Breaking my Twitter silence for an #MLK Day 🧵 on the 1966 Lutheran documentary, "A Time for Burning" (spoilers ahead).

Every white moderate Christian like me ought to watch this film. Every white moderate Christian ought to then read MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." 1/
I am not saying this as some kind of expert. I am saying this as someone, who at age 54, is late to the game.

I am also saying this as someone who to follow Jesus, not the culture warriors from either side. To follow Christ first, even if it costs me. 2/
You can find the film here and on youtube. It's 60 minutes long.

Directed by Bill Jersey, this documentary is one of the trail blazers of the cinéma vérité style.

Do you enjoy The Office or Parks and Rec? Then you can thank Bill Jersey. 3/

archive.org/details/atimef…
Per its style, the documentary plunges right in to the story without explanation, leaving the viewer somewhat confused.

As we should be. It was a confusing time. Like now. 4/

newyorker.com/culture/the-fr…
It documents the efforts of Lutheran minister Rev. Bill Youngdhahl to lead his congregation in efforts to build personal relationships with African Americans in Omaha, NE.

Youngdahl led the large, prosperous, all white Augustana Lutheran Church (LCA). 5/
Youngdahl studied under Reinhold Niebuhr and brings a "Christian realism" view of social change to Omaha.

He was trying to encourage members of his church to have African American Lutherans from Hope Lutheran Church (LCMS!), over for dinner. That's all. 6/
But his plan was disrupted when the youth group of another black church, Calvin Memorial Presbyterian, came to worship at Augustana as part of their education. That was not received well. 7/
The rest of the film documents the conversations Rev. Youngdahl has with members of various committees in the church.

To a man, they are "white moderates." Not racist themselves of course, but concerned about "timing," and about how it will be received by "other members." 8/
Do you see why this might be helpful for us to watch today?

Through it all, Rev. Youngdahl remains calm and quiet spoken, arguing that having folks over for dinner is the most mild of steps a church could take. And yet it was still opposed fiercely. 9/
Youngdahl also meets with other ministers. They bring up things like property values and maintaining budgets.

As one person commented, there was almost no theological reflection in the whole film. Not by the whites. 10/
The best theology came from two African American teenagers discussing how they ought to treat these moderate whites.

And then at the end, the very inarticulate Ray Christensen, a moderate who boldly states that a follower of Christ must sometimes stand alone. 11/
That is the best scene in the documentary, along with the soliloquy by the black barber at the beginning, Ernie Chambers.

Chambers, an atheist, eviscerates Christian hypocrisy when it came to race. Rev. Youngdhahl listens. 12/

thekingsnecktie.com/2020/07/07/ame…
Now turn to #MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

Every American should to read this letter. Every American Christian should read this letter.

Why? For one, it's history. Like this documentary, we should read and watch primary sources. 13/

africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/L…
Second, it is English at its highest level. I am biased towards that era of English prose, but I think it can be said English peaked in 1963 with this letter.

But mostly, because it was directed towards white moderate clergy. The reasonable ones: 14/

web.archive.org/web/2018122905…
Like these clergymen, many of us are moderate because we are not overtly racist. But we also don't like trouble. Let things develop on their own, give it time, etc, etc.

And that also means we may not always listen well to the other side and hear their frustrations. 15/
Whatever you think of the politics of the time, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" is a call to courage, a call to a distinctly non-violent Christian love.

You may not agree with all of it, but read it, and ask: am I following Jesus in these matters, even at a personal cost? 16/
I don't have any silver bullet solutions. I am no expert on racial reconciliation. But I do think we should know our history, and listen well before quickly reacting and becoming defensive when we hear terms like, "white supremacy." 17/
Some follow up to the documentary. First, the churches. Augustana Lutheran church continues and appears to be a progressive, inner city white church.

Hope Lutheran also appears to continue and has helped lead @thelcms in its outreach to African Americans. 18/
Calvin Memorial Presbyterian began as an integrated church in the 1920s, became all African American as white flight occurred in the 1960s, and eventually closed and sold its building to another church: 19/

northomahahistory.com/2019/08/03/a-h…
Bill Youngdahl was fired within two weeks of beginning his initiative at Augustana. He went on to pastor several more Lutheran and UCC churches, known for his social justice and peace work. He passed away in 2012. 20/

startribune.com/obituaries/det…
Ernie Chambers went on to serve in the Nebraska State Legislature where he still serves. At one point, he was known as the only atheist state legislator in the U.S. 21/

npr.org/2020/11/09/933…
I don't know what happened to Ray Christensen, the layman who tried to persuade his fellow Lutherans to break free from their fears about upsetting the apple cart.

