Archive for category: Musings

I use the word “boss” in a broad sense, as referring to anyone who has one or more persons who work under his/her leadership.

My passionate belief about what I believe to be the primary skill needed to be an effective “boss” is deeply informed by the following foundational teaching from Parker Palmer, a renowned sociologist committed to a Quaker expression of the Christian faith.

Jesus exercises the only kind of leadership that can evoke authentic community – leadership that risks failure (and even crucifixion) by making space for other people to act. When a leader takes up all the space and preempts all the action, he or she may make something happen, but that something is not community. Nor is it abundance, because the leader is only one person, and one person’s resources invariably run out. But when a leader is willing to trust the abundance that people have and can generate together, willing to take the risk of inviting people to share from that abundance, then and only then may true community emerge.  (FN # 1)

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My last Musing (“Formulate Your Own Set of Christian Values”) proposed a broad view of God’s redemptive purposes for our world. It left some important questions unanswered, such as “how” one can “partner with God” toward the realization of these values, and, since no one Christian can focus on all of God’s redemptive purposes, how does one choose a focus or two.

What follows is an in-depth response to these unanswered questions that emerged from a series of four conversations with Northwestern College (IA) students who live in the Hospers Hall Residence on the theme “A Contentious 2024 Election Season.” In our last session, I presented the following set of five  recommendations, with the hope that attendees will give serious consideration to implementing these recommendations in the future as they aspire to live out their understanding of Christian values.. These recommendations could also be helpful to all readers of this Musing; especially to upper-class High School students who are considering eventual choices of vocation.

#1: EMBRACE THREE BACKGROUND CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES

As you aspire to live out, each day, your commitment to your understanding of foundational Christian values, I recommend that you embrace the biblical teachings presented in the following three passages of scripture:

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5: 13-14, RSV).

Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4, NRSV).

Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more (Luke 2:48, RSV).

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My last Musing (“Seeing Through Partisan Politics or the Eyes of Jesus”) raised some important questions that were left unanswered; questions that beg for more in-depth analysis. What follows is a coherent set of four essays that provide this “deeper” analysis

The first essay by Harold Heie poses and reflects on the overarching question posed as the title for thisMusing, at the end of which Harold confesses that, being neither a biblical scholar nor theologian, he doesn’t know the answer. The second essay by Ben Lappenga, a biblical scholar, is Ben’s response to Harold’s essay. The third essay, by Cambria Kaltwasser, a theologian, is her response to both Harold’s essay and Ben’s essay. The fourth essay, by Harold, is the final conclusion he arrives at from his consideration of the first three essays: There is an enormous need for educating Christian laity regarding biblical interpretation.

Ben Lappenga currently serves as a Visiting Associate Professor of Religion at Hope College (MI) and Cambria Kaltwasser currently serves as Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Northwestern College (IA).

Jesus clearly taught that he came to earth to fulfill the Old Testament law and the prophets: “I have come not to abolish them, but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

It appears to me that there are two differing strands of thought in the Old Testament as to the nature of this “fulfillment,” one of which is consistent with my understanding of Christian values, with the other strand, in my estimation, being extremely destructive of Christian values.

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Jesus was not spared the temptation to become all-powerful. 

Tim Alberta starts his thought-provoking book The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory, by quoting the following words recorded in Luke 4:5-8 (KJ21):

And the devil, taking Him up into a high mountain, showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

And the devil said unto Him, “All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for this has been delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.”

And Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan! For it is written: “Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’”

These words should not be interpreted as Jesus ruling out the exercise of power. He only rejected the type of power that Satan offered to him. At the end of this Musing, you will read about the type of “power” that Jesus taught and lived out. But it will take us a while to get there. I start by reflecting on the type of “power” that is rampant in our tribalistic culture. 

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