We Wish You a Meaningful Christmas

Perhaps lighter, simpler fare this week. No big theological stuff. Stories! Provided by...YOU! 

Jeff here again, doing blog duty. Next week - Mary Alice...you tuning in?

Here's the question for the week: how are YOU making meaning of the season? 

It's an old question, but a good one. We've heard it before. We're all so busy, meeting the unquestioned expectations for givers and getters. But are there folks out there who are pausing, breathing deeply, taking time to look, to listen, to hear the angel voices? Are there folk struggling in the darkness of grief and loneliness, who wish to tell their stories of finding unlikely hope amidst the dark sky?

I will tell a story that I heard while waiting in line to see Santa Claus at the Lawrenceville Main Street Christmas festival, during a recent (and absolutely freezing) afternoon at Weeden Park. While waiting in line, I overheard some of the conversations between Santa and the various kids who posed on his lap.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Kids shared their imagined delights over receiving the usual things: a prized doll, a train set, a remote-control helicopter.

One kid, when Santa asked that question, responded with this: "I want a big heart." I inclined my ear to hear how he'd respond to this one. Santa stammered, muttered..."that's nice...but...." Then recovered with, "Well, what about under the tree? Wouldn't you like a nice radio-controlled helicopter?"

How are folks hoping for "a big heart" this Christmas? Stories? Anecdotes? Overheard at the grocery store?

In the PEACE, HOPE, JOY AND LOVE of the season!

Jeff

What would you do if Mary and Joseph arrived at your door?

We all know the story. Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem. No room in the inn. A stable is all they can find for their nightly digs.

We might picture the typical first-century travel experience as similar to our own. If you're on the road and get tired - find the next Motel 6 along the way. We don't realize that staying in an Inn was actually a highly unusual thing in Mary and Joseph's time.

Hospitality to strangers in the ancient world was a key aspect - a sacred duty actually - of any community's life, precisely because there really were no Inns or hotels along the way for travelers. You would have to take into your home the slightly strange-looking Lower Mongolian traveling through town, because someday you yourself might be alone, tired and transiting through Lower Mongolia on your way to the in-laws. Basic law of reciprocity.

Remember the story of Sodom and Gomorra in Genesis 19? Here's a provocative statement: the main sin there is most definitely not the sin of homosexuality. It is the failure of a community to uphold the sacred duty to protect guests, and provide hospitality and safe harbor. The attempt at homosexual rape is a sort of exclamation point to that main sin. Most people don't realize that the sin against hospitality is really why God gets so upset, and torches those two infamous cities. (Anybody out there have a different take?)

So - all that leads to the question for the week. What would you do if Mary and Joseph showed up on your doorstep? Some of us have had that actual thing happen to us, and more than once - it certainly happens all the time in my line of work. Someone in need shows up at your doorstep. What do you do? Drop everything and help?

We certainly live in a different culture. Hotels are indeed relatively plentiful. Social services arguably are available in many circumstances. When I worked at a soup kitchen, I was subject all the time to requests for help, at all hours of day or night. If I were to respond to each one of them, and not draw boundaries, I would become "an easy mark", and easily get taken advantage of.

But, if we fail to help the real people at our doorstep - what's become of us Christians? If I were to say, I can't help people - I'm too busy maintaining an organization that's helping people - would I have lost the essence of my calling?

I certainly struggle a lot with that. Should I drop everything and help Mary and Joseph at my door?

What do you think? What are your stories of helping - or not - the Marys and Josephs who've come to your door? What's the proper balance between supporting institutions that help people - as "professionals" - versus rolling up our sleeves and getting our own hands dirty with the real human problems of the person who suddenly comes to us needing our help.

Stories? Comments?

Hey - can we break 10 responses this time?

Peace,

Jeff V.

How do we live as Advent People?

Black Friday was indeed a black day.  There were incidents throughout the country of death and violence connected to the door buster sales offered.  There was the 34-year-old man who was trampled to death when Wal-Mart shoppers literally busted down the doors.  A woman also miscarried in the same stampede.  The New York Times noted that some had been waiting in line since the previous evening.

