Christy Tennant

Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Starsky & Hutch

Christy Tennant — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:32:46 -0800

Eric Metaxes, a fellow New Yorker, author and friend, brought this BBC interview to my attention today, and I had to share it with my friends in the CL community.

"Great Lives" is a series of biographical discussions with Matthew Parris on the BBC, and in this episode (which aired Dec. 30), actor David Soul champions the life of the German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was involved in the German resistance movement in WWII.

Click HERE to listen to the podcast.

David Soul played "Hutch" on the infamous series in the 1970's.

Eric Metaxes is presently writing a biography on Bonhoeffer, which follows his critically acclaimed biography of William Wilburforce, "Amazing Grace."

Third Way Magazine

Christy Tennant — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:11:56 -0800

On Friday, my brother rented a car and his family and I traveled to Warwick, England to tour Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. It was a delightful day, and my first trip to a real castle. The town is enchanting, and the highlight of our trip into town was visiting St. Mary's church there, with a very hospitable receptionist (Rita Roy) and shopkeeper (Rita's husband).

While looking around the resources on display at St. Mary's, I came across a magazine I had never heard of before - the UK based "Third Way: Christian Comment on Culture." It was not for sale, so I browsed through the copy they had there, and found some similarities between the content and IAM's conversations about a "third language." I plan to read more, but thought I would share with my (mostly-US based) readers the link to Third Way online, where you can read some interesting articles addressing Christian faith and culture. Click here for their web site.

I am not highlighting this magazine because I stand behind its content (I haven't read enough to say that definitively), but I do think its valuable to be informed about what Christians are saying about culture across the board, and across nations. This particular edition comments on Darwin's faith, Obama's conversion and the issue of gender as it relates to ordination for ministry.

If you read any of these articles, I'd love to hear your feedback... leave your comments below!

Smells and Bells on Christmas Eve

Christy Tennant — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:48:30 -0800

Last night was Christmas Eve, and I am in Oxford, England. So of course, it stands to reason that I would want to visit one of the well-known local churches. As of yesterday afternoon, I hadn't determined where I would go for Christmas Eve service, but in the evening, my brother Matt and I agreed that we would go to St. Mary Magdalen's for midnight mass.

It was my first time in a "high church" service for Christmas Eve, and it was the most beautiful, worshipful Christmas Eve service I have ever been to. Here are a few reasons why:

1) Aesthetics. The church is stunning, with its ornate architecture, high cathedral ceiling, statues, nativity scene and archaic wooden pews. Everything in sight seems to scream out, "You are entering a holy place! Tremble all the earth before Christ the King!" This is very different from my typical worship experience, so my sense of sight was overloaded with symbols of worship - it was very effective; I was brought immediately into a state of awe and reverence.

2) Smells. I don't think I have ever worshipped in a setting where incense was part of the service. (Unless you include the day the bass player in our worship team decided to burn a cone of incense during our worship set - without telling me. We started worship and suddenly, I couldn't breathe. That did not go over too well...) But as I sat there watching the priest wave the incense burner, with smoke rising to fill the room, and smelled the fragrance of the incense, I was reminded of the temple worship of the Old Testament, where the priests burned incense as part of the offering. I also meditated on the passage from Revelation, indicating that our prayers rise to God like incense. Moved tremendously by this sight and smell, I prayed that my prayers would be pleasing to God, a fragrant offering.

3) Bells. I have heard people refer to high church services as "Smells and Bells," but I didnt' realize that there are actual bells in the worship. There was one priest whose sole job was to ring bells during certain portions of the mass (if any of you can explain the bells to me, I'm all ears - please leave a comment below!) I didn't know what they were there for, but seeing the various priests taking part in the service - one waving incense, one holding the main priest's script, one ringing the bells, and couple more who were there to help with the administration of the communion elements - I was reminded of the Pentateuch, where I read about the various roles priests took. Suddenly, I felt more connected to my Old Testament predecessors than ever before.

4) The Gold Vestments. The priests were dressed in gold, and others were in black and white. It was beautiful, and created a certain sense of seriousness - like, dressed like that, you would never think of taking the process of worship lightly. I appreciated the way they each performed their duties with a somber sense of holiness and reverence - I don't see that a lot these days, and it was refreshing to be worshiping in a place where people treated worship like something higher and holier than "hanging out with Jesus."

