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On May 18, 2020 By In Culture

The Quarantine as the Great Divide

This season is challenging the role of expertise in our communities profoundly. Charts are not dogma. If anything, they will be souvenirs of an era of abundant speculation. We have also become keenly aware that experience and presuppositions play an enormous role in our conclusions about current events.

For instance, the people who are generally predisposed to doubting governmental regulations and interventions have upheld a consistent record of doubt on pandemic demands on our freedoms. And those who are usually predisposed to accepting government premises on all sorts of issues and not bothered much by the regulatory system as a basic structure in society find the state’s policies during this season to be another reminder of just how sober the government is. Of course, there are exceptions to all these cases, but a quick look at the media and their particular advocates makes the basic case pretty plain.

The divide is clear: Hollywood cheers on the lockdown from their sophisticated castles while the rest of the country is quarantine fatigued. And the pandemic- panic-party is still advocating for more strict measures. In my own town, there is a lawyer dressed up as a grim reaper going to our local beaches and warning everyone of the deadly consequences of re-assembling at 80+ degree weather. On the other hand, several pastors I know are eager to return to worship but cannot because they rent buildings from mainline churches that have shut down indefinitely.

Think for a moment. Forty million Americans are applying for unemployment, and there are still governors not satisfied with a phased re-opening. “We need to be cautious about our cautiousness,” they say proudly. Young entrepreneurs who moved to places like Seattle to find the burgeoning town the future of tech companies are now thinking twice about remaining there after this season. They longed to engage the outdoors of the Northwest and the vibrant social life as the impetus to a healthy lifestyle in a physically demanding market.

The result of this entire phenomenon? Calls to suicide and domestic abuse hotlines have increased by almost 1,000 percent with unemployment numbers adding to the chaos of households hit by financial woes. Cities, once known for their particular gifts to societies, now offer no appeal to newer generations. The young entrepreneur will look at Elon Musk and agree that the best place for prosperity and innovativeness is where liberty can flourish and not where overreach is typical.

There will be a complete re-thinking of the role of work and wealth. Every crisis changes the philosophy of a people. This country will be re-arranged as many will move to places safer from maniacal politicians. The good news is that we will grow more suspicious of leadership far from us and hopefully grow more enthusiastic to receive exhortation and wisdom from leaders nearer to us. People will move. States will change. We will see a more objective divide in the way we look at the world. I think common sense will prevail and we will be better for it.

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On May 11, 2020 By In Culture

Authority: There’s No Getting Away from It (Nor Would We Want to)

We North Americans have an uneasy relationship with authority. We admit that we need it to order our lives in community, yet we are suspicious of it at the same time. “Question authority” is an adage that appeals especially to the young, as they struggle to find their own place in the world after moving out of the parental home. But some would go even further, as the image above indicates: “Stop believing in authority; start believing in each other.” At first glance, this sounds appealing. We should all look out for our neighbours and readily co-operate with them for the common good.

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On May 7, 2020 By In Culture, Family and Children, Music

10 Notes on Food, Feasting and Friendship

I begin with the assumption that the church has been powerfully de-ritualized this quarantine season. Habits die quickly or become rusty when not exercised. As Dru Johnson notes in his book Human Rites, we need to know our rites. The more we understand our rituals the more meaningful they become. And we have forgotten those rites and/or meaningfully ceased to practice them. I offer ten brief notes on three main rituals we need to recover in this age.

First, we eat without thanksgiving. Gluttony exists because thanksgiving does not. Eating is not a neutral exercise. Christians eat as acts of triumph over the world.

Second, the ritual of eating is undervalued in America. In this country, food is consumption. We eat because we want to, therefore we eat without intentionality. When rites become trite, our experiences become trivial, and the doors for abuse open wider.

Third, corporate eating is de-valued because we allow teenagers to rule over the table. Parents must re-assert their authority over the table, and keep food at the table and not on laps in front of laptops.

Fourth, feasting suffers when worship looks like a funeral. If every head is bowed and eyes are closed, we cannot see the feast or hear the feasters. Feasting is diminished when worship is feast-less in character.

Fifth, feasting is best formalized and appointed. When it is that way, it can be adorned with fancy napkins and plates. It allows family members to long for something better. We are gnostics to think that immediacy is best. Christians understand that better feasts means preparing more to enjoy best.

Sixth, feasts are more meaningful when we incorporate singing. Feasts in the Bible are celebrations of our freedom from bondage. Singing to Yahweh a new song is declaring Pharaoh will never rule again.

