A Foot-Tapping Venture Into Cultural Heritage

Kay Lynne and I had a most interesting and enjoyable venture into (my) Finnish cultural heritage yesterday, when we traveled to Bainbridge Island (where we used to live) to see, meet and listen to the Finnish folk band Kaivama.   Finn cousin Joel Narva, his wife Sandra and daughter Lindsey, joined us at the concert.

The “band” consists of two accomplished Finnish musicians, Sara Pajunen and Jonathan Rundman (above), both born and raised in Midwest Northwoods areas closely resembling the environment of Finland – namely Virginia, MN and Ishpeming, MI. Both areas enjoy long winters, lakeside saunas, dense pine forests, rugged terrain, and solitude – replicating the Nordic country’s climate and landscape.

The music they play can be loosely described as Finnish/Scandinavian folk music, but their training and performance transforms it into so much more.

Here’s what their web site says about their music: Sara Pajunen's unique fiddle playing is the common thread of the album, a meld of technique and nuance. Jonathan Rundman adeptly adds various instruments to each track, from rollicking acoustic guitar to a WWII-era foot-pump harmonium (organ) to his Grandfather's tenor banjo—and some famously American textures thanks to a vintage Hammond organ and Wurlizter electric piano.

Pajunen’s classical training and flirtations with avant-garde string arrangements blend with her dedication to the Finnish pelimanni fiddle tradition. Rundman mixes the harmonic structures of Nordic hymnody with a rough Americana sensibility and hints of '70s-era progressive rock.

The web site also indicates that “Kaivama's first album is a landmark debut, and a worthy bridge between a new Finnish-American generation and the time-honored music of their heritage.”  For Joel and me, it was an opportunity to hear for the first time the folk melodies our departed parents often told us had influenced the times of their youth.

No doubt we'll be back to see and hear Kaivama again when they return to Seattle’s Phinney Ridge area for a concert next May.

Click here to see and hear a sample of their music. Click here for their web site.

The Digital Story of the Nativity

The Christmas message remains the same, but the method of delivering it changes with the times. I copied this from my son Gregg's facebook status, because it can't be shared too much. Gregg said his church shared this during their worship service today. Just click on the arrow to play...

Spinning Our Wheels?

I finally finished James Davison Hunter’s book, To Change the World – The Irony, Tragedy & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. The book really delivers in the realm of social theory, explaining why Christians are mostly ineffective in their efforts to “change the world”.

In fact, “changing the world” should not be our primary focus, he suggests. And he laboriously makes the case that despite our country being nearly 80% “Christian,” the influence of Christianity is, to a great degree, ineffective. Further, he suggests, rather than positively influence society, Christians (especially the Christian Right) have instead come across as angry, bitter and resentful.

A significant part of the problem, he says, (and I’m greatly oversimplifying here) is that the Christian Left, the Christian Right and the neo-Anabaptists, all have chosen, in one way or another, politics, policies and law as the target areas in which to “penetrate” in order to change society.

This will surely fail, he says (two thirds of the book is given to explaining why), and his proposed alternative is what he calls and defines as “faithful presence.” “A theology of faithful presence,” Hunter says, “calls Christians to enact the shalom of God in the circumstances in which God has placed them and to actively seek it on behalf of others.”

This should be done in our daily living, rather than through the political or legal systems as is seemingly the current focus, he offers. You can see that simply understanding what he means and how it should be implemented is a significant challenge - but a worthy one - and one for which the book is very much worth a read.

The book does not end on a particular high note. His own assessment of his theology suggests that even if Christians and the Church could live according to his concept of “faithful presence,” his best prognosis is that we may be able to live in “a better world.”

I think I might have titled the book, Spinning Our Wheels?

Should Christians Try to “Change the World”? A Controversial Sociologist and Theology Professor Believes It May Be A Misdirected Effort

I enjoy reading “controversial” or “edgy” books that want you to stretch your thinking. I’ve found another one in To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World by James Davisson Hunter.

This professor of Religion, Culture and Social Theory at the U. of Virginia has taken on the views of some heavyweights in the Christian world like Chuck Colson, Jim Dobson and Jim Wallis with his persuasive – and provocative – observations.

His 1991 book, Culture Wars, in which he described the dramatic realignment and polarization that has transformed American politics and culture, laid the groundwork for his current writing efforts.

