Month: December 2011

Genesis 11:10-32

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These are the descendants of Shem. When Shem was one hundred years old, he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; and Shem lived after the birth of Arpachshad for five hundred years, and had other sons and daughters.

When Arpachshad had lived for thirty-five years, he became the father of Shelah; and Arpachshad lived after the birth of Shelah for four hundred and three years, and had other sons and daughters.

When Shelah had lived for thirty years, he became the father of Eber; and Shelah lived after the birth of Eber for four hundred and three years, and had other sons and daughters.

When Eber had lived for thirty-four years, he became the father of Peleg; and Eber lived after the birth of Peleg for four hundred and thirty years, and had other sons and daughters.

When Peleg had lived for thirty years, he became the father of Reu; and Peleg lived after the birth of Reu for two hundred and nine years, and had other sons and daughters.

When Reu had lived for thirty-two years, he became the father of Serug; and Reu lived after the birth of Serug for two hundred and seven years, and had other sons and daughters.

When Serug had lived for thirty years, he became the father of Nahor; and Serug lived after the birth of Nahor for two hundred years, and had other sons and daughters.

When Nahor had lived for twenty-nine years, he became the father of Terah; and Nahor lived after the birth of Terah for one hundred and nineteen years, and had other sons and daughters.

When Terah had lived for seventy years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Descendants of Terah

Now these are the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram and Nahor took wives; the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

The one thing about the book of Genesis is there is a lot of begetting. Chapter 11:10-32 is an excellent example of the begat phenomena, if you will. One is tempting to ask though, who cares? Does it matter that so and so had a child, lived for so many years and died and then the son had so many children and they were who again?

Here we have the descendants of Shem, leading in a line to Abram finally, who will become for us Abraham, the Father of Faith. But we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves there. First, why does it matter who begat who? Are we not all God’s children?

Practically, this passage gives us the lineage of the covenant. God will establish His covenant with Abraham, but before he did he first established a covenant with Noah. The lineage is meant to reflect that those who come after are inheriting the covenant, the obligations but also the benefits. This is key for us as Christians and also key for the author of the Gospel of Matthew, who traces Jesus lineage to Abraham in the same fashion. But once again we are way ahead of ourselves.

This passage is a means of establishing human hierarchy. Remember that Noah blesses Shem, and the descendants of Ham, Canaan, are to be the slaves of his brother and his brother’s descendants. This passage helps to clearly distinguish between the “other” and helps establish the people of God as belonging to a cosmic order already.

In many respects the passage promotes what we would call nationalism today, although a few thousand years ago, that concept wouldn’t make sense, but it would be more akin to tribalism and the concept that some humans are attached to the divine and cosmic orders, while others can be slaves, purchase and are not people of the covenant and cosmic order; not set aside as special.

While lineage does mark one as part of particular community with historical roots and an ancient community which is good, it can also have dangerous effects, like alienating one from the rest of society, in this case from the rest of humanity. It has a separating effect.

The ability to trace a lineage to divine covenants is not particular to the Israelites, in fact we in many ways continue this tradition today in the form of nation states. Germany saw itself as the chosen people, the US sees itself as fulfilling a manifest destiny and I am sure we will continue into the future not building bridges, but erecting barriers. And we must confront that our heritages and lineages while they help define who we are, they also define who is not “us.”

Fundraising Event

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Diocese of Huron Youth Fundraiser
Prepared by: The Rev Marty Levesque
December 7, 2010

Rationale

This proposal is a blueprint for a youth fundraising event at the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Huron, St Paul’s. The goal of the event is to raise funds to transport at least 100 youth from the Diocese of Huron to the 2012 CLAY gathering in Saskatoon.

Following up on the success of CLAY, it is imperative that the diocese react to the energy within the diocese and move to support ministry in that area. Reacting and supporting “nodes of activity” is exactly the message Diana Butler Bass was attempting to impart to the diocese at the 2010 clergy conference when she spoke about complexity theory. As well, this type of event is also in line with Fresh Expressions of ministry as detailed at synod 2010.

Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary that we teach and encourage the next generation of Anglicans in their faith. By doing so we encourage a younger generation to remain within the church. As well, the diocese would be grooming the next set of leaders that will guide the church in the future.

Diocesan Culture

A diocesan youth fundraising event will encourage a diocesan culture by fundraising for all youth, as opposed to individual congregations funding only their youth. If left to the parish level, the richer churches in the diocese would have the means to support their youth while other parishes without resources or small youth programs may fall between the cracks.