Seventh, there is no friendship without Christ. There are shared experiences and stories, but friendship is rooted in a shared Christ.

Eighth, relationships change and are re-directed. Someone who was a friend in eighth grade may not be a friend now. God gives us a rotation of friends through life because He knows that our changes will require new people to speak into our particular phases of life.

Ninth, many of us are worse friends than we think, but we have better friends than we deserve.

Tenth, all rituals require practice. All rituals require meaning. All good things require work.

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On May 4, 2020 By In Culture

Cussing and Cultural Fences

Guest Post by Al Stout

In 1970 Five Man Electrical Band released a song titled Signs.a In the second verse, the lyricist laments the fence a homeowner adorned with a sign:

And the sign said anybody caught trespassin’ would be shot on sight

So I jumped on the fence and-a yelled at the house

Hey! What gives you the right?”

“To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in”

“If God was here he’d tell you to your face, man, you’re some kinda sinnerb

A couple of hundred years before Five Man, Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote that civil society was founded by simpletons who consented to a guy, putting up a fence, and said, “this is mine.”c A hatred of fences and boundaries is not merely about private property and the 9th commandment, though it is about that. Ultimately, it is about who gets to say this or that particular boundary is good or that this fence makes for good neighbors. We are not just yelling at the house, but at the resident who pounded the stakes and hung the sign.

Cultural fences are equally important. They too are set by the Lord of the manor and when they are challenged by those who hate the Lord, you can bet the culture will not last very long.

I am a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer with over 20 years active Naval service. Living on a ship with a bunch of men who at times do dangerous and deadly work can lend itself to a coarse culture. Gallows humor, harsh ridicule, and graphic descriptions of your best friend’s physical presence are all commonplace. The phrase “cursing like a Sailor” used to mean something.

For that language to exist onboard a ship full of men is one thing. It is, however, the mark of a declining culture when the warfighter’s obscenities find their way to the mouth of the homemaker, high-schooler, and the neighbor at the community pool. “Cursing like a Sailor” has its force. We can now say, “Cursing like a middle-schooler,” or “Swearing like a stressed out mother.”

When you hear the father at the pool curse his 5 year old for refusing to get out of the water and come eat his lunch and no one stops him, barriers have fallen. When someone else defends such a dad by saying, “I have heard just as bad from the Sailor” we have shaken our fist at the One who said, “If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for a millstone to be tied around his neck and he be cast into the sea.”

We yell at the keeper of the house, “What gives you the right” to keep my culture from your living room? We have decided that the sin of the fence and proper boundaries is the only sin God will judge. We are mistaken. We are worse for it. 

Pastor Stout serves as the Associate Pastor of Providence Church alongside his career as a civilian in the Department of the Navy, Center for Information Dominance. 

  1. I am expanding on a quote I provided for an upcoming book by Oliver North and David Goestch. You may preorder, Veterans’ Lament: Is This the America our Heroes Fought For? here:  https://bn.com/w/1136889999  (back)
  2. https://www.cshf.ca/song/signs/  (back)
  3. Jean Jacques Rousseau On the Origin of the Inequality of Mankind pt 2, 1754.  “THE first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, bethought himself of saying This is mine, and found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows, “Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.”  (back)

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On April 26, 2020 By In Culture

Life Is More Than …

On the one hand, we have the threat of a virus that, according to original predictions, could wipe out millions of people. Nobody knows if this will be the case, but there is a possibility. On the other hand, we have the certainty that if we shut down the economy for an extended period of time, millions will lose their livelihoods and global economic depression will ensue. Tensions are rising between those who want to avoid the virus and those who want to open up the economy. We are told that life will never return to normal again after this. Heavy precautionary measures will need to continue to be taken to protect us from contagion, even to the point of never shaking hands again. I heard a doctor on a news program suggest not having family gatherings of over ten people during the holidays. Churches may be encouraged to continue to have as many virtual meetings as possible to avoid the possibility of a virus; maybe not even this Coronavirus, but all viruses that might potentially attack us in the future.

This entire situation has provoked some deep questions that, in all of our hustle-and-bustle of routine life, many haven’t contemplated. One of those questions is, What is life? So-called “pro-lifers” (probably better described as “anti-abortion”) have dealt with this question biologically, and, in my opinion, have done quite well. Life begins at conception. That is the right answer to the question when considering whether or not to murder a child in the womb.

