You can find almost anything in the Bible if you look hard enough for it. And you can create almost anything you want out of the stories of the Bible. Two instances stand out in my mind. First, somebody had posed a question to a seminary professor of philosophy on whether or not Jesus could be considered a philosopher. Thus, the professor went to the gospel stories in order to give this person a good answer. Lo and behold, as the professor read the gospels, he found himself enamored by the philosophy of Jesus and how he articulated it in the face of opposition. The professor went back to the student and told him that Jesus was not only a philosopher, but the greatest philosopher in human history. The second story comes from a “Christian” counseling textbook. Apparently, this book has turned to the gospels for case studies in counseling, which of course are applied today because if we want to counsel, we might as well counsel like the greatest counselor who ever lived on the face of the earth. One specific example from the book was in regards to Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well, saying that this was an excellent example of counseling somebody with a messed-up life.

Has the Bible developed into a handbook for every profession? It sounds like Jesus is becoming painted in whatever light we wish. Oh, I wonder if Jesus is a philosopher? Well, of course when we begin scouring the Bible like a Where’s Waldo book, we are going to find what we set out to find. That is unless you want to see Jesus as a car salesman or an engineer. The process goes like this . . . we come up with a hypothesis, then go back to Scripture to see if we can verify it. Because the Bible is large and expansive, we usually only look to one or two sections. And because we have to have a set of criteria to test our hypothesis against, we get to set up our own boundaries when making a decision on interpretation. So on verses or passages where it may or may not be referring to Jesus as a philosopher, we may stretch our boundaries a bit in order to fit it into our criteria. This may not even be a conscious decision. We just do it. The whole problem with this type of interpretation is that we decide not only the hypothesis but also the criteria, and thus, only the parts of the Bible that verify our hypothesis and fit within our criteria are what we cling to. Thus, we naturally pass over what the Bible says in order to find what we want the Bible to say. We can draw up a number of hypotheses and try to garner support for them from the Bible, but it the process, we may miss what the Bible is actually trying to communicate.

Jon Birch posts short cartoons on his blog. The one shown above was posted recently and I very much resonated with it. I have come across a number of people in my seminary experience who cling to one or two specific verses of Scripture (at one point, I was tallying up the number of times I heard John 14:6 quoted in all of my classes combined . . . after week 2, my count was at 36 . . . I have since stopped because it was getting far too depressing). Also, there are those who quote Scripture as an alternative to actually thinking about a topic. We use the Bible as an excuse for not thinking critically or faithfully because we are able to quote a verse here and a verse there without even understanding the context in which it was said.

At just about every seminary, emphasis is placed upon the holistic development of the student, not only intellectually, but also spiritually. Some would refer to this as the maturity of both head and heart. The concept of holistic development is a very good thing. However, if often excludes one area that is very important – the physicality of human beings. We do a terrific job of furthering growth in the academic realm and also in our spiritual journeys. Nevertheless, our flesh is ignored.

Gnostics believe in the Platonic dualism that spirit is good and matter or flesh is bad. Thus, they sought to unite with the spiritual realm and leave the human realm behind. We may be going down a similar path with pastors. In all the seminary catalogs that I scoured while contemplating seminary, I did not find one that offered a course on health or nutrition. You may be objecting thinking that seminary is not the place for such classes to take place. But, if we truly are seeking to develop holistic pastors, we must acknowledge the physical side of pastors. Sadly, very few people follow the food pyramid, myself included. Pastors also have a tendency to eat out often with parishioners. Eating out is not necessarily bad, but healthy choices must be made. Essentially, we need to re-educate pastors how to eat healthy and to take care of their bodies physically. Stress and some other emotions are tied to the foods that we eat (desserts being an example). Also, sadly, many pastors suffer heart attacks. I say we need to be preemptive in combating future health problems by teaching pastors how to care for their bodies. If anything is neglected in seminary, it is not the head or heart, but rather the body. And to be blunt, if the body stops working, it really doesn’t matter how developed the head or heart have become.

