An Itch

 

Based on: 2 Timothy 3: 14-5:5

But having itching ears…

It is that time of year, when I catch myself rubbing the back of my tongue on the roof of mouth – to scratch; perhaps you know that annoying allergy itch that forms in the middle to back of the ear which is impossible to reach. Some days it feels like the itch is driving me crazy.

Do you have itching ears?

 

But having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires

Take a moment and consider your teachers – your social media feeds: the news you subscribe to, the people you follow, the organizations you like, and profiles you avoid. Think about the books you read, your go-to authors or publishers, the schools where you will and will not do continuing education, churches or faith-communities that you agree to work with, and other institutions with which you affiliate. Consider your church community and the people who are part of your life. I suspect your teachers – your feeds- your relationships, look like you, sound like you, think like you; challenge you, but only in the ways you desire to go.

This is a state of persistent itching ears.

 

For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine,

When I did my doctorate, I was given the task of teaching a seminar class on American Lutheran theologian George Lindbeck, concentrating on his book, The Nature of Doctrine. During the seminar, classmates were invited to think about the Apostles’ Creed and complete an exercise. On Post-it notes one stated how often the Creed was used within the context of worship (these were placed on the wall); beside these, on a second Post-it note participants were to write what items were open for discussion, interpretation, or debate. Of the 12 students: 1 used the Creed regularly, another semi-regularly, the rest (that’s 10 people) never used it in worship. The other Post-it notes showed that ten out of twelve, considered the Creed to be fact, the inherent Word of God, and doctrine completely non-negotiable or changeable. The two that used the Creed in their communities related that the Creed was a starting point for conversation, not the Word of God but, a framework from which to explore the nature of God.

The exercise was used to describe Lindbeck’s cultural-linguist model, highlighting relationship of text, community rules and grammar, and applying the text to faith-living. His thought was that faithful reform of tradition and interpretation of doctrine, grows from the text or Creed continually in one’s face, used, wrestled with, questioned, interpreted, and applied.

Continuing with the Creed is continuing to wrestle with theology and doctrine alongside new expressions and contexts – the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America has a recent hymnbook supplement: it includes a Spanish language liturgy, liturgies of lament, liturgies to use in times of violence; forward 21^st century hymnary with poignant phrases addressing contextual issues. Side-by-side the past is bought to the present to move forward; today’s itches with past history and past application of doctrine, scratches harshly – teaching, reproofing- so that doctrine becomes continually thought about in living practice for the wholeness of all relationship.

As a people – a faith community- Church, is our doctrine sound?

Or having itching ears, have we accumulated for ourselves teachers to suit our own desires. And thus, turned away from listening to the truth and wandered away to myths.

In a world with hard-core extremes, conspiracy theories, systemic injustices, where do we listen to truth – whose truth, and what stories do we wander in and out of? In church world, congregations come together hopefully with a common mission – a linguistic truth to be applied and lived. We know however, that church community can be divided - rearing up in arguments about the colour of the carpet, the lack of young people, or the drop in donations; people point fingers, take stands, and stop listening to each other. Fights within the church, can have people on seemingly opposite ends of an argument; missing that the polarity is connected. The path is like an infinity loop, a figure 8, where the loop crosses in the middle.  The middle is the focus, the reason, the mission, the wanted outcome, of both sides of the polarity; name that point and the community is back listening to the truth. Pinpoint the cross-over and focus energy from the centre, living it outward:  whether it is the mission of a healthy church, spreading of the Gospel, the continuation of Jesus’ story, or living faithfully.

 

The pinpoint of the text, addressed to Timothy, and for Timothy to interpret, apply, and live is this: --- and I suppose to those of us with itchy ears – is to:

Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.

 

With talk of doctrine, Creed, truth, myths, polarity – it is not just my ears that itch.

I itch all over. As a pastor, I itch to proclaim the message, the Gospel. As a teacher, I itch to learn and share what I have learned, to grow with others in conversation and study of weighty matters. I itch to know and experience truth. I itch because sometimes I am afraid the responsibility is too much.

I also itch to share written word that focuses my thoughts. In the extremes of polarity and discrepancy in doctrine – holding both and finding a message to proclaim – I came across work by writer, Jordan Harrell. Jordan writes about wrestling with truth – biblical truth, Christ as truth.

Jordan writes: “Genocide is biblical. Loving your enemy is biblical. BUT only one is Christ-like.

Slavery is biblical. Chain breaking is biblical. BUT only one is Christ-like.”

The same pattern is followed with the polarities of:

Patriarchy and counter-cultural elevation of women. Retributive justice and grace-filled restoration. Segregation and unity.  Both are biblical, but only one is Christ-like.

Jordan's guidance – beware of those who know one (meaning the Bible) but not the other.

 

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness

Amidst creedal phrases, the letter written to Timothy expresses and interprets that scripture is inspired and useful. It is read as tradition, interpreted through teaching, and applied to life in community. Proclaim the message; be patient in teaching, living a Christ-like life.

 

God,  Relieve us of itchy ears, freeing us from the accumulation of that which is self-satisfying and self-serving. May our ears listen to tradition, doctrine, and creed; hearing the pinpointing of focus for our context and our lives. Cause us to itch to proclaim the message, and to patiently teach through Christ-like living. Amen.