Christmas Eve

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
910 S. Collins, Arlington, TX 76010

Christmas Eve Services

2:00 Service of Scripture and Song

5:00 Children and Story

7:00 Candlelight Service

11:00 Candlelight Service

Hear the Good News—Jesus Christ is our Emmanuel—God is with us

Pimento Cheese

I made Pimento Cheese tonight. I decided that I should write down what I did in case I like it and want to replicate it.

4 Fresh Jalepenos Peppers, without pulp or seeds.
1/3 Cup Sweet Roasted Red Peppers
4 oz walnuts
12 oz Whipped Cream cheese
8 oz Colby Cheese
8 oz Cheddar Cheese
2.25 oz can of sliced black olives

I put the Jalepenos, roasted red peppers, some of the juice from the red peppers jar, in the food processor and chopped them, then added the walnuts and chopped a little more. Placed peppers, walnuts, and juice in a bowl with the whipped cream cheese and stirred until blended. I put the colby and cheddar in the food processor and chopped it until is had the large granular texture I like. I mixed that in with the cream cheese/pepper mixture. Finally, I drained the olives and added them. Salted and peppered to taste.

O Antiphons

The Christmas Carol we know of as "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is based on a monastic tradition from the medieval period of crafting "O Antiphons" around the names for Jesus embedded in the Old Testament. Here, to the best of my knowledge are all of the verses of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" in the order of the original Antiphons. Along side these are scripture references related to the names.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high, who orders all things far and nigh; to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go.	Isaiah 40:3-5a Proverbs 8:22-36 (wisdom’s role in creation)	Colossians 1:15-20
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height In ancient times once gave the law In cloud, and majesty, and awe. Traditionally one of the Antiphons relates Jesus to Moses	Exodus 20:1-20 Psalm 19, 145, 105	I am statements from John 8:48-59
O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples; before you kings will shut their mouths, to you the nations will make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.	Isaiah 11:1-3, 10-11, Isaiah 52:13-53:6 Micah 5:1-5	Matthew 12:15-21 Revelation 5:1-5, 22:16
O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heavenly home Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery.	Isaiah 22:15-25 The phrase “key of David, comes from 22:22 but the context refers to a misuse of authority; too much weight placed on one person. Isaiah 42:1-9.	Matthew 12:22-32 Matthew 20:29-34 Matthew 22:41-45 Revelation 3:7-8
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark shadows put to flight.	Isaiah 9:1-7 Isaiah 58:6-9 Malachi 4:1-3	Luke 1:67-80 Hebrews 1:1-4
O come, Desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind; bid thou our sad divisions cease, and be thyself our King of Peace.	Haggai 2:1-9 Isaiah 28:16b-22	Matthew 25:31-46 t
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.	Isaiah 7:10-17 Isaiah 8:5-8	Matthew 1:18-25

Response to David Henson on Jennifer Knapp

Recently, blogger David Henson of unorthodoxology wrote about the response Jennifer Knapp was receiving from Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) after revelations that she is Lesbian. I appreciated the blog article and the comments as it helped me understand what had happened to two of my favorite Contemporary Christian Musicians: Jennifer Knapp and Ray Boltz.

In the entry and the discussion, Henson argues that CCM's response to Knapp reveals a double standard in the way the CCM responds to a woman's sexual identity vis-a-vis their response to a man's. He uses Michael English as his principle point of comparison. English is a Christian Contemporary Musician who still enjoys broad popularity despite admitted adultery, drug charges and other rumors. I should explain that the term "Christian Contemporary Music" or CCM refers to the industry and not to all Christians nor all musicians who happen to be Christians or all musicians who perform music that is Christian. Water muddied enough?

In the comments following the article Henson wonders if the reaction to Knapp is an example of the double standard or an example of anti-gay sentiment among more conservative Christians. Undoubtedly it is both. However, the double standard and anti-gay sentiment operate at different levels of our consciousness. Few if anyone would openly argue for the moral appropriateness of a double standard. It exists for many at a more subconscious and unspoken level.

By contrast, the anti-gay sentiment is openly expressed by many Christian leaders--particularly evangelicals. While there is a general moral consensus against the double standard for men and women, there is not moral consensus around how the church should respond to gays and lesbians.