We understand this time of Advent as a time of waiting.  Not only waiting for the Christ child but also waiting for the return of Christ the King.  How can we recapture the joy of waiting in this time of door busters?  What can the church demonstrate to the world about the true reason for all these gifts?  How are we, as people of faith to respond, without being otherworldly and without being ones stepping on the Wal-Mart employee?  My question for this week is, "How do we live as Advent people?"

In Christ's Service,

Jeremiah

As a Christian, who, if anyone, would be on your "Axis of Evil" list?

As Christians, do we have a list of people or countries that we would consider evil and if so, who would they be?  The phrase, "Axis of Evil" has been recently used by our president to indicate those countries or organizations who are a "threat" to the United States.  Non-politically speaking, who might "make the list" of individuals, groups of people, countries, faith communities perhaps, or "the other" as a Christian?  Are we supposed to have a list, an "Axis of Evil" and/or how does our faith dictate who or what is really evil?  Do we start with ourselves or do we look at others or abroad to fill in our lists?

 

Would Jesus hang out with gay people?

Unfortunately, we regressed in our Blog participation last week - after a record 8 comments on our question, "How Would Jesus Vote?", we got a grand total of...zip, zero, nada...last week. I'm sure folks were thinking about the question though, yes? My wife said she was going to comment, were it not for the fact that you have to sign up with Blogger (hope our new note, above, will encourage people). Still time to comment on last week's too!

But, for this week...as alluded to in last week's entry, the logical progression is from politics...to money...to sex, of course. This week's question will really put our electronic conversation to the test--whether we can have a healthy "virtual" conversation about the gospel and human sexuality.

So...the question for the week is,"Would Jesus hang out with gay people?" And if so, how might we imagine him being with people who are gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered?

I think that's a different question than, "should gay folks be allowed to be ordained?" or "Is homosexuality a sin?" The question really goes to the quality of relationship Jesus might have...were he living in this time, place, culture...with people who are of a different sexual orientation than the norm.

I guess I like putting the question that way because the whole theoretical business--all the highfalutin questions about biblical standards, theological integrity, how we interpret scripture, etc.--gets transformed when you are in relationship with someone who is experiencing the attendant issues first-hand--whether they are "liberal" or "conservative" on the issue. People's theoretical ideas tend to change when they are able to really be with and hear the very concrete experience of the other.

The lack of any kind of relational element in the conversation over human sexuality in the church seemed so evident for me when I was at General Assembly. Of course, sexuality was the "hot" issue (as it's been for the last 25 to 30 years). But what was remarkable to me was how divided that body (and our church) is - how neither camp really talks to each other. They just divide up into camps of folks who already agree with each other. It's a tragic thing to see, to my eyes.

Sure - let's weigh in on what the biblical witness, what the gospel has to say about the deep theological/theoretical issues. But, since a lot of the theologizing we do has to do with *how* Jesus was in relationship with the real human beings of his time - let's imagine how he might be with real people in our own time, and how we might imagine his attitude toward them.

And...can we break 8 responses this week???

Imagine away!

Jeff Vamos

Money, mulah, filthy lucre, mammon...how do YOU talk about it?

This week's blog question is on a topic that we're all thinking about - especially us'ns who are in the church biz: money. It's stewardship season! And although we emphasize that stewardship (a vastly misunderstood word) is not just about money, it's what people hear us talking about this time of year, as we encourage people in their spiritual discipline of giving, and as we have to make decisions about deploying our congregation's resources for the coming year - monetary and otherwise.

I'll be honest. One of the hottest button topics in our household? Money. We often take different sides on questions about how to use it/save it/give it/spend it. One likes to give more than the other, and for different causes. One often questions the purchases of the other. (Questionable purchases on my side? Woodworking stuff. On hers? Clothes and knitting. We won't go any further there...).

