The Shoe

Not the kind you wear. As in the Horseshoe as the Ohio State Buckeye Football stadium is known.

I was blessed to receive a ticket to the Ohio State USC football game this past Saturday. Thanks to Ron Montgomery. We sat on the 10 yard line about thirty rows up and had a great view of a pretty good game.

I frequently have mentioned it at church-but there's something about over a hundred thousand people cheering for a common goal. The attendance that day was 106,033 people-a new stadium record. The place was rocking the whole game until a disappointing finish when USC won on their last drive of the game.

I understand now the rabid nature of the Buckeye fan and how exciting it is to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves. It would be a dream come true to get that many people to be rabid about our faith in Jesus Christ. I've blogged about it before-but I am amazed at the similarities between a football game and the fan rituals and the life of a church. The big difference is we're worshiping a team and not the Living God.

There is the communal eating-in church it's Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ-the symbols of the Body and Blood-bread and wine. In football-it's the burger, the brats, the hotdog, the chips etc and beer, soda, wine, or liquor.

There's the gathering beforehand with people you're friends with to prepare for the worship service/game-tailgating-not unlike the fellowship hour at church before worship.

There's the praise band in the form of a marching band. In the case of baseball they even have an organ to play the songs.

There's the wearing of team colors and the cheerleaders (would that be like donning our Sunday best and the equivalent of our pastors and choir director leading the worship)?

The teams would be the little gods we make and worship-we certainly idolize them and value them more highly than other humans for their physical prowess and strength. We analyze their skills and measure them against one another and our own expectations-blaming them when something goes wrong and praising them when something goes well-not unlike humanity's tendencies with the Divine.

Like football fans Christians are called to celebrate-not a team but the Divine presence of the Holy Spirit.

Unlike God-our teams will let us down. Also unlike God-there are many teams to divide our loyalties. God desires for us to love God with our whole hearts, our whole minds, and all of our strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves-even if we wear different colors of skin, and even if we happen to call God by another name like Allah, or the God of Israel.

I was witness to one of the most impressive demonstrations of enthusiasm and unity in the form of a raucous Ohio State crowd in Columbus on Saturday. It is my hope that my role as cheerleader and coach will help inspire others to focus even a portion of their enthusiasm for football on the will to follow Jesus Christ.

For now I have to go-I have cheerleading practice.....

Shalom y'all,
Dwight

Tell me that funny story again

One of my seminary professors joked with me about life in a small town as we both had grown up in them. We joked about what there was to do on a Saturday night. Basically we said you'd sit on someone's front porch and talk. Eventually someone would say. "Hey say that thing you said last week that was so funny to me again." That was our equivalent of attending a comedy club. Entertaining one another with the funny stories we remembered.

I recently found an instance of humor related to telling the same story over again. My mom is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. It's taken her short term memory for now-and will eventually take the rest of her mind. About the time she moved up here for us to begin taking care of her (to Springfield OH) she re-connected with her sister. They hadn't spoken in years. I would sit sometimes and listen to mom's conversation on the phone with her sister and noticed that each time she would talk-she would mention similar stories-if not identical to the ones she'd shared before on the phone.

Her repetition of stories wasn't new to me-it is one of the first signals that she was beginning to experience dementia. I was a bit embarrassed by my aunt having to listen to the same stories over and over and wondered to myself how much she must love mom to be willing to sit through identical conversations that lasted often an hour or more.

Recently in speaking with my cousin Mike, my aunt's son, he shared with me that his mom too was suffering from dementia-and that her memory had gone too. So it made me laugh and smile as I understood that both women were sharing identical stories and memories with one another as though they were recounting them for the first time. Each time they spoke they were experiencing the joy of the other person's company anew. The conversations included a lot of laughter-big laughs on mom's side of things and I imagine on my aunt's as well.

Think of the ability to experience the newness and joy of a relationship over and over with no understanding of the ways in which relationships sometimes decline and become stale. So at least for the time being mom can experience joy over and over as she talks with her sister-and I can get some happiness in hearing her laugh with someone she loves.

What stories do you remember that make you smile? What's the funniest story you've ever heard? Let me know in the comments.

Peace,
Dwight

False Humility

It occurs to me that I may have written on this topic before now. If so then enjoy this blast from the past-consider it a remake. If not then I hope you enjoy it anyway.

I was thinking about how people pay compliments to pastors and we often deflect the comment rather than receiving the positive intent of it. I think it's in the name of Holy humility. The idea is Scriptural to "not think more highly of yourselves than you ought to". In a Presbyterian Confession known as the Westminster Confession of Faith the first question is: "What is the chief aim of humanity?" The answer: "To glorify God and enjoy God forever."

Therefore any compliment paid to a pastor is often deferred to God's glory above self glory. Not a bad thing in general to give God praise-God's pretty amazing and the love we receive from God is praiseworthy. But I think it can sometimes be false humility-which I know I'm guilty of for sure. In fact we relish the compliments and even jockey for position to receive them. (that's why us pastor's stand by the door at the end of worship right?)

