Glenn Balzer

Scams

Posted: February 24, 2012 by Glenn in Uncategorized
Tags: barbara rossing, countdown to armageddon, rapture, scams, spectator sport

It is an election year here in the USA. Scams, misdirection, and invented truths seem to emerge as a normal part of the political process we all must endure. Separating fact from fiction almost becomes a spectator sport.

In politics I expect scams; I get annoyed, but I have figured out how to deal with it. In the church scams, especially the believable scams, have a way of effecting how we live, believe, and act. Take for example the rapture, probably the biggest scam to impact the western church in the last 100 years.

As an early teen I remember going to hear Hal Lindsey, a famous “end times” writer. He had just finished writing The 1980’s, a Countdown to Armageddon. I was so afraid of being left behind that I went forward every night to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. For months and possibly years afterwards I remember sneaking upstairs every morning and looking into my parents’ bedroom just to make sure I hadn’t been somehow forgotten and left behind.

It is only recently that I have had the courage to explore for myself what the Bible has to say about the “end-times.” Did you know…?

That the word “rapture” does not even appear in Scripture?
That there is no mention of a rebuilt Jerusalem temple anywhere in the New Testament, including Revelation?
That neither Daniel nor Revelation uses the word Anti-Christ?
That there is no record in Daniel or Revelation of the Anti-Christ making a covenant with Israel?
That there is no mention that Jesus will set up an earthly throne in Jerusalem?

Barbara Rossing, in her book The Rapture Exposed, reframes the rapture scam best when she states:

“There is no rapture in the story of Revelation, no snatching of people off the earth up to heaven. Look at it this way: It is God who is raptured down to earth to take up residence and dwell with us – a Rapture in reverse.”

A rapture in reverse, it almost sounds biblical – God coming to us.

Why I struggle with service

Posted: February 17, 2012 by Glenn in ministry, service, service to others
Tags: dangerous path, kingdom of god, mature versions, mission trip, teachable moment, voluntary service

I make my living by inviting people to the city to serve. So, is service always a good or helpful thing? For some service is that annual event you participate in to feel better about yourself. For years I have visited with people as they search for a place to serve – Thanksgiving is a classic example of this. I have even witnessed parents using this pilgrimage as a teachable moment, “you should be grateful for what you have and where you live,” as if the homeless are an example of what happens to people who are not grateful enough.

There are other more mature versions of the one day pilgrimage – the annual church mission trip or spending a year in voluntary service. I need to be careful here; I realize that service is a holy calling and privilege. I do wonder if for all the right reasons service has been corrupted, at least the North American version of service.

It seems to me that for many people service is something we do to other people (read “the less fortunate”). The problem with this is that service ends up being divorced from relationship. When service doesn’t include relationship then the people we serve lunch to become “the homeless.” Labels have a way of dehumanizing the other. This is a dangerous path to go down. When we label someone it becomes less problematic to treat them as something less than human.

Service- healthy, God honoring service- is always a two way street. It is about giving and receiving. It is about knowing the other and the other knowing you. It is about friendship. The Kingdom of God shines brightly when unexpected relationships develop.

A new reality

Posted: February 9, 2012 by Glenn in Christian, religion, religious system
Tags: caste system, Democrat, galatians 3, life of mother teresa, Mother Teresa, North America, Peter Rollins, progressive, republican, resurrection life, roman occupation, socially active, what does it mean to be a christian

What does it mean to be a Christian in North America? If I listen to my Republican brothers and sisters it has something to do with electing a President who can fight for “our” values. When I visit with the more progressive, socially active believers it quite often involves protesting or advocating for something.

I can’t help but wonder what Jesus thinks about all of this. If Jesus and the disciples were walking the earth today, who would they vote for? Would they defend the right of the unborn and choose the most conservative candidate or would they side with the poor and go with our current president? Or, more interestingly, would they even be paying attention to the election?

Jesus’ earthly ministry took place during the Roman occupation. The Israelites were a conquered people living under the rule of political leaders who thought of themselves as gods. Why didn’t Jesus have more to say about the Romans and their anti-god rule? When the religious leaders tried to trap Jesus in a political debate, he blows them off by telling them if the government wants it, they can have it.

