Disciples of Christ Historical Society

I saw an old slogan for AT&T today…The System is the Solution. In other words, once you have the correct system in place, hitting on all cylinders, then everything works to order.

Wonder if that’s what AC had in mind when he named it The Christian System? Faith, the correct way to relate to God, forms a “machine” where all parts are pinging and, then, everything about our lives works to order.

I know one thing for sure…if AC had stayed around a few more years, he would have been working the phone from sun-up til sundown.

GTC 11/14/09

As you can imagine, we enjoy both Tradition, and traditions, at the Historical Society. Today begins one of our annual traditions — the meeting of our Board of Trustees. It is always a pleasure to welcome our Board to the Thomas W. Phillips Memorial Archives. While some of our Board members live in Nashville, most travel from cities far and wide to attend the annual meeting.

Like the Board of any non-profit ministry, ours performs many important functions, including financial oversight and policy setting. However, their most important duty is done everyday in the communities and congregations in which they live. And that is being Ambassadors for the Society…indeed, Ambassadors of our Tradition. Along with all of us who are Members of the Society, the Board gives a voice to the deep meaning of our history. Along with all of us, they say “This is important; pay attention.”

The Board comes to Nashville to get re-energized for their role as Ambassadors. And they get us re-energized, as well. This mutual “powering-up” is one of our greatest traditions. And it makes all of us better equipped to tell the world about another great thing…our Tradition.

GTC 11/05/09

If anyone (besides me) is paying any attention — at all — to this blog, I would certainly like to hear about it.

Email me by 11/05/09 at carson@discipleshistory.org

If I hear from just one of you, then we’re good to go…but if I’m only talking to myself, then I can do that in the privacy of my car.

GTC 11/02/09

Well, here it is again.  All Saints Day.

Of course, this is only to remember all those truly holy ones who have come before us. After all, you couldn’t possibly be holy—a saint.  You just stay on the sidelines and watch.  Who do you think you are?

Let me ask you…were you born? Are you human? Are you living on planet earth?

Guess what? YOU are a saint. YOU are holy. THIS is your day.

Enjoy it. Revel in it. Rejoice. Shout.

Am I a saint? You’d better believe it. Are you a saint? Are you breathing? YOU are a saint…you are holy. This is your day.

Blessings

GTC 11/01/09

Do you know where the term “broadcasting” comes from?  It’s actually a farming term. When the farmer goes out with his seed sack over his shoulder and begins throwing (casting) the seed widely (broad), then he is broadcasting.

Little wonder that the agricultural term was borrowed early on by radio to refer to spreading your signal (message) just as far as you were able.

That’s what’s happening in Jesus’ parable of The Sower (Mark 4:1-20). Do you remember this marvelous story? The Sower has some tough luck, because it seems that almost everywhere he casts his seed leads to a disaster. Birds steal it, or the ground is no good, or it’s actually a thorn bush instead of soil. In fact, 75% of the time The Sower gets it wrong.

But, wait, he still has 25% of his seed left. And all of it lands in good, rich soil and produces a huge harvest.

So, what do you think? Was The Sower deliberately casting his seed in useless places? Did he say, ‘Hey, that looks like some hard, unproductive ground over there. I think I’ll just waste some of my seed.’

Or is it more likely that he was paying attention to the one and only job he had been given? Broadcasting. It wasn’t his concern about where the seed was going. He was only told to go out and spread it around. It turns out that’s our job, too.

The bad news is that when we do that alot of seed ends up producing nary a thing. The good news is that when it lands in the right spot it produces bunches.

What is your “seed?” What is that one thing that you do better than anyone else? How is your unique calling lived out?

Once you know the answer, then you can begin broadcasting with abandon. And don’t worry about where your gift is landing. The truth is some people will ignore you altogether. And the truth is that many people will “get” you and be blessed by you. And you by them. Bunches.

GTC 10/29/09

Tricentennial anyone? Well, with the 200th anniversary of TC’s “Declaration and Address” just behind us, it may be a little early to start thinking of a 300th celebration. Still, we are hearing that many communities aren’t going to leave the Great Communion celebration behind. Instead, they are talking about annual gatherings of the three streams at the Lord’s Table.

It’s what I’m calling Communionity.

Let us know if your congregation is planning on future gatherings with others in the family. And we had better watch out…we might start liking each other. 

GTC 10/21/09

Well, here is a typical day in the life of the president.  First, I spoke to an undergraduate class at Lipscomb University in Nashville on my favorite subject….communion. (Dr. Ted Parks: thank you for the invitation). Then I had a lunch appointment for the greater good of the Society. Then I had to head to library to do some prep for a seminar I’m leading in Pittsburgh this weekend. Finally, Kristin and I were hammering out a print Ad for the 2010 calendar being produced by Chalice Press. (Being a calendar, we decided on the tagline that the Historical Society is “never out of date”).

Which, of course, we never are.

The truth is there is no “typical” day for the president of the Society.  But that gives you a glimpse into one of them.

GTC 10/12/09

I have just received an invitation from the Smithsonian to become a charter member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  This is a truly exciting new project that will give a “deeper understanding of how our country became what it is today.”

Congress will provide $250 million for the project.  But the museum must raise an additional $250 million on its own.  So, you can see this is a major project with a far-reaching vision.

If you have not already received the mailing, visit the website www.AfricanAmerican.si.edu or write to the director, Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch at PO Box 96832, Washington, D.C. 20090-6832.

Please join me as a charter member of this new museum which will tell the rich story of African Americans which has for so long gone unheard.

GTC 10/09/09

It goes with the territory.  When an archives has the volumes of material that we do here (let’s just say we have ALOT), then it is inevitable that, on occasion, something will be misplaced.  Be sure to know that we never lose anything around here, but sometimes putting your hand to a particular item can take a little time.

This week a request came in for a particular video, and for some reason the “requester” wrote to me.  Most people know that I am not among those on our capable staff who go digging for things, but sometimes I get in on the fun.  Well, the video had been “misplaced” for quite awhile.  Mind you, it was here…but where?

I had already written an apologetic letter to the requester when, lo and behold, our veteran curator Elaine Philpott discovered the video right where it had been all along.  (She is able to say she found it in the last place she looked).

A game of thimble, thimble can go on for several days here.  In the end, though, that thimble always turns up.  And that has something to do with having the best archival staff on the planet.

Keep those requests coming.  But if you really want something found, you might want to try Elaine.

GTC 10/08/09

I have just finished “The Feast: How to Serve Jesus in a Famished World” (Leafwood, 2009) by Joshua Graves, preaching minister of Otter Creek Church (a church of Christ) in Nashville.

I recommend the book on its merits alone (especially chapter 10), but even more so because of the insight it provides into what a leading Gen X minister is thinking, believing, and doing. In many ways Josh represents where Christianity in the United States and Canada is headed and his book serves as both a primer and a pointer for those of us old-guys trying to get a sense of “what’s next.”

Order the book here http://www.leafwoodpublishers.com/ (Leonard, you can thank me later).

GTC 10/07/09