A larger event for baseline transportation funding held at the cathedral imparts the message that we are all one family, united in the body of Christ that supports the future of the church. It provides the opportunity for all youth in the diocese to have equal access to youth programming, in this case CLAY 2012 Saskatoon.
To the end that the event is a diocesan event, bus packages can be arranged for to bring people from outlying areas into London. This demonstrates that the diocese is not just the churches of London supporting youth initiatives, but a diocesan wide initiative.

Or if it is the wish of the diocese more than one event can be arranged for. An event in Windsor, London and K/W would not only lower the initial cost of booking, but it would create a diocesan culture as the youth initiative fundraiser would tour the diocese itself. This option is more difficult, in some respects, as venues in the two other cities need to be sought and secured. A minimum seating capacity of 750 would be required and point persons would need to be sought in each city, although the main thrust of the marketing campaign can be run via the internet from London.

The Event

A Christian comedian (Jeff Allen, see http://www.jeffallencomedy.com/) plays the cathedral with an opening act, a praise band. Jeff Allen is a Christian comedian that performs a 90 minutes set. He is an internationally known and acclaimed comedian and performs regularly across North America and Europe. He is quite accustomed to playing for Christians and playing in churches.

Youth of the diocese would be engaged in the promotion and operation of the event. They would work the doors, accept tickets and act as ushers at the event itself. The youth of the diocese would also serve as ambassadors in the marketing campaign leading up to the event so that all tickets are sold and we raise the most money possible.
Proposed dates: Within this two week window, June 5-24 (mid-week is preferred by Jeff, Wed. or Thurs.) The linking of dates in other cities would lower some cost and provide a greater revenue stream.

Structure for the Event

The Holy Family Teen Life Band (The band from Crash the Cathedral) would open for Jeff Allen and warm up the crowd. They would begin with an approximately 30-35 minute set with PowerPoint for lyrics. A larger screen then the one used at Crash the Cathedral would be needed as we would be expecting the cathedral to be full.
Jeff Allen would then take the stage at 7:30 and perform his set.

At approximately 9:00 pm, a quick presentation to announce the amount raised with a large card board cheque presented to the diocese on behalf of the organizing team and the youth of the diocese.

A closing prayer or speech and a blessing on behalf of either the cathedral or the diocese is offered. (Dean Dixon or one of the Bishops)

Jeff’s merchandise would be available for sale after the show by his agents.

If more than one event is scheduled in other cities, the opening act would have to be changed and a local praise band sought for each area.

Marketing Campaign

A web URL will be purchased and a landing page designed through google pages will be developed. This website will have all necessary information about the event(s). Included on this page will be links to eventbrite ticket sales for web based sales and a Facebook page. Outside Twitter use will direct people back to these pages.

All community calendars in cities where there is an event taking place will contacted and have the event posted.

Flyers and posters will be distributed to all parishes in the diocese.

Each church in or directly surrounding London, from the deaneries of Delaware, Medway, Wellington and Brough will be encouraged and challenged to sell 25 tickets. Currently there are 53 churches in the 4 deaneries. Not all churches will meet the mark, but if 40 churches sold 25 tickets that would equate to all 1000 tickets sold, a sell out.

Similarly if an event were to be held in Windsor, the 46 churches in Essex and Lambton would be also challenged in the same manner. And the same would be true for K/W and Cambridge.

Leading up to the event if the tickets are not sold out, then a 5 minute multi-media presentation at synod could be used to encourage increased ticket sales. In conjunction with advertising to community churches and evangelical churches it is extremely likely that the event will sell out anyways.

The members of youth synod from each parish would be asked to address their individual parishes about the importance of the event. Furthermore, permission would be sought from the Bishops for the organizer (Rev Marty Levesque) to attend all clericus’ and/or deanery council meetings throughout the diocese (depending on number of events, e.g. if only one event in London then only the 4 deaneries of London) in the New Year to make a multimedia presentation about the importance of this event and to get clergy buy in.

With the Bishops support, presentations at all clericus’ and/or deanery council meetings and a presentation at synod this coming year it is extremely likely that this event would be a great success in the diocese and continue to build upon the identified “node of activity” so that youth ministry in the diocese continues to bear fruit.