In his latest book, Insurrection, Peter Rollins makes the following observation: “There is a different way: the way of Resurrection life. This is a way of living that is able to short-circuit the present social, spiritual or political order, something that we witness at a political level in the life of Mother Teresa, who no more protested against the caste system than she affirmed it. She simply lived in a different reality. She lived as though it did not exist…”

Is this how Jesus lived? Is this what the gospel call is all about? Living into a new reality? A reality where differences no longer divide? Is this what Paul was talking about in Galatians 3:28? Can you imagine a world where your gender no longer disqualifies you or forces you to do the same work for less pay?

If Paul were writing to us today I imagine he might say, “In Christ we are no longer American or Iranian, Republican or Democrat, for we are all one.” Living into this kind of actuality just might mean choosing to live as if the reign of God is a present reality; right here, right now.

Staff Meeting

Posted: February 2, 2012 by Glenn in Beloved Community, cultural insensitivity, culture, distinctives, diversity
Tags: employee handbook, maleness, not-for-profit, person of color, power differences, retirement plan, staff meeting, staff relationships

Last week all of our staff from around the country met in Denver. At one level this was a typical meeting. We discussed best practices, we reviewed our retirement plan and everyone had to sign-off on the updated employee handbook. DOOR is a non-profit company; we are a faith-based organization desiring to expose participants to the heart, passion and call of God. The ministry and faith aspects of what DOOR does also mean that the staff-to-staff relationships are both professional and personal.

One way to make a professional/personal working relationship less complicated is to hire people who believe the same, have similar cultural backgrounds and are of the same gender. DOOR has not taken this route. We young and old; gay and straight; men and women; grandparents, married with children, married expecting children and single; we are white and brown; American, Columbian, Cuban, Canadian, Anglo, and Latino; liberal and conservative.

To be honest, these differences occasionally drive me (and I am pretty sure the rest of the staff) crazy. How do we talk to each other? For that matter how to we hear each other? What do we do about the power differences? What does it mean to be a staff person of color in an organization that is led by a white male (me)?

I like to think that I am open to new ideas, that I am free of sexist and racist tendencies, that I create safe spaces for people to be themselves, but I am not free. I am a white male, and just by being born this way means that I have power. I did not ask for it, but I have it. My maleness and my whiteness make me unsafe, and for good reasons. Some of these I inherited by being white and male, others are my fault alone.

I am writing all of this to provide context for the miracle of last week. It takes faith, grace and courage to open up and be vulnerable when there are people of power in the room. Last week a space was created when our staff was honest with each other and with me. This is a rare space for a white male to be. More people who look like me need to be in spaces like this.

If you are a white male reading this, the first step is to own your power, sexism and racism. It is not helpful to start by saying “I am not a racist or I am not a sexist.” Trust me, you are.

Owning your dark side is the first step towards honesty and freedom.

Enemy Mine

Posted: January 23, 2012 by Glenn in Uncategorized
Tags: war on terror, Walter Wink, Cold War, scapegoats, barbarians, Oakland Raiders, Vancouver Canucks, Axis of Evil, ending of the cold war, stanly cup playoffs, sinful nature, good thoughts, kingdom of god, new enemy

In 1992 Walter Wink wrote this about the United States: “It will be interesting, with the ending of the Cold War, to see what parade of scapegoats, enemies and barbarians are invented to carry out the national shadow. Saddam Hussein has already performed that role splendidly. Who will be next?”

Have you ever wondered why it is so important to have enemies? I live in Denver; we hate the Oakland Raiders. If the Broncos have a season record of 2-14 with both wins against Oakland, it would still be a good season. I am also a lifelong Vancouver Canucks fan. After last year’s Stanly Cup playoffs I still find it hard to think good thoughts about Boston.

Our war on terror, at least the part that was directed against Saddam Hussein, has “officially” come to an end. It almost seems that in preparation for an end to hostilities in Iraq we needed to find a new enemy and so the Axis of Evil was created.

Is it possible that we “need” enemies because friends tend to overlook weaknesses and give us a pass on our sinful nature? Do enemies reveal parts of who we are, both individually and corporately, that friends would be too afraid or polite to uncover? Is it possible that Jesus asks us to pray for our enemies because in praying for them a space is created to take a hard look are our own weaknesses and faults?

We need enemies, not because they are evil and we are good. We need enemies because they are the only people (or nations) with the courage to ask us to look in a mirror and acknowledge who we really are. When we own the totality of who we are conversion becomes a possibility and the kingdom of God becomes a reality, right here, right now.