5) The homile. Having grown up a Protestant, and without any "high church" experience, I have long expected that traditional services like this one would be dry and devoid of personal application of scripture. On the contrary, Fr. Peter's homile was deeply scriptural, relevant and convicting. He corrected common misconceptions about Christmas as merely "a lovely story," and unpacked what the Bible actually teaches about the night Christ was born. His homile was filled with the Gospel truth, that Christ came as a sacrifice to save all of mankind from sin, whomever puts their trust in Him for salvation. The homile was full of truth, grace and hope - a much needed word for a world dying in sin. And in the end, he pointed out that it is a "lovely story," but not in the way that most people mean, when they are speaking merely out of sentimentalism. The fact that God came down in human form in order to save sinners and deliver people out of death and despair, and into life and glory, is, indeed, a LOVELY story.

6) The choir. When we first entered (at 11:30 on the nose), we heard an angelic sound - four-part choir singing in Latin and English. My brother said later that he thought they might have been playing a recording, because they sounded so perfect. But no, there they were, in the balcony - singing in such a way that would rival the heavenly host! As we listened to them and read the translation of what they were singing, it was as if heaven had opened up to share a glimpse of what eternity will sound like.

7) Communion. It has been a while since I have taken part in a Holy Communion that has been given with such seriousness and ceremony. Since the formality of high church communion is uncommon for me, it was very moving to take part in the ceremony of receiving the symbols of Christ's body and blood. I so appreciated the reminder that the invitation to the Lord's table is never, ever to be taken lightly. As I knelt at the alter, crossing myself (as I had observed the people ahead of me doing) and placing my hands in the posture of receiving as the priest came by, I felt the seriousness of this invitation, and for the first time in a long time I was moved to truly examine my heart and confess my sins before partaking of the elements.

8) The scripture readings. Sometimes they were read aloud, sometimes they were sung - but always, there was, again, a sense of honor and respect for God's word. In some of the contemporary settings, where people value familiarity and comfort, we seem to have lost that value, where God's word is something to be cherished and treated with reverence. It was so moving to witness people treating God's Word with such respect.

9) The fellowship afterwards. The bullitin indicated that all were invited to stay for "drinks" after the service, and while my brother was exhausted (it was, by then, nearly 1 a.m.), I was experiencing serious jet lag, so my body felt like it was only 8 p.m.! I was eager to stay and connect with some of the St. Mary Magdalen folks, and Matt graciously obliged (my sister-in-law, Melanie, was home with my nephews, who were sound asleep, dreaming of Santa's bounty that awaited them!) I had a nice chat with the main priest, Fr. Peter, who, as it turns out, had spent three months in New York City during his seminary days. I introduced him to my brother, and we discovered that he knew Matt by name, but not by face. It was fun to see them connect (Fr. Peter works in the theology dept. where my brother studies.)

I realize that for people who worship this way all the time, a lot of what moved me the most about last night's worship might seem routine or dry. But for me, it was glorious. When I got back to my flat (Matt has arranged for me to stay in student housing, so I have my own flat while I'm here) I had to spend time on my knees, giving God thanks and praise for His incredible generosity to me. I was so "full." So far, this has been, I think, the most blessed and enjoyable Christmas in recent memory. I am truly grateful.

Wishing you all the delights of "smells and bells" this Christmas Day, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, and the promise of His return,

Christy

Merry Christmas From Merry Olde England

Christy Tennant — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:02:15 -0800

On Monday night, I flew across the pond to England. My flight was bumpy, so I prayed a lot (and took an account of my life, in case it should end sooner than later), but I managed to get about four hours of sleep, which was important because I had planned to visit a couple of museums before heading on to Oxford, where I will be spending the next ten days. (More on my museum visits in future posts).

Preparing for this joyous celebration of our Lord's birth, this year I have been especially mindful of the fact that, for Christians, Advent is not so much about Christ's birth, as it is about His imminent return. On Sunday, I shared a spontaneous meditation at church on our identity as the light of the world (Matt. 5:14-16), and how, during this season, people are a bit more open to hearing about Christ, so we need to be intentional about letting our light shine before others so they may see our good deeds and give glory to our Father in heaven.

Two things have been on my mind as I've thought of this. First, letting our light shine, according to this passage, is integrally linked with doing good deeds (a.k.a. good works.) Many believers are careful about slipping into a theology of works-based righteousness, but we must be equally worried about slipping into a "words-based" righteousness. What I mean by that is, works must follow our words. If they don't, our words (i.e. words of faith, blessings, etc) are meaningless. James would even say "dead."

But also, we must be intentional that our good works are done in Jesus' name. Otherwise, how will people, seeing our good works, know that the glory for those works belongs to our Father in heaven, and not our own goodness?

