Making a Joyful Noise!

Your friendly neighborhood Gypsy Seminarian and company..Thanks to Jan Boden for this picture!

Once upon a time there was mass chaos in a community. Everyone raised their voices in a cacophony of mixed rhythm of noise and cymbals trying to gather together and breathe in one beautiful note but they all had their own method; no one would open their hearts to be communal with the other. Then a little light voice piped up over the sea of notes and chimed "HEY".....

Okay, so perhaps that's not how it happened mind you but I have to confess that before Seminary I was quite introverted. And now? I still am.

Last year, our Seminary was reaching out for prayers and for the Holy Spirit as they continued to strive to a holistic balance for our entire community. This meant that many of our independent Centers had to ponder new ways of doing ministry and for our newest named Pete Pero Multicultural Center that meant perhaps it would be left on the shores, lost among the shadows of the evening. 

On a Thursday evening late last Fall Semester the Students of Color met to brainstorm the how and why about the Center. In the midst of this kicking the soccer ball session I saw an opening and offered "Hey, why not a benefit concert? Works for everyone else." Great! the group approved and I was pleased knowing someone who would slam the idea into the goal except..

"Hey Kwame, would you mind heading this up since this is your idea?"

"Uhhhh...sure."

Seminary has unfurled before me as a place to explore my ministry, vocation and my call. Seminary has been a safe haven for introverts as I for the opportunity to actually get involved and feel a sense of accomplishment. Even with the struggles and frustrations as with any ministry, the church is not dead. As the realization dawned over me this week that taking a fundraising idea from start to finish is just as doing a Stewardship drive at a church. That seeing a project through is just as if one was starting a new ministry or revitalizing one long ago forgotten. Being immersed in projects and activities is the practical side which gives us a smooth balance to the academic. Learning also how to delegate, promote and organizing is also too, tools that we need as aspiring pastors and leaders of the church. Learning how to kick the doors open and allow the Holy Spirit to rush in, to flood in, to take a seat and challenge those safe places in our box is an awesome rush.

Musicians collaborating as the Spirit moves them. Picture by R.Pitts

Haunting songs of praise and of direction by our Gospel Choir. Picture by R. Pitts

The Creator hears us in many different forms; we are all His children. Picture by R.Pitts

I would be lying if I didn't say I am thankful that this Concert for the Center has drawn to a close. But I am more thankful because of the impact and the visibility the Center now has and how much people were touched by the music, multicultural. I am thankful for my fellow students who marched in those worn, kicked open doors and made a joyful noise about how important this place was to us. 

Now, for a well deserved nap.

Or perhaps plotting and planning for something new.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.

What Kind of Theologian Are You?

"..every theologian is committed and alienated; he is always in faith and doubt; he is inside and outside the theological circle" Paul Tillich

Over the summer months while I was immersed in the throes of Youth and Outdoor Ministry, my former Ministry in Context pastor suggested some light theological reading before diving into the churning, dark and foreboding waters of Systematic Theology. Apparently Systematics becomes the turning point of our academic lives where the practical we have studied, learned pulls our thoughts and spirits deeper into the journey. In other words, we run screaming at the mere mention of Paul Tillich.

As the Semester triumphantly began and my first class was S.T. I cringed slightly. The beauty of the summer had come, and gone; I'd barely had time to sink and submerge myself into the joys of relaxation and respite; primarily because I was running around 640 acres of insanity. I may have mentioned this before. I digress.

Bringing this back to the forefront, although I had initially ordered and carried with me this wonderful read called "Faith Seeking Understanding" by Migliore, I never got a chance to crack it open and run rampant through its pages. This semester, I mused sadly, was going to be rocky.

Dr. Lea opened up class with an amusing question "What kind of theologian do you see yourself?" My wonderful friend and neighbor next to me stated "How can I? I really have never thought of myself as one." My other fellow classmate (the fellow blogger insanely taking a class on 1 Corinthians) quipped "Uh, okay?" There was laughter and collaboration as we all attempted to figure this out for ourselves. 

For this Gypsy Seminarian, the lingo of who I am as a theologian has been trapped in the English language. Who I am as a child of the Creator and what knowledge and wisdom has been passed down through the drums of the ages; of how my ancestors embraced Creation and allowed themselves to be vulnerable to the message of God; what truly being Christ-like means for my vocation and the message of the Scriptures, especially the Psalms means to my ministry and my mission in this life. 

