who died in war, but also those who died as "collateral damage.”  I will remember Martin and his love for his neighbor. 

Forty-one years is a long time.  Some of the memories have faded.  Most of the items of his that I kept are no longer with me.  Yet I know, that I will never get over his absence.  I often wonder what life would look like if he was still alive?  Would have have a wife and children? Maybe even grand-children.  Those thoughts make me sad.  But I am grateful for the gifts Stewart continues to give me.  For the joy of life that he was full of, and the future when we will be together again.

Say hi to Dad for me.  I miss you.

The Best Journey in the World -- Review

I picked up this book because I got to visit Antarctica earlier this year. I was one of the cruise tourists he talked about. Having experienced it from the warmth of my cruise ship, it is hard to imagine how Amundsen, Scott, Cherry-Garrard, Shackleton and the others could have managed. let alone (for most of them) survived.

The title is a play on Ansley Cherry-Garrard's classic, The Worst Journey in the World, which was his recounting Scott's failed attempt for the South Pole. Robinson, retells the stories of the great Antarctic explores and interweaves them with his own experiences there. At times the book feels a little schizophrenic in its style but overall I found it very enjoyable.

The other important piece that Robinson throws in, and really uses to wrap up his tale is the concern over climate change and the effect that is having on the glaciers. I assume this was the main point of the book, it is the one thread that pulls through the book. But I think he could have done a better job in making it that main thread.

My biggest challenge was keeping the flow going. The shifts that take place between historical accounts, his personal experiences and the environmental concerns made for a very disjointed read.

Prior to traveling to Antarctica, I picked up as many books as I could to learn more about the country. I wish this had been available despite it's flaws. The bibliography, thrown in as a chapter, is invaluable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Man Who Read Books -- Review

I have been blessed by being able to lead pilgrimages to the Holy Land close to 20 times. I was scheduled to go back in February of 2024, but the tragic events of October 2023 have damaged the willingness of people desiring to go. I had no idea what The Man Who Reads Books was about when my wife suggested I might like it, but I trust her recommendations. To say that I could not put it down would be an understatement. Rachid Benzine has created a masterpiece.

It is the story of Julien Desmanges, a young French journalist who is out taking photographs, while walking in Gaza City he encounters Nabil, an elderly Palestinian and owner of a unique bookshop. The book is Nabil telling his story and the books that made survival possible. He is the son of a Christian father and a Muslim mother, and his life story has been marked by intense suffering, from the loss of their home (homeland) to living in refugee camps, the loss of family even imprisonment.

Despite it all, Nabil teaches Julien (and us) that despite all the hatred and suffering in the world, there still can be hope and even forgiveness.

If you want to glimpse how the Palestinian perspective has developed, I highly recommend this book.

Build Love

It has been four years since I retired from actively serving a church in the Indiana Conference of the UMC.  I have not regretted that decision once.  I knew it was time when I began hearing Neil Young sing on repeat in my head “Comes A Time”.  I don’t feel (almost) 66 — well that is not completely true, most mornings, before I start my physical therapy, my body feels old — but my brain doesn’t.  Much has changed over these last four years — almost all of it for good!  But what happened one year earlier, set my life in this new course.

Five years ago yesterday, Fred H. Conger, Jr died, surrounded by family.  He died as we were singing McNamara's Band, the song he loved to sing to his grandchildren and great grandchildren as he bounced them on his knee.

My name is McNamara, I'm the Leader of the Band,

And tho' we're small in number we're the finest in all the land.

Oh! Yes, I am the Conductor, and we very often play

With all the best musicians that you hear about everyday.

I wish I could sing it like he did.  I have the out of key part covered, but just not all the words, nor the passion and gusto that he sang with.  So much has changed; three weddings, three new grandchildren, retirements, and job changes.  The one thing that has remained constant is family.  He loved his family, and created traditions that Scott and I are trying to continue (joint family vacations is one big tradition my parents started).  

I often wonder what life would be like if he was still here.  While he may not be physically present, his spirit lives on in all of us. I don’t fully understand what comes next (neither did Paul since he told us it was like looking through a dark glass), but what I do believe is that heaven is a place where the love we create in this life, continues in the next.  

Build love — it is truly the only thing that lasts.