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On April 25, 2020 By In Culture

Toward A Fruitful Solitude

Disrupted Community

Of the essence of the Christian faith is communion – we are not a collection of individuals, but a Body, a people – we are saved in community, saved into the Church. We are “living stones” in the spiritual house of God (1 Pet. 2:5), various members of the one Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12ff.) Humanity is created in community, and redeemed in community.

And yet, here we are in the time of the virus, most of us cut off from our normal in-person social lives, and many churches not gathering as normal for public worship. Our public response to the Coronavirus pandemic has driven us apart from one another, cloistering into our homes. Our response to the virus has health effects (positive, we hope) and dire economic effects, but also a significant sociological impact. We cannot live healthy human lives, let alone healthy Christian lives, alone for long. a

And yet, in our focus on the corporate life of the people of God, we must not neglect the call to a personal spiritual life. The Christian life is essentially corporate, ecclesial; our primary nourishment is not individual devotions, but hearing the Word read and preached in the Divine Liturgy; our primary prayer is when we join our voices together as the people of God in the assembly; we are fed as we gather together at the Lord’s Table week-by-week. We are created, and redeemed in community, and yet we all need times of solitude. We need times of quiet during which we can “withdraw to desolate places and pray.” (Lk. 5:16) The ecclesial life of the disciple feeds the individual life of devotion. The disciple who develops a healthy, quiet, individual devotion bears greater fruit among the community of disciples. Yes, the corporate life of the Church is primary, but the relationship between the communal life of discipleship and the quiet devotion in solitude is reciprocal.

In our present context, many of us have been forced into isolation This has resulted in a palpable loneliness. Even those of us who are introverts quickly come to miss normal human interaction with the outside world before long. And loneliness is deadly. How can we respond when we are forced into isolation? At the risk of sounding cliche, we need to see this trial as an opportunity for maturation. Where is God leading us in this?

Well, for many, this forced isolation has served already to open their eyes to the importance of community life (whether the community life of the Church, or community more broadly.) Quarantine has created a greater hunger for life together, and for that we can be thankful. But what do we do with our time alone?

From Loneliness to Fruitful Solitude

“What if the events of our history are molding us as a sculptor molds his clay, and if it is only in a careful obedience to these molding hands that we can discover our real vocation and become mature people?” Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out, p. 37

In Reaching Out Henri Nouwen describes three movements of the spiritual life. The first movement is the movement from loneliness to solitude. Nouwen wisely diagnosed his contemporary, Western society with overwhelming loneliness. Forty-five years later the diagnosis is just as true, if not more so. Now, in forced isolation that loneliness is magnified. Physically separated from society we are acutely aware of just how disconnected and lonely we have all become. Life in the Spirit, however, leads to a conversion of loneliness into a fruitful solitude.

This, I have come to believe, is one of the lessons the Lord would have me, and perhaps you, learning during our quarantine. Convert the keen sense of loneliness that we may feel to a fruitful solitude. Find ways to grow in solitude that will make us more fruitful disciples when our normal community lives are restored. “Solitude,” Nouwen says, “does not pull us away from our fellow human beings but instead makes real fellowship possible.” b

Quarantine serves to pinpoint areas in our lives that are in need of growth. I venture to say that all of us have room to grow in our prayer lives; this is a great time to seek growth in that discipline. If you’re stuck at home, dive into the Psalms. Read them. Pray them. Sing them. Get into the practice of praying the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer. It can be easy to fall into patterns of laziness, drawn into our phones and social media. Don’t let that happen.

In solitude, we come to greater knowledge of ourselves, often painfully. Calvin says that true and sound wisdom “consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” c A growing knowledge of God brings to light truths about ourselves, our condition, areas of our lives where we need to work out our salvation to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. This self-knowledge will, as Calvin says, in turn drive us to greater love of God.

I’ve been using the terms “solitude” and “isolation,” but in fact for many we are not completely alone. We are quarantined with our families, and this concentrated time with our spouses and children brings to light areas in need of growth as well. Use this time to develop patterns of prayer with your family, to grow in your love for spouse and children, to learn more about these people with whom you live. Concentrated, prolonged proximity can lead us to greater irritability towards one another, or it can give us opportunity to die to ourselves in love and service for each other. Let your quarantine with your family work in you a readiness to respond to others in love that will bear fruit once our full community life is restored.

It is my prayer that our time of solitude will make our community lives all the richer on the other side of this.

