In a recent article in the Austin American-Statesman, Eileen Flynn explored the trend of online church donations and in-house ATM kiosks in lieu of the offering plate. No cash or checks necessary, just a swipe of the card.

What do you think of this practice, particularly the ATM transactions in the church lobby? Is this just another opportunity for the church to contextualize its forms or are there greater issues at stake in this form of the offering? As Flynn points out, writing checks in church would have been radical at one point in time. Thoughts?

“I am not speaking to you of God because I am a pastor, I am a pastor because I must speak to you of God.”

These days it seems that many pastors have reversed Barth’s logic. The office precedes the unction, management and direction usurp awe and submission. Speaking is part of the ministry, and the ministry is just that “the ministry.” It exists by itself and deserves an article. The God whom we speak of is often diminished by the looming presence of our personalities and ministries. Sermon preparation turns rote, teaching is reduced to a task, and counseling becomes heartless duty. Noble as some of our efforts are to stand before God and speak, all too often we enter the pulpit only to shout “Man!”

Karl Barth had a painting by Grunewald that hung over his desk, The Crucifixion. One of the unique aspects of the painting is the pointing hand and the inscription behind it: “He must increase and I must decrease.” Like John the Baptist, Barth’s aim was for his words and theology to always move upwards, as the trees, pointing to the increase of glory in the transcendent God.

How did he sustain such an upward, Godward view? He didn’t; God did. Barth was convinced that in order to truly know God, we must stand before him, and standing before God meant regularly recognizing that being before God is not a result of our resolving to do so, but by God’s introducing himself to us.

For a good intro to Barth see Gerhard Busch’s, The Great Passion: An Introduction to Karl Barth’s Theology. According to Kevin Cawley, a more concise intro is Colin Brown’s little book, Karl Barth & The Christian Message.

We would appreciate your prayers this weekend for gospel grace to run like rivers through us into Robie’s family. This week Robie’s 13 year old niece tried to overdose by pills and has been hospitalized.  She is stabilizing physically, but is very unstable otherwise.

In addition, Robie’s aunt and uncle are going through a divorce, and thier daughter is in jail for dealing and doing meth. Depravity run amuck. Humanity in ruinous glory.

Pray for Christ to redeem the ruin and restore the glory in these dear lives. Pray for us be full of grace and truth, mercy and strength in our response. We will probably take a trip to Dallas tomorrow to have, at the very least, a ministry of presence.

No doubt many of you heard of Congress’ intent to repeal the $1 Billion pledged to to fight extreme poverty and AIDS in 2007. This funding is vital to provide clean water, education and life-saving medicine to the world’s most vulnerable people. Visit the site and take a few seconds to contact Congress in holy protest.