Sacred vs Secular

For the last two weeks, the adult Sunday School class at Gary UMC in Wheaton IL has held a class on Sacred Jazz led by Deanna Witkowski, an amazing Jazz pianist.  The classes have been wonderful, but I am always struck by the idea of “Sacred vs Secular” when it comes to things.  Is there really such a thing as sacred things and secular things?  I don’t think so.

Theologically, when we look at the biblical evidence, our clear example is found in the story of creation.  God creates and calls it good.  Actually at the end of creation (of all things) God calls it VERY GOOD!  In other words, all of creation is sacred, created by God in goodness.  Following the fall, in which we could get into an extended discussion – it is at that point that we, as humans, seem to separate good things from bad things — but you will need to convince me that God is doing that separation.  Creation is still good, how we use it may at times manifest itself as “bad”.  But even then, I would not say that Sacred equals good and Seculars equals bad, the sacred is as prone to evil as is the secular (just look at the “Christian Nationalist movement today).

Right now, playing on my radio is Jackson Browne singing Rock Me on the Water, is that by definition secular music or can God speak through it?  For me, I find the love and comfort of God in the music of Radio Margaritaville more than I do on any “contemporary Christian radio station”.  Is it just me, or have we miss identified sacred?

I think the problem is we use “sacred” to refer to "liturgical" music, but I would suggest that there is a big difference.  Liturgical means music that is used in a worship setting.  But even in that sense, what we call liturgical is much broader that the box we tend to create.  I know that when I was pastor of Celebration Church and Ridge UMC, we often used music that would not fit into that box, particularly in our more contemporary service.  I used Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven, and In My Father’s Eyes, as well as SuperTramp’s Take The Long Way Home, Van Morrison’s Whenever God Shines His Light, and even Blind Faith’s Waisted and I Can’t Find My Way Home.  I could throw in some Jimmy Buffett and Bruce Cockburn as well, but I think you get my point.  It isn’t the “music” or even the “words” that make a song sacred or secular — it is how we use them and if they lead us toward God or away from God.

Whenever I worked on my sermons I always had a playlist of jazz music, none of which would be commonly called sacred, but it was music that opened my spirit up to God and helped the words flow to the paper as I wrote.

I am looking forward to the service tomorrow as Ms Witkowski will lead us with her interpretations in our liturgy.  I know that some will be moved, others will build walls and cannot hear the music — as I know some people did when the band at one of my churches played their interpretation of a rock song during worship.  Sacred or secular — it is in the eye of the beholder.  I love what Wendell Barry wrote: “There are no unsacred places, there are only sacred places and desecrated places.”  I would say the same about music (or poetry . . . ).  May God speak to you in new ways this week.  

Ahh, Van Morrison, So Quiet in Here just came on the radio.  This must be what Paradise is like, it's so peaceful in here!

What Kind of Preacher Are You?

What kind of “preacher” are you?  That is an interesting question.  When I posed that question to ChatGPT, the answer I got was not very enlightening.

Expository Preaching: Focuses on explaining the meaning, context, and application of a specific passage of Scripture, often verse-by-verse.

Topical Preaching: Addresses a specific theme or issue (e.g., forgiveness, finances) by drawing from various, relevant biblical texts.

Narrative Preaching: Communicates truth through storytelling, focusing on the stories within Scripture to engage listeners in an experience.

Textual Preaching: Focuses on a short passage or single verse, seeking to draw the central truth directly from that specific text.

Prophetic Preaching: Challenges the status quo, calling individuals and society to align with God's justice and values.

Conversational Style: A modern approach that is conversational, relational, and frequently used in online or casual settings.

African-American Preaching: Known for its rich cultural, musical, and rhetorical tradition. Often involving a "scholar and holler" cadence to encourage engagement and hope.

While those are styles of preaching, I was looking for something deeper and simpler at the same moment.  I am not sure I would include African-American, since I would not include Old White Male, as a style of preaching. I would also remove Prophetic preaching from that list, and will explain why later.  Maybe the more appropriate question would be – what is the goal of your preaching.

Even that question heads us down a number of rabbit holes as I imagine most of us would say: “to convert and disciple followers of Jesus”.  But that doesn’t tell me much.

I would suggest that most pastors have one of two overarching “modes” of preaching, that may use the different styles and yes, have the goal of conversion and growth.  Those two modes of preaching are Prophetic and Pastoral (pejoratively it is often called chaplaincy, but I think that is harsh).  I do not believe these modes are exclusive, but I also believe that we (pastors) tend to gravitate to one mode or the other.  I believe we do the same with the various “styles,” but many pastors are more fluid in their “style” than in their “mode”.