Christopher Benson, a book reviewer for Christianity Today, said the following in his comments about Hunter’s latest book:

“Faithful presence (Hunter’s coined term) is not about changing culture, let alone the world, but instead emphasizes cooperation between individuals and institutions in order to make disciples and serve the common good. ‘If there are benevolent consequences of our engagement with the world,’ Hunter writes, ‘it is precisely because it is not rooted in a desire to change the world for the better but rather because it is an expression of a desire to honor the creator of all goodness, beauty, and truth, a manifestation of our loving obedience to God, and a fulfillment of God's command to love our neighbor.’"

Interestingly, this is not, at first look, at odds with our Lutheran concept of “living out God's grace in the world.” Stay tuned. More coming when I finish the book.

Mind-Bending Information

I got this video from a friend in California who says it was originally made as a presentation to a large American corporation. No matter, the information contained on it is truly mind-bending. Click on the arrow to start it.



The question at the end is worth pondering.

Obama Gives His Version of Patriotism

In a speech early today in Independence, Missouri, Barack Obama articulated his views on what patriotism is – and isn’t. And, I must say, as a speech-maker, he is smooth as silk.

He has a very natural relationship with the tele-prompter, reminiscent of Ronald Reagan and, of course, Bill Clinton. John McCain could take some lessons from Obama on this score for sure.

In his talk, Obama touched “all the bases,” similarly to how he delivered the “race” speech. He was inclusive. He did not offend anyone. He nuanced the various implications of meaning. He sounded sincere and compelling.

Fairly early in his speech, he said the following: “Surely we can arrive at a definition of patriotism that, however rough and imperfect, captures the best of America’s common spirit.” How can you argue with that?

Obama then continued to say that “Patriotism…

“..starts as a gut instinct, a loyalty and love for country rooted in my earliest memories.” Nothing wrong with that, either.

“..is always more than just loyalty to a place on a map or a certain kind of people. Instead, it is also loyalty to America’s ideals – ideals for which anyone can sacrifice, or defend, or give their last full measure of devotion. I believe it is this loyalty that allows a country teeming with different races and ethnicities, religions and customs, to come together as one.” Whew! But idealistically right on!

“..can never be defined as loyalty to any particular leader or government or policy.” OK, but key word for me is “defined”.

“..is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” Better not argue with that; it’s a direct Mark Twain quotation, and Mark Twain, of course, is all-American.

“..must, if it is to mean anything, involve the willingness to sacrifice – to give up something we value on behalf of a larger cause.” (Referring to military service) Again, I find myself agreeing, though Obama himself has not served in the military.

The rest of the speech expanded upon and enlarged on these and some other great-sounding concepts. In honesty, there isn’t a whole lot with which to take issue.

So why do I have this gnawing uneasiness in the pit of my stomach, hinting that maybe this man’s words flow a whole lot easier than his establishing of a record that would validate them?

She Chose Her Words Carefully

For whatever reason, I’m not much into political observations of late. But when Sen. Hillary Clinton “gave up” on her presidential bid last Saturday, I, along with many others, took a close look at what she actually said.

Amid tears from her loyalists, she said this (regarding Sen. Barack Obama): "I endorse him and throw my full support behind him." Sounds pretty straightforward, right?

Well, maybe. Here’s also what she said: "Today as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run.” The key word here is “suspend”.

Political pundits point out that by “suspending” her campaign, instead of “ending” it and releasing her pledged delegates, she keeps open a raft of options. The significant one is that she keeps “control” over the 1600+ delegate votes she won in the primaries.

Why would she do this?

Dick Morris, former Clinton insider and presidential advisor now impassioned to keep any Clinton out of the White House, said today that Hillary is still a factor in the presidential race:

“…the former First Lady will be slowly circling overhead during June, July, and August waiting for Obama to make a mistake or stumble. Throughout the next three months, there will always be the possibility that he errs so badly that Hillary gets back into the race. Should another pastor rear his head or if one of the mythical tapes that are said to be about to emerge does, in fact, exist, Obama cannot rest secure in the nomination as long as Hillary is overhead, waiting.”

Kinda reminds me of the Shakespearean (MIS-)quotation, “Heavy hangs over the head that wears a crown.” (ACTUAL quote is, "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," but who’s checking?) In any case, Senator Obama is apparently not yet free of Clinton maneuverings – not by a long shot.

The next five-plus months of campaign rhetoric (and eventualities) could be quite interesting. If only I really cared a bit more.

