Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 2015)
2C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015 The gift of the theology of the cross By BRACH JENNINGS Special to The Daily Astorian L utheranism offers a particular way of see- ing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which can speak to life’s greatest challenges and joys. This lens is revealed through what Martin Luther termed the theology of the cross. The theology of the cross posits that the only way Christians can truly know God is through the cruci¿ed Christ. Christ on the cross shows God’s profound love for humankind and creation in the last place humans con- sider looking for God — the McKinley Smith/The Daily Astorian Brach Jennings outside First Lutheran Church. cruci¿[ion of Christ. This understanding of God is not commonly found in Amer- ican culture. However, the theology of the cross is a gift of Luther’s theology for to- day. The theology of the cross is contrasted with what Luther termed the theology of glory. The theology of glory seeks to know God in majesty, beauty, and power, through reasoning that God must be perceptible in events that seem to disclose the glorious and beautiful characteristics of God. Think of the number of times God is referenced in a gorgeous sunset, or a beautiful piece of music, but so often is not ref- erenced in the child who goes hungry at night, or the person who escapes from an abusive and destructive relationship. The theology of the cross says God is ¿rst to be found in the latter e[amples, rather than the former. Finding God decisively in Beliefs INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGES FROM LOCAL CLERGY ‘(That person) deserves to be called a theologian … who comprehends the visible and manifest things of God as seen through suffering and the cross’ — Martin Luther Heidelberg Disputation, 1518. the sufferings of this world says that God suffers with us in the hells of this life, and frees us for serving our neigh- bors in the world. Brach Jennings is an in- tern pastor at First Lutheran Church in Astoria. Pope and Congress: Francis is certain to push lawmakers Environmental warnings Messages on climate change, social justice, abortion could delight, unsettle, lawmakers By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press WASHINGTON — A po- litical pope is sure to seize his opportunity when he address- es a political body. So both Democrats and Republicans are looking forward to Pope Francis’ remarks to Congress ne[t month — and bracing for them, too. The pope thrills Democrats with his teachings on climate change, social justice and im- migration. At the same time, his message on life and the Catholic Church’s traditional opposition to abortion com- fort Republicans. There is genuine giddiness among Catholic Democrats — many of whom have long been uncomfortably at odds with their church over abor- tion rights — about the pope’s strong emphasis on address- ing poverty and the environ- ment. “I’ve been waiting for this pope all my life,” said liberal Massachusetts Democrat Jim McGovern, . “I ¿nd him inspirational and I know a lot of other people do, not just Catholics.” The pope comes to the Capitol on Sept. 24, where he will be the ¿rst pontiff to ever address a joint meeting of Congress. He will also ap- pear on a West Front balcony to greet the public. There’s little doubt that Francis, who in a speech last month in Bolivia spoke out against unchecked capital- AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia Pope Francis poses for a photo as he arrives in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in August for an audience with with Altar boys and girls. Francis thrills Democrats with his teachings on climate change, social justice and immigration. At the same time, his message on life and the Catholic Church’s traditional opposition to abortion comfort Republicans. ism before an assemblage of groups representing the poor, will seek to send a similar message to lawmakers repre- senting the richest nation on earth. “Whether it’s climate change or hunger or taking care of the poor, the Pope’s message is really the embod- iment of what Catholic so- cial teaching has been about, historically,” said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who traveled to Rome to witness the pope’s installation two years ago. Invited by Boehner The pope was, of course, invited by the most pow- erful Catholic in Congress, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio., who will be accom- panied by Vice President Joe Biden, another Catholic, in THE BEST OF THE WORST CALLS TO ASTORIA 911 DISPATCH January 2015 ess Chronicling the Joy of Busin rooster on a deck. A cat in the bushes. A deer stuck at John Warren Field. This week’s entries have an ani- mal theme. There was that naked dude on a Yamaha, though. Follow reporter Kyle Spurr on his 9-1-What? Twitter watch, where a few of the sometimes head-scratching calls to area dispatch take center stage. The full feed is at www. twitter.com/9_1_WHAT. in the Columbia-Pacific Region striverbusinessjournal crbizjournal.com • facebook.com/coa Volume 10 • Issue 1 stry spo allenges Inside: Indu copes with ch Shellfish farm an conditions oce nging s optimistic despite cha tlight: Taylor remain NEWS County makes a splash PacifIc in the pot biz page 10 the pope) — even if there are some things that will not be comfortable.” Francis’ recent encyclical chastised policymakers across the globe for inaction on the environment as the skies warm and the oceans are ravaged by over¿shing and pollution. “We may well be leaving to coming generations debris, desolation and ¿lth,” the pope wrote. “The pace of consump- tion, waste and environmen- tal change has so stretched the planet’s capacity that our contemporary lifestyle, un- sustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes.” In September, such warn- ings could be seen as a chal- lenge directed to a Congress populated by GOP skeptics of proposals to reduce green- house gases like new curbs on coal-¿red power plants. A 9-1-WHAT? FREE No glad-handing There’s also no glad-hand- ing the pope as he walks down the center aisle, unlike the annual ritual in which lawmakers such as U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Te[as, commandeer a seat to press the Àesh. The pontiff is e[pected to keep his hands clasped as if in prayer. A top adviser to Francis visited Washington in April and said the pope will speak “frankly but friendly” in his U.S. trip. “Even the Congress peo- ple can listen to other voices, to counsels, to advisers,” said Honduran Cardinal Oscar Ro- driguez Maradiaga, according to Religion News Service. “The one who receives advice commits less errors and is not mistaken. The one who does not like to listen to advice will have a lot of trouble. So I think the Congress will re- ceive very well the advice (of Animal planet ? PUBLISHED THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH familiar seats behind Francis on the dais. House Demo- cratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, also a Catholic, will occupy a prominent seat on her party’s side of the aisle. For joint addresses like the State of the Union or even the recent appearance before Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanya- hu, partisan politics is un- avoidable. One side will jump to their feet while the other will sit on their hands. In Sep- tember, however, most hope and anticipate such grand- standing can be avoided. “You will not know it’s the Congress,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J. Now inserted into The Daily Astorian and Chinook Observer For more information call 503-325-3211 NEWS Seaside Muffler and Off-Road 21 revs up its reputation page BOAT OF THE MONTH The Sadie out of South Bend, Wash. page 24 “You’re always stron- ger in terms of credibility when you stay closer to your church doctrine and church teaching and also what the Catholic Church has been about,” said U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. “Many people take a lot of pride, whether you’re Catholic or not, in terms of focus on the poor, focus on helping the most vulnerable.” Francis, however, is not shy about e[panding his reach beyond a traditional role as he leads the church in a rapidly changing century. “He’s a very different pope. He’s de¿ned himself in a very different way,” said U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., another Catholic. “He’s talking about outcomes. We’ve got to work on means.” The recent encyclical also reiterated the church’s long- time teachings on abortion. “How can we genuinely teach the importance of con- cern for other vulnerable be- ings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human em- bryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates dif¿culties?” Francis wrote. Whatever the pope’s mes- sage, lawmakers in both par- ties hope it serves as a salve — however temporary — to a body that too often sees issues in black and white and seeks partisan advantage wherever it can be found. “The teachings of the Cath- olic Church don’t ¿t neatly into either the Democratic or the Republican Party,” said U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill. “And I think that leads often- times to a ¿ght on both sides over — now that we have a very popular pope — who is going to turn that to their po- litical advantage. I hope that we won’t see that.” crbizjou rn a l.com