Pastoral preaching is the preaching I hear most Sunday mornings, and my hunch is, it is the preaching heard in most churches, on most Sundays.  I believe pastoral preaching can use any of the styles above to communicate their message.  Pastoral preaching seems to have some overarching qualities — its main attempt is to offer care, hope and healing to the situation the church  and its members find themselves in.  It often comes across with empathy and is seen as encouraging and relational.  This is what most modern Christians seem to want — they come to church to feel better and to be led toward emotional healing and peace.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this mode of preaching.  We do need to feel support and encouragement.  My concern with it, is it tends to become all about ME.  Sure, the preacher often slips in a call to care for others, but even that is often couched in terms of how that benefits ME and my tribe.  

Personally, I find this style of preaching dull.  I, often, do not leave challenged, or feel that I am a part of something that is bigger and grander, and desires something radically different from the status quo.  Instead leave with that same warm feeling, but lack of true inspiration when I attended Rotary or the Optimist club.

I find that challenge; and am personally lifted up, when I encounter a Prophetic preacher.  Occasionally I will hear a prophetic sermon from the pulpit, but not very often.  The hallmarks of prophetic preaching are: calls to repentance and an acknowledgment of the corporate sins of society.  This preaching is often passionate, and some no doubt, would say that it is often confrontational.  The goal of Prophetic preaching is to motivate action and to help people to see what could be, rather than what just is.  Prophetic preaching can also be found using any of the styles above; hence, why I think it is different than simply a style of preaching.

Prophetic preaching is HARD!  It is hard because there is a fine line between being prophetic and being a nuisance.  Certainly, a person who comes to church to “get fed”, finds this style of preaching off putting.  But I think the key to being prophetic is self-reflection.  Richard Rohr in his daily meditation wrote this:

A time of national introspection must begin with self-introspection. Without our own inner searching, any of our quests for solutions and policy fixes will be based in shifting sands.

Not only are the sands shifting if we are not careful,, but we are also failing to understand our own inner biases and sins if we do not engage in a deep dive in personal reflection.  You must become extremely vulnerable to be a compelling and effective Prophetic preacher.

My style has always bordered on the Prophetic, whether preaching or teaching a class.  The best thing someone could say to me after a sermon was; “you really made me think.”  The worst thing you could tell me was: “that was a nice sermon.” It is probably why I titled my blog “wrestling with God” because my entire life has been filled with one question after another.  And if I am fully honest, it is why I retired early from pastoral ministry.  I got tired of the pushback from certain people within the church.  When parishioners complain that the beatitudes are too political, something is wrong with the institution.

When I got to seminary, people would ask: “What is your life verse.”  To be honest, I had no idea what they were talking about.  In the youth group that I grew up in (and changed my life), we never talked about having a “life verse”.  So I began seeking that verse that could represent me.  It didn’t take long to find it, although there were many possibilities.  But the verse I chose (or did it choose me?) is found in the Hebrew Bible:  Joshua 1:9

I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

That simple verse has sustained me for over 45 years.  Through the deepest valleys and the highest mountains, that verse reminds me that I am never alone, and that I should not compromise the prophetic voice that God placed within me.

 

Leaving on a Jet Plane

In a little less than 24 hours, Nancy and I will climb into an Uber to take us to O'Hare to begin our latest adventure. We depart tomorrow afternoon to Buenos Aires, Argentina, via a very short (I hope it remains short) stop in Dallas.  We are scheduled to arrive in Buenos Aires, at 8:30 am (local time) on Thursday morning.  I sure hope I can sleep some on the plane, but have never been very good at it.  We hope to meet up with friends Doug and Kathy Johns at the airport (or the hotel).

We will spend a couple of days in BA, seeing the sights and hopefully catching a Tango show before we board the Celebrity Equinox for a 14 night cruise to Antarctica.  Stops will include Ushuaia, Argentina; Stanley, Falkland Islands; Puerto Madryn, Argentina, Montevideo, Uruguay before returning to Buenos Aires.  But the real highlight is cruising along the coast of Antarctica.  

We are doing our best to take advantage of our health and resources while we still can!  As I write this, I am also planning on putting together a trip to Israel in January 2027.