And, another aspect of this: working with our 8-year old about how he uses his allowance, which he's been getting now for about 2 years. We work out with him, as a family, a giving/saving/spending discipline: ten percent to the church off the top, other giving for other good causes, a certain percentage for saving, a certain percentage for spending. This is the beginning of a life-long discipline around the proper use of money. It's dang important, in my book.

I'm really curious about what conversation goes on just before the pledge card goes in - in your mind, or in your family. How do you make decisions about giving, as an individual or a family? How do you make decisions about spending? How do you - consciously or otherwise - teach or share values with others in your family about the proper use of resources?

And, in terms of giving, we talk a lot about a tithe - giving away ten percent. I'm extremely curious about whether people approach their giving discipline in this way - by setting a percentage that seems faithful, and sticking with it. Do you give all to the church? Some to the church and some to other causes? Is a tithe supposed to ALL go to the church?

It's often hard for us to talk about money (harder, sometimes, than talking about sex - perhaps a topic for next week in the blog!) But, fact remains that over 1/3 of the words of Jesus recorded in the scriptures are about the use of resources and material things. For better or worse, we can't divorce our use of money from the Christian life.

And...if you want to comment on a safer topic than this...here's another question: how should we talk about money as a church? Do we spend too little time and attention on it? Too much? I get people giving me both kinds of feedback.

Love to hear from you out there!

--Jeff V.

How would Jesus vote?

The question for this week has to do with what we're all thinking about...well, at least one of the things we can't avoid thinking about: the election.

Obviously, I mean for the title of this entry to be provocative. To claim that Christian faith - the teachings of Jesus - might lead us to vote for one candidate over the other is a dicey proposition. Any attempt to equate the Kingdom of God with any earthly ideology, party or program is a perversion of the gospel. (Theological background on that point? Read The Barmen Declaration).

But on the other hand - is it not also a shirking of our responsibility as Christians if our faith somehow does not gain traction in our political thinking? If politics is simply "the art of living together", how could Christian teaching not have some bearing on our political decisions? Does Jesus have something to say about economics? Over 1/3 of his words were devoted to them. Does he have to say something about our caring for the poor? Personal responsibility? Abortion? You be the judge.

How does your faith relate to your politics...if it does at all? The title of this entry makes the assumption that Jesus would indeed be voting. There are some who assert that Christians - people who are called to be radically "other" - might see the rather radical choice of not voting at all as one that has integrity - especially if you see Jesus as a radical, apocalyptic prophet of the end-times, who was content to leave politics to Caesar, in order fry the bigger fish of the true Kingdom that he came to announce.

What do you think? Let's see if we can break our record of 4 responses!

Blessings,

Jeff V.

Lawrenceville Church a Web 2.0 Congregation? What Do You Think?

Jeff V. writing here.... I'm back after a long summer's nap. This post is really an attempt to re-establish our blogging practice as a church...and that's the subject of the post.

I've obviously been rather reluctant to jump into the whole blogging thing. One impediment is my perfectionism (don't want to post anything in public that doesn't sing, and that I haven't been over with my editor's fine-toothed comb). Hence I'm a rather slow writer, and doing a post regularly seems way too much to do on my already spare time-budget. 

But, I've been doing a bit of reading about how churches need to use some of the "Web 2.0" tools that people - many of them younger ones - are using to connect with each other. 

Why not Lawrenceville Church using such tools to enhance our connections with each other?

My recent experience has confirmed what I've been reading: that some of the new web technologies, far from any atomizing effect on community, actually help people connect more deeply in "real time" and in face-to-face contexts.

I'll give you an example. When I first started using Facebook, one of our newest members sent me a Friend Request. Like so many of the new members - and heck, let's be honest, many of the 850 odd people already on the rolls - I did not know this person well at all. Maybe a few details among the many that people shared at the new member gatherings. But through the bits that he shares on FB, I have a much better sense of him when I see him and his family in person--and of course, that goes for the other folks I keep in touch with on that site. "Hey - I see you like the Mets. How about that Billy Wagner...darn shame, huh?" You get it.