Post Script Re: Mega Church Changes

Apparently there’s more to the saga of the changes going on at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, better known as the “poster child” of “seeker-sensitive” ministries.

In the previous post we gave a nod to the church and its Pastor, Bill Hybels, for having the chutzpah to map out changes in their program-driven worship practices that are based on the results of a self-conducted survey of its members and six other similar congregations. As mentioned in the last post, these findings have been widely reported in a book released last year by Greg Hawkins, Willow Creek’s executive pastor.

Among the proposed modifications are the adding of theology and Bible classes during midweek services and the re-structuring of weekend services to focus on serious Christians who want to mature in the Christian life (in contrast to past uses of rock music and multimedia to attract “seekers”).

How are they preparing to put into practice these and other fresh insights? Here’s the plan, according to Hawkins: “Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions. Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research (bold mine) and rooted in Scripture”.

It is reported that on the wall outside of Bill Hybels’ office hangs a poster that reads: “What is our business? Who is our customer? What does the customer consider value?” These questions are consistent with the “business/corporate” approach to ministry that the church has followed but that now has become suspect.

It might be good to pause for a moment and ask: if the “new” approach to worship praxis at WC is going to be influenced by more research on what people think they want, many, like myself, will be prone to ask, “What has been learned?”

A basic course on the historical Church would reveal that the Church, local or catholic, is not “consumer-driven”. Instead, many, myself included, believe it is the living organism through which we worship God and by which He speaks to us, guides us, and teaches us to live according to His revelation.

My hope and prayer is that lessons have been learned, and that the changes will be a step toward developing Christian maturity. I must admit to some concern, however, that this wonderful congregation might be commencing to sing just another verse of the same song.

Mega Church Admits Flaws; Makes Mega Changes

Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois has been sort of the national “model” for “seeker-sensitive” churches – ones that cater to people “seeking” to learn about the Christian faith.

In order to make Christianity more “window-candy-like,” to attract casually interested people to enter its doors, Willow Creek, and others like it, incorporated talented, upbeat Christian “rock” musicians, entertaining multi-media extravaganzas, and pop-culture sermons to fill the pews.

The “seeker” concept apparently worked so well that the Willow Creek “Association of Churches” was formed to train and foster the “seeker-sensitive” methodology in other locations across America. For about 30 years, Willow Creek and other imitating mega-churches have been the talk of the evangelical world.

Until last year, when the book, Reveal: Where Are You? co-authored by Willow Creek executive pastor Greg Hawkins, hit the bookstores. The volume revealed the discouraging results of a self-conducted survey taken among Willow Creek Church and six other similar congregations. You can read here what the periodical Christianity Today said about the study in an editorial.

Among other shortcomings in its decades-old practices, the church found that the “seeker-sensitive” people rarely followed a path to deeper faith, while at the same time those who did have a more mature faith felt “stalled” in their faith growth and were “dissatisfied”, with many considering leaving the church. Not at all what church leaders had expected, the survey results, however, confirmed what many other pastors and theologians had suspected.

To their extreme credit, Willow Creek had the fortitude to take the initiative, discover and begin to deal with the issues. Beginning soon, if not already in practice, weekend services will focus on “mature believers seeking to grow in their faith.” Midweek services will now offer classes on theology and the Bible. Imagine that – studying the Bible in church! How revolutionary!

I need to immediately stifle my facetiousness, and be thankful for the anticipated effects of what this group of churches will be doing from now on. But I do admit to having been on the questioning end of things from the very beginning. The simple fact is that the gospel and Christianity have little or nothing to do with “popularity” or with giving people what they think they want or with making them feel good for a few hours.

The gospel is the gospel, and the church is the church. It has been unchanged in purpose and function for two millennia. It is the Holy Spirit’s work that causes people to “seek… the kingdom of God”. We can’t possibly “package” the Christian message better than the Canon does nor think that we can do the compelling work of the Holy Spirit.

I’m pretty sure that’s why I, along with my wife, have found a reality of faith in the mainline church that we had not known is there. In contrast to rock bands, dramas and trendy power point sermons, all we do is sing simple hymns of the faith, read the Scriptures, recite and validate the ancient creeds, partake in the Sacraments, and listen to sermons based on Biblical texts.

We are thereby refreshed and then sent to live out God's grace by serving those in the world around us. Thanks be to God.

LA Weekend Post #3 – A “Wicked” Saturday Night at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater

We walked among the sidewalk Stars of Buster Keaton, Jackie Gleason and many others on Hollywood Boulevard last Saturday night as we made our way to the historic Pantages Theater right near Vine Street, where we saw the stage play/musical Wicked for the second time.

