2013-05-24T18:02:35-04:00 Rev. William Lovin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=rev-william-lovin Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Rev. William Lovin Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1132530 2011-12-13T10:13:09-05:00 2012-02-12T05:12:01-05:00

Rev. William Lovin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-william-lovin/ reported, a lot of people-most of whom don't live in Rhode Island--are upset because Gov. Chafee has referred to a decorated spruce in Providence as a "Holiday tree" instead of, you know, a Christmas tree. The troops have been deployed for another skirmish.

This year I'm going with John and Yoko: War is over. This year I'm declaring a permanent cease fire. This year I'm simply keeping the "X" in Xmas and encouraging others to do the same.

Even if you're like me and want nothing to do with this fictitious "war" on Christmas, you might still feel that something is not right in what usually happens in December.

The church calendar calls this season "Advent." But let's admit it -- that doesn't mean a lot.

What we call "preparation for Christmas" has very little to do with Advent -- the patient working to bring the mercy, justice and peace of God into the world while we await the coming of Christ. What we call "preparation for Christmas" in has little to do with the incarnation of God that we celebrate on Dec. 25.

We find ourselves, for the most part, not in "Advent" but in the "Xmas season," a name that suggests abbreviation, a cutting short. This is about Xmas, a name that suggests something is lacking. This is about Xmas, the season that begins with Black Friday and always seems to end in disappointment and disillusionment.

Something is missing -- what is it? Love? Peace? Acceptance? Joy? Something is missing and, really, all of our frenzied indulgence will not fill that void -- no matter how hard we try to year after year.

Keeping the "X" in Xmas might remind us that all the pushing and shoving, the buying like crazy and, yes, the "dissipation and drunkenness" that Paul warned the Thessalonians about have little if anything to do with the advent, the coming of God -- except that God came to save us from just such a living death.

So let's keep the X in Xmas and not kid ourselves about what we're doing.

Yes, I'm aware that "X" is also the Greek letter chi, an abbreviation for "Christ." But there might be another way in which the "X" can inform our Advent preparations and our living throughout the year.

Remember algebra class? "X" was the sign for the unknown. In algebra we were always trying to find "X" -- to solve the problem.

Maybe it wasn't apparent in high school, but many of us now recognize that there are mysteries beyond solving. "X" reminds us of the mystery in life. It can remind us of the wonder of God's love, which is what Advent, Christmas and, really, the whole of the Christian life are about.

"X" reminds us that there are all sorts of things in the life of faith that we don't understand. And yet these are the very things in which we participate and for which we give thanks: prayer, worship, love, forgiveness, newness of life, bread and wine that tell us better than any words that God is with us in our brokenness, that God's love is poured out for us.

I don't understand these things. But I know that my very life -- and the life of the world are dependent on them.

"X" reminds us that our faith is partial. Our knowledge is partial. Our love is partial. We understand only in part and see as if in a mirror dimly. There is a tension between our lives and our world as they are and as they might be.

As we live in those mysteries, as we act out of a faith that is deeper than our certainty, that "X" starts to resemble a cross, doesn't it? The cross is that place where suffering and uncertainty and unbelief meet and are answered with God's self-giving love.

We are in the Xmas season -- a time that is not quite Christmas, not quite the celebration of God with us. What's the biblical word for that? Emmanuel. The Xmas season is a time when we become aware of what is lacking. The Xmas season is the time when we enter the mystery of life and find the love of God at its very center.

So, keep the "X" in Xmas. Let it serve as an invitation to faithful living in the mystery that is God.

War is over (if you want it). This year, good friends, keep the "X" in Xmas.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.884291 2011-06-24T17:12:34-04:00 2011-08-24T05:12:01-04:00

Rev. William Lovin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-william-lovin/
Since 9/11, Americans across faith beliefs and cultures continue to face new, divisive, and troubling challenges. Muslims, Southeast Asians, Arabs, and others face multitudes of backlash reactions that are still sadly with us today. Islamophobia and xenophobia are on the rise. Recent congressional hearings singling out Muslims in relation to homegrown terrorism, and the anti-Sharia bills became the norm. They added more fuel to the fire of scapegoating, misinformation, and finger pointing.

As we continue to live in such time of great civil and religious discord, we look to our collective faith teachings and principles for healing. That is the light at the end of this never-ending threat to our unity and national stability. We count on our collective religious teachings and faith to create a generous, kind, respectful, and understanding nation and world.

Here in Iowa City in the nation's heartland, the spirit of this unity of faith has been long led by the Consultation of Religious Communities (CRC). Each month, CRC provides Christians, Jews, and Muslims an open forum to talk together and share different faith traditions. Members address social justice issues and find ways to serve their larger community. During one such meeting two years ago, the Rev. Bill Lovin of the Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) expressed his concern that out of Midwestern politeness, we may not be addressing our differences. What followed was a sacred moment when Shams Ghoneim, a CRC Muslim member turned to him and gently said, "Oh, no. What we need to do is identify and share our commonalities. The differences are always obvious. The challenge is to find what we have in common and work together for the good of all." Those words have stayed with Bill since that day.

For the last 10 years, the member congregations of the Consultation of Religious Communities,CRCm reached out to one another and to vulnerable and affected groups in love and support. Interfaith dialogues, joint worships, and open houses became central themes for all who participated. Iowa City is home to lively groups engaged in flourishing Jewish/Muslim and Christian/Muslim dialogues. It is through our discussions and sharing that we find our commonalities and respect our differences.

It is noteworthy to recall that in the decades since the first mosque in North America was completed in Cedar Rapids, the Mother Mosque-i, Christians and Muslims continued living and working side by side in Iowa.

When Bill Lovin learned about the Faith Shared project -- Uniting in Prayer and Understanding, a project of Interfaith Alliance and Human Rights First -- he embraced it fully. The project promotes interfaith understanding and cooperation. The Congregational UCC leadership unanimously supported the church's participation as well as involving Shams Ghoneim in this effort.

This Sunday, when a worship service is held at the Congregational United Church of Christ, it will be a unique part of the nationwide Faith Shared movement, but not anything new in Iowa. Interfaith conversation, joint worship services, and open houses are how we live out our common religious commitments. In the Congregational sanctuary, we will hear readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian New Testament, and the Noble Quran that speak of the diversity of creation and the unity of our faiths. Members of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities will speak of the importance of interfaith understanding and cooperation. This event will be yet another heartfelt expression of our respect for each other, understanding our differences, and sharing our commonalities. A house of God where Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship together, listen to each other's sacred texts, and work toward justice and equality for all with civility and respect. Is this heaven? No, it is Iowa.


The Rev. William Lovin is pastor of the Congregational United Church of Christ in Iowa City. Shams Ghoneim is the coordinator of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Iowa Chapter.]]>