BUT HERE'S WHAT I WONDER ABOUT...and here's what I worry about as the church uses these tools in a bigger way. How do we maintain a healthy conversation, on a medium that often, because you are not communicating face-to-face, lacks nuance, and encourages quick and often angry communication? My rule for email is this: if there's ANY whiff of emotional content or subtlety required, speak person-to-person. 

And in a medium where people can comment anonymously - such dangers seem to me to potentially multiply. Is there a danger of the blog becoming an online "suggestion box", a forum where people in the community can avoid accountability for their communication that we as Christians do well to maintain? Is there a way we can require people not to make anonymous postings? Am I being paranoid?

What do you think?

Last thought - on the impediment I mentioned above - my perfectionism. Here's what I've decided if we do jump in more fully as a church into the Blogosphere, at least for my own writing on it: I am not going to write long, eloquent (well, ahem) posts about theological subjects. I've got enough of a challenge coming up with adequate words for a weekly sermon. 

Instead, here's what I'm thinking. First, to post questions that will enable conversation. Questions like, "Do we spend too much time talking about money as a congregation? How shall we be faithful in our talk about money?" 

Or, "How can we bear witness to Christ's hope as we confront together difficult economic times?"

Those are questions I'd plan to post at some point in the near future, which I hope might provoke some useful congregational dialogue.

Second - perhaps the content for this blog does not just come from me, and the staff - it should come from the members and leaders too. So often, I get eloquent, well-thought-out responses from sermons, via email, and there is no medium to share such things. Seems ready-made for the blog form....

Lastly...here's an honest question. Will people care? Will we make this effort to communiciate - "build it" - and will anyone come? How do we encourage a critical mass of people to use this medium to have a deeper conversation together, such that it really does enhance community life; enough people so that we get a real sense of what is going on in our real-time congregation? That is what I'm most up for - to use this means to have a real, meaningful and faith-building conversation together.

In any case - love to hear the opinions of anyone out there....

--Jeff Vamos

The pope agrees with me?

As a response to my sermon last week, a church member forwarded to me Beliefnet's daily joke (http://www.beliefnet.com/dailyjoke/DailyJoke.aspx?QID=3621). Though I usually delete without reading the joke emails that people send to me, I'm thinking of subscribing to this. I've often found myself on Beliefnet, a wonderful website, full of wisdom from many religious traditions.

Anyway...in doing a little research on that site (since, hey, I was already there...ah, the mind of a procrastinator at work), I discovered this little homily written by Joseph Ratzinger, the man who would be pope.

Check it out: 

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/214/story_21486_1.html

Live into hope!

Jeff V.

Did Jesus Laugh?

Did Jesus Laugh?

This is the central question around which the mystery novel The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco, turns—a book most worthy of reading, not only for its clever plot, but for the theological education it offers its reader. There are some who would say no to that question, and would deny a divine role for laughter. But, the biblical and theological witness might say otherwise.

In his book Laughter: A Theological Reflection, Karl-Josef Kuschel writes of the ambiguous way in which the ancients regarded laughter. Plato saw laughter as something to avoid, whereas Aristotle saw it as healthy because it is characteristics of human beings.

Though some of the early church fathers (such as St. John Chrysostom) denied the laughter of Christ, many found it easy to identify laughter – so characteristic of human joy – with an intimate experience of divine grace. The biblical witness knows the joy of human laughter, as we see from Sarah’s laughter at God’s proposition of a child in old age. St. Paul identifies the gospel of Christ with what is “foolish in this world,” which shames the wisdom of the wise. In John’s Gospel, the very first miracle (“sign”) is a joyful party with singing and laughing, a wedding feast in which Jesus turns water into wine. Kuschel writes of the “messianic jubilation”, the joy and healing of the Christian message, including God’s acceptance of sinners, which must necessarily express itself in divine laughter. He also details a German preaching tradition (not unlike the theme for this Sunday) that allowed the telling of even off-color jokes and stories during the Easter season as a way of rejoicing in the triumph over death that Easter represents.