Of course, when we are faced by some of the huge problems in the world, being the "light of the world" can be pretty daunting. What difference can one person make? I wonder.

So I thought about how I could put this conviction into practice, and a few things came to mind. They seem small and pretty insignificant, but so does a miniature Christmas light, until it is added to a whole string of small lights and suddenly lights up a whole room.

I decided this season that I would keep change in my pocket all the time, and anytime a beggar asked me for change, or if I even saw someone collecting change who didn't ask, I would be ready to give them some money and say "God bless you" or "Jesus loves you." It's a small thing, but I have seen several times a person's face light up. I have to believe that the words and action worked together to give some (at least a little bit) of glory to God.

I also decided to be more generous toward service-oriented workers, giving higher tips and offering a blessing at the same time. It's amazing how moderately small acts of generosity (i.e. a $5 tip at Dunkin Donuts or a $10 Starbucks card for the women who work at my laundromat) can brighten a person's day!

Another thing small thing I have been doing this season is taking off my headphones and putting down my book while commuting or traveling, in order to converse with my seatmates (if they were willing, that is - nothing is worse than being stuck next to a talker on a long flight!) If an opportunity arises to share the gospel, I do. During my journey to England, I had a nice chat with my seat mates on the plane (who were celebrating Hannaukah) and during my train ride from London to Oxford, I connected with my seatmate, a finance worker from London. He was lamenting the state of the economy, and I made a comment about how I sometimes think God wants to help us remember who is in control, which led to a meaningful conversation about hope.

There are many other ways we can function as the light of the world - and, in fact, these acts should not be reserved for the Christmas season. Generosity, kindness and hospitality should be marks of our character year-round.

Even so, this time of year, we see humanity's need for a Savior more than ever. As I was sitting here writing this blog entry, we heard shouting outside the window of my brother and sister-in-law's flat here on Pusey Lane in Oxford, England. Two men were engaged in a loud argument, complete with lots of loud cursing and threats, which we could hear clearly inside the flat. My brother went outside to try to break it up - the shouting and cursing were pretty disturbing. He discovered that the two men were step-brothers. Shouting curses at each other on Christmas Eve.

Matt offerred (threatened gently) to call the police for the men fighting, and they calmed down. He then spoke with them a bit and the fight seemed to die down. He wished them Merry Christmas and said some encouraging words as they went on their way.

In a subtle way, the light of the world dispelled the darkness.

When we witness such rage, along with the poverty and depression so many face during these cold winter months, we need to know that there is hope - there is salvation from the darkness of sin and the brokenness.

That hope and salvation is found in one place - in one Person, actually: Jesus. He is Immanuel, which means "God with us." He is the Light of the world, and when His light shines, darkness cannot overpower or understand it. And He has called us, His followers, the light of the world, too. Filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit, we shine, too, and overpower darkness, in big ways and small ways.

Of course, sometimes lights break, or become unplugged, or run out of oil. Even though we are the light of the world (because Jesus said so), we don't always function as the light. In fact, sometimes i am so wrapped up in my sinful nature that I don't look any different from the darkness. Impatient, fearful, judgmental, unkind... dark.

As I prepare to walk across Pusey Lane to attend a Christmas Eve service, I am mindful of the fact that I am light... but I need to keep oil in my lamp - I need to be constantly being filled with the "oil" of God's presence. I need to make sure I'm "plugged in" - connected to Christ, as a branch to a vine. Only then will I shine like a star in the universe as I hold out the word of life, helping to light the way for others to find hope and salvation - helping others to "see."

Pray for me, would you? And know that I am praying for you, too.

Merry Christmas from Oxford, with love,

Christy

My Second-Grade Bible

Christy Tennant — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

Today I made a really fun discovery.

For the past decade or so, I have been reading through the Bible each odd-numbered year. Most years, I read through my NIV Student Bible, which I got for my Old and New Testament classes freshman year of college (1993, in case you were wondering). But this morning, I decided I wanted to read through the King James Version in 2009, and since I often fall behind and don't finish until well into the following year, I thought I'd be proactive and start early rather than wait until 2009 begins.

SO, I printed out my favorite guide for reading through the Bible - the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan - and found the old brown KJV Bible I received in second grade, which has been on a shelf in each of my homes over the past twenty-six years.

I got such a kick when I opened the brown faux-leather cover and discovered the first of some of the "notes" I had made during my early years of Bible study.