  1. Note, it is not my purpose here to comment on the wisdom or lack-thereof in our public response to the virus, but simply to highlight how we can respond to the situation as it is.  (back)
  2. Reaching Out, p. 28  (back)
  3. Institutes 1.1.1  (back)

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On April 19, 2020 By In Culture

Controlling Fear

From one perspective on life, fear controls us. What or who we fear determines the course of life. Take the present situation in which we find ourselves. Our fear of a virus has shut down many other aspects of life. In the face of the projected threat of millions of deaths, millions of people are willing to give up normal social interaction, gathered worship, business, income, and even our Constitutional rights. As we have watched everything progress, our controlling fear is shifting. Now, the fear of wrecking the economy, economic as well as psychological depression, continued isolation, and living with paltry virtual worship and fellowship, might very well give us the courage to face the risks and open everything back up. Fear can make us timid of one threat while at the same time being the basis of courage to face other threats.

Life is full of threats. We must know what the greatest threat is and allow the fear of that threat to dictate our decisions. This is what Jesus teaches his disciples.

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On April 18, 2020 By In Culture, Family and Children

A Response to Social Distancing

Contrary to cults, Jesus did not rise ghostly on the third day. He was raised in the flesh. The Easter season brings with it an essential topic for conversation at the COVID-19 table. One of the most painful reminders that we still live in a fallen world is that we are–for good order and prudence–inhibited from hugging, kissing, and shaking the hands of our neighbors. The terminology “social/physical distancing” pushes back against the Christian faith. We are the most embodied religion on planet earth because of an embodied risen Lord, and yet, at this stage, we are urged to avoid resurrection affection to the saints. But the Christian faith receives God in a journey of social nearing to his people. We may rightly say it is contrary to our religion to avoid physical connection with others. But alas, we find ourselves in this pitiful state.

This entire affair is one element of God’s judgment on his people that we too rarely consider. The Apostle’s life is one where he longed to be with God’s people and greet them with a kiss. Paul was not content suffering for the cause of Christ in a prison cell away from God’s people. He did not appreciate his isolation from church life. While the Gospel prospered even in Paul’s imprisonment, he longed to see the people of God (Rom. 1:11).

The apostolic model calls us to use this time to meditate on how little we show physical affection to those nearest to us. If anything, we need to consider how few tangible acts of love we offered before the pandemic kept us away from the presence of others. It is a scientific affirmation that hugs between fathers and sons, for instance, improve physical and psychological well-being.a There is too much at stake in this conversation beyond economics. Easter comes with tangible consequences.

It is common to think that the Pauline imperatives belong to an ancient culture where physical affection was time-bound, but we now live in a more personalized western environment where our interactions do not require physicality. But it’s important to note that this is not the Western perspective. While some may feel this way in this country, Latinized countries and the vast majority of European nations practice some physical form of greeting one another.b It is entirely possible and likely that our germaphobia is linked to our dismay of what the Bible and the vast majority of cultures consider normal.

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  1. The humble hug represents security, reassurance and love – and as well as emotional benefits there is well-documented scientific evidence that regular hugging improves physical and psychological well-being. Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that the bonding hormone oxytocin rises substantially the more hugs a person receives. https://www.menshealth.com/uk/health/a754361/why-hugs-are-good-for-father-son-bonding/   (back)
  2. https://jetfarer.com/brazilian-kissing-culture-greetings/  (back)

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On April 13, 2020 By In Culture

Online Church Shopping

During the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, our church has of necessity made the move to an online presence. We have had a YouTube channel for a few years now, so the technical infrastructure was already in place to permit this. For the past several weeks, we have worshipped from home, tuning in from our televisions while seated on our living room sofas, whose cushions are more comfortable than the 112-year-old wooden pews in our sanctuary. We even celebrated the Lord’s Supper on Palm Sunday, each of us providing bread and wine and having it consecrated from 2 kilometres away by our minister. It’s not the same, of course, but it will have to do for now. We can be thankful to God that our technical means have come so far that we can worship in this way, which we would not have been able to do even twenty years ago.

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On April 11, 2020 By In Culture

A Socially Distant Easter

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“By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres.” -Ps 137.1-2

How Long Will We Be Separated?

Most Christians in the whole world are experiencing our most important week of the year separated by computer screens. The resurrection of the body of Jesus is being celebrated by members of the body of Christ who cannot meet together and cannot eat together due to COVID-19. This is a time for lamentation amidst our joy.

We think on Holy Saturday of that brief moment when the church (the people of God) were left without the living physical presence of our King, before his resurrection on Sunday. And we too, in 2020, are living constantly now in the lamentable state of being forced apart on Sundays, bereft of the physical presence of each other, the living physical presence of the body of Christ.

A Time for Lament

Throughout scripture, separation from the temple is always seen (more…)

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