Risus Paslchalis, the Easter Laugh: should we bring back this ancient tradition of the Christian Church? Presbyterians are not well known for their experience or expressiveness of joy. One of our members emailed me recently, for example, and mentioned that he thought we needed to be more joyful; so much of what we do seems so somber. Sure, we need to be able to sing the blues…to remember the words of Khalil Gibran, that “the lute that plays your music is also the lute that was whittled with knives.” But the corresponding experience to that of suffering love, as we witness on the cross…is JOY.

Now, I have met Mark’s challenge of a blog entry two weeks after Easter! I have discovered how difficult it is to be consistent with a discipline of “blogging”. But, I’m still working on it. The life of a clergy person seems filled with the ebb and flow of urgent business, which all never gets done.

And indeed, I still have a draft of my Mission Statement (I’ve written several in my life), but don’t want to release that here until I’ve really made it my own for this period in my life.

So…back to laugher. What ideas do we have to combat the oft-heard reputation of Presbyterians, that we are indeed “the frozen chosen.” Reputation well-deserved? What can we do about it? Shall we practice “Holy Humor Sunday” every year the Sunday after Easter?

Be well, and blessings,

Jeff V.

A Confession and a Final Critique

I write as I watch the Academy Awards Ceremony...a true procrastinator, as you all already know. I'm behind on my blog entry this week. And I want Mark Smith also to know that I am working on my Mission Statement! But it's not yet ready for prime time. I trust there may still be some interested enough in our blog to read it when it's finally done.

Today's sermon concerned how culture and social influence contribute to the content of our character. I'm the product of a white, middle class, suburban, midwest upbringing. I think of how much of my own character was minted early in life by my family. My own profession I suppose in many ways was inspired by life as the son of a Pastor (though I never thought I'd be doing what he did). This discussion about character has especially caused me to consider what kind of culture I am creating in my own family life - what values I seek to transmit to our son, Will; what values we seek to consciously live out together as a family. 

Culture matters. That was really the main point of today's sermon - our family's culture, our work culture, our national culture; it has a great deal of influence upon our own individual character. But it goes both ways: it forms us, and obviously, we form it. We're all in some sense responsible for the collective character, if you will, of each. 

Is it fruitful to step back and observe what kinds of cultures we operate in, and their character? To what extent are we operating in cultures of integrity, or excellence--or, on the other hand, dysfunctionality? And is it then fruitful to ask ourselves the question, What can I do to help create a culture that values right action?

But a final word about character. I ended this sermon series with a critique of character...of any collective, social attempt to "teach character." Perhaps one could say that the dark underbelly of any such attempt is the extent to which teaching virtue is simply the attempt to acculturate individuals to a social norm. What if that norm itself is unjust? After all, Adolf Eichmann loved Beethoven, and was kind to his colleagues, and was a terrific father, apparently.

In the final analysis, as Christians we can't escape the anthropology of the cross: despite our muscular attempts at virtue, we can never attain a character of life that will insulate us from human sin. We will never be a perfect human being, nor shall we ever build a perfect society. We look at the cross and see our own guilt and failure writ large: we killed God. And at the same time, we see the ultimate symbol of divine love: God gave not just any life, but the divine life as a gift to every human being.

Christian understanding of character begins at the foot of the cross, when we know ourselves to be forgiven for our failures, and redeemed from our perfectionism. That turns out to be the most solid foundation upon which to build a virtuous life. When we know this power, we become, in the words of D. T. Niles, "One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread."

Be interested in anyone's further reflection out there. Some very specific questions:

* What are folks' experience in wrestling with "The Man"? Is it naive to say that an individual can have an effect upon a whole corporate or work culture? Can an individual function with integrity in a dysfunctional culture?

* What do you make of the theology of the cross? Is it possible that we really begin to form a character of virtue when we realize our failure at virtue? 

