(Artwork titled "Calling Disciples" (2001) by Dr. He Qi, professor at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary in China.)
Lectionary Scripture Focus – Mark, Chapter 1, verses 14-20 (NRSV)
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
Reflection on the Scripture:
What if someone told you that most of what’s happening in churches today isn’t very compelling? Are those words that gird you for battle? Or are they words that cause you to nod in agreement out of the frustration you live with day in and day out?
I think most of the people who would do battle over such comments have largely written me and others off as nutcases. Believe me, I more than understand. And for me, I’m glad you’re comfortable and at ease in your faith as you presently experience it. I wouldn't have it any other way. But if you ever grow weary of it, grab me hard by the ear and drag me off for whatever kind of conversation you need or want to have -- even a heated debate will be fine.
And why is that? It’s because I care about you very much and would rather you have far more compelling “follow me” moments like Simon and Andrew had with Jesus than settling for what you put up with week in and week out at your non-compelling church. I’d rather have you angry with me and arguing with me than having you settle for an encumbered life dominated by oppressive encumbered faith. And if I need to be the fall guy so you can ultimately explore a broader more liberating way of being and believing in God, then I’m the guy to blame or the minister to blame or whatever you need me to be.
On that note, I have to give a big hand up to a very dear friend of mine for over 23 years. She called me recently and said that I was getting too bold and edgy with the blog. She then said, “I don’t know whether to kiss you or hit you upside the head.” She then commented that it seemed I was grandiose lately and asked if I was psychotic. I responded by saying that I didn’t think so. She then asked, “How do you know?” Well, since both of us are mental health professionals, I suggested that we do a mental status exam together. We proceeded and by the end of it I said that even my employer thinks I’m doing a great job and loves my work and “the only voice I hear in my head right now is yours! So what you do you think? Am I crazy?” We agreed that I wasn’t off my proverbial rocker. Figuratively however, she asked that I quit setting people’s houses of beliefs on fire. I replied by saying I didn’t think I had done any such thing, but there were a few bonfires going in some people’s backyards. All I was trying to do was to get people thinking again about the “belief-nets” they have been tending so faithfully for so very long with so very little satisfaction in terms of what’s truly compelling enough to foment change and sacrifice for the just and peaceable reign of God.
Yesterday, I think I did get a bit of additional vision on that while conducting extended orientation for new staff at the mental health and addictions treatment center where I presently work. Most of my time and purpose in that session was to speak to the importance of fundraising and how every single one of the young clinicians in attendance was critical and essential to the task of bringing in additional dollars for serving and helping those who suffer emotionally and psychologically and who have no means for alleviating their suffering in a culture and society hostile to their needs and hostile to universal healthcare for each and every living soul.
I subsequently told them how they are the face to the community of gifted and devoted professionals willing to live with less so those less fortunate can heal and become whole. Thereafter, I then told them of two judges I toured recently through one of our residential drug recovery centers for moms and their kids. I told them how one of the judges saw two women at the center who had been before his bench. I then spoke of how deeply the judge had been moved by seeing the women safe and getting treatment and reunited their children. He way even more joyful and elated when they saw him and yelled out to everyone, “That’s my judge!!” Such joy and elation on the part of the judge and the residents had been possible only because of the hard work done by dedicated staff like the young clinicians sitting before me in orientation.
And lest anyone was still skeptical, I took them through my credentials of being a licensed mental health professional who had put many years into publically funded mental health. And on top of that, I had been a pastor in three urban based congregations trying to shepherd those faith communities toward sacrificial living and the kind of generosity desperately needed by struggling persons in the larger community. Ultimately however, I had to come back to public mental health in order to make a genuine and compelling difference.
At the end of my presentation, I looked around the room of mostly young adults. The gratitude and validation in their faces was palpable. One young clinician approached me after orientation and said, “Did you say you were a pastor and lived in Missouri?” I confirmed those things to her. She then said, “I really appreciated hearing that. I just moved here from Missouri. My father was a pastor. I’m a preacher’s kid. The adjustment has been hard because of all the rain here in the Pacific Northwest.” We talked a bit longer and I assured her that I knew exactly what she was talking about in terms of the adjustment. I assured her that it would pass and she would get used to it and might even like it. I did confide that it took me two years to make the adjustment but I wouldn’t live anywhere else. Hopefully in time, she’ll make the adjustment too as I sense that her compassion for others runs very deep and will undoubtedly be a blessing to our larger community. In one very limited sense however, she heard the words “follow me” and hopefully that means she’ll be with our community of sacrificial professionals for a long time as she seeks in her own prophetic way to bring the just and peaceable reign of God nearer to the lives of those who so desperately need the gifts, skills, abilities she has to offer.
At the beginning of this blog post, I asked how you would react if someone told you that what’s happening in churches today isn’t very compelling. It wasn’t me who originally made that comment but rather a Luther Seminary professor in a podcast done jointly each week with three other colleagues. The professor then went on to say that Jesus never told anyone what they should believe – wonderful words to my ears. Instead, Jesus only urged people to “follow me”.
The professor then asked, “What would it take to make you change, to make you leave, to make you follow and go to something truly compelling?” My young clinician friend decided that for her it was the Pacific Northwest and the employer for whom we presently work. Her meeting a fellow disciple in me makes that easier. It surprised me when she then asked if I had left ministry completely. The best and most honest response I could give in the moment was that “I’m working on a little something.”
God's Peace be with you,
God's Peace be with you,
Brad Shumate, M.S.,M.A., LMHC
Free of Encumbrance
Vancouver, WA
Email: brshumate@freeofencumbrance.net
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