"Can a system of life which has been practiced for centuries be entirely worthless? Or does it contain elements of divine knowledge that might shed a new understand of the Christian faith? Theology of the ancestors is about an interpretation of the past in a way that shows the present experience and knowledge of God in Jesus Christ as reflected in the lives of the African people."

Ancestral Theology. Hmm.

Stay Tuned.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.

Star Trek and Seminary

Star Trek and I have gotten very close lately.  I have made it a habit after CPE to arrange dinner plans, do whatever work I wish to get done, and pop in an episode or two of Star Trek: The Next Generation for a little R&R before bedtime.  I have made it such a habit that I am on the 6^th of 7 seasons.  I will soon be forced to find a new television series to transport my mind somewhere it hasn’t gone before. 

I will say that I have really enjoyed getting to know the characters and immersing myself in the various story lines.  It’s always fun to catch the latest philosophical question posed by Data, chuckle at the humorous blunders of Worf, or listen to the seemingly infinite wisdom of Captain Jean Luc Picard.  I have been continually impressed with the scripts of most episodes and I have said on more than one occasion that this series was ahead of its time. 

Although this series was very advanced, the God figure, “Q”, is portrayed quite satirically and this bothers me a bit.  “Q” is manipulative, playful, chaotic, and sarcastic.  Not exactly an ideal God.  Why couldn’t we see a consistently omnipotent character who mirrors a more benevolent and compassionate force in the universe?

I suppose “Q” needs to be there as the antithesis to the ordered way of life which humanity has created for itself.  In a way, God is a source of order in the creation story, but then becomes a source of chaos in the incarnation story.  Jesus’ message provided the basis of chaos in a Romanized world.  Ironically, “Q” does seem to embody not only the nature of the entropic universe, but also the ever unpredictable Christian God. 

Oh Star Trek, how do you do it?

Until Next Friday!

Prophetically here I stand

Luther’s famous “Here I stand, I can do no other” has been refuted to be unreliable by various scholars; the actual quote is as follows: “I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me, Amen.”

As a seminary community we are still celebrating and worshiping God in this Easter season. It is always a joy to experience student led worship services, allowing the opportunities for my classmates to preach prophetically. It is freedom to remove one’s shoes and stand rooted in the earth; speaking, shouting, calling those before us to get up and go, making disciples, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ-calling us to action.

Being here at LSTC has given me avenues to escape from inside the stifling and sterile room of what is accepted as the "norm"; opening windows and doors thereby letting the invading ethereal colors to seep into my spirit. I find that I am able to take those first steps by getting involved with local community organizations, social justice actions and marching with fellow seminarians, making a stand against the injustice that is heaped on the backs of those not deemed important. Hearing the encouraging words from faculty and staff who came to SURRJ meetings to volunteer, lend their wisdom or boldly confess their faith by walking alongside us in a sea of people who are angry and can only lift their voices in lament yet still praising God.

As the semester has slowly curled at the waist, taking its final bow I am still reminded that there is always room for learning and that God gives us those teaching moments affirming who He has called us to be. I was reminded today that if I am to boldly confess my own faith, humbly prostrated before the cross of the Risen Savior and that I have accepted this call- I must also bear the brunt of criticisms of those who perhaps feel evangelizing means staying within our boundaries, our borders and our comfortable church walls.

“Then Amos answered Amaziah: I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son….and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me ‘Go prophesy to my people Israel.”

We must, as brothers and sisters in Christ, not walk through the streets silent when we see others hurting or in pain.  It is not just enough for us to call ourselves Christians but that we must become Christ-like, reaching out to our neighbors, the strangers, our friends in love, working and praying, being of the body of Christ. Taking that first step outside of our comfort zones is indeed frightening and not many will agree with my stance. But regardless whether we agree to disagree in the end, we must open our arms and hearts and say to one another “Peace be with you." 

Lape Bondye, God’s Peace.

Walking the Labyrinth

As flames are lit and lifted, as darkness falls softly around my shoulders, as Creation mischievously plays in shadows I am able to watch the beauty of the dying sunset. I am able to ponder where the song of Mother Earth is beckoning my spirit to. The unknown holds great promise and great fear. 