Budget

Expenses Total
Jeff Allen 5000 (US dollars)
Expense for Jeff, flight, hotel etc. 1500
Holy Family Band 500
Advertising, including social media campaign, website and ticket sales through eventbrite 1000
Equipment Rental 1000
Miscellaneous 900
Total 9900
Revenue Total
Tickets sales 15000-20000

Profit for the event: 5100 -10100

Operating Budget Required

50% of the booking cost of Jeff must be paid up front. Along with advertising, equipment rentals and promotional cost a start up budget of 6000 is required. If Jeff is booked for multiple nights the start up budget would change depending on the number of nights added. This start up budget needs to be secured before proceeding any further.

Proof Texting

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Stretching all the way back to Augustine in the fourth and fifth centuries the very idea of proof texting, the idea that any one verse or group of verses ought to be literally understood or to be interpreted in isolation from other scriptural texts, was seen as poor practice, poor interpretation, poor scholarship and poor biblical study.

Augustine calls the practice sinful.

Augustine and the early church fathers believed that isolating chapter and verse was detrimental to the understanding of scripture in general, and in particular could lead to the abuse of scripture and God’s word. They proposed and taught that when reading and applying scripture to life’s many situations one ought to never isolate chapter and verse. Instead one ought to interpret scripture as a part in relation to the whole.

The danger lies in taking isolated passages as God’s law, immutable and unchanging. Yet, this is not Christian practice as evidenced from our early beginnings and the writings of St Paul. Christians believe that a new law and new relationship with God was inaugurated with Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that Christians do not practice the 613 Torah laws.

As Christians we speak of the New Covenant, instead of the Old Covenant.

This of course does not stop proof texting.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are often abused in this manner. Many individuals use chapter and verse from the New Testament as means of providing illustrations in isolation of what we ought to do, or what God expects of us.

For example, an often cited passage against homosexuality is Romans 1:26-32

For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious towards parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. They know God’s decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die—yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them.

In isolation this passage seems to condemn homosexuality and when this passage is lifted out of the whole of Paul’s letter to the Romans, the New Testament and the bible, it would indeed be pretty damning. Yet if we continue to read we discover that Paul says something else entirely:

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. (My emphasis)

Judging others is equated with all other sins against the Father. Paul’s point seems to be that God is the only judge and when we, humans, judge one and another we sin.

Therefore one could conclude that the point Paul is trying to make is about judgment and not about homosexuality. Perhaps homosexuality is simply a means to illustrate how the sin of judgment is most heinous.

Now I realize that providing an example of proof texting surrounding homosexuality is a charged issue and I suspect I will receive a few comments on it, so let me approach it from a slightly different perspective and with a different issue.

Genesis 9:24-27 says:

When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said,
‘Cursed be Canaan;
lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers.’
He also said,
‘Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem;
and let Canaan be his slave.
May God make space for Japheth,
and let him live in the tents of Shem;
and let Canaan be his slave.’

The descendants of Canaan, Africans, were subject to slavery and the slavery was defended as God’s punishment according to scripture. Slave traders, the American South and even the British Empire relied upon this interpretation to maintain the slave system, isolating this passage from the rest of scripture. Ignored were the passages where God sets his people free, reconciles his people and leaves the temple and Holy Jerusalem to be with his people in slavery and exile.

Proof texting, as we can see, is very dangerous and can lead to all kind of abuses of God’s word including maintaining systems of oppression, domination and violence, like chauvinism, sexism, patriarchies, nationalism, militarism and such. Isolating chapter and verse creates and breeds misunderstanding about what we do as Christians and what God wants for us. And this misunderstands then continues in the world with people we seek to engage with and bring the Good News of Jesus Christ too.

Here I am thinking of Richard Dawkins at the moment and many in the new atheist movement. Many times I encounter people, atheists of this particular variety, who engage me in conversations in an attempt to educate me as to what I believe (somehow I didn’t know before but luckily they have arrived to let me know). Often passages, chapter and verse, are quoted. The claims of course are proof texting claim.

The argument goes that because the bible is the word of God, whether literal or inspired, depending on your theological bent, that every phrase and every word in the bible is somehow immutable and unchanging, even though it has been translated many times. Yet, if one is to read the whole and not the part, we see that God does in fact change his mind many times; He remembers his people and inaugurates a New Covenant through Jesus Christ.

Proof texting, whether used as an attack against Christianity or used by Christians themselves to justify actions or behaviors creates misunderstanding and is very dangerous. And as St Augustine stated so many years ago, it is poor scholarship, poor biblical studies and a sin.

So the next time that someone quotes a passage to you, chapter and verse, stop, and ask what the next verse is and if it might be important also.