I think it's important to say that because I think it reveals the way bigotry and prejudice lingers. This is common sense but, I'll say it anyway: There's a long gap between the point where we officially express an openness toward a group we have previously condemned morally and the point where we actually internalize that openness in our day to day behavior. Ordained women clergy have been officially embraced in our theology and practice for decades. However, there remain churches and individuals who cannot or would not accept a woman as their senior pastor. They would never say that publicly but it operates below the surface. There are people who have open views regarding gays and lesbians in general who would nonetheless struggle emotionally if their son or daughter came out as gay or lesbian.

Removing legal structures and theological pronouncements that reinforce bigotry is an important first step toward realizing equality. But, we should never kid ourselves that those old bigotries leave our emotional and spiritual landscapes just because our theological and legal landscapes shift. As for Jennifer Knapp, she has unfortunately crossed expressed theological pronouncements about homosexuality and a lingering but submerged double standard for men and women.

Head Against Into Wall Syndrome

The other day I caught a radio preaching offering a familiar diatribe against those who have placed career and success above family and faith. It came with the typical call for people to choose work that matters and lives that have meaning--significance rather than success. Aside from the obligatory stint in fast food and a couple of other jobs I had in route to ministry, I have always sought "significance" in my career choice--ministry and teaching. As I listened to this preacher extolling the virtues of the search-for-significance based life choices, I wondered if he wasn't selling a bill of goods that wouldn't deliver on the promises.

First, let's not sell the pursuit of wealth short. I realize being in ministry, I'm not supposed to make making money my main priority. It's a hypocritical standard we have in church. Generally people celebrate the fact that their work is valued enough to receive substantial pay for their work. Not in ministry. In ministry, if you expect a large salary, you soil the sanctity of ministry. Understand, by ministry standards, I am well-paid. Even then, the living made is a tenuous way to make a living. People who just work to make money and succeed at making a lot of it, have fewer anxieties, more freedom and greater breadth of experiences. Money can't by you happiness? OK, but the lack of money doesn't supply joy either.

Second, there's no guarantee that if you seek significance, you will find it. There are plenty of days when I have no sense that what I am doing matters to God, to God's Church or to the world. There are those who would say that that is only an indication that I am not seeking God's guidance on a daily basis--probably so. Nonetheless, things have to get done. And some of those things are tedious, spirit-draining and mindless. Essential but not significant.

Finally, the search of significance requires competence. Just as not everyone has the talent, luck and wisdom to make money so too not everyone has the talent, luck and wisdom to find meaning in what they do.

Righteous Sinners?

I've never liked the bumper sticker which read, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." For one, it seems defensive. It is as though someone caught a Christian in the act of doing something unChristian, called them on it, and that was the response they gave. "Hey, I'm not going to do everything right just because I have faith. After all Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." When we are caught doing something unChristian, we need to apologize, confess our sins, receive God's forgiveness, and repent. In the face of what we need to do, the bumper sticker seems to be a less-than-sincere shortcut.

The bumper sticker seems to throw forgiveness back into the face of non-Christians. It's as if the bearer of the bumper sticker is saying, "We know we're forgiven, yes we do; we know we're forgiven, how 'bout you?" I'm not sure it projects the kind of attitude that really draws people to Christ.

Despite all my objections, though, the bumper sticker is rooted in Protestant Doctrine that I find important: Simul iustus et peccator. Which, ironically, has also been made into a t-shirt. The doctrine says that the Christian is simultaneously justified and a sinner. Apparently the term was coined by Martin Luther though the question is much older than that. For Centuries Christians have wrestled with the reality that despite the fact that Christians know what is right, they do what is wrong. Despite the fact that Christians know God's forgiveness they move away. "If we say we have no sin, they make God out to be a liar" (1 John 1:10). This isn't meant as an excuse for bad behavior on the Christian's part but a whispered prayer of both thanks and petition.

It is also not a reason to sit out the quest for moral perfection. Christians will never be perfect and we should not kid ourselves about our capacity. But the life of discipleship does mean that we continue to walk forward daily reaching for greater service and deeper purity day by day.