One of my fellow bloggers remarked as we were discussing the business of blogging how she had missed my posts. So the Gypsy returns, getting out of the way of the end of the academic year, which is racing towards the finish line in a haze of mass exodus.

As a part of a spiritual discipline, walking the labyrinth has resurfaced in our popular, modern Christian practice; there is one right outside my Ministry in Context congregation. As a church community we surrounded the labyrinth as we gathered the night of the Easter Vigil and there was blessed silence and pause for reflection. The cauldron of fire stood at the center of these endless wave of circles; the center of our journey is lit with glorious flames that sway and dance  as if in encouraging us to continue even if everything will appear the same to the reflection in our gaze.  The interesting thing is that from that center, one can continue on their journey that perhaps retraces their steps from where they have come. Perhaps in that center we face our fears and doubts and can see everything a bit clearer even if we are still a bit unsure; perhaps we step from the widening path and into cleansing fire of rebirth so that we can continue on our journey. 

In conversation with a board member about the Seminary's journey making a bold witness and proclamation of the Gospel about living into what the risen Christ has commanded us, he questioned me about the use of the term "Middler". As Middlers we are in the midst of this journey of Seminary, the center being Endorsement and Internship Assignments and miraculously the winding paths of the labyrinth open up ushering us forth. Yet, my own spirit clings to the root of the willow tree thoughtfully because perhaps I have mentioned before I remain here within the center, for now and I am not alone. Remaining here is not being left behind because there is so much one can explore and contemplate; there is an exciting year before me of classes not only at LSTC but those beyond our doors-reading and discussing Augustine and Malcolm X; contemplating Bonhoeffer and Dr. King; continuing to discern the call of Redeveloper from both my Synod and my Seminary for me. 

In a few days, these halls which were always reverberating with lively discussion, with songs and with laughter will fall silent. The brightness of Creation beckons us to reach our our hands and touch what God has blessed us with: returning home, exploring other lands, reaching new shores with nervousness and with glee and resting our feet in the low Prairies where God first spoke life into our call to ministry. 

There is still much to be done in these last few days, still ministry to experience and to learn. The Seminary Community is vibrant with a cacophony of souls who climb further up the tree, to new heights and raise their voices in praise and thanksgiving for no matter where we are or where we go, there is always proof that Christ is with us. From being the center of ridicule on the cross, to being the center of resurrection and eternal life, the Risen Christ is right in front of us.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace. 

Accepting Tolerance

Three days ago I received some medical news that completely alters the future of my life. I have been living with lupus for over 12 years now, and I thought that I understood how my condition affected me. I now am adjusting to a new reality, and it is hard to know exactly how to put one foot in front of the other when the path of my life is leading me down a road I'd rather not travel.

I'm a pragmatic person, and despite feeling the wind knocked out of me, papers need to be written, meetings need to be had, finals need to be taken, and packing for CPE needs to begin. I am in a state of tolerance with my health. I am tolerating the fact that I am angry and frustrated because despite having my health put limitations on me, I still have a full life with very full responsibilities.

There is a difference between tolerance and acceptance. We tolerate things that are frustrating. We tolerate things that are challenging. We tolerate things that are less than. This is vastly different from acceptance. We accept our limitations and find ways to work around them. We accept our differences so that we can grow together. We accept things because in acceptance there is an acknowledgement of worth.

Right now, I am not accepting how my health is affecting my future life goals. I am tolerating it. I can still move forward with tolerance, but it is not as full or rewarding as the progress made with acceptance.

When we think about other areas of our lives where people use "tolerance" and "acceptance" language, which do you choose? Do you tolerate the dominating personality in the classroom, or do you accept them? Do your race relations come out of a place of acceptance, or merely tolerance? Do you think we should tolerate LGBTQ unions, or accept them as equal to a heterosexual union?

Both lead to progress. Both lead to a brighter future for our tomorrow. But which word is the word that speaks more to the gospel of Christ, tolerance or acceptance? Are we forgiven for our sins because we are tolerated as being victims of a fallen humanity, or because we are accepted despite being a broken person?