I would like to see classes in seminary on health and nutrition. We must learn how to take care of our bodies through healthy eating and exercise. I think it’s vital to long-term sustainability for pastors. If we seek to be holistic, not only in word, the physical aspect of people must be addressed.

mk’s comment on my last post about Christians and food provided a great transition for what I wish to write about today: Eating healthy is costly. I use costly as a very broad term, seeking to encompass all the different facets of cost. First, there is the price of food. Good, healthy food may cost you more financially. I am not necessarily referring to simply the high price of organic or all-natural food. Highly processed foods saturated with preservatives cost very little because our food industry is a science able to manipulate corn into anything that tickles our fancy. All-natural mac and cheese is at least two times as much as the cheapest stuff on the shelf. Free-range chicken or beef can be 3 times as expensive of those coming from feedlots or chicken houses. The disclaimer of this first point however is that fruits and vegetables really are not that expensive. Believe me. I’m not talking about the canned stuff but the fresh fruits and vegetables. I bought a jalapeno for 8 cents today. I think that’s a steal. My yellow onion: 47 cents. That 10 pound bag of potatoes: $2. Lettuce for a dollar, spinach for two. A pound of apples for $1.50, a pound of cantaloupe or bananas for 49 cents. I can hear you saying aloud, “Wow, that’s really cheap. Maybe I should start buying more fruits and vegetables.” But this brings me to the second cost – time. Eating healthy costs us our time. We have to prepare our food . . . slice the potatoes, dice the onion, boil the corn, slice the watermelon. We can’t just throw a frozen dinner in the microwave or that frozen pizza in the oven. We actually have to prepare the food. And this takes time (I must admit, sometimes I miss the caf at NWC). It’s easier to run to McDonald’s or Qdoba or Panda Express (there are a few healthy options at these places). By cooking our own food, we know what is being put into it. We are no longer in the dark of the many ingredients we don’t know how to pronounce, let alone have an idea of what they are. Lastly, we sacrifice our taste. I am not saying that eating healthy does not taste good. Rather, we have to re-train our taste buds to tell us what tastes good and what doesn’t. For example, if you don’t eat any sweets or sugars for a long time, you will begin to notice the sweetness of the fruit or the red pepper. Sweetness becomes redefined in our new diet. This isn’t an easy process and probably the worst thing to do is try and go cold turkey. But I do think this teaches us self-denial. Not only this last point, but all of them. Food is a gift. Gifts are to be cherished and not taken lightly. Too often we see food and eat it rather than thinking about where it came from and whom to give credit to for producing the food. Too often we forget that food gives sustenance to our bodies. Eating healthy means we take serious our gift of life, our gift of our physical being. But this costs us something. And these costs are what deter both you and I from eating in a healthy manner.

I will attempt to sum up the life of a seminarian in three words: books and papers. While that may be a gross oversimplification of what seminary is about, I do think it captures the essence of what my life is like as a seminary student (although I am tempted to add Greek translations and grammar). Everyday, I spend at least 4 hours reading. At least. And, on average, I have been writing 3 papers a week. Some of these are long (8-10 pages), others are short (3-4 pages). This may sound miserable to some of you, but to me, this is a good life. My job is essentially to read really smart people’s writings, then try to sound as smart as they do in my own writings. The latter is where the struggle exists.

Because I spend my life surrounded by words, they have almost become a part of me. I breathe them. I eat them. I dream about them. I wake up to them. A word is never just a word to me – there exists pages upon pages of scholarly work recounting the story behind this word. Simple Greek phrases draw the attention of upwards of 10 pages in English. My life is about words and how they fit together. This cause a problem. My whole life, much of my devotional life or my spirituality has been built around reading the Bible. But now I read the Bible all the time for school and even translate it. And after spending all day studying it and writing about it, I find it difficult to open it up again in the evening to read it some more. Essentially, I am drowning in words so much so that adding more words through Bible reading as a spiritual discipline, only compound the asphyxiation. And so I pray. Or participate in the divine office. Or I run. Or be quiet. Or still. Anything but surround myself with more words. Anything but take in more words than I can swallow. Once again, I am reminded of the evolution of one’s spirituality. As one’s life unfolds and changes, the way one connects with God or finds rest in God also changes. This may be an uncomfortable transition for some. Or it may be naturally. Spirituality develops and adapts as we grow up, as we mature, as we move towards completion in Christ.

