Author: Rev. Evan Dolive

The Next Step: Board Certification

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Application for Board Certification

Nine months ago started a new (sorta) ministry path and accepted a position as a chaplain in Southeast Texas. Having completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) I had the training and skills to begin this new journey.  At first it was a bit of a “culture shock” from church based pastoral ministry but I am enjoying it.

As part of my position at the hospital I have worked for the last few months on completing my application to become a Board Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains.  Last week after a couple months of writing off and on, I submitted a large stack of papers, reflections and critiques as part of my application.

My goal is to sit before my certification board at the national conference in Anaheim, CA this June.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Look At The Picture

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My latest for Sojourners. A big thanks to my brother in law Ben for his keen editing eye on this piece. Be sure to check out his site emergingdisciple.com

Residents wait in line to receive food aid distributed in the Yarmouk refugee camp on Jan. 31. UNRWA via Getty Images

Last week amid the closing of the Olympics, the national debt, and the latest pop culture ‘news,’ this photo was published that encapsulates the volume of pain and suffering that is happening in Syria. For years, the conflict in Syria has gone through its ebbs and flows; it has been in and out of the media’s attention. Even though thousands of people have been displaced and families have been forced to eat animal feed, this is not worthy for American front-page news. Sadly, travesties around the world, or even in our backyard, are categorized as “out of sight, out of mind.” Too often we are consumed by other things than those outside of our limited purview.

When I saw the photo of the suffering of the Syrians, I was shocked; I was shocked that so many people were in line to get food, shocked that despite their best efforts there is not enough food to go around. I felt sad for the people who, by no fault of their own, live in a country that is being ravaged by war, violence, greed, and power struggles. I felt embarrassed for all of the times I whined and complained about my own “problems.” All of them collectively wouldn’t even begin to compare to what people are facing in Syria at this very moment. I wanted to find a way to do something, to raise my voice for them … anything.

Where is the outcry on their behalf? Where are those standing up for the widows and the orphans? Why are the collective prayers and laments of the church not being raised for those facing distress and peril? Why are too many churches debating who is in and who is out, or who is right or who is wrong, rather than focusing on issues such as this? These questions and many more began to swirl in my head.

This is not how the world is supposed to be. People can be so hateful and power hungry that it leaves innocent people in the dust.

What happened to that “very good” world that is described in Genesis? Will it ever be the idyllic place we all hope and yearn for?

In Matthew 25 we find these prophetic words of Jesus; “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’” (Common English Bible 2012).

The church has an obligation to the world. The church has an obligation to other people. Although we have enough problems in this country, it does not negate our duty to share the love of Christ to all people. Becoming a Christian expands our horizon, our world, our collective outlook. No longer are we to be self-centered; rather, by the ministry and indwelling of Christ, we have become new creations of selflessness.

I’m not saying that you have to wear sackcloth and throw ashes on your head; or, sell all your possessions and give it to the people of Syria. However, in our moments of selfishness, let’s remember those who struggle for day-to-day basics. Remember those who hunger for the food that we discard every day. Remember that we are not immune to the cries of the hurting and the forgotten in this world.

All people no matter their race, age, hair color, etc., are all created in the same image of God as you and I. Since all people are created in that image, we should not have predetermined boundaries on our love and grace. Looking at the world and all of its many issues and problems can be overwhelming, but we first and foremost must remember the call to be the hands and feet of God in the world.

When we think we don’t have enough, look at the picture.

When our children complain about dinner, show them the picture.

When the church is debating what to cut from the budget, look at the picture.

When more focus is on getting people in the door than helping those outside it, look at the picture.

As we journey into Lent, the season of emptying ourselves out to receive the Holy Spirit and journey with Jesus toward the cross in Jerusalem, may we find ways to help the poor and outcast.

May this picture be a reminder that just because we are not affected by it, people are suffering every day.

Come Holy Spirit come.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Rev. Ev and Ben Talk About The Creation Debate

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As you might recall there was a big “Creation Debate” about a month ago.  My brother in law, Ben from emgeringdisciple.com and I were chatting about it and decided others needed to hear our thoughts too.

 

Enjoy

 

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Perception Is Reality

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My latest for Sojourners

Let’s face it: we are an opinionated society.

We have entire television channels and radio stations dedicated to the propagation of one particular way of thinking. Some people like this channel because they are “more liberal” while others like this channel because they are “more conservative” and the rest of the world falls into the trap that we can be objective (read: ‘fair and balanced’).

We seek out opinions from everything from a new toaster to the new medical center in the area. We want to know people’s experiences about something before we waste our time, money and energy on a futile venture. If a product on Amazon has too many “one-star” reviews I am not going to purchase it. If my friends or family members have a bad experience at a restaurant or store then I will think twice about going there myself.

Sharing our opinions or perceptions is never easy. They can be met with great disdain or hostility. ESPN prides itself on these conflicts. Its marketing plan is to put four talking, opinionated heads in a room and ask a question that none of them can agree on like “Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?” or “Is Tom Brady overrated?”