Right now, I am in a state of tolerance, but with God's grace, I hope to move to a place of acceptance.

The Southside: a Healing Place

Today, processing down E55th Street in Chicago, my voiced joined the voices of my brothers and sisters as we cried out for justice for the death of more than 300 children who have died on the Southside of Chicago between 2008 and today, and in memory of Trayvon Martin.

It is hard to write such figures, because the Southside is now my home. This community is my sanctuary from the pressures of exegesis papers and endorsement essays. This neighborhood has fed me with foods that I never ate before, music I never heard before, and prays with people from all around the world that without this place I never would have met.

A few months back I wrote a post on my personal blog where I talked about violence I saw upon moving to this community. A colleague (and now friend) who grew up here shared with me that too often good-intentioned people do a disservice to this community and only speak of the Southside's times of trial. There is tendency to perpetuate a negative stigma. Yes, there is darkness in this place, but part of my responsibility while living here is to show the light that shines that lives here.

The Southside of Chicago is filled with brave people who are doing their best everyday. It is the bravery of this community that we could gather together at LSTC, reading name after name for blocks at a time of lives who were lost too young. It is the bravery of this community that the people who marched were seminary students, spouses, and young children. It is the bravery of this community that today the people who assembled were a blend of PhD students with maintenance workers, lay with rostered, across multiple denominations and several ethnicity groups.

It is also this community which prompted the healing service held at LSTC in chapel this past Monday, where we acknowledged survivors of domestic and sexual assault. This justice is not limited to the seminary. LSTC is in the same community where week after week pastors preach from pulpits to heal the grief of lives lost, where people gather together to fight against hunger and poverty, and families nurture their children to be the future of our tomorrow.

It is not easy to name the hardships in our community, and it can be even harder to name a communities successes when it is most often associated with hardships. I will never censor myself from speaking out against the injustices of my community, whether it is the southside of Chicago, or a rich suburb in Cleveland. But today, as I remember the power of marching for peace in my community, I remember the advice of my colleague and friend. When I speak of injustice, I will also speak of the good work that is done in these places.

The gospel I hope to preach with my words and my actions is a gospel of reconciliation, building the bridge between rocky paths and smooth roads. Today the gospel that I witnessed is the gospel of the Southside of Chicago, a place that is not afraid to heal in a time when it is easy to remain in hurt.

I Think I'm Lutheran...Therefore I Am?

Congratulations, seminary, you caught me. I am, in fact, wrestling with being a Christian. I admit that I have issues with placing so much emphasis on the Trinity, I have my suspicions about the “hypostatic union” jargon over the nature of Jesus, I have wondered about keeping the creeds, and I still have a hard time with the idea of God as a noun in any form.

Wow...I didn’t really expect all of those things to come to mind as I write this, but it’s about as honest as I can get.

I have wrestled with these ideas for a long time. It really began in my sophomore year of college in an Early Church history class. I got a lot out of the course, but in the end, the door was opened for modern scholarship to march right into my life and screw with many of the things that I heard in Sunday School. Since then I have wondered how Lutheran I really am, and even how Christian I really am.

So far, I have to say that LSTC has been helpful in my exploration of these topics. I can thank our historians for walking me through different ways of thinking about the Trinity rather than the usual (almost modalistic) form. I have had a space where I can wrestle with these thoughts, and now I am taking classes that truly encourage me to get at the heart of what it means to be a Lutheran. I have not found any easy answers to my musings and, in fact, there is still much that I would contend with bt there is great value in this welcoming space not only on a student population level, but also on an ideological level. We’ll see where Lutheran Confessional Heritage goes from here right?

Until Next Friday!

The Good News Choir! pt.2

Since my last post, I have received a couple of comments that have been very helpful to my processing of gospel music and my “academic” theological side. One commenter pointed out that it was unfair to compare these two topics because one is steeped in cultural tradition while the other is based on the trend of modern biblical scholarship. Another person suggested that my stepping into the gospel experience is expressing some biblical hospitality (Rom. 14 and Heb. 13) of the lament, longing, exhortation, praise, and urging. In this sense, gospel music seems to closely parallel my limited understanding of the variety of psalms found in Scripture which seem to be based on a cultural experience and a need for the Divine in their lives.