Is it sinful to accept a compliment on a sermon or desire affirmation? After all we've spent a lot of hours to prepare a sermon-and occasionally it turns out to be a creative and faithful interpretation of Scripture. I guess though it comes down to whether our chief aim is to glorify self then we're off track. If we preach or minister for the recognition rather than the reconciliation of humankind with God then we fall short of the ideal. Thankfully God's grace is there to pick us up then too.

So if someone pays a compliment why don't we practice saying-"Thank you." Because the person who God created us to be is glorious in many ways-and as part of God's creation being praised is ultimately glorifying God right? As long as I don't get a tattoo of my own face on my arm with the logo "I'm number one" I'm probably safe. Pastors are reliant on God and others for ministry that is reflective of the community of faith rather than only the personality of the pastor. It's OK though to take some credit when we've worked hard and been faithful.

In closing I'd just like to give God all the glory honor and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom I could not have written any blogs or anything worth a darn.

Peace,
Dwight

Off the hook

What a fun night. I had a great set at the Holiday Inn in Springfield OH. I know what you're thinking....wow man....Dwight has ARRIVED. It was one of the contests where you go up and get evaluated on the night and I didn't get first or second-I don't know if I got third. But I KILLED. The crowd was lovin' my stuff and I was performing it better than I have maybe EVER. So good times. One of the pros mentioned that going towards the front of the lineup can make your act less hot than it would have been if it were at the end...the two comics who won? The last two to perform. I was fourth....not saying they weren't better comics-but I had an amazing set.

Being successful during a performance is perhaps one of the finest feelings on the planet. I am grateful to God for working through me.

I was standing there afterward with the two comics who won-both working comics by the way-and noticed something that I know will help me along the way. I felt like I belonged-that I was not having to think of myself as play acting as though I was a comic. Tonight....I was a comic....I am a comic. This realization will make me better from here on out. The crowd can crush you as well as lift you high on their shoulders...but tonight was mine and God's and it was and is amazing.

Where do we experience the most excitement in our faith lives? Is it in a charismatic worship service with Holy Ghost preaching and dancing? Is it in a well prepared intellectual sermon that touches us in our heart but in a subtle and quite way? Or is it when we can go into a place where perhaps the last thing on people's mind is God and church...and we can bring it into their awareness and point to it as something full of life and maybe not so out of touch after all. That doesn't have to be in a comedy performance-but it's like a definition of the call into ministry posted on the PC(USA) website (or it used to be)-a calling is where your deepest passion and the deepest need of the world meet. For me-that's comedy in addition to being a Minister of the Word and Sacrament.


As God continues to work through me to help people not fear laughter, (as it pertains to the Holy and the Sacred), I believe it can help reach people who have written off or never considered Church. It could help folks think about God and the Kingdom of God perhaps more seriously from having laughed about it.

I have no delusions that I'm the next Billy Graham Cosby...I just know that God can use this as a way of helping get the church off the hook for all of the violence and damage we've done in the name of God. It's a VERY small part of that type of healing-but it's a start. It's a part of the whole picture-a pixel of prayer amongst the many people working to lift up Jesus and praise the Kingdom of God. I am glad to be a part of it.

I look forward to when I next hear the words from a person in the crowd afterward about my act "THAT was OFF THE HOOK" and remember to thank God for helping me perform and facilitate some joy.

Please forgive the self aggrandizement here-I just love it when I am able to do well and bring some joy to other people doing what I love-and I wanted to share it with the handful of folks who stop by here now and again.

grace and peace of Christ to you all,
Dwight

Of House Elves and Mercy

I was thinking today as I often do about forgiveness. Often I visit the ghost of forgiveness past. What I mean is I think about something I did long ago that I regret and let it hang around in my memory and re-visit it every now and again maybe as a means of penance, or repentance-who knows.

The tendency of humanity can sometimes be to carry around some sin with us as though it can still be held as evidence that we're no good-or that we are out of line with God's will, or maybe as a means of glorifying some perceived necessity for suffering as a servant of God. i.e. an unhealthy valuing of self-flagellation in the name of qualifying for God's grace. We may even carry around the sin that we feel has been committed against us as well. As though our memory of a wrong committed against us punishes the person who did the offending.

A good example of the former practice is Dobby the House Elf in the Harry Potter books. If he makes some slight mistake he runs to a cupboard to pull out a pan and bashes himself in the head with it-or bangs his head on the floor and says "Oh Harry Potter I've fallen short please forgive Dobby as I'm so unworthy." If you've read the books house elves often punish themselves in disproportionate measure with their "offense"-and often whatever they've done hasn't been offensive to anyone but them.

An example of holding onto an offense we feel was committed against us can take the form of a grudge against a former partner or lover who we feel parted ways in an unjust or unkind way. To carry around that anger is just as destructive as banging our heads with pans. To carry around in our memories the record of past wrongs we've committed is destructive as well. So rather than wearing football helmets and continuing the practice of grudges and spiritual self mutilation it is helpful for us to seek a more excellent way-that of love-the love of God specifically.

