Christ Church Blog

For many years I have counseled children and their families.  Before retiring I was an active researcher and licensed for clinical treatment of troubled young people, often working through referral by juvenile courts.  My clients were those described as troubled, angry, defiant, bullies, delinquent, withdrawn, dangerous, hyperactive, school failures, socially isolated, nerds, etc.  None of these describe such youth; they only tell of how they are wrong, how they have violated society’s standards.

How did they get so screwed up with behavior so different from what we expect?

Babies are born with a huge array of reflexes; adults have very few.  These reflexive actions put them in contact with surroundings.  They  “goo” because there is a lot of saliva and air coming out of their mouths.  They also have a “developing language area” built into their brains; this makes it easy for them to learn their language, and that area becomes more and more developed as they listen to and try to copy those around them, repeating what they hear.  At the same time they are losing reflexes as they are begged to take a first step, then another, etc., learning to control their bodies.

From our beginnings we become strong copycats.  The problem is that children cannot copy our thinking skills.  Their thinking is dominated by “I see, I listen, and I act.”  They cannot see into their future and temper their actions accordingly.  This is complicated by the brain changes which accompany adolescence.  During a long adolescent period every muscle, every gland, even body height and weight changes.  The brain changes the most and we can’t see its changes.  Remember how a child starts life – movement and language?  These are what adolescents  often use, reverting back to “acting like a baby.”  The brain fails them because it has grown and actually has set up new thinking patterns.  Many teens cannot think for themselves, so they turn to social groups that are most like them.

When a teacher or parent turns to the gun culture they are inviting their child to do so, too.  The young child has to have things explained to them, and they interpret them all wrong.  It is one thing for a child to learn about guns by going hunting with Dad.  It is quite another thing to see guns come into their classroom.  They are told “this is to keep you safe.”  They begin to wonder “safe from what and who?”  A new fear enters their life, a fear they have never encountered before.  “Haven’t I always been safe in my classroom?  I’m worried, and I don’t know how to think about this new worry.”

At this point there is a wide divergence in the behavior of children.  Some trust their parents and teachers to keep them safe.  Some withdraw.  Some find solace only in joining with peers in hard- to- control groups.  Some mimic their gun-loving dad.  Some think “there is such fear all around I will bring a gun to school, show it around, and maybe use it by shooting the student who is bullying me.  The gun is the way to go; I will be noticed and I can show and use it to solve my problems.”

Don’t ask students “don’t you see how one act like bringing a gun can change your entire future?”  The answer is NO!  “Teachers have guns, some dads have guns but they don’t hunt, everyone is talking about using guns against guns – I don’t know what to think about this new fear.  What if someone brings a machine gun into my school and my teacher has only a pistol?  I’ve heard talk about grown people going into a store to buy a gun and being turned away.  Are guns rationed?  Johnny’s dad couldn’t buy a gun, and people say it’s because he’s off his rocker.  Is there another way for him to get a gun, anyway?  I don’t want to be around him and his gun, and he lives two houses away.  And Johnny is my best friend!”

Learning to think in an adult manner progresses from   pre-adolesence until about age 21-25 years.  Most adults make this journey successfully to some extent, while others stay firmly locked into “I see, I listen, and I act” without thinking about the future.  The latter never think like an adult, they CAN’T reason/think about the future, of how their behavior and actions will affect their family, their kids’ schools, the American culture.  Their brains remain youthful and think only stubborn thoughts and of immediate actions (which may be dangerous to others).

“I’ll give up my gun when they pry it from my cold, dead hands” belongs only in macho fantasy, in a movie script.  It is becoming much like an American mantra, unfortunately.  Can you see where that will lead our American culture?  Is that the America we want for our children?

Train yourself to “see, listen, THINK, then act.”  That’s what we want for our children.  That’s what we want them to train our grandchildren to do.

Dr. Jerry Nelson, retired 

Formerly licensed in School/Clinical Psychology;  practiced in areas of childhood neurology and family dysfunctions  1966-2000

Regarding Mike Huckabee

Plans for The Bible Challenge are moving ahead. We are encouraging one another to read the entire Bible in 2013, beginning on January 1.  This is a wonderful way to embark on a holy pilgrimage. To assist in that effort we are providing the following:

• A FaceBook discussion group to comment on or ask questions about what we’re reading. It is also a good place to express any difficulties and to encourage one another. To sign up, let me know and I will enroll you.
• I have a number of copies of The Bible Challenge bookfrom Forward Movement for $12 each. This includes the reading plan as well as meditations by church leaders and biblical scholars. There is also a Kindle version available from Amazon for $9.99.
• The Adult forums on January 6, 13, and 20 will provide background on the material we will be reading. Occasional forums through the year will do the same.
• For more information about The Bible Challenge go to http://thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org/what-is-the-bible-challenge/  A downloadable copy of the reading plan for each day is available at this site.