* What important questions have not been asked in this discussion about character?

Welcome any comments.

 

A Mission Statement

First, some bonus material on last week's theme...dealing with Character and Suffering. Stuff that was left on the cutting room floor. I'm repeating this from a post I did last week, because I thought folk might not see it if they're just tuning in. For today's topic, please scroll down to the next boldfaced stuff.

First is a quote by the ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus. Dick Brown mentioned it going out from church last Sunday:

"He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. "

Second is a movie recommendation. It's the movie - a true "sleeper" - called The Big Kahuna. It's a short flick - only about 90 minutes - and I think was originally a one-act play. It features Danny Devito, Kevin Spacey and another actor (not a big name). Anyway, most of the action takes place in a hotel room during an industrial lubricants conference - among 3 salesmen. It's about their attempt to land "The Big Kahuna", and involves themes around religion, salesmanship, and...of course...character. An excellent film, well worth a watch. I had my whole confirmation class watch it once.

Today's theme: Do you know what you are aiming at in life? (OK, William Safire..."at what you're aiming....) One of the items I'm going to speak about in today's sermon (egad, I'm behind!) is how important it is to articulate the principles on which our life is based, if one is to be conscious of the kind of character one wishes to cultivate. I reviewed again Steven Covey's book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which I think is a very good, basic primer on this subject. One of his "habits" is this: Begin with the end in mind. He suggests writing a mission statement for your life, as a way to articulate a) What is most important to you in your life; and b) Around what values (virtues) and principles do you seek to organize your life?

Once we've done this, we can then measure how it is we are acting out of those values and virtues. Is generosity one of my primary values? Well, how am I being generous? Is being an excellent parent a primary goal of my life? What am I doing to be an excellent parent?

For Christians, there's an important principle not to miss here, too. We believe we are not solely "self-powered" creatures - but we are able to accomplish our purpose through a combination of human sweat, and divine help. Prayer is important. Asking God, whose power is able to renovate any human life, how we wish to be shaped and formed, is an important part of the process as well. "Ask...seek...knock." We don't get there only by sheer muscular human will.

So...I guess I have my work cut out for me, after preaching this sermon. To take pen in hand, and write a mission statement. This is not the first time I've done this - but mine needs updating. It really can be a very powerful process!
Anybody out there willing to take a stab?

Onward,

Jeff V.

Does Suffering Build Character?

This entry accompanies the 2nd in a 4-part sermon series "Character: Christian Life Practice".

I ran cross country in high school - the only sport I could possibly have earned a letter in because it required absolutely no coordination. Our coach, who sported a crew cut, had the slightly psycho eyes of Rasputin, and whose politics were just one notch left of Atilla the Hun, hosted each year the Iron Man Weekend at his brother's farm. He'd have us run the exact same loops each year, through bogs, brambles, nettles and thorns, all designed for maximum damage. There was an award for the bloodiest legs at the end of the weekend.

"Mental toughness," was what he was after. "Mind Over Pain" was his motto.

Did I gain such things through this experience? Did it improve my character? I'd say in many ways it did. It was especially a lifeline to kids on that team who, in the absence of such structure and discipline, might not have done well in school - one even might well have ended up in jail. It was a bonding experience for us to undergo the ordeal of that weekend, and in general the crucible of the cross country team.

On the other hand, such experiences can be abusive. Those who believe in a philosophy of "no pain, no gain," often have a hard time with the value of compassion and the need for gentleness. Believing that pain and suffering are "good for us" seems a way of denying the crushing reality of suffering, and can even be an excuse to inflict it.

Perhaps more troubling is the theological issue here: can we say that God uses human suffering for our betterment? Can we ever say to someone in the midst of suffering, "this is good for you; you'll see." Can we imagine saying anything more cruel than that?

And yet, what would human life be in the absence of suffering? If we lived a life free from risk of harm, disease, death, would we really be human? Would we know the meaning of courage if there were nothing to risk? Is suffering, in that sense, part of the providence of God? In such a way, do we not confront the mystery of the cross?