This is a continuation of my series on food. This is only the second post and you will find all the posts in this series in the “Food” category.

Today I want to talk about church potlucks. This is one of my fondest memories of the church growing up . . . at times, it rivaled the excitement linked with advent looking forward to Christmas. And the worst part is, they torture you by sitting through a service first. At least that’s what I thought as a child. As I grew older, I continued to appreciate potlucks in the church, especially as a poor college student. It’s plain to me and I hope it is to you, that church potlucks are sentimental to me.

However, my view of church potlucks is beginning to change. Yes, it is great to share a meal with brothers and sisters and the company is always enjoyable. But that’s not where my problem lies. A few years ago, a friend (who is now a pastor) humorously remarked that potlucks give Christians’ an excuse for gluttony. And often times this is correct (at least in my observation). At potlucks, people tend to eat far more than they need to. They are full, but because that cherry cheesecake was so scrumptious, they go back for another piece. And then grab one of those peanut butter chocolate chip cookies on the way. And then for good measure, another one of those brownies with the cream cheese swirls. And you noticed, all these have some in common. They are all desserts. This is the other thing that makes me suspicious of church potlucks. There always seems to be at least half of the tables covered with desserts. Half!? Are you serious!? You have to look hard for the fruit and vegetables, but luckily, with the overabundance of desserts, people usually pass over these healthy entrées. And although I used to be thrilled with the variety of desserts, I no longer find myself so enthused. I care about my body and I really try hard to take care of it. Not only in regards to stress and exercise, but especially in my diet. The food pyramid that is drilled into our minds as elementary school students really portrays the proper diet well. Maybe we should start hanging those at the beginning of our potluck lines. And maybe we should talk about overeating, about being good stewards of our body, not only spiritually, but physically. Maybe we should talk about what we eat at church potlucks and maybe we should talk about eating healthy in general. And maybe the church potluck would be a great place to exhibit healthy eating. And maybe we should talk about stress-eating and fasting and denying the flesh and not satisfying every little desire that emerges from within. Maybe we should exhibit self-restrain and self-control. Maybe we should pass on that third piece of apple pie à la mode.

Here at seminary, one of the first requirements they have for you is to take a personality tests of sorts. The one I took is called the Birkman Method, and instead of evaluating the person through psychological analysis, they do on the basis of sociology. The results were returned this past week and my spiritual formation group discussed all our results. I guess there was nothing that surprised me very much. But here are the two things I am going to share with you which you may already know about me. First, I like being by myself. I am very independent and if I don’t have time to myself then I tend to get impatient. Second, I scored very low in persuasion. This equates to me being a poor salesperson. I strongly dislike trying to argue with somebody just so they will see things the way I do. Moreover, I strongly dislike when people shove their viewpoint down my throat. Persuasion carries such negative connotations for me.

This all brings me to say that I will not be a typical pastor. No, I am not extroverted in the least and no, I will not incessantly badger somebody for not coming to church or agreeing with theology. I’m going to be a strange pastor. Sometimes, when you are around a bunch of pastors, it’s hard for them to be quiet and listen. I don’t think I will have that problem. However, because I tend to remain reserved, I will have a problem when people expect me to speak and I don’t. Or when people will expect me to be at every group gathering of the church. To be honest, that’s draining. When I preach and then talk to everybody at the back of the sanctuary after the service, I’m exhausted. I usually go home those days and take a nap. I find social gatherings very draining and yet, as a pastor, those are the places I find myself. I must engage in small talk. I must go to this child’s music concert or the social hour after the service. Or I must meet new people with connections with the church. This is a struggle for me . . . I would much rather keep to myself. I guess this is my cross to bear. And it’s something I’m working on. Constantly. I hope someday it gets easier for me. Until then, please ignore the awkward silences that come with my personality. And through this all, may God be shown through my weakness.