Especially from this second point of view, singing these words in gospel Christian music (even if it is through words that make my theological brow furrow) is something that can be likened and found in Scriptural-cultural experiences that are very real. I feel compelled to continue being a part of this further experience and am very excited to keep learning from it as a member of LSTC’s Gospel Choir. Perhaps these reflections on my enjoyment of gospel music will be the framework for which I enter other forms of Christian music as cultural-theological texts. Thanks to all who contributed to my thoughts and commented on this subject.

Before end this thought for now, I would like to apologize if I sounded judgmental of the gospel music experience in my last post. I am moved by Gospel Choir and very excited to see and sing some more gospel music. I encourage everyone to check it out too!

Until Next Friday!

The Good News Choir!

I often have a very hard time with listening and memorizing lyrics. It’s usually because either I’m more interested in the musical notation rather than the text or because I just can’t understand what’s being said. When it comes to Christian music, however, I make sure to really try and listen to the lyrics because I believe that the lyrics are a way of theologizing! Christian music across the entire spectrum is making claims about God in different ways. Unlike other genres, the theology that is expressed in the lyrics informs my opinion of the song more so than the notation.

While this is true for most Christian music (especially “contemporary” music) I have found myself recently attracted to the music sung by LSTC’s gospel choir, so much so that I have actually joined up! We just finished our first concert of the semester and I have to say that I had a very good time. It was a wonderful experience filled with audience participation, clapping hands, and so many lovely high B's for the tenors (that is usually on the high end for an amateur tenor to try in full voice).

I had a lot of fun, but I also began to think about what I was singing. I realized that if I was in the audience I would have critiqued many of the lyrics on an intellectual level. I discovered that I outright don’t agree with some of the theology in our music. This said, it really feels like we are preaching good news about God, which is super appealing. This poses an interesting contrast for me. The academic screams “hold on a second!” while the gospel-centered Lutheran says “Amen!”

How might you respond to what seems like conflicting feelings on this subject? Perhaps I will develop a more complete answer/reflection next week…but think about it! I encourage any responses and suggestions either on the blog or through e-mail: jtigerman@lstc.net.
Until Next Friday!

Drinking in Original Sin

Almost a year ago, a dear friend of mine from obtained her PhD. That evening, after hearing her defend her work on Contemporary Christian Music from an ethno-musicology perspective, our pastor joined us for celebratory drinks at a restaurant which had a large gluten-free menu. Although being in her late thirties, my friend had not had an alcoholic beverage in 15 years because of the gluten found in most drinks. That night, we celebrated on a gluten-free hard cider called "Original Sin," and to this day I find it ironic that my friend obtained her faith-centered doctorate and then toasted that celebration with "sin."

This memory has been floating to the top of my mind recently as I study for my Lutheran Confessional Heritage class. This week's reading in particular speak on thow original sin manifests in our lives. As Lutherans, we believe that we are sinful both pre-and-post-baptism. It is through our faith in the promise of God through the suffering and resurrection of Jesus that we are saved. I love and trust in the notion of justification by faith, not good works. I love and trust the notion that we commit good works as an expression of that faith, but not with the expectation that our work is a ticket to salvation. What I do not love is the language "original sin." I tend to believe in the truth of creation from a non-literal perspective. I don't necessarily believe that there were two people, one Adam, one Eve, who are the so-called reasons for sin because I recognize that the very human essence of human nature is sinful. I believe that if it wasn't them, sin would have been brought into the world through someone else. This mentality only adds in my faith of the gift of Christ Jesus.

But what do we do with this original sin business if we don't believe in a literal fall? Gunther Gassman writes in the Fortress Introduction to the Lutheran Confessions, "Original sin is better named universal sin, since it explains not so much where sin came from as why all human beings in all ages without exception are opposed to God and therefore need a Savior." This is an idea of original sin that I can get on board behind!

Ultimately, I don't think it really matters who introduced original sin or how sin came to be. What is important is the fact that we are inherently sinful but loved unconditionally anyways. Almost everything we do is entrenched in sin, from how we treat others to the earthly desires we consume, like money and hard cider.

