PGF Outbox

Predestined by a Name

A recent article by the New York Times News Service describes a new phenomenon:  people going on line to meet other people who have their same name.  In a book called "Finding Angela Shelton", the writer described her meetings with 40 other Angela Sheltons.  Websites such as SameNameAsMe and Facebook include nearly 200 people named Ritz, and 1224 people named Mohammed Hassan.  The unanswered question is why do so many people feel a connection with utter strangers, just because they share the same name?

Social science says that we are unconsciously drawn to people that remind us of ourselves.  A psychological theory called the name-letter effect maintains that people like the letters in their own names (especially their initials) better than other letters in the alphabet.  During the 2000 presidential election, people whose surnames began with B were more likely to vote for Bush, and those whose names began with G were more likely to vote for Gore.  It's called implicit egotism.  Researchers have shown time and time again that people are attracted to people, places, and things that resemble their names. 

In studies that make believers in free will squirm, scientists have found that names and the letters in them are surprisingly influential in people's lives.  Similarity is really one of the largest driving forces of behavior.  Studies have shown that we give people special privileges when they are similar to us, like buying something for them or voting for them. 

Take me for example.  My name is Clark.  Clark comes from the Old English word for cleric which means clergyman.  Guess what?  I am a clergyman!  I am an ordained pastor.  How did that happen?  I didn't go into that field because that was what I was named, but how did that happen?  Was it predestined?

Take the name Presbyterian.  Many of us have been told that the word Presbyterian means "governed by elders".  This isn't really accurate.  When we think of "governed by elders", we think of the corporate/regulatory style of government that the denomination has utilized over the last 80 years.  But, what we forget, is that this isn't the style of government the church has used for most of history.  We know that in the United States, the main role of elders from the early 1700s to the early 1900s was to visit church members in their homes to test their theology and morality.  They were the spiritual leaders of the church.  They were the shepherds of the flock.  They were mentors to the younger members.  When the New Testament uses the word presbuteros to describe the church elders, it wasn't talking about our recent style of being a board of directors, functioning by rules and regulations.  They were talking about the spiritual leaders of the church.  These were people who would preach, teach, visit, serve the sacraments, and be the church in the community.

As we try to discover how we can be a missional church, we know that one of the keys is our elders, our lay leaders.  If becoming missional is completely clergy driven, it will never happen.  We believe in the priesthood of all believers.  If our elders only function as a board of directors, we won't be able to make the shift.  If our elders realize that their name, Presbyterian, is a reference to their leadership in the church and the community, then we can begin to make some of the paradigm shifts that are needed.  Leadership is such a crucial issue for the church today.  We need people who are willing to take some smart risks, gain the trust of the people, and who have the skills to help lead us forward. 

So, if we Presbyterians are predestined by our name, then we are called to be leaders.  We are not called to pass more and more legislation.  We are called to lead the church into our communities.  We are called to lead people back into our neighborhoods.  We are called to help people discover what God is already doing in our cities, and find out how we can join Christ in the work he has already begun.  Presbyterian is actually a great name.  Being Presbyterian is about providing the leadership that the Body of Christ needs.  Its time to reclaim the true meaning of our name.  Its time to be proud to be Presbyterian again.  Its time to recover our true identity.  I think its predestined.

P.S.  If you have the same name as me, I already like you!

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Tim Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, is one of the best "missional preachers" in the U.S. today (in my humble opinion). 

The content of his preaching is somewhat "cerebral" -- engaging some of the most common intellectual challenges that both Christians and non-Christians face when seeking the face of God or the meaning of their existence.  And this stands to reason: a big part of missional preaching is sensitively contextualizing the Gospel message, and Redeemer Pres. is made up largely of youngish, on-the-rise professionals in an environment that fancies itself as cutting edge. 

It also means that Keller's preaching is often very helpful for those outside his congregation who have many of the same pressing questions.  What's underneath our culture's best formulated objections to faith in Jesus Christ?  How can we address them well?  What unselfconscious concepts of God or humanity or salvation has the church embraced that have prevented us from being a counter-culture for the common good?

I haven't read it yet (trying to meet a dissertation deadline), but Keller has recently published a book that will be of interest to most Presbyterians who are seeking the missional renewal of the church.  It's called The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, and can be viewed here on Amazon.  The reviews of the book are quite good, and being familiar with Keller's approach, I'm confident it's a worthwhile and provocative read.

I also found that the Veritas Forum has both audio and video of a "talk" given by Keller on the topic of his book at a University of Chicago forum.  Head over to the Forum's website and check it out.  Part One of Keller's talk is here, and Part Two is here. 

Feel free to offer your thoughts / questions / amens / rebuttals!

Are We Going to the Dogs?

They say that truth is stranger than fiction. They have made a believer out of me. My local newspaper recently ran an article about a growing number of pet owners who are buying custom-built wheelchairs for their dogs whose legs, hip, or backs don’t work anymore. Most dogs have rear wheel wheelchairs to compensate for their lame hind legs, although a growing number of front wheel drive wheelchairs are being ordered for animals with front-leg problems. (I’m serious. This is no joke.)

 One dog owner got a wheelchair for her dog after learning that his odd gait had damaged his spine and would have required surgery. She said, “He just wants to live, after all those years of really hobbling and not being able to get where he wanted to be”. Really? How did the dog communicate this to her? 

 The owners of the animal wheelchair business began in 1989 when their ten year old Doberman lost the use of his rear legs because of disc disease and spinal problems. Since then, they have made wheelchairs for cats, a ferret, alpacas, goats, sheep, a rabbit, and a possum. One pet vet said that animals whom once would have been irreversibly crippled are benefiting from a variety of advancements, such as improved hip and joint replacements, better physical therapy, and wheelchairs. (Remember, these are not human beings, these are pets). One of the company’s founders said, “Dogs don’t understand why this is going on, but they’re very accepting: ‘Oh, this is the way I am today.” So when we put them in the wheelchair, they’re like: ‘Oh, now I’m back to normal. I can go where I want.’” Really? How do the dogs communicate this?

Even if treatment is expensive, these are people who say they’ll do anything to keep their pets moving, to keep them happy, and to keep their quality of life up. Why do they do this? The owners’ goals are simple: to reward their pets’ unconditional love with whatever it takes for the animals to live normally. 

As I read that, a light went on in my head. Maybe that is the real issue. Perhaps people are starved for unconditional love. Maybe they experience more unconditional love from their dogs and their pets than they do from people. And when people do experience unconditional love, look at how much they are willing to give back in return. They are willing to spend lots and lots of money to return the love that means so much for them. 

If this is the case, maybe it’s time for the church to go to the dogs. As our churches seek to become more missional, and intentionally move out into our neighborhoods, it’s important that our community life extend unconditional love to the world, even when it doesn’t come naturally. The Bible teaches us that God loves us unconditionally. People who buy wheelchairs for their pets have experienced this unconditional love from their animals. But it sounds like they have not experienced this from other people or from the church. People not only need to hear the message of God’s unconditional love in Jesus Christ, they need to experience it in the community of Christ’s followers. They need to see it, feel it, taste it, and touch it. If it is fake and phony, they will sniff it out in five minutes, and have their worst attitudes confirmed. It must be genuine, authentic, and real. It must not be something that is just a form of new member recruitment. It must be from the Father, it must be like Christ, and it must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

Maybe it’s time for the church to go to the dogs. If we learn to practice, to share, and to live unconditional love to our neighbors and colleagues, new doors of ministry will open. The church will become more missional. Unconditional love is powerful and life-changing. Just ask the dogs in the wheelchairs.