This is me starting a series on Christians. And food. And the relationship between them. It may lead to talking about health. Anyways, I wish to post regularly in this series, albeit not daily.

To start out, or at least what ignited my mind towards this topic, is an article. Well, maybe I’ve been thinking about food for a while now. It was probably about 16 months ago now that I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and for the first time in my life, watched my diet very closely. This forced me to admit how much unhealthy food I had ingested over the years. In addition to this, I was made aware of all the things I put into my body unknowingly. There are more preservatives and artificial ingredients than I really want to know about. I then began reading about where food comes from and learned large amounts of this through the writings of Michael Pollan.

I guess I say all this up front because I come at this topic with a bias . . .  my health does not allow me to eat like everybody else. It has forced me to change my diet. Then again, it has forced me to exchange my old diet for the one that everybody should be eating. This all makes me jealous when somebody can sit down with a big juicy steak or a luscious slice of cheesecake. However, if Christians take ethics seriously, they may begin to rethink the ethics of eating. At least, this is what I hope to persuade you of.

On Sunday, I worshipped at Agape Christian Church in Five Points. This is a small, Congregational church composed primarily of blacks (primarily in this case is 99% of the parishioners). After encountering numerous stares upon first entering the door, I noticed my awkwardness dissipating almost instantaneously because before I could take a step, a number of people were already shaking my hand and greeting me. Let’s just say this was a very hospitable congregation. It was a typical service to say the least; it was about 2 hours long, with large amounts of singing and praying.

After the service, I found myself wondering why it is so difficult to integrate black and white congregations. I think a fundamental issue is the music. The worship wars are not just between hymns and contemporary music – a church of multiple ethnicities would run into many problems. To find some sort of middle ground would probably just alienate all the different sides. To cater to the blacks in the group would probably lead to some of the whites leaving and vice versa. If it is a mix, then neither group is completely satisfied and they begin to look for other churches. As much as we would like to say the fundamental issue is not music, I would disagree. I think it is a much bigger issue than we make it out to be. Many church-goers today look for good music when they visit churches, particularly good music that fits their tastes. And if a church does not meet that expectation, there will be another church that will. Emerson and Smith write about the effects of the religious marketplace on American churchgoers. This requires churches to focus on a particular demographic to meet the niche in the market and to forget or ignore the other demographics. If churches seek to attract people through their music, then naturally racial divisions will become a part of the churches. It is much more difficult to cater to both blacks’ and whites’ music tastes rather than just one. And therefore, the decisions a church makes in regards to the demographic they will reach automatically discriminates against groups that do not fit that demographic.

So, even though music is a small thing (at least this is where our lip service is paid), in the religious market place of America, it becomes a disproportionately important factor.

Over the weekend, one of my courses took me to the northeast part of Denver (think Five Points) for an immersion experience. While there, we discussed some of the problems neighborhoods in this part of town are facing and what some people have tried for solutions. The neighborhoods in this part of Denver are often categorized as poor. However, I found out how relative “poor” can be. In no way should this stir up images of Calcutta, India, Chihuahua, Mexico, or even parts of New York. Honestly, the houses and streets were well kept and you might not even guess that this was the poor area unless somebody told you. But they fall under the categorization of poor because most all the families rely on the government for assistance. Our teacher told us that one of the most telling statistics on just how poor a neighborhood is is how many students qualify for reduced lunches at school. In one of the three neighborhoods we visited, the number was around 93%. So although on the surface many of these people wouldn’t appear poor, in reality they would fall under the scope of the “working poor.” Many of them have jobs (although usually at the bottom of the corporate ladder). Gang activity can still be a problem at times; contrary to popular belief however, the gangs are really just out for one another, not whoever happens upon their turf. And lastly, for today at least, racism is real. Especially racial profiling. Our teacher told us of so many incidents he has experienced first-hand that it makes you want to vomit.

I’ll post more thoughts on the weekend tomorrow.