Filter

Posted: January 16, 2012 by Glenn in Class, label, labels, ministry
Tags: city, educated, institution, John 3:16, spelling bee, teacher, the poor

As a 2^nd grader I remember being the last person picked for the spelling bee. The teacher divided the class into two teams. The best two spellers were named team captains. They took turns picking who would be on each team. I still remember sitting at my desk as everyone else was chosen. I was not going to be chosen; I was simply the last person left. I had to be picked.

In many ways this was a good life lesson – sometimes you don’t get picked first.

A number of weeks ago someone sent me an article, I can’t remember who wrote it or who sent it, but the theme has stuck with me. The article asks a question – does the church function like an institution or a city? According to the author, institutions exist to screen people out – an individual must qualify for a job or a program. Cities always expand to include everyone – there is space for the homeless, the renter, the homeowner, the uneducated, the educated, the poor, the rich.

It doesn’t take years of theological studies to figure out that Jesus was interested in making space for everyone. That’s the essential message of John 3:16. It also does not take many years of study to figure that the historical trajectory of the church has been one of finding ways to screen people out.

What would it mean for the church to renounce the path of exclusion and to become a place of inclusion? How do we become less white and less male? What does it mean to invite others into our community? Inclusion also includes folks who don’t get it – the racist and sexist. What does this look like?

And just how far do we take this diversity thing? It is one thing to talk about cultural and theological diversity, but quite another thing to talk about sexual orientation.

It is my hope that our future can be one of figuring out how to filter people in. This will not be easy or without controversy, but it does seem to be the Jesus thing to do.

Becoming what we hate

Posted: January 9, 2012 by Glenn in Hitler, Martin Luther King
Tags: 60 Minutes, Adolph Eichman, Mike Wallace, Nuremburg, violence, war on terror

An often used sermon illustration tells a story of famed interviewer Mike Wallace, one of the original correspondents for 60 Minutes. Wallace was asked to interview Yehiel Dinur, a principal witness at the Nuremberg war crime trials. Upon entering the courtroom and facing Adolph Eichmann, Dinur began to tremble, wept uncontrollably, and collapsed.

When Mike Wallace asked Dinur why he had collapsed, was it reliving the memories, the nightmares, and the grief? The man answered: “No I collapsed because I was afraid about myself. I saw that I am exactly like him, capable of this.”

It is said that after pausing for a while Wallace turned to the camera and said, “That poses a question. Was Eichmann a monster, a mad man, or something even more terrifying? Was he normal?”

One of the ironies of life is the ability to become the very thing we oppose. As a society we want to stop murder so we execute murders and become murders ourselves. I remember a time when I became so frustrated when by boys beat on each other that I hit them and told them to stop.

“The ultimate weakness of violence,” observed Martin Luther King, Jr., “is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.”

Why do we so easily fall into the trap of thinking that the cure for violence is more violence? In his book Engaging the Powers, Walter Wink states: “We want desperately to believe that our forcible retaliation to evil is like a projectile fired from a gun that will drop evil in its tracks. In fact, it is more like a ball thrown by a pitcher that will, as likely as not, come back at us, or over the fence.”

As a country we have been engaged in the War on Terror for more than a decade now. It is difficult to argue that confronting violence with violence has been successful. I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if instead of declaring a war on terror, we had pursued a path towards reconciliation and understanding of our enemy. Would it have been easy? Probably not. Would it have meant fewer casualties on both sides? Probably.

Politics

Posted: January 3, 2012 by Glenn in Uncategorized
Tags: apathetic, democrate, jon stewart, obama, political commentators, politics, pundits, republican, ron paul

2012 is going to be, if nothing else, an interesting year to follow politics. There are lots of burning questions, will Obama get reelected or will the Republicans figure out how to win? Who will emerge as the Republican nominee to challenge Obama? If it isn’t Ron Paul, will he decide run as an independent?

Then there are all the political commentators and pundits. I am not sure what exactly makes them experts in the first place, but they are kind of fun to watch. I especially like the experts who talk first and think second. Jon Stewart will keep most of the under 35 crowd laughing and cynical through this entire election cycle.

