redirect...

in case you haven't changed your links yet, here's a link to this week's post:
http://bethanyjeanlittle.blogspot.com/2013/03/silence-slander-and-authenticity.html

URL change

have you ever wondered about the title of this blog?

I thought so.

As a result, I have decided to change the url of my blog.  Change your links, your favorites, your reader... and from now on all new posts will be found at:
bethanyjeanlittle.blogspot.com

Lent - some thoughts to get you started

It is now the season of Lent in the church calendar.  I hope to write more about it, but in the meantime, here are two posts from the archive to get you started:

seasons of the church: Lent
lenten hymn

also - a short reflection by a friend, Sarah Ngu:
why the language of self-control falls short

Is there anything in particular you would like to read a post on, concerning Lent?

Authentic?

“Made with REAL fruit” proclaim the labels.  “Vintage” says the shop sign or the web banner.  Much of today’s marketing makes use of our desire for that which is authentic.  And since nobody likes something that is fake, we by their more-real products.

The longing for and exploitation of authenticity has permeated much more of our society than just advertising.  The popular TV show “Girls” “strives above all else for authenticity,” according to Ms. Dunham, the show’s creator and lead actor.  (NYT1/2/2013 ) This is particularly reflected in clothing choices and in tag-lines such as “almost getting it kind of together”.

Politics also turns on authenticity.  At times it seems that the true character of a particular political leader is more important than his or her policies.  While it is nothing new that we want our leaders to have integrity and good character, perhaps the preoccupation with their “real” lives is ultimately unhealthy because of its high cost.

Social media, too, promotes a culture in which that which seems authentic is more highly valued.  Or at least, in an online culture where one can instantly age a photo through Instagram or selectively choose what part of your self you reveal, it creates a longing for authenticity.  

 Where does all this leave us?  As I considered these trends, I found myself asking a few questions.

First, has the very word “authentic”, in a self-defeating way, come to mean nothing at all?  In a NYT article by Rosenbloom entitled “Authentic? Get Real”, Jeff Pooley points out that you can’t “be told by a social media guru to act authentic and still be authentic.”  There is a deep irony here.  The more people value authenticity, the more it is manufactured, to the point where Pooley says “we want something real.”  This statement only makes sense if that which is real has become different from that which is authentic.  

Bound up in this question is the question of whether the term has become not only useless, but out-dated.  The quantity of books coming out this year which include “Authenticity” in their titles seems to belie this suggestion, but my survey of web articles seemed to be more concentrated in the 2007-2011 range.  Do you have thoughts on this?

Secondly, is the longing for authenticity in our culture primarily individualistic and potentially destructive of community?  Andrew Potter, in his bookThe Authenticity Hoax: How We Get Lost Finding Ourselves suggests that our obsession with authenticity is self-absorbed and competitive individualism.  One might think that acknowledging ones true self would promote open and honest relationships.  However, given the difficulty of knowing oneself to begin with, and our propensity to try to be more authentic than another person, there is reason for concern.  It is worth considering more carefully the degree to which individuals within a community, and the community as a whole, should strive for authenticity.

Finally, how are we as Christians to view all of this?  Certainly we value truth and honesty.  The issue becomes more clear when we consider choices that a church might make about its presence in a city.  How does it focus on the transforming power of the gospel: does it focus on the grace extended to weak and fallen people, or the hope-for result of that grace, and of sanctification?  

One might even argue God does not reveal himself as “authentic” (although the assumption is that he is, of course, real).  Authentic revelation implies a degree of disclosure that the infinitude and mystery of God’s personhood seems to make inadequate or false.  It also involves, to some extent, representation, which we must avoid in the worship of God.  We do not worship an authentic version of God, but his very self.

On a more positive side, I think we would agree that we want the church to be a place where people can come as they are.  This is how we come before God; should it not also be our posture before each other?  A more positive understanding of authentic christian community could come from this.

What are your thoughts on all of this? Questions?  Comments appreciated!

For your convenience, here is the definition of authentic:

authentic |ôˈTHentik|(abbr.: auth. )

adjective

1 of undisputed origin; genuine: the letter is now accepted as an authentic document | authentic 14th-century furniture.

• made or done in the traditional or original way, or in a way that faithfully resembles an original: the restaurant serves authentic Italian meals | every detail of the movie was totally authentic.

• based on facts; accurate or reliable: an authentic depiction of the situation.

• (in existentialist philosophy) relating to or denoting an emotionally appropriate, significant, purposive, and responsible mode of human life.

Do it again!

"Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon."

G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, Chapter 4

where is church going in 2013?

Curious about trends in the church for 2013?  I thought this was a helpful post: thirteen issues for churches in 2013

I am particularly interested in the points titled Heightened Conflict, Community Focus, Cultural Discomfort and Organizational Distrust.  Any thoughts?

