Clean Table

I like food. I like variety. But I was brought up as a Seventh-day Adventist, which means the two aren’t always easy to combine. We don’t eat pork, shrimp, shellfish, intestines, etc. And a lot of us, including my family, are vegetarians. It’s not impossible to find and cook delicious and nourishing food, but it would still be much easier if we could just eat anything from the supermarket. I do eat meat now, but still not everything.

Earlier today I was in Netto, and noticed another customer shopping for his lunch: a loaf of rye bread, a cucumber, and three types of meat, two of these including pork. Too easy. Now I am aware that Netto’s product line is hardly inspiring, but it would help if I could sample all of their offerings, and not just the small portion that isn’t from “unclean” meats.

The same goes for travelling. It’s heaps easier to dine out when you can order meat, but still there are regional differences in the availability of clean meats. In Denmark you’ll probably find that around half of a restaurant menu features unsuitable stuff; in England it’d probably be less. Bangkok is manageable (chicken is always available) and even delicious if you’re lucky, but nowhere near the variety and attractiveness of Chiang Mai. A large Muslim population would usually be a boon.

But back to Netto – what if all of the different foods in the store were valid candidates for my consumption? If a Mosaic approach to eating had influenced a whole cuisine (Israel, anyone?), instead of the traditional Adventist meat rip-off products? If you could wipe the slate clean and come up with a new way of eating, unbound by tradition?

Or, on the other hand, what if I just cleaned my own table and started from the top. Stopped caring about clean and unclean and just enjoyed whatever nature (and Netto) had to offer. I probably can’t do it though – too much tradition.

Around Denmark in 48 Hours

On Sunday and Monday I will be part of a rather crazy venture: Travelling around Denmark in 48 hours, stopping in 48 different towns along the way. Flying and driving. Here’s the story.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church (worldwide) has launched a program called “Follow the Bible“. A specially produced multi-lingual Bible (with each of the Bible’s 66 books in a different language) is travelling around the world in 650 days. Two of these days are allocated to tiny Denmark. And instead of just doing one or two events, we decided to copy the world tour, only on a smaller scale. So the Bible will visit every single Adventist Church in Denmark during its two-day visit.

Why are we doing it? Simply put, we want to draw attention to the Bible as the word of God. Hopefully, this event will encourage Christians all over to (re)commit to reading the Bible and sharing it with their friends.

Such a venture demands a heavy logistic effort, a private plane, several sponsored cars, and many hands on deck. My part is largely in communications, updating web sites, writing press releases and so on. So I will join the entourage, armed with wireless internet access, and try to keep people updated on the progress. We will work somewhat in shifts, so I won’t be at all 40 sites. But you may meet me in either of these towns along the way: Hjørring, Østervrå, Jerslev, Aalborg, Randers, Viborg, Silkeborg, Lille Nørlund, Herning, Holstebro, Odense, Svendborg, Nyborg, Slagelse, Faxe, Haslev, Ringsted, Roskilde, Nærum, Copenhagen, Lyngby, Køge, and Holbæk.

Danish readers should follow the event on followthebible.wordpress.com.

Asking Questions, and the Future of the Church

Why are we here? What is our mission as a church? How do we describe God? How should we view other Christian denominations? What is at the core of sanctification? How should a Christian regard the environment? alcohol? sex? politics? abortion? evolution? There are many questions.

Last week I was chatting with a friend about the state of the Adventist Church in Denmark. In that conversation the idea was floated of launching a new church magazine for people my age – people who will soon be growing too old for the youth magazine, but don’t really feel ready to join the mainstream. While there is probably too few resources for such an endeavour (and, as I pointed out, some bloggers try to fill the gap) it highlighted an issue of change. Change in the broader culture and now also in the church.

For years the education system (in Northern Europe, at least) has been teaching everybody how to question the established; not to take truths for granted; how to judge anything and anybody on their merits, not on our own presuppositions. I believe this is good. And while church has been slow to catch on (as it has with many things – music is one), this is now the predominant way of thinking among the educated young and middle-aged, within the church as well as outside it.

The church has been actively, if not explicitly, encouraging this, at least at the youth level. Many years of teen retreats, pathfinder camps, the boarding school Vejlefjord, and other things have somewhat contributed to a new way of thinking: that asking questions is ok; no, that it is good. The church planting projects of the last decade have, despite their very different styles and missions, had this in common: they ask questions. They do not take established truths for granted. They wonder: why don’t we do like this instead?

Once upon a time the Adventist pioneers did exactly the same. They asked questions, they sought answers for themselves, and they didn’t accept the argument: that’s how we’ve always done it. Today much of the Adventist establishment has grown stale. And while older generations may tolerate young people asking questions, many do so with an expectation that eventually they will find the right answers (i.e., theirs).

I don’t think finding the right answer to every question is possible, or even desirable. There are some things people will never fully agree on, and this doesn’t have to be a problem. I believe and hope that the current leadership of the church in Denmark will acknowledge and encourage this. I dream of a church where nobody ever stops asking questions; and nobody ever stubbornly holds that they have the only right answers. Because they never do – only God can claim that right.

