Thomas Merton died on December 10, 1968...forty-two years ago today. Among his brothers at the Abbey of Gethsemani, in Kentucky, where I have enjoyed many wonderful prayer retreats, he was known as Father Louis.
Merton's writings have at times been a blessing to me and my prayer life. So today on the Desperate Pastor blog, I'd like to share the short video below, of Father Matt Kelty, a monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani (and who has also blessed me with his Compline devotions in years past, when he was chaplain of the Abbey) reading the prayer of Thomas Merton found in Thoughts in Solitude:
It also happens to be a prayer that is very appropriate for me, right now, at this time in my life and ministry.
The World Needs Pastors Who Lead Prayerfully
Charles Swindoll wrote recently on his blog a two-part post on the praying pastor. They're both worth reading (like everything Swindoll writes), but I found the second part most memorable--especially the first sentence of his final paragraph. Here's what he wrote: Whether from the outside or from the inside of the church, the Adversary will stop at nothing to try to disrupt and dismantle the body of Christ. But these struggles are not the demise of God’s people. On the contrary. They are our opportunities to apply biblical principles and priorities—the only solutions to the challenges we face.
We must keep our fingers on the pages of Scripture like a boat moored to the pier in a raging storm. While we do not worship the print on the page, the paper and ink lead us to the knowledge of the One whom we do worship—Jesus, our Master and Savior.
We need to stay on our knees. As I wrote last week, prayer is a radical interference with the status quo. It is the means by which God grants power to those who rely on Him. This dependence never changes. Even as a sixty-something-year-old man who had been preaching faithfully for years, the apostle Paul continued to walk in a state of dependence on God. You have to love Paul’s humility.Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)There was no pretense with Paul. No degree of success or number of years in the ministry gave him a false sense of ultimate accomplishment. He knew he had not yet arrived. He remained dependent on the Spirit of God. And so with a genuinely thankful heart, he entreated his fellow believers for their prayers. Can you see the power of that kind of attitude? Very refreshing in the first century. And very rare in the twenty-first. No wonder the man made such a lasting impact for Christ! The Lord honored and blessed Paul’s ministry because he upheld prayer and promoted God’s Word.
Rather than trying to ape the world’s system, God points us in another direction. It’s a way of life that stays out of step with the world and yet is not aloof from those in the world.
The early church didn’t ask God to bless their gimmicks. So, the church today doesn’t need gimmicks to attract people—it needs pastors who lead prayerfully, biblical truth preached passionately, and Christianity lived out authentically.
This Is Broken
This is a fun video by a master of marketing and communication, Seth Godin. In addition to its entertainment value, it is helpful for those of us in ministry to watch while pondering ways in which we do church that are broken:
Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.
Religious Things and Right Things
Embedded in the nativity account of Matthew's Gospel is a peek into the civic and religious leaders of that time, and their conduct during the first Advent. Matthew writes of the leaders' conduct when they first heard of Jesus' birth from the Magi:
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:I think that passage should be a challenge to us pastors and church leaders, every Advent.
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel’” (Matthew 2:3-6, NIV)).
Notice that the leaders of that day--Herod and the chief priests and teachers of the law--were not idle when the Magi came to them. Their behavior was even religious. They involved themselves in a somewhat impromptu Bible study! But they didn't do the one thing they should have done: sincerely seek the King. They should have cancelled the Bible study and caught the first mule train to Bethlehem.
How much does that reflect OUR conduct as leaders? How often are we involved in religious activity that distracts us from the "one thing needful" (Luke 10:42)?
A friend of mine recently cancelled his involvement in a regular outreach to the poor in order to attend a study group...to discuss the importance of reaching out to the poor!
It is so easy--maybe more so for those of us in leadership--to engage in "religious things" that prevent us from doing the right things.
Let's not do that this Advent and this Christmas. Let's not miss the Advent. Let's not miss the King. Let's not neglect the right things because we're too busy with religious things.
Naomi and Her Daughters
Prolific writer and National Book Award winner Walter Wangerin's book, Naomi and Her Daughters, is an artful novel that imagines the life of the Biblical Naomi--and those around her, such as Ruth and Boaz--in rich and compelling detail. Wangerin (Ragman and Other Cries of Grace, Miz Lil and the Chronicles of Grace, The Book of God), is among my favorite authors, and I was not disappointed in this book. He has few (if any) peers in crafting well-rounded characters and faithfully reflecting ancient Biblical cultures and customs in fiction. Though the outline of Naomi's latter years is familiar from the book of Ruth in the Bible, I reveled in his expert interweaving of Biblical accounts and imagined events.