The year in books: 2012

Jeremy Myers pointed out on his blog that if you were to read a book a week, you could only read 4000 books in your lifetime.  That's a pretty generous estimate for a depressingly small number of books. It made me especially sad when I consider that I average more like a book every three weeks :(  It's a good reminder to choose my books well.  Do you have any reading ambitions this year?

Here's the roundup of books read this year.  Perhaps my comments on them will help you decide what to read this year!

• The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  An enjoyable read (this is a children's book)
• The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.  This little book of letters is a spiritual classic worth pondering.  See my two posts on the book here on suffering and daily wisdom.
• Desiring God's Will by David G. Benner (finished April 29 - or before!?
• The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, by James Martin, SJ.  This is a good introduction to Jesuit spirituality.  Easy to read.  (Perhaps a little too easy?) Here's a post drawing on this book.
• Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper.  This a good devotional-type book about the attributes of Christ.  Here's a related post  in which I talk about how we begin to believe and one about how Christ will not be put in a generational box.
•  Tale of Two Cities, by Dickens - If you read any book by Dickens, read this one.  It is SO good!  Here's my post on it.
• Life Together by Bonhoeffer.  I've read this one twice this year.
• King's Cross by Timothy Keller (TFA*)
• The Call by Os Guinness (TFA*).  This book refutes the idea that some people are called by God and other's aren't, and helps people think about God's call in their lives.  Personally, I found it too anectdotal, but if you can get past that there's a lot of good stuff to think about.  Here's a post on the practical implications for of understanding calling for our work. 
• A Free People's Suicide by Os Guinness (TFA*).  I struggled with this book some, as the writing is dense and the audience somewhat ambiguous.  I also felt that Islam was not adequately addressed (thus weakening his argument).  That being said, if you get a chance to hear Guinness speak, or to talk with him, do it!  He is a fabulous speaker.
• The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis.  Yet another good book by Lewis.
• The Fall by Albert Camus (TFA*).  This book gets into your head.  A fascinating reflection on the darkness of the human heart.  We read this in conjunction with Augustine's Confessions (one of my favorite books!). 
• Candide by Voltaire (TFA*).  A humorous but unpleasant read.  If you've read it, you'll know what I mean.  Philosophy to ponder.
• The Freedom of a Christian by Martin Luther (TFA*).  A short but brilliant look at the Christian life, and the role of grace and works.
• Unchristian by David Kinnaman.  I read this book for background on my study of the church.  It was helpful, although I felt that it was difficult to sort through what the research was really saying.
• The Tangible Kingdom by Halter and Smay
• Quarks, Chaos and Christianity by Polkinghorne.  A fascinating look at matters of faith and their relation to physics.  He deals with such questions as prayer, miracles and free will, among other things.  As always, it is refreshing to read someone so knowledgeable in both areas.
• Seeking God (The Way of St. Benedict) by Esther de Waal (TFA*).  This book is a gem.  Read it.  She challenges us learn from St. Benedict in very practical ways.  Although there is much to be learned about the rule in this book, her clear desire in writing is really that we learn about seeking God.

*books marked TFA indicate that they were required (or strongly suggested) reading for the program I am in this year

What child is this? (The double season of Advent)

You stand in an art gallery, pondering two paintings.  On your left in a gold frame is a large painting of the last judgement.  On the right is a small painting of the nativity.

In many ways that is what Advent season has felt like for me.  On the one hand we look forward to his second coming: glorious king, coming judge.  On the other we contemplate his first: Word become flesh - a screaming baby born in a dirty animal pen, God taking on our sin.

The hymns we sing take up these themes.  We feel the longing of the people of Israel, who waited for a promised king who would set things right:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

We sing of the mystery of the incarnation (O Come, All Ye Faithful):

God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
Very God,
Begotten, not created

and the majesty of his return (Let all Mortal Flesh):

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

Both are found in the same verse of Angels from the Realms of Glory:

Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill his Father's throne,
Gather all the nations to him,
Every knee shall then bow down:

The contrast between incarnation and second coming is almost as stark as the light-in-darkness metaphor of his coming, which we symbolize with candles.

It is this very duality of Advent for which I am thankful.  Contemplating only the incarnation, we are thankful that he came and that he knows our suffering, but we are still longing.  Considering only the return, we fear his judgement.  Only in light of his second coming do we fully understand the first; only because of his first can we bear -and hope for- his second.

Michelangelo, The Last Judgement

Until

Until

"How long, O Lord?"

cry time-garbed prophets

of dusty days

waiting waiting waiting -

for judgement of judges, 

for heart-graven laws -

waiting working waiting.

"How long, O Lord?"

weeping over Jerusalem.

For forty coins, O innocent Lamb

lifted up to be looked upon

by tearless blind and 

sorrow-blinded seeing.

Forgive us, Judge of all.