On Sunday we'll deal with Romans 5:1-5 ("we boast in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope...") and Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus' 40 day ordeal in the wilderness.

Here are some questions to ponder:

* Does suffering produce character? Can you share an experience in which that was the case for you? In what ways can this be a very unhelpful, or even dangerous way to think of suffering?

* Do you think there is a gender-difference in approaching this question? I'm mindful of the way men might value "mental toughness" over the virtue of gentleness of heart. Or am I making an unhelpful generalization there?

* There's much talk these days about "failure to launch" kids. As parents/educators/mentors, is it of value to allow kids to experience challenge and suffering - or even to program for them such challenges? Outward Bound is one example of such a strategy - a literal testing in the wilderness.

* Do you think God allows suffering? How do we fit suffering into the notion of God's providence? (How's that for a wide-open ended question?)

Love to hear from folks, before or after this Sunday's sermon.

- Jeff V.

Maiden Voyage..."The Character of Character"

Friday morning. I write as I stare at the usual blank screen waiting for the muse to show up and help me organize the tangle of thoughts in my head into a coherent Sunday message for the saints. It usually happens around 11:00am. Still waiting.

So I have another Friday morning distraction with which to practice the art of procrastination. Blogging. Something I've only heard about on NPR until I decided to give it a whirl...and thus begin my first entry. The maiden voyage. The proverbial first pancake. The inaugural peep echoing into this now empty Electronic chamber.

Why now? I decided to create this blog to accompany a new sermon series I'm beginning on...character. For some reason, this subject seems to continue to bubble up in the soupy mess of my consciousness and prayer life. Does character matter? Is character the nature we're given, or is it imparted to us by our parents, our clan, our culture? Is it consciously chosen, or unconsciously pre-determined?

This question is particularly interesting to me as my wife and I raise a 7-year old son...who - as I did at his age - needs a good bit of character education. Many of us are struggling with these issues. How do we transmit life-giving values, self-affirming values, to our kids, in a culture that seems only to value achievement - getting into the best school, getting the best job, getting busy, getting ahead? But to what purpose? And as for the adults among us...what manner of persons shall we be?

What are the characteristics of a life-well lived? Is there a natural and metaphysically real "good" out there, as Aristotle would claim, toward which all of life aims--a good whose embodiment in human virtue is most conducive to human thriving? If so, how do we live such a life? And, the bottom line for us: what does that mean to the Christian life? How does our faith in God enable us to live this kind of "abundant life" that Jesus himself promised his followers?

I would invite readers and hearers to reflect on these questions and respond here. And if those don't get you going, here are some others:

* In my reading, living a life of virtue seems to go hand in hand with discipline. Our habits are most indicative of our character. We develop habits of the good life - or sometimes develop habits that are less than life-giving. What habits, or virtues, seem most conducive to such a life well-lived? What habits of the heart do you practice? What virtues and values are you seeking to teach your children?

* What are the death-dealing influences and potential vices with which you (and your family) are struggling? What are the societal pressures and cultural toxins you find yourself fending off in living your own life, and if you're a parent, in raising your kids?

* Are your schools paying attention to character education? What should we do as a church community?

* What is good reading on this subject? In a future post, I plan to talk more about the literature out there about character education, which is often grounded in a very broad understanding of character and virtue. For example, who could argue against practicing and teaching the virtue of integrity and honesty? But some literature I've read equates virtue with abstinence-only sex education, and with counseling your child out of homosexual feelings - culture-war axe grinding that obscures more than clarifies what it means to impart virtue and character.

What do you think? Comments, reflections, and more questions, are most welcome!

- Jeff Vamos

PS - I'm doing this first entry...and will probably follow up with several during the sermon series, which ends on the last Sunday in February. But the blog is designed to be written by our whole staff. In the future, look for entries from Mary Alice, Bryce, Rich, Robyn, Jeanne, and others.