Yes, that is a Smurfette stamp on the inscription page. And a heart I drew, with "I *heart* you" written inside. I also discovered that I had highlighted and underlined the entire first chapter of Genesis. But nothing further. Just the first chapter. I think I actually was going to read through the Bible one time as a child, and lost my zeal by the time I got to Genesis 2.

I also wrote with a black magic marker "HI!" with another heart on the the bottom of the book, the part where all the pages are together and you can write across the bottoms of the pages. In the maps section, I was, apparently, a bit confused as a child, because I had written "Jesus' birthplace" next to Nazareth. It seems I must have realized my error, however, because that is scratched out and Bethleham is highlighted in pink.

As I flipped through the pages, the book's smell brought me back to the Sunday School room where I received it. I instantly remembered the hum of the fluorescent lights, the memory of girls in black patten leather shoes and boys in un-tucked button downs with clip-on ties. I discovered a note that must have come from several years later (I used this Bible until I went to college), when I was in the youth group. It was a telephone message written in my brother Matt's handwriting: "Chip - call him at Tamara's house." Tamara was my BFF in seventh grade, and Chip was her cousin, with whom I was madly in love. (Sadly, he broke my heart...)

But my favorite note of all has to be my "commentary" on the book of Acts (see picture).

I think I am really going to enjoy 2009's journey through Scripture. Not only will it be a chance for the texts to come alive to me again (in a translation I have not read much in the past sixteen years), but also because it is a testimony of God's keeping grace.

You see, years after receiving this Bible, I strayed from the faith of my youth. I allowed my Bible to collect dust on a shelf, while I spent a few years keeping company with scoffers and mockers. I rejected the Lordship of Christ, and exchanged the truth for a lie, engaging in all kinds of wickedness and idolatry.

Yet all the while, God was patiently wooing me back to Himself. I ran, and He pursued. I rejected, and He loved. And one day, when I was 24 years old and covered in the mire of the pit I had been wallowing in, I fell on my face, dirty, ashamed - and repentant. I cried to Jesus the Redeemer, I bowed to Jesus the Savior and I offered myself in an act of worship - body, mind and spirit - to Jesus the Lord. And I have not looked back since (except to celebrate how far His grace has brought me).

The new year has not even begun, and already I am convinced - this is going to be an especially wonderful year of reading the Bible...

Christmas Caroling on Tysen Street

Christy Tennant — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:07:58 -0800

Last night, my Monday night women's Bible study group went Christmas caroling on my street. We sang to about seven houses (that is not including the houses where no one answered the door). We had such a great time laughing, praying, singing and surprising our fellow New Yorkers with some old fashioned Christmas cheer.

It's easier than I thought to connect with my neighbors. I often lament the fact that I mostly know my neighbors only in passing. I have had conversations with a few people, but many I know by face only. But after last night, I now have a new familiarity with each of those we sang to.

I was especially touched by our visit to a family who lives across and down the street a bit from me. I see them all the time, and for the past five years, we have smiled, waved and said "hello" several times. Their little girls love my dog. But I have never stopped to actually talk with them, and have never invited them to church. Last night, when we rang the doorbell, I was feeling a bit shy. What if they're just annoyed? I thought to myself. Much to my delight, when the woman of the house opened the door, she stopped us in the second line of "Joy to the World," saying, "Can I go get my girls?" So we paused our singing until all three of them returned.

After we finished the first song, the woman's eyes were watering and voice was cracking. She said that where she comes from, people always used to go around the neighborhood, singing Christmas carols and playing instruments. She said that this is the first time since she moved to the US many years ago that she has ever had carollers. She was clearly delighted, moved and surprised by our visit, saying that we "have made her Christmas." The girls stayed outside with us as we sang more songs, equally delighted and impressed ("Oh my God, you all are awesome. You sing so great!" they kept saying).

After a few minutes, the mother (Arun) disappeared into the house. After a few more songs, she re-appeared, bearing gifts for all of us, and an envelope with a check for the $50 for our church (made out to cash). I don't know who was happier, she for the blessed surprise, or us for the joy of getting to be such a blessing to someone (and receiving some totally unexpected gifts!)

As we prepared to move on to the next house, I said to her, "this is the first time in five years we have spoken, but now we're friends." We told her about the women's group, which meets almost every Monday at my apartment. I told her, "if it's a Monday night and you see my light on, we're there! So please join us anytime."

I often feel very daunted by the prospect of reaching out to my neighbors, but lately, I have been increasingly convinced that it's so much easier than I expect it to be.