We need to embrace the fact that we are sinners, and drink in the knowledge that even in light of sin we are saved through our faith. When we accept our sin and embrace our nature, that honesty allows us to experience our faith more fully. Only in recognition of our sin can we be in deeper relationship with our God who loves us so much that he would send his only Son to reclaim our salvation through a tree shaped like a cross.

Snow Shoveling

I recently joined the LSTC Snow Crew as a way to make some extra money this winter. Having been out of town for the January storms, Friday’s snowstorm was my first opportunity to be involved. So Saturday morning found me huddled in the Maintenance Shop at 7:30 am, awaiting instructions. 7:30 is, in my humble opinion, way to early to be anywhere, especially on a Saturday. There were a good number of us, so it only took about two hours to clear the walks. Still it was a long two hours. Snow shoveling, especially sidewalks, is hard work. The cold morning air bit at my face; my back was tense from the cold and the exertion. After a year off of shoveling, my body was not prepared for a morning of hard manual labor. I came home, took a hot shower, and spent the rest of the day curled up on the couch drinking tea and reading an obscure book about the life of Paul, feeling tired but grounded.

Seminary is an intellectual activity. As seminarians, we are trained to be theologians, theology literally meaning words about God. We think a lot. We think, and we talk, and we read, and we ponder. We are taught to challenge assumptions, to ask tough questions, to grapple with texts and draw meaning from them. Hard work, absolutely, but mentally hard. Hard work that can be done from one’s couch.

Ministry, on the other hand is a physical activity. Ministry is an act of presence. It requires taking ones body and placing it amid other bodies in the dirt and muck of the world. It is walking with people in their living and their dying. We worship a God, after all, who took on a physical body, a God who still comes to us in the very physical elements of bread and wine and water.

A classically Lutheran answer, but pastoral ministry seems to be a both/and. We need both intellectual and physical pursuits. There will be days where my knowledge of Paul Tillich’s concept of symbol will be absolutely essential. And there will be other days where all that matters is that I know what to do with a snow shovel. Glad I have both.

The Prosperity of Liberation Theology

Greetings from San Salvador, El Salvador!

I am currently writing from Central America, where I am taking a course sponsored by a sister-Lutheran seminary (one of the perks of going to LSTC is cross registration!). I am here to learn and explore the current situation in El Salvador, and visit some of the historical and monumental movements of the Salvadorian religious experience. Even as I type this I am writing from at a computer whose spell-check is set to spanish, so please forgive the typos. Among the many things I´m learning is that I am a bit dependent on technology!

Today my group visited the Lutheran Bishop of El Salvador, Bishop Gomez. While there, he voiced a recuring theme of the Salvadorian spirituality - Liberation Theology and the battle to quelch Prosperity Gospel Thelologies.

What is fascinating is that neither of these movements look the same here as they do in U.S. society. In the bulk of the context I´ve seen, Liberation Theology is linked to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and continues to play out from the pulpit of many African American churches and their supporters. Liberation Theology in America involves a lot of educated people providing resources to those who do not have them, in hopes of building skill sets and ideals of freedom. In El Salvador, Liberation Theology is the polar opposite. The people who are the least educated are trying to inform the educated of their rights in order to allow room in society for their equality. Both are important. Both are lead by the same fundamental cause and belief; through God´s love we are all equal and are all entitled to just filled life within our communities.

But how it plays out here versus the U.S. speaks a great deal to the fact that our citizens, even those who are the most oppressed, already have an advantage over a nation like El Salvador.

I have lived in or near two major U.S. cities, Chicago and Cleveland, and am no stranger to violence. I served a church who had a strong outreach program that served the most marginalized in Cleveland. But never before being here did I see a security gaurd carry a shot gun, nor be able to purchase a machete at an artisian market. Of course our view in the U.S. of Liberation Theology is different - we are different.

While the differences of what poverty, violence and oppression are being re-defined for the thousandth time in my life in my time here, one thing remains consistent. God loves us more then we can ever imagine, and that is the voice of hope.

Even in the midst of pain and suffering, there is a great deal of joy in El Salvador. People laugh, they hurry home to their families after a day of hard work, they worship, they live. They have hope because El Salvador is vocal in living out their faith. That is something liberating. Who knows, may even improve my view of Liberation Theology and how I will use it to serve the world, but serve myself as well.