And of course, I have no idea what happened to the black teenagers, discussing what Christian love should do. 22/
That seems about right. For many who are last will be first.

The most Biblical Christians in this film are the black, teenage Presbyterians and Lutherans.

It's a shame they were not listened to. It's a shame we don't listen more today. FIN 23/
By the way, the mid-60's fashion styles in this documentary, as well as all the smoking during the meetings, are worth the watch alone.

For easy reference, here is again. It's broken into two 30-minute segments. 24/23

archive.org/details/atimef…
Here's a wonderful discussion guide on the film from @L4RacialJustice . HT: @katingawollman 25/23

lutheransforracialjustice.com/a-time-for-bur…

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More from @CAHutch1990

Dec 22, 2021
🧵The PCA is very conservative when it comes to women's ordination - only men can be elders and deacons.

NEVERTHELESS, the advice of the 2017 Report on Women in Ministry is that churches consider ways for women to contribute in worship in the spirit of I Cor 14:26 (p. 61).

1/6
Some "non-controversial" (line 6) ways women can contribute:

1) Women may lead congregational or choral singing.

2) Women may "stir up one another to love and good deeds" (Heb. 10:24) by describing the value of upcoming ministries of mercy and disciple-making.

2/
3) Women may testify to or praise God for the favor He shows to ministries of the church.

4) Women might lead prayers of petition or praise.

5) Women may read Scripture or participate in responsive readings.

3/
Read 8 tweets
Dec 19, 2021
Everyone has their key verses to share the Gospel. Here are a few of mine. The Gospel in three verses:

Its subjects: Isaiah 57:15
Its effect: John 5:24
Its extent: Revelation 7:9
For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."

~ Jesus, John 5:24
Read 4 tweets
Nov 19, 2021
PCA 🧵.

As the pastor of a church in a college town, it's my privilege to introduce many students and others to the PCA. And then to recommend it further as they move on, trying to help them find a church near them.

I won't give numbers but after 17 years, it's been a few 1/10
But it's not automatic. We are but one small part of the larger Body of Christ (Book of Church Order 2-2). Sometimes there are other healthier or more fitting churches.

So what makes me want to recommend the PCA first?
It's been our overall "brand" as I see it. 2/
That in PCA churches, they will hear the Gospel of grace proclaimed clearly every week.

They will be reminded of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on their behalf.

That even though they struggle with their sanctification, they are yet justified by grace. 3/
Read 11 tweets
Nov 19, 2021
Presbyterianism 🧵.

At my first presbytery meeting, way back in the mid-90s, there was a controversial case before the brothers.

One large church's delegates said that if the presbytery did not vote a certain way, they would drastically reduce their funding. 1/10
In one sense, I understand that. If you believe a ministry is altogether unfaithful, you don't want to send them your money.

But this was the ministry they themselves belonged to. And the threat was made as *part of the debate* itself. 2/
As such, it amounted to a form of the argumentative fallacy, "appeal to force" or ad baculum:

"If you don't vote the way we want, there will be negative results, not related to the actual matter before us."

It's bad Presbyterianism. It's bad ethics. 3/
Read 11 tweets
Oct 2, 2021
Thoughts on Christian preparation for potential political violence in the U.S., no matter how serious you think the threat is:

1) Avoid misinformation online. Have friends with differing views monitor your posts and give feedback. Don't be part of the problem. 1/6
2) Avoid extreme partisanship. Check yourself when you begin to mock or demonize the "other side."

Don't let the world manipulate you. Rather, be transformed by the renewal of your mind in Christ (James 1:27; 4:1-4; Romans 12:1-2). 2/6
3) Remind yourself and your fellow believers to care less about the kingdoms of this world. All are passing away.

The Kingdom of Christ transcends borders and parties, and is that which will endure forever (Eph 2:10ff; Heb 13:14; Rev 7:9) 3/6
Read 6 tweets
Aug 19, 2021
🧵 I finished Reparations by @dukekwondc and @_wgthompson. I read it slowly. For someone new to the idea, it was a lot to absorb.

But in the end - and this may make no one happy - I actually thought it was quite moderate in its proposals. 1/22
A central point is that we should proclaim the Gospel in our own context. And the long history of white control and racism is part of the American context.

If I was a pastor in Vietnam, I would want to know what the French, Japanese, Americans and communists had done. 2/
Moreover, the book helped me learn about and read African American thinkers that my normal course of reading would not have exposed me to.

That's a good thing. 3/
Read 22 tweets

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