All we have to do is step out a little bit, smile, sing, and issue an invitation. When we do, we find that God is way ahead of us, preparing the way, and doing more than we had even asked or imagined.

Kiva - Investing in People

Christy Tennant — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

It's not even mid-December yet, but I have already received what I think might just be one of my favorite Christmas gifts of 2008. Over Thanksgiving, I exchanged gifts with my brother Rob, sister-in-law Candy and nephew Igor, and one of the things they gave me was a gift certificate for Kiva.

By way of a little background, a book that has been very meaningful to me over the past few years is Ron Sider's "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger," which I received from my other brother, Matt, several years back. In this book, Sider suggests that one of the best ways to help end poverty is through offering micro-loans, a.k.a. micro credit, which offers small loans to entrepreneurs in developing nations that help them start a business to provide for their families.

So the concept of microloans was on my radar, and then in 2006, Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, both of Bangladesh, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for advancing economic and social opportunities for the poor, especially women, through their pioneering microcredit work." (The Nobel Peace Prize 2006.)

So once again, I was thinking about micro-loans, and wishing I could somehow get involved. After all, some of the amounts people were asking for were small enough that I could actually help them start a business and enjoy some sustainable income.

But, I wondered, how does a white, middle-class girl in New York City make a microloan to a woman in a developing nation? Its not like I can just put cash in an envelope and send it over.

Enter Kiva, a revolutionary new web site that helps people like you and me get involved. You can go to Kiva's website and lend to someone in the developing world who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.

The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back - and Kiva's loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Djumagul Salimova in Tajikistan (pictured here). She still needs another $1,025.00 to complete her loan request of $1,050.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking here to make a loan to Djumagul Salimova too! Wouldn't it be fun to do this together?

It's finally easy to actually do something about poverty - using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they're using it for. And most of all, I know that I'm helping them build a
sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world - one loan at a time.

Thanks, and God bless you,

Christy

Merry Kitschmas

Christy Tennant — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

Well, the season of Kitschmas is upon us. Kitschmas is the high holiday for all lovers artwork of "tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste," according to one dictionary's definition of kitsch.

For eleven months out of the year, I tend to steer clear of kitschy things, but when I start to pull out my Christmas decorations, as I did last night, my heart melts and nostalgia begins to percolate, as I unwrap the many little statues and mugs and ornaments I have accumulated over the years that can only be described as "tawdry, appealing to undiscriminating taste."

I love it. The kitschier the better.

My favorite Christmas Kitsch of all time is my ornament of Santa bowing before the baby Jesus's manger. The first time I saw that image (years ago), I was actually moved to tears. Even now, every year when I unwrap it and place it on my tree, I get choked up, thinking about what it represents. I also love the Lion and Lamb Christmas cards my mom sends out every year (which I save and display annually), and a Christmas snow globe I received as a gift from a Vice President at Elizabeth Arden, where I used to work.

And who can resist a set of ChristMOOSE salt and pepper shakers?

I can still recall with fondness some of the (many) pieces of kitsch I grew up with, including a mechanical set of bears dressed in Christmas garb and lined up in front of a xylophone. When you turn the switch, they play carols. There are also, of course, the Dancing Santas of all shapes and sizes. I saw one at the mall in Roanoke that was life-size, and he had a sensor so that he started dancing any time someone walked by.

Someday, that life-sized Dancing Santa will be mine...

Last year at IAM, the Tribakery Fellowship brought in their favorite pieces of Christmas kitsch. My co-worker Kevin contributed a figurine of a frog dressed as Santa and playing the saxophone (Kevin is a saxophonist), and that little guy has been on display in IAM's library all year, directly across the room from a huge Makoto Fujimura original. Also last year, I found a set of Bert and Ernie ornaments for my friend Karen (our nicknames for each other are Bert and Ernie). I couldn't resist.

So what is it about many of us (usually discerning) patrons of the arts who are more than happy to throw all taste to the wind and put figures of Smurfs popping out of stockings (circa 1983) on display in our homes? Why do we love kitsch at Christmastime?

Do you have any favorite Christmas kitsch? I'd love to hear about it!

Midnight

Christy Tennant — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

Here is a poem I wrote this week. You may feel free to draw your own conclusions about my inspiration.

MIDNIGHT

There was no warning,
Only wretching,
Sudden and unprovoked.

Springing from sound sleep,
I launched her from the bed
too late
and now
must change
my sheets.

Haiku for My Friend

Christy Tennant — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

my friend, my sister

whose face reflects God's kindness

is precious to me