Unfortunately, I sometimes found the back-and-forth timeline of the narrative distracting, and the section devoted to Boaz, the only male protagonist, slowed things down considerably for me. And though I was surprised by a few profanities, more jarring to me was Wangerin's placement of much later writings (Psalm 103, for example, and the Song of Songs) in the mouth of Naomi. Though, to be fair, it is not impossible to imagine (as perhaps Wangerin does) that the poetry of David and later songwriters found inspiration in phrases or verses learned from the songs of their grandmothers--like Ruth and Naomi.
Such distractions, however, were merely that--distractions from an otherwise enjoyable and enriching story. As great Biblical fiction should, it broadens and deepens my interest in and appreciation for the Biblical accounts, and brings to life some of the most intriguing characters in a most intriguing historical period.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Church of the Week: St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, Cincinnati
Saint Peter in Chains, which I visited in late September 2010, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is a Greek revival structure located at 8th and Plum Streets. Construction began with the laying of its cornerstone on May 20, 1841, under the direction of then-bishop—later archbishop—John Baptist Purcell, and formally dedicated on November 2, 1845. Its striking single spire, which soars to two-hundred and twenty feet above street level, was the tallest man-made structure in the city for many decades, and is constructed of pure white limestone.
The interior is striking and unique among Roman Catholic cathedrals in America, with its Greek-themed mosaics depicting the Stations of the Cross, its ornate Corinthian columns and its massive bronze doors.
Those doors are the work of Robert C. Koepnick. They feature the papal crossed keys and inverted crosses, echoing the tradition that St. Peter was crucified upside down.
I've been in a lot of churches--and a lot of cathedrals--and this one has a truly unique look and feel to it. The mosaic on the sanctuary's rear wall blends the radiance of gold infused Venetian glass with the strong colors of various marbles and glass. The work of August Wendling of Aachen, Germany, shows a glorious Christ, in Byzantine fashion, seated with one hand raised in blessing. He gives the keys of the Kingdom to a kneeling St. Peter, who is surmounted by the triple papal tiara. Peter appears twice more: in chains at Jerusalem at the lower left, and imprisoned with Paul in Rome's ancient Mamertine Prison at the lower right. The quotation in the center of the mosaic is from the Acts of the Apostles: "and Peter was kept in prison, bound in chains" (12:5,6). The title of the Cathedral, St. Peter in Chains, is represented by continuous links of a chain framing the mural as well as in other decorative elements of the cathedral. The mosaic measures 35 feet high by 40 feet wide. At the time of its installation, it was the largest mosaic in the United States.
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is in the left transept of the Cathedral. Against the black marble of the back wall rise panels of pierced gold-leafed woodwork which frame the pilasters and pediments of the altar and tabernacle. On the tympanum (the triangular face of the pediment) are the Greek symbols for "Jesus Christ, the Victor." The angels flanking the altar are the work of Ernest Bruce Haswell. The Chapel's sidewalls are cream Tavernelle, the pillars Imperial Black marble.
The Baptismal Chapel is located in the north transept of the cathedral. The baptismal font constructed of marble and bronze is surmounted by a bronze figure of the risen Savior by Robert Koepnick. A wall of stone tracery and stained glass provides dramatic surroundings.
Keeping with the Greek motif, massive Stations of the Cross adorn the walls of the nave. 
Classic Greek vase paintings provided the inspiration for Cincinnati artist Carl Zimmerman's depiction of the passion and death of Jesus. The black and white figures on a clay red background are woven into a tree of life motif and cover the entire wall between windows.
As a visitor or worshiper exits, he or she sees two inscriptions above the doors to the nave: "The house of the Lord is well founded on solid rock" and "My house will be called a house of prayer." Over the doors rises the rear gallery. The mahogany is accented by a row of Guardian Angels. In the gallery is the organ screen, again accented by gilt angels, all the work of Ernest Bruce Haswell.
I noticed as we left--and I hope it's intentional--that the glass in the front doors reflects the Plum Street Temple across the street. To me it seemed reflective (pun intended) of Christianity's roots in Judaism.
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