Thank God for Prime Rib

I got to reading Romans 14 last night. And this chapter might as well have been titled something like “Paul’s 2^nd letter to the Adventists”. For it focuses on what to eat and what not to eat; an issue that – although not at the centre of Adventist theology – has had a profound impact on our identity. Sadly, one might add, as Tvesok has done.

Consider these passages from The Message version:

“For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume all Christians should be vegetarians and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table.

If you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for the prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli.

If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don’t eat, you’re no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don’t you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!” (Romans 14:2-4,6,15-16, Msg)

Some would no doubt be quick to point out that Paul is not talking about clean and unclean meats here, that he would not even regard unclean meats as food, and thus they are not part of this picture. Perhaps. But that is not the point – no, Paul is not talking about clean/unclean, he isn’t even talking about food per se, he’s talking about accepting other points of view than your own and embracing fellow Christians in spite of differing opinions.

“So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you?” (Romans 14:19, Msg)

There are many Christian churches, and none will agree on every single issue. There are many Christians, and none will agree on every single issue. The question is, do you focus on the issues where you disagree, or on those where you agree? I say, let God do the judging.

A Sign of the Times

I just came back from camp meeting. Seventh-day Adventists from all over Denmark gathered at Himmerlandsgården for the annual 4-day retreat, with meetings and socialising. There are many traditions, and a wide range of people with very differing opinions. As such, it is a good spot to gauge the mood of the church.

At first, I was tempted to title this post “Oh, What a Circus” (cf. Evita). There is still a lot of patting ourselves on the back, maintaining the sub-culture, and spreading fear of the outside world. The selection of books on display included titles such as “Harry Potter, Witchcraft and the Bible” and “Back to the old paths”. Pampering to fear and traditionalism is always a seller.

On further notice, however, the camp showed positive signs. One thing is the new features (a different marquee, a foyer tent with hot drinks, free ice cream on Sabbath, a new campground site for caravans, and other nice touches). But overall, people simply seemed to be having a good time. Now in a church that has had somewhat an identity crisis the last decade, that is encouraging, and not necessarily a given.

The clearest sign of this was the Saturday evening meeting. Usually this is a youth meeting for the whole church, planned by the youth department. And often these meetings have included drama, satire and provocative messages. I am told that in my father’s time as youth director he would often have angry members tell him off the next day for going too far, and the conference president defying the accusations. In recent years, however, the meetings have been gentler, and the theme has often been unity – probably a health precaution, trying to bridge the gap that some people see in the church. Not that those were bad meetings, but last night’s version had more edge than I’ve seen in a long time. It featured a brilliantly casted and well-performed drama which had the guts to make fun of the president’s accent, caricature other executives, and paint stereotypes of how not to be an Adventist. The message was clear and right-on: telling people about Jesus should be simple and easy.

I see that meeting as a symptom of a sea change in the church in Denmark. We laughed a lot and had a great time together. We may finally be shedding the conflicts of late and moving forward together.

Article on Blogging

I was asked some time ago to write a piece about blogging for Adventnyt, the membership monthly from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denmark.

The article is now published and will be in subscribers’ mailboxes today. To read it (in Danish) or comment, click here.

What Did Jesus Do?

In the 90’s, the phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) became a popular sentiment among Christians, expressing the desire to live a life in accord to God’s will. A noble cause indeed.

But when it comes to theology, asking the same question has led to different results in different matters. Consider these examples:

Seventh-day Adventists teach that Jesus keeping Saturday as Sabbath is a powerful indicator that Christians today should also honour the holy day of rest (Mark 2:27). Most other Christians counter that the Sabbath was a Jewish institution and Jesus was adhering to his tradition, not setting a specific example.

On the other hand, Seventh-Day Adventists promote a vegetarian diet and total abstinence from alcohol on other grounds. The fact that Jesus did not only partake in these himself, but also provided for others (Fish: John 21:9-12; Lamb: Luke 22,12-15; Wine: John 2:1-10) seems to matter little.

So who is right? I am no theologian, but think perhaps asking “what did Jesus do” is a flawed way of making conclusions. I am a Seventh-day Adventist, and personally I share the former teaching but not necessarily the latter.

Fundamentalist Adventists Create Social Networking Website

I recently received an unsolicited email from somebody touting a new website, adventplanet.com. This is supposed to be a social networking site in the like of Facebook and MySpace, aimed at only Seventh-day Adventists. On the face of it a good idea, but the more I read about it, the worse the taste in my mouth got.

The footer of the website states: “Adventplanet.com is the only website exclusively for Seventh-day Adventists.” Ok—another attempt at isolating ourselves from the world. When is that strategy ever going to win people for Christ? Haven’t we learned anything yet?

The website goes on to shout (using CAPITALS) a midnight cry against other websites, promoting itself as the only safe and reliable site for Adventists. Playing on fear always works.

“THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU SHOULD CHECK BEFORE JOINING A WEBSITE THAT SAYS ITS FOR ADVENTISTS!” Which roughly translates to: “These are our hobby-horses.” There are five points—I will comment on them individually.

