All Things Star Trek

I will admit, that the death of Leonard Nimoy has made today a rather melancholy one for me.

You see, I grew up on Star Trek.  Call it my left-handedness (and hence right-brained-creative-sci-fi-dreamer in me), but in many ways it defined me.  Not in the sense of ultimate truth:  knowing right from wrong, and so on.  Rather, in shaping my life in such a way as to reinforce and enhance all those things that my parents and others strove to teach, and those things that make me who I am today.

Let's face it:  it was cutting edge stuff in its time.  The first African-American lead (Uhura), the portrayal of a Russian as trusted friend and crewmate (Chekov) at the height of the cold war with the Soviet Union, the interdependence of all humans working together for good with a multi-ethnic crew, and even an episode that pays homage to Jesus Christ (the "sun" worshipers in the episode "Bread and Circuses" actually worshiping "the Son of God" - from Uhura's revelation at the end).  All of this to "seek out new life and new civilizations" in  spirit of peace and exploration for the betterment of humanity.  And while it tanked after only 3 seasons, it's almost cult-like following since make it one of the most profound visions of the future of the 20th century.  Heck, even the first Space Shuttle was named in honor of the USS Enterprise!  Cell phones, memory disks and cards, and a whole host of things are reality now that were just sci-fi fantasy in Roddenberry's 1960's vision of the future!

However, all things must end, and this includes life.  I suppose that what is really going on for me is that as the cast and crew of Star Trek die off one by one, it only too well reminds me of my own mortality and advancing age.   That which I so dearly loved as a kid and still have great love for today is becoming a thing of the past.   I for one could not imagine a world where there was no hope beyond this life.  While Star Trek has certainly shaped a generation and has given us a rather poignant glimpse into the future, it too shall one day be forgotten, as we all will be.  And I pray not only for a world where the reality of evil that is so alive and well today could one day be a thing of the past, but that we truly could work together to tend to this planet that God has given us stewardship over, and that all might come to greater knowledge of the ultimate truth to be found in God alone.

I am, and always will be, A Trekkie.  Rest in Peace, Mr. Nimoy.  And I thank you for all that you taught me.

Leonard Nimoy's final internet message shortly before he died:  "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP"

Of Ideologies and Religion

I suppose it could be said that all religions comprise an "ideology" of sorts, as they all follow the teachings of another.  That said, what really matters in the end is "ultimate truth."  Focus on the Family put together an amazing set of instructional DVD's that put this into perspective, namely that first and foremost, "ultimate truth" and "ultimate reality" can only be determined by God.  Humanity in its age-old bondage to see the self as ultimate, rejects any other truth that would trump "truth" as WE define it, and THAT is what ideology is really all about.  In the end, ANY ideology - be it political or otherwise - really comes down to redefining truth on our terms, and not in any sort of penultimate way.
     Political ideology pretty much follows the same path.  Today for example:  the president vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline.  Now I really don't care what side of the issue you may come down on this.  The simple fact is that the majority of Americans in every poll are in favor of it, and because of the president's ideology, he vetoed it.  Last I checked, our government was set up so that elected officials carried out the will of the people, and that the Constitution was set to ensure that the government was limited in ways in which it could thwart that will.  This is to say nothing of whether or not the majority rule in this case was also an ideology:  one of the need for petroleum and its by-products, which in western society is a given.
    Also today, we see that the world is simply NOT a fine place.  Christians are facing persecution, and recently 21 Egyptian Christians faced their own deaths, not willing to renounce their faith even as they were being beheaded.  ISIS too is an ideology - one driven by pure hatred and evil, with strong roots in Islamic history.  The simple historic fact is that today's terrorism is pure evil and has nothing to do with the Crusades of the 11th and 12th centuries.  The first attack between Islam and Christianity occurred roughly 400 years prior to the first crusade, and it was Islam attempting to take over the Holy Roman Empire, not the other way around.  There were hundreds of similar battles and attacks in the years that followed, allowing for Islam to take over nearly 2/3 of Christian Europe and Middle East, until the Christians began to fight back in 1095 AD.
     So let's come to the heart of the matter.  What makes one ideology better or worse than the other?  As I would maintain:  nearly ALL religions comprise an ideology, and nothing more.  I say "nearly" because in the field of comparative religions, there is indeed one that stands apart and alone:  Christianity.  The Lutheran doctrine of "Law and Gospel" (without going into great detail in this post) summarizes this critical component.  It essentially postulates that humanity is a fine mess, and that we, ultimately, are responsible for our own mess.  Furthermore, we cannot in the end save ourselves from our own stinky mess.  Salvation comes through God alone (through Jesus' death and resurrection), simply because we cannot save ourselves.  This one religious tenet sets Christianity apart from EVERY other world religion, all of which leave the business of salvation dependent upon you and what you do.  Islam is only one of a long line of such religions, where salvation is in your own hands.  Islam has a disturbing track record of believing and teaching that the road to salvation is in killing your enemies in gruesome fashion.  Any other religion that relies on the self in any fashion is not a true religion, for it denies the power, authority, and sovereignty of God.  When Christians, too, rely on their own intellect and ability alone, they have reduced the Christian faith to an ideology only as well.
     When it comes to politics, our only concern must be for understanding ultimate truth and reality.   With all the "so-called" truths out there, where will you turn for "ultimate truth?"  If it comes from anywhere other than God who created the universe - the God who saves you not because of yourself but because of His love for you - it comes from the wrong place.