It is easy to become apathetic towards the democratic process and wish for something different or someone different to lead us. Sir Winston Churchill famously said, “Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Looking to scripture for a preferred system of politics is not terribly helpful. At best scripture warns against trusting the powers of this world, which would include democratically elected leaders. That said, democracy, in its purest form, grounds itself in equality, preserving the rights of even the weakest members of society and the seeking the welfare of all. These ideas seem Christian.

In addition democracies, at a philosophical level, are committed to non-violence. Change occurs through voting, not military coups. Influence finds its expression in the legislative debate process not in street brawls. Differences can be openly expressed in the media, public debates and non-violent protest rather than through warfare.

Is our system perfect? Is it God ordained? The answer to both of these questions is a resounding no. Our system is the best option in an imperfect world.

Don’t forget to vote and don’t forget to enjoy the process!

My Job

Posted: December 22, 2011 by Glenn in Uncategorized
Tags: christian perspectives, emerging leaders, host programs, intentional community, rotary phones, snail mail

This is the time of year when we should set aside some time to count our blessings. I have a lot to be thankful for. 25 years of marriage to a great lady, two teen boys who only occasionally stress me out and a great job.

This week I want to share a little about my work and offer an opportunity for you to share in this ministry.

On December 31 DOOR officially completes 25 years of urban ministry. Back in 1986 we were using typewriters, rotary phones, and snail mail wasn’t a recognized term. Today all our staff has laptop computers, cell phones that do everything and snail mail is mostly a quaint way to communicate.

In 1986, DOOR hosted 175 participants. In 2011 we hosted 2,713 participants.

In 1986, DOOR had one location, Denver. Today we host programs in six locations – Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Hollywood, Miami and San Antonio.

In 1986, DOOR did one thing, host folks from Christian perspectives who were coming to urban Denver to serve for a week. Today we continue to host short-term groups, but programming has expanded greatly. This year we have 42 young adults in 9 houses spread across all of our cities living in intentional community exploring a call to ministry. During the summer months, we hire 40 high school, college, and graduate students to help lead our Discover program. Many of these people are emerging leaders from the urban communities in which we are located.

One of our core understandings is that heaven looks a lot more like the city than a garden. The biblical story starts in a garden, but ends in a city. Inviting people to the city is a little like inviting people to heaven. It is in the city where our participants very often experience God’s call on their lives.

It has been a joy to be a part of this program for 20 years – 3 as a board member and 17 on staff. Giving witness to our programmatic, location and theological growth has been an honor.

This level of programing doesn’t happen without your generous support. As you contemplate your yearend giving, I challenge you to consider donating to DOOR. Your investment will be multiplied many times over as you partner with us in raising the next generation of leaders for the church and the world.

Thank you in advance for your gift.

Merry Christmas!

Salvation

Posted: December 16, 2011 by Glenn in Christian, Christmas
Tags: agents of change, consumption, creation, joy, peace, recycling, redemption, renewal, resources, salvation, transformation, war, wasting

Salvation is a word with multiple meanings. What does salvation mean in the Christian context? For some it is about a ticket out of this world. A number of years ago the Gaither Vocal Band captured this understanding of salvation in their song Build an Ark. For them salvation was about gathering all their friends and family and escaping an increasingly evil world.

Lately I have begun to wonder if this is why Jesus came to earth. Did Jesus die on the cross so that we could get a ticket off this planet? For most of my life this has been my understanding of the purpose of Christmas and Easter, a way out and off.

When one takes a second and third look at the message of Jesus, I am not sure that the salvation as escape definition works. Jesus calls us to be salt and light; that sounds a whole lot like a call to make the world a better place. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray it included words about the kingdom coming, about God’s will being accomplished, on earth as it is in heaven. Again this is not escape language.

Salvation is not always about escape, sometimes it’s about transformation, redemption and renewal. The afterlife and the hope that it brings is an important part of the Christian faith, but it is not the only hope that we have. We, who call ourselves Christians, are called to be agents of change, right here right now.

Salvation is about bringing peace where there is war. Reconciliation where there is quarrelling. Joy where there is sadness. Togetherness where there is separateness.

Salvation is about caring for creation. It includes living in such a way that we reduce our consumption of the world’s resources, that we choose reusing instead of throwing away and recycling over wasting.

When salvation is only about escape form this world, we misunderstand why Jesus came as a baby in the manger.