Some of the greatest conflicts in the world’s history have been over difference of opinion. Governments have been shut down over difference of opinion. Trying to “change” someone’s opinion is hard if not impossible; for some people the “damage” is done and there is no turning back.

The church is not immune to this to this. I believe that the church today finds itself in a bit of an opinion/perception crisis that Christians are ignoring. On one hand, many Christians see the decline of the church around them. They see the decline in the significance of the church in the American society and culture. Churchgoers lament every Sunday about the good ole days and have a laundry list of reasons why people aren’t in church; they blame everything from MTV and passive parenting to the Devil himself.

The problem that is really facing the church is others’ opinions of it. Many people do not have an issue with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Their opinion is formed and shaped by the experiences they have at a church and/or the actions of fellow Christians.

If my perception of the church is one that is shaped by people who come across as “holier than thou” and want to point out my flaws all in the name of sin eradication, then I’m not going to have a high opinion of the church. If my perception of the church is one in which love is conditional based on a series of postulations from a sweat-slinging preacher, then I’m not going to have a high opinion of that church.

If the church’s perception is centered on the notion that it exists not for outsiders (people who think differently of God), that certain “sins” are worse than others, that perfection is demanded, then why in the world would I want to devote my time to this religion?

The church must come to grips with its perception problem. The church that is being propagated in the world is a one-sided, narrow-visioned, distorted articulation of the church. But again, this is just my opinion.

I get irritated when I am lumped together with Bible-beating Christians who see the Bible more as a law book than a book of faith of how God moved, interacted, and changed the world. It saddens me when people have had a bad experience with a ‘well-intentioned’ Christian that has turned them off to a faith that I hold so dear.

I want them to experience the same Christ that I know, the same grace that I have been afforded, to be welcomed into a community that loves them for who they are and who they were created to be — not by who they chose to spend their life with. I want them to be in a community of faith that shows them the beauty of God, the majesty of Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit in all of creation — all with grace, unconditional love, humility, and respect.

Some churches will hear this as “weakening the gospel” or becoming “soft” when the gospel is something that demands we stand firm, but this is not the case.

I am not advocating that people abandon their faith; rather I am calling on all followers of Christ from all denominations and faith communities to take a step back and see how the message of Christ is being shared and perceived.

Given the rate of the decline of the church I am not sure it can “afford” any more perception problems. We, faithful followers of Christ, need to show the world that the Christianity of TBN or the 700 Club is not the only way of understanding God. No one denomination, TV minister, or church has a monopoly on God.

Some people will make their way back to faith in spite of their experiences. But this will only be a small percentage. It is up to followers of Christ like you and me to open the doors and show them an understanding of faith that will reshape their perceptions of the church.

It’s worth a shot.

Sermon: “The Journey: Part 1- Structure”

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Blueprints

This past Sunday (February 9, 2014) I began a three part sermon series over-viewing my post entitled “14 Things The Church Needs To Do In 2014.”  Below is the audio link as well as Prezi presentation.

In Christ,
Rev. Evan

Photo Credit: “Blueprints” by degelia via Flickr used under the Creative Commons License 2.0

Sermon: “Blessings For All”

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Below is a link to a sermon I preached on February 2, 2014 entitled “Blessings For All” based on Matthew 5:1-12

http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/dnfs7b7rna/blessings_for_all.mp3%20
(Recorded by Voice Record Pro by Bej Bej Apps for iOS)

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

The Person Who Was Missing From The Nye/Ham Debate

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The internet has been a buzz after the “Creation Debate” between Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ken Ham, the CEO of Answers in Genesis.  The debate focused on the question “is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern scientific era?”

Ham is the founder of the Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky which postulates the world was created how it is described in the book of Genesis and believes that the world is only 6000 or so years old (this model is known as Young Earth Creationist.)  Nye showed another side stating that science and evolution were the models of creation that should be accepted.

Both people gave their reasoned arguments in a bevy of pictures, graphs and charts.  They had their particular point of view and they were showing the world how they understood the world to work.  Ham is a Christian literalist and Nye is a Scientist.  Both are coming from completely different angles while looking at the same thing.  On one hand you have Ham trying to make the model of Creation found in the Bible fit the world around him and on the other you have Nye who uses the empirical method to be certain about his beliefs.  Both of these men were using their view to be the one that should be seen as true and authoritative.  Here in lies the problem.

Alexander Campbell, one of the founders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) articulated the notion of perception when he wrote:

“Just as if A, B and C should each put on different colored glasses;  A puts on green spectacles, B yellow, and C blue; each one of them looks through his own glasses at a piece of white paper and concludes he is right, not remembering that he has his spectacles on.  Thus to A it appears green, to B yellow and to C blue.  They begin to argue on the subject, and it is impossible for any of them to convince another that he is wrong- each one feels a conviction next to absolute certainty that his opinion is right. But D, who has no spectacles on, and who is standing looking on during the contest very well knows that they are all wrong; he sees the spectacles on each man’s face and accounts for the difference.”[1]

Throughout the debate I could not help but to think that one person was missing: the person who doesn’t see religion and science as mutually exclusive.  Where was the person of faith who is OK with a bit of mystery in the world and OK with the notion that the world might not have been created in seven 24 hour days?