1. Is The Website I Am Applying For Run Or Owned By Adventists?

Fair enough. A clear statement of ownership is good on any website.

2. Does The Site List The Site List The 28 Fundamentals Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Why on earth should it? They are listed on www.adventist.org, if anyone is interested, and already receive way more attention than what is healthy, and (I believe) was intended when they were introduced in 1980.

3. Does The Website Mention The Lords Tithe

Again: why exactly should one minor belief be singled out as important in this regard? Makes no sense.

4. Does The Website Check That It’s Members Are Really Adventist?
“Adventplanet.com asks you for a one off $50 US Dollar membership sign up fee. Part of the fee is used to contact your Adventist church to confirm not just your membership but that you are in good and regular standing.”

This is outrageous. The whole concept ‘good and regular standing’ is a thing that should be kept in the past. The church is a place for sinners, not perfect people. Oh, you disagree? I take it, then, that you’re perfect? Try reading John 8.

5. Does The Website Include Smoking And Drinking In Its Search?

Again a disproportionate focus on a single issue. It is well-established that a large proportion of Seventh-day Adventists have a more accepting view of alcohol than the official party line. But it is still, sadly, a taboo in most circles (read my earlier post on this).

As long as I can remember people I know have been fighting (successfully) to change the conception that the Seventh-day Adventist is exclusive and secterian. Which I still hope and believe it is not. But some of its members sadly often do demonstrate such traits. I believe that Christians are called to be a force of good in this world, building bridges, not walls.

Of course, people may build whatever websites they want, as long as it’s legal. But adventplanet.com also states that it is their aim to “be the first Seventh-Day Adventist community website to be endorsed by the General Conference.” I certainly hope it will not come to this.

I will stick with Facebook and MySpace, and urge you to do the same.

A New Hymnal

Attention spans are a funny thing. So is time. 12 years ago, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denmark commissioned a group with task of producing a new hymnal. 12 years is, give or take, usually the duration of such an undertaking. But admittedly a long time in a fast-paced world such as the one we live in.

This week, the hymnal is finally complete, finished in printing, and being sent out to those who have pre-ordered. I have had the pleasure and privilege of sitting on the Hymnal Committee since 2000, being its secretary and responsible for the layout, among other things. It is not without a certain degree of professional satisfaction that I now hold the finished product in my hands. I am in no way neutral, but I do think this is one of the best hymnals out there.

Many things have happened since 1995. Pop and rock music have replaced hymn-singing in some churches (including my own). New technology (PowerPoint) has, to some extent, diminished the need for printed hymnals in churches. And a new generation have grown up. Some—especially among these—may question the need for a new hymnal. And they may have a point. But I still believe that publishing the new hymnal is a milestone and that it will become an asset for the church.

Although other genres have made their way into the church (which is a good thing), I don’t believe hymns will—or should—vanish altogether. The collective memory and rich tradition entrenched in the heritage of hymn-singing has a lot to teach even our generation. Hymnals are always updated at certain intervals, and this new publication will help keep the tradition alive. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater.

As for technology, PowerPoint is good, and there are plans to release an official CD-rom with .ppt files. But there is still a need for the selection and quality control that a thoroughly researched publication offers. Furthermore, a hymnal is not only for use in church, but also in the home—for family vespers, or for personal inspiration. For this, it still needs to be in print.

There are many good things to say about the hymnal, and a lot of hard work that now, finally, bears fruit. I hope that the release can help revive worship and singing in Seventh-day Adventist Churches and homes across Denmark. I will do my best to promote it, and look forward to opportunities to use it and promote it in my own church and others.

DUCH Session – The Road Ahead

The 9th session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Danish Union of Churches, ended today at 14:00 pm. The last day was mostly a continuation of the good mood set forth during the last two days.

Thomas Müller was elected Secretary (vice president). Thomas has been youth director for the last six years, and media director for the last three. In the latter, he was my immediate boss, and I have had many a fruitful cooperation with Thomas. Furthemore, he has been coordinator for church planting in the last couple of years, and been a great support for us in Århus Café Church. His appointment may signal enhanced priority in this field. I look forward to this.

Daniel Birch (my brother) was re-elected as Treasurer with only 1 (one) vote against.

And finally, the new union board was approved. Contrary to many other unions, here the majority are lay-people. I believe this is definitely the right way to do it. And the list looks very good. A wide representation of positions, from right to left, but most are people who have a vision for the church and have demonstrated a will to cooperate – if not earlier, then at least at this session.

We owe all these people our support and prayers. As Lasse Bech points out, the work is not done; the challenge is not over. But it’s time to go. Time to go out in the world. Time to start working together for the sake of those who do not know Jesus.

P.S. The last five days have seen a record-breaking number of visits to my blog. Thanks for reading, I hope it has been informative. Several of you commented in person in Nærum, and some on the blog. As for the rest of you, I don’t know who you are, but you are more than welcome. Feel free to leave me a comment.