–John Paddock

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.  –Romans 12:2

I have been following the work of a number of researchers and thinkers who are looking at contemporary church life. There is a growing consensus that we Christians must become more intentional about being “transformed by the renewing of (our) minds, so that (we) may discern what is the will of God.”

Growing churches have a variety of expressions. However, they are not growing because they have splashy worship, serve the best coffee or have the biggest neon sign. The thing that healthy and growing churches have in common is that they are trying to recover the church’s business—spiritual business that includes

• Bible Study and reflection on that study with others.
• Regular daily prayer, and
• Participation in mission, helping to transform the structures of our world into structures of equity and peace.

I agree with the researchers. We Christians face new challenges to ministry in the 21^st Century. We need to go back to our roots, remember whose we are and discern where God may be calling us next.

Make your New Year’s resolutions now!

I invite all adults and high school youth to read the Bible in 2013. Some may be challenged to read the entire Bible while others may choose to read the New Testament or the Gospels.

I encourage every adult and high school youth to adopt a practice of daily prayer and meditation and to be more regular in attending corporate worship.

I urge every adult and high school youth to engage in mission through CityHeart, Food Bank, Homeless Shelter, or other acts of mercy and pursuits of justice.

We will provide resources and help in the doing of these things.

But for now, give thought and prayer to the renewing of our minds as we follow Jesus into the New Year.

–The Rev. John Paddock

Here are some things you can do to be safe and prepared for Sandy or any future weather emergency.

Cash: Have extra cash at hand in case area banks and ATMSs lose power

Car: Keep a full tank of gas

Laundry: Tackle the whole mountain sitting in the laundry room today if possible

Water: 1 gallon per person per day. You should have a 3 day supply ready.

Food: Canned food, Baby Formula, Dried Nuts and similar non-perishable items

Medicines: 7 days worth

Phones: Make sure they are fully charged

Flashlights: Make sure your flashlights and batteries are working

Check on elderly or disabled neighbors: Help members of your community. Do they have their medicines, water, food, flash light and phone numbers of family members at hand? 

Friends, I have a dilemma and I’m not sure where to go with it.  The Bible is the thickest leg of that three-legged stool upon which we rest our faith.  (Tradition and Reason are the other two.)  We use lots of scripture in our worship.  And yet, here are some brief encounters I’ve had as I’ve been around churches in just the last year.

-Two retired women and I just finished reading the Book of Acts aloud over two months.  One said she’d never read much of the Bible. The other lady said that she was totally surprised with the action of those early Apostles and asked what we can read next.

-I know of study groups that will read all sorts of theology and history and things about the Bible but rarely open the Book itself in their group.

-At both of the most recent 5^th Sunday dialog sermons, there’s been a question  about interpreting the Bible.

Makes me wonder.

-But this one sticks with me the most.  During an open conversation about adult forum topics, one gentleman said he wouldn’t come to any Bible study no matter how much we said it was open and no experience was required.  He knew so little that he’d be too embarrassed.  I doubt that he is the only one who feels this way.  Usually there are several others too embarrassed to speak up.

I read the Bible mostly by myself, off and on, from age 10 into adulthood, and mostly because there weren’t any alternatives. It’s a far richer experience when shared with others.  Are you like any of those people I’ve described?  The stories, myths, poetry, songs, letters of the Bible have been opening up people’s experience of God in their lives for millennia, and can do so for us today.  Where, when, how can we help each other ‘read, mark, learn and inwardly digest’ the holy Scriptures?  I look forward to your comments.  Pleased don’t be embarrassed or shy.

-the Rev. Mary Slenski

Last week I began a response to the question about what are the core beliefs of the Episcopal Church. This week I want to consider what it means “to believe”.

The word “belief” has evolved in meaning over time. Without going into detail regarding the etymology of the word from Greek and Latin roots, a common understanding today is that belief means accepting certain propositions as true. For example, creation in six days, the virgin birth of Jesus, or that there will be a “rapture.”

One problem with understanding belief as giving mental assent to particular statements is that when one finds that she cannot assent, she falls into “unbelief.” In the modern scientific era that calls many earlier “facts” into question,  more than a few folk are cast into doubt, unbelief, and even despair.

It may be helpful to recover earlier conceptions of belief as “trust” and “faithfulness.” Please note that the classical Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds do not say “I/We believe that (the following statements are true.)” They say, “I/We believe in (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit). They affirm a trust in God who is faithful.

Soren Kierkegaard likened belief to the experience of floating in deep water. If you struggle and flail too much, then you sink. But if you relax, lay back and trust, then you float.