The problem with this type of debate is the same problem that people have with the political pundits in Washington: they are too polarizing.  Both sides think they have it figured out.  This is being played out in our society; a Gallup poll stated that 42% of voters claim to be Independent, while 31% affiliate with Democrats and 25% with the Republicans.  People more and more do not like to be “nailed down” in one camp or another.

Some of the biggest complaints I hear from people not in the church or those who recently left is that some churches have “it all figured out” and leave no room for questioning or growing or new ways of looking at something.  Learning, growing, shaping and forming our own ideals is something that we instill in children when we teach them critical thinking.  Why do people in some churches feel they have to become robots of their church or pastor and just spit out what they have been told to believe?

The creation debate more than likely didn’t change anyone’s mind about how the world came to be.  If anything those on either side felt their guy “won” and their view was shown in the best light.  Then there are those who struggle with faith and how the world works in harmony together.

They were left out.

The way I see it is that both Ham and Nye missed the mark.  Ham is using the Bible as a science book– the Bible is a book of faith and people’s experience with the Divine.  Nye did not leave any room for mystery and faith; it was charts, graphs, facts and figures.

There has to be a balance made.  Faith and Science do not have to be at odds with each other.  The debate was too focused on facts and not on mystery.  Where was the presenter who said “I’m not sure how this all happened, but I have faith?”

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

[1] Mark G. Toulouse, Joined in Discipleship: the Shaping of Contemporary Disciples Identity, rev. ed. (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 1997), 42.

God Is Making All Things New

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Below is an article I wrote for a newsletter for the hospital I am working for.

2013 has come to a close we find ourselves in the midst of 2014. Every year people resolve to make the New Year better, more fulfilling or even less hectic than the one before. These resolutions or promises are guides that will help us reach our goal of bettering ourselves, our family or our community. Some people want to exercise more, learn to cook or stop biting their nails. Others want to volunteer more, worship more fully or step out in faith by responding to a call or stirring of their heart. And yet some can be quite different like the woman who ate every meal at Starbucks for an entire year.

The New Year is a way to reflect on the life that has gone by in the previous year: the struggles, triumphs, blessings and heartaches that we have felt. All of these events and emotions form us into the person we are today. We are not the same person we were on January 1, 2013 and we will not be the same person on December 31,2014. We are being transformed and changed by the power of God and the experience we have with God through worship, nature, prayers, the sacraments and the scriptures.

Every day is a possibility to see how God is interacting with the world and in our lives.

In the Bible, at the end of the Book of Revelation, we find that God declares that one day God will make all things new. This is the declaration that is given to all of humanity. One of my favorite hymns, “This Is the Day of New Beginnings” speaks to the power of new beginnings and how we are not alone in them. The words are printed below.

This is a day of new beginnings,
time to remember and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing,
laying to rest the pain that’s gone.

For by the life and death of Jesus,
love’s mighty Spirit, now as then,
can make for us a world of difference
as faith and hope are born again.

Then let us, with the Spirit’s daring,
step from the past, and leave behind
our disappointment, guilt and grieving,
seeking new paths, and sure to find.

Christ is alive, and goes before us
to show and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings;
our God is making all things new.[1]

As we journey in 2014 not knowing what is ahead of us, let us go in faith and know that God will be with us every step of the way.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan Dolive

[1] Copyright © 1983 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.; Words © 1975, 1995 Hope Publishing Co

Sermon: “Fishing”

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Fishing from the back of an old pickup. Morro Bay Scenes on Father’s Day 20 June 2010, Morro Bay, CA

On January 26, I preached a sermon entitled “Fishing” from Matthew 4:18-23.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Photo Credit: Fishing from the back of an old pickup. Morro Bay Scenes on Father’s Day 20 June 2010, Morro Bay, CA taken by: Mike Baird; used under the Creative Commons License 2.0

I’m Ready To Change…. But I Need Your Help!

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Next month will mark two years of evandolive.com.  I have enjoyed sharing my thoughts and feelings about life and Christianity and I look forward to the next years to come.

But… I think it’s time for a change.

I want to update the look of evandolive.com but I want your input on it.

Since the very beginning I have had the same layout and theme: iTheme2.  There’s nothing wrong with it I just think it needs a refresh or an update.

Here is a link to all the Free Themes By WordPress.

(If you find a theme that cost we might have to start a Kickstarter to get it 🙂 )

Take a look at them and let me know which one you would like to see.

I want your input because you will be one staring at it when you visit. 🙂

Thanks for your help and for your support!

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Edit: Wrong Link to Free Temples Fixed 1/30/14 @ 4:09pm