Andy's Blog: A Personal Word

June 2009 Archive

June 30, 2009

Jun. 30, 2009

As we have watched the demonstrations in Iran this past week protesting the recent election, it has served to remind us of some of our own history as a nation when it comes to church/state relations. Iran officially declares itself a theocracy – a system in which religious faith and secular power are wedded. The “Supreme Leader” of Iran is a cleric, a minister. It is he who must certify who wins elections. In fact, the religious authorities decide ahead of time who can run in an election. No governmental decision is made in Iran without consultation with religious authorities.

At the founding of our nation, there was much debate over the role religious faith would play in this new democracy. Many of the founders were men of deep faith. In some areas of the country, there was an official state “church.” Some were in favor of some form of Christian commonwealth. The final verdict, however, came in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” America would never sanction a state church.  But neither would we be a nation that forbids religious expression.

This has served our nation well by allowing religious faith to serve as a counter voice to prevailing ideologies and thus preventing the establishment of a totalitarian state which demands ultimate allegiance. In his book, The Culture of Disbelief, Stephen Carter argues that religious autonomy is essential to preserve a tension between the efforts by states to impose its own meaning upon the world and that of faith to offer a very different set of meaning. He reminds us that from early on in our nation, many faith communities challenged the status quo called for by the state. Most notably, the abolition movement was largely born out of the faith community, as was the civil rights movement. 

Carter argues for a vital tension between the voice of faith and the voice of the state.
Freedom of religion does not mean “freedom from religion.” Those who call for religious communities to keep it private and stay out of public issues are as wrong as those who call for religion to be wedded to secular power. Our role as Christians is to be the yeast in the dough. A light set upon a hill. The values and meanings provided by faith are an essential part of what has made our nation great. 

June 23, 2009

Jun. 23, 2009

On my bookshelf is a delightful little book with the title Book of Everyday Wisdom. It was written by two sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth Delany, who were 105 and 103 years old when they wrote it. Their father was born into slavery and went on to become the first African American Episcopal Bishop. Sarah became a school teacher, and Bessie became a dentist. They have lived together all their lives.

These two remarkable women, whose lives spanned an entire century, have much to teach us about the values of simplicity, hard work, discipline, family and faith. To read their book is to be put in touch with a simple wisdom that has borne the test of time. Here is some of what they have to say about how to lead a good life:

1. Never lose your sense of humor. The happiest people are the ones who are able to laugh at themselves.
2. Pay attention to the little things. One of the best qualities a person can have is to be observant. Some people have eyes, but they don’t see.
3. Think carefully before you promise to do something. Once you say you’ll do it, you’ll have to do it.
4. Know when to keep quiet. When we decide that something is private, we’ll say “graveyard talk.” That means it’s between you and me and the tombstone, honey.
5. When somebody’s nice to you, don’t take advantage of it. You don’t want to ride a free horse to death.
6. Put your faith in the Lord, and you’ll never be alone.

Sometimes it’s the simple truths that keep us headed in the right direction.

June 16, 2009

Jun. 16, 2009

First, Camp Sumatanga is our United Methodist Camp for North Alabama. For many of us, it is almost a spiritual home. We attended summer camps there as children and youth. We found Christ there in a real way. We made life-long friendships. For many of our folks at Trinity, Sumatanga is a place where they discovered a deeper faith on an Emmaus Walk. For our parents and children, there are wonderful memories of Sumatanga Sleepovers and One-on-One Parent Child retreats. 

Sumatanga is a treasure, and it needs our help. For almost 50 years we have used the Camp without caring for it in a proper way. We can no longer do that.  There is a long term need for renovations and endowments so that the Camp can be brought up to date in facilities, and a plan in place to sustain this special place God has given to us. A team from our Conference is working on this needed plan. 

There is an immediate need for the Camp to raise funding in order to stay viable for the remainder of this year. I have assured the Camp that Trinity would provide a minimum of $5,000 for this need. I hope and trust we will do more.  We are receiving a special offering for Sumatanga over the next weeks.  You may make a gift simply by dropping it in the offering plate or mailing it in to the church office. Please mark your check/envelope with Sumatanga. 

www.sumatanga.org

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