To know Jesus Christ is to know mercy, and to know mercy is to be freed from this practice of self punishment and the ghosts and goblins of our past life. There is room for accountability-but not room for trying to carry the burden of our sins that have been forgiven by Jesus Christ-and that have been carried away from us as far as the east is from the west. There is room for hurt from legitimately wrong behaviors we have experienced in others, but not for nourishing the wound rather than receiving the balm of grace that heals our hearts and minds.

So I pray that I along with you can practice the art of mercy with ourselves as an extension of the grace that Jesus has given us freely. It will help cut down on the head injury treatments if nothing else.

Grace to you and peace of our Lord Jesus,
Dwight

Seeing is believing

Hello,

I'm giving you some video today rather than all written word. If you've visited here before then you know that I talk about being a Presbyterian minister who is also a stand-up comic. I'm on the verge of being a working comic-that is a comic who has regular gigs for pay.

In order to reach that point-one must have promotion materials-here are some of mine. Some clips on YouTube. Link to the clips if you're so inclined and share them with your pastors, churches, whomever you know who wants to have a Presbyterian Minister come to make them laugh.

Enjoy the clips and leave some comments and ratings while you're at it.

Thanks for reading AND thanks for WATCHING! http://www.youtube.com/preachercomicdwight

Grace to you and yours,
Dwight

Shaken AND Stirred

Martinis in Bond movies of course the basis for the post title. It also describes the last couple of days of my two week hiatus from work, blogging, and anything else that required much conscious thought on my part. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were filled with two loved ones vomit multiple times over several days. It was rattling-and disappointing to end a vacation on that note. However I am grateful that today is a new day-and that I have been refreshed and renewed by God. Shaken by circumstances, stirred to respond to them in as positive a light as I am able with God's help.

I have been shaken too because of the month of June and all that it entailed as well. Now I find myself stirred by the Holy Spirit. I have been stirred to regularly and consistently show the love of Christ to myself. Pastors on the whole are often least capable of treating themselves with the care that they readily provide to others. There are numerous reasons for this-mine are best left to discussions with my confidants and in prayer. Let's just say that no one is able to give of themselves to others if they have not established and nurtured a self to give. This isn't a revelation to many-but it is something that I am still learning.

The concept of "pulling one's own weight" and "pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps" was something I learned early on and have to let go of now because it isn't working for me. If we work to establish self worth-then we are working against the Grace of God. We have value because of God's love for us-then we work out of gratitude for that love rather than to gain it. I've reversed that order and lived too long in that place.

Like comics-pastors sometimes are needy folks-thinking that in caring for others fulfillment and worth will come as a result. Comics think that if they get a crowd to laugh and/or like them-that some form of fulfillment and worth will result. Here's the trick though on both counts: If a person goes on stage, or goes into ministry or any helping profession from a place of needing validation of worth-then the task of ministry/stand-up/whatever else becomes impossible. Worth is given freely by God-so successful ministry and comedy come from a place of knowing you have talent/worth before you go on stage-or provide ministry for and with people.

A comic who's been at it a while will tell you in more informed and eloquent terms than I am able to here that you have to be convinced and confident that you are the funniest person coming or going BEFORE you take the stage. You don't do this out of arrogance-you do it because if you don't then you can't be funny-if you don't believe it-then the crowd won't either.

The same is true of ministry-if we don't believe that we are a valuable enough person to treat our bodies and souls with love and care then it isn't possible to provide consistent and authentic care for others. If we don't believe that we have worth because of being a child of God-not because of what we have achieved or because we have proven ourselves worthy then we are without a solid foundation from which to approach loving others.

All of us struggle to find validation in some way-something in which to ground our worth, our acceptance of self, and our need to be loved, to be heard, to be touched.

For me as a Christian and as a pastor I draw that from being grounded in Jesus Christ and his enduring unconditional love for me and his enduring and unconditional love for all of humanity. As often as I am able and as often as you are able we are helped by reminding ourselves of this truth-GOD LOVES US AND CLAIMS US AS WORTHY AND ACCEPTABLE BY GRACE FREELY GIVEN-NOT BECAUSE OF OUR HAVING EARNED IT. That is the gospel-the good news.

I pray that God gives us all the wisdom to see this Grace as ever present and as a calling to love ourselves. Knowing the words are true is the beginning-putting into practice the art of self care is the work that we can do out of gratitude for the love of God for us. So please along with me-let's be gentle and loving with who we are knowing that God is still leading us from where we are as people to where we can be.

Finally and ultimately then we will be empowered to love others by serving them martinis and watching Bond movies I guess is my point-no wait that's not it-serving ourselves martinis? I have to go and think of a better segue or tie in for my next blog-and allow myself to have written one that is less than perfect-there's that love of self again.

Be good to your waiters and waitresses as they've been good to you.

D