You Can't Spell Discipline without D-i-s-c-i-p-l-e

It is Wednesday.  Ash Wednesday to be specific.  It's a time that once upon a time, was observed worldwide by millions.  Though many still do observe it, the significance and meaning have faded for a host of reasons.

It's time to reclaim it.

       Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent - specifically a time of inward reflection, penitence, recognition of our own sinful, mortal state.  Simply put:  we recall only too well that we are human, and not God.

       For today, the Title’s the theme.  It’ll be our theme throughout Lent as well.  It’s why this year's imposition of ashes, you will hear “turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”  The Gospel calls us to be disciples.  Well you know what that means, or at least you should: It means we pray daily, we worship together weekly, we read our Bibles regularly, we share the Gospel with others, even as we are holding ourselves and one another accountable to God’s Word and instruction, and we give generously of all that we have and all that we are.  I know.  Easier said than done.

But if we are talking about being disciples...  If we are following the traditions of Lent and reflecting on our own mortality and our own unworthiness to stand righteous and just before God, AND we are also continually reminding ourselves that by the grace of God we are called to be disciples, meaning we follow Jesus and do not lead ourselves... we must necessarily also then talk about discipline.

You see, the two go hand in hand.  You cannot be a disciple without discipline.  And though we can talk the good talk all we want about the marks or habits of discipleship, that talk means nothing without the discipline to follow through.

Discipline is one such Lenten emphasis.  It is why among some that Lenten disciplines are often discussed and undertaken this time of year: such as the giving up of certain foods, fasting, efforts to eliminate bad behaviors from our lives, and the like.  But Lenten disciplines, like the Gospel itself, are meant not just for certain times, but to be carried out the whole year and lived.

That is what makes Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent so critical - we truly are a mess!  All we need do is look at the world around us to see that it is so: Radical Islam carrying out the tenets of their religion and executing not just Christians and wanting to exterminate Jews, but killing anyone who disagrees with their wild ideology.  Governments that are clueless and self serving, a world that we are being anything BUT stewards of, and so on.  But I don’t need to remind you of that.  Or at least I shouldn’t need to.

We recognize all of this not out of some sort of perverse self-debasement or deprecation, but to drive home what truly ought to be seen as radical in us: the love of God in Christ Jesus.  There’s a reason Lent is before Easter: Once the disciplines of Lent “conclude,” and carries us then into discipleship where we follow the living God, we see just how radical and amazing the love of God in Christ Jesus is for us  - as the song goes, “Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King should die for me?”

The challenge is not to just mindlessly carry out such “disciplines” during Lent.  Just because someone else does them is not a valid reason to do them in your life either.  As my father would often say, “If your friend jumped off a cliff, would you follow them?”  Lenten disciplines should be genuine, and should always be framed through our desire to be disciples - to follow Jesus - no matter how much out of our comfort zones it takes us.

So be disciplined this Lent.  And let it carry beyond into the entire year.  And may it be in accordance with God's Word, that our lives are lived in a manner worthy of the radical grace of God, that claims us despite our own unworthiness.

Random thoughts from Pastor Mitch: We have things messed up

Random thoughts from Pastor Mitch: We have things messed up