To parody a famous quote, “Wicked is (even) better the second time around”. And, it is nuanced.

Since we saw the play in Chicago last year, the script has changed significantly – and all for the better. It is funnier, more engaging, has more dialogue and the plot is clearer. All of us thought the Hollywood version was superior to the Midwest version of a year ago.

Wicked is the prequel to the Wizard of Oz. We learn how Glinda becomes the Good Witch and how the green-skinned Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. And we also learn that the Wizard has some deep, dark secrets in his past. If I’m correct, we also caught a glimpse (actually heard only a cry) from baby Dorothy as the play ends.

The gorgeous and spirited Megan Hilty plays Glinda and carries the show. Both she and Eden Espinosa (Elphaba), pictured, have incredible voices. The musical is based on a novel by Gregory Maguire and on a book by Winnie Holzman. Music and lyrics are by Stephen Schwartz, most noted for his work in Godspell.

Wicked is a wonderfully entertaining show and gives you plenty of fodder for later discussions about “good and evil”. I give it FOUR stars and a “thumbs-up”.

LA Weekend Post #2 – A Visit to the Getty Center, An Incredible Philanthropic Gesture

On Saturday (see previous post for intro) we all drove to the newer Getty Center, located on a magnificent hilltop campus just north of Brentwood along Interstate 405. And if you can believe it, the entire facility is FREE, fully supported by the J. Paul Getty Trust.

At the Getty Center that we visited (there is also the Getty Villa in Malibu) we found an expansive, open campus with panoramic views of Los Angeles, and we saw the incredible Getty Museum's collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present (top pic is one of the art museums) . Amidst it all are the beautiful three-acre Getty Gardens created by Robert Irwin (photo below).

Over a million visitors a year enjoy this magnificent philanthropic gesture by the J. Paul Getty Foundation. We noticed virtually every race and socio-economic class among the guests, and the Getty Foundation is to be congratulated and acknowledged for making these cultural gems and icons available to all.

When have you last been anywhere you could view original paintings by Van Gogh, Cezanne and Monet in one location? Here, you can do so at no cost! That's my available-light snap of Van Gogh's “Old Man in a Military Costume” shown.

However, I should point out that the parking does cost $8, but you enjoy a gorgeous tram ride from the parking lot up to the campus as a side bonus. The Getty Center, in our opinion, must be the most understated and underrated public museum and destination anywhere.

It’s a cultural treasure, to say the least. One more L.A. post tomorrow on our Saturday evening visit to the Pantages Theater in Hollywood to see Wicked.

Roman Art, The Gates of Paradise, and a Fishing Boat

Yesterday was a wonderful day in two ways. Not only was it Kay Lynne’s and my wedding anniversary, but also it demonstrated once again why she is the greatest wife any man could ever have.

In mid-morning we headed to Seattle for a visit to the SAM (Seattle Art Museum) where actual pieces of ancient Roman art are on display, sent over on loan from the Louvre in France. And we also got a glimpse of three actual panels of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s gilded brass Gates of Paradise, so named by Michelangelo himself, and now restored after 550 years.

The image at left above, from the Roman collection, is of Lucilla, who lived in the 2nd century a.d. The marble sculpture is representative of the 180-piece exhibit covering 300 years of Roman culture just before and after the time of Christ. We were overwhelmed with the extent, complexity and sophistication of this great civilization, so well represented by these relics, and it was well worth experiencing.

Also on display but closing at the end of next week was the Gates of Paradise exhibit. The panels that have come to our country for the first time ever have been meticulously restored over the past 25 years after more than 500 years of weather exposure and human contact in Italy.

The displayed panels are three of 10 that usually are encased by the door of the Florence Baptistery in Florence, Italy. Pictured is one of the three, David's Slaying of Goliath, which shows (at the bottom) the beheading of the giant by the young warrior and future King. Sixteenth-century artist and writer Giorgio Vasari called the brass carvings “the finest masterpiece ever created, either in ancient or modern times.”

After viewing the extensive intricacies first hand, we would add our “amen”.

The reason why, finally, my wife is the greatest ever, is that on our anniversary she then accompanied me some 40 miles southeast of the city to put a deposit on a small trout fishing boat that I will soon be using in nearby lakes. Pics to come on future posts.

Is she a “keeper” or what?