"How long, O Lord?"

cries the waiting church,

wallowing spotless bride 

hearing the mockers speak

their oft-merited scorn,

holding firstfruits of one Adam

still eating that fruit of another.

"How long, O Lord?"

as false expectations hang,

a fragile shining cloud

above us who feel not their weight

until shattered they descend

piercing trust and pride and most of all

the hearts of those who hope.

"How long, O Lord?"

will the gift of discernment,

of vision,

be not a thwarted burden

but a treasure of seeing

free from maligned motives,

truly serving.

"How long, O Lord?"

as we bow in thankfulness and awe 

to our rescuer and consuming fire.

We fear to ask for justice we 

fear not to

knowing that beauty will not save the world

but only You, Beautiful Christ.

"How long, O Lord?"

We've hung our harps

on poplar trees 

we groan in certain hope

of resurrection, restoration, re-creation.

waiting working waiting

O Lord, keep us in hope.

for reference: Heb12:28-29, 1 Cor 15, and Psalm 137

sunset shutters

This past week I was out on the pier enjoying the sunset, and experimented with different shutter speeds for capturing the water.  There is a serenity and smoothness to the long exposures that I like.

ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/50 s

ISO 200, f/18, 5.0 s

the power of Sandy and the Wings of God

Save me, O God,
     for the waters have come up to my neck. [...]
Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
     or the depths swallow me up
 (Psalm 69:1,15 NIV)

October weekend road trip

Here are some photos from a trip to Shenandoah National Park

sky-scapes (a photoblog)

It's been a while.  I have been busy reading and writing for other (non-blogging) reasons.  Frankly, I have enjoyed a bit of a break from blogging.  I think I will continue a bit of a break from all the writing by posting photos.

Some of you know I am now in Maryland.  Here are some pictures from the past few weeks.

dawn. driving in Western New York 

rainbow after a flood 

sunset after the rainbow

moon and clouds and someone to enjoy them

sunset on the point

gulls and clouds

dawn on the pier

the rising sun pierces the mist

dawn hues

expectation

a river of lights on the Bay Bridge

vesper light

experiencing God in our lives

I have been asked why I believe in God, and what my personal experience of God is like.  While it may be hard to understand for some, my experience of God is not limited to those things for which I have no other explanation: God is the explanation for all things, encompassing every part of my life - if only I had the eyes to see it.

Frederick Buechner puts it so beautifully that I must share it with you, though it is a longish passage:

The question is not whether the things that happen to you are chance things or God's things because, of course, they are both at once.  There is no chance thing through which God cannot speak -- even the walk from the house to the garage that you have walked ten thousand times before, even the moments when you cannot believe there is a God who speaks at all anywhere.  He speaks, I believe, and the words he speaks are incarnate in the flesh and blood of our selves and of our own footsore and sacred journeys.  

work and calling

You may have noticed that my posts have been few and far between lately.  Hopefully this will not last, but at the moment I am in the midst of a move and life is very full (good, but full).  So this evening I thought I'd share with you a snippet out of what I've been reading for you to ponder.

Personality Type and Sin

Where to begin on this one?  I've wanted to write this post for a while, but I am beginning to think it needs to be more of a discussion than a single post.  Here's a start.

Have you ever done the Myers-Briggs personality test, or something like it?  For me reading the description of my personality type was uncanny.  While I found it helpful for understanding myself better and gaining insight into how others perceive my behavior (apparently people of my type are frequently misunderstood!), the more negative aspects of the description raised some questions for me.

The Apologist’s Evening Prayer

The Apologist’s Evening Prayer

Justin Taylor posted this poem/prayer by C.S. Lewis on his blog, and I thought I'd share it too.  Christ alone can free us from our own thoughts and pride.

Jesus in a doorway

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. (Mark 1:32-34)

Can you see him, standing there in the door?  Warm light and conversation come from inside, where Simon's mother-in-law rejoices with family and neighbors and tells again the story of her miraculous healing.


Outside darkness has fallen, and with it have come the crowds.  They press in, letting the night hide their disfigurements of body and of soul.  Keenly they feel their pain and their shame, and yet they move toward that man in the doorway, toward the light.


In this hour of darkness the King of Light yet is glorious.  He speaks with authority.  He reaches out his hand in compassion.  The demons shriek, the darkness flees.   

the butterfly's summer

It swooped, it glided, it soared -

it lived out its brief life

landing on leaves 

     on flowers

                         on air,

and it was enough.

photo credit: http://juliesmagiclightshow.com/?limit=40&startPoint=0&nrecs=0&keysPlus=&keyP=&cols=1&specific=2082&x=12&y=45

June-aling-along

Where have I been?  Mostly enjoying the long, warm days of summer, and the extra freedom of schedule I have this time of year.

Here's a taste of what I've been up to:

 Enjoying beautiful NY parks..