Thursday, July 28, 2016

I want what I want and I want it now

I am sure I have said those words, or at least words similar to them. I am sure that I have thought ideas that are similar to them, as well. Haven't you? Haven't we all?

Isn't that what politics, at least the simplistic rhetoric of modern American politics, is putting on display in every news cycle? It sounds like this; a vote for me is a vote for you to get what you want! Doesn't this sound like every demanding boss or person in authority you've known? In every case, the means of achieving what I want right now is always about a grab for power. Yet, the message of the Gospel and was the message of this past Sunday's teaching is that Satan tempts with power and Jesus resists because that is not the way of God. Here is the same message from a different voice:

"Before we get too carried away with the thoughts of God's power, we should listen attentively to what St. Paul says about the "weakness of God" (1 Corinthians 1:25), which is a vital part of gods self – revelation. If we look at the way in which he discloses himself in Jesus Christ we have to acknowledge that he does not come into our world with a great display of superior power; in fact, this was one of the temptations which our Lord had to resist as being contrary to his mission, contrary to his true nature (see Matthew 4). He does not come in strength but in weakness, and he chooses the foolish and weak and unimportant things of the world, things that are nothing at all, to overthrow the strength and impressiveness of the world. As we saw earlier, he is like the judo expert who uses the strength of his opponent to bring him to the ground; it is the art of self-defense proper to the week. This is why, if we keep clamoring for things we want from God, we may often find ourselves disappointed, because we have forgotten the weakness of God and what we may call the poverty of God. We had thought of God as the dispenser of all the good things we would possibly desire; but in a very real sense, God has nothing to give at all except himself."

- from Prayer, written in 1975 by Simon Tugwell

May we place our trust in a God who is powerful enough to do anything, but doesn't overpower anything. God loves differently than that. May we love each other in the midst of our weaknesses, and speak the truth in love to every person who can hear it. Grace and peace, Scott

Friday, July 22, 2016

A Difficult Word to Write: Allowing Time for God’s Spirit to Work within the Church and in Our Lives

   I sit every week with the intent of engaging the news and current events of the world with the Word of God in a manner that is helpful to people within the congregation that I shepherd as pastor. This week there are so many pieces of news that deserve attention. I am writing about one, in particular, that is causing much anxiety to some of our people.
   On Friday, July 15, the Rev. Karen Oliveto, pastor of the Glide Memorial UMC in San Francisco, was elected as a Bishop at the Western Jurisdictional Conference. The next day she was consecrated and assigned to serve as a Bishop to four conferences that include churches in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Rev. Oliveto has been described as “an openly lesbian clergyperson”, as she married her partner last October. This election raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity. Many people believe that her election is not permissible by our agreed-upon polity, specifically as found in ¶304.3 where it deals with the Qualifications for Ordination,

The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.

There is already a legal request within our UMC’s system of appeals that the Judicial Council would rule on whether her election is within order. That ruling could come in October. Beyond that, the General Conference will possibly re-convene in a special session as soon as 2018 to act on a report around how to move forward, in light of this and other non-compliance and significant differences within our denomination around how to interpret the Scriptures.
   I have shared with many people in the past two months that my personal prayer, repeated often as I traveled to General Conference in May as a delegate for the first time, was that I would do no harm. This was the first of John Wesley's General Rules for the Church from the 1700's, and it's value is timeless today. I sit to write about events within the larger story of the United Methodist Church with these same words repeating in my heart: do no harm.
   The UMC has engaged in a conversation on sexuality for over four decades now. Many would consider our debate as having been more civil and more Christ-like that those held in other denominations during the same stretch of time. I think that is largely due to our never-wavering conviction to uphold the Scriptures while also seeking to care for all persons. One primary way this is lived out is through statements within our Book of Discipline - our church's constitution and book of policy and law that is amended every four years at General Conference. In ¶161, a section of our beliefs on Human Sexuality, we state,

We affirm that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We call everyone to  responsible stewardship of this sacred gift. Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only with the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage. It goes on to say that, We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God. All persons need the ministry of the Church in their struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self. The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.

We are talking about practice, and not orientation. The Bible says nothing about orientation. There are references in the Bible to same-gender sexual behavior, and all of them are undeniably negative. There was no word in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek for ‘homosexual’ or ‘homosexuality.’ So it is not correct to say the Bible calls ‘being homosexual’ a sin; it is always referring to practice.
   Obviously these are difficult words for most people to read. Every person knows someone, probably someone close, that differs with whatever is your stance on sexuality. Those differences are certainly found within the membership of the UMC, a global movement of 12 million people from countless cultures and nations. I imagine that is what prompted the Holy Spirit to open my bible on the morning I started writing this to...

Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. - Matthew 7:1-5

   I am not suggesting we don’t speak the truth in love. I am simply pointing us back to love. We are not to engage our brother or sister about the small object in their life until we have dealt with the objects in our own: remembering that Jesus knew the objects/issues/sins in our lives were often larger than we would ever want to admit. We can do harm to others if we have not dealt with our own objects/issues/sins. It is biblically wise to slow down and pray for the Spirit’s guidance.
   Our own Bishop James King wrote about this in a Pastoral Letter last weekend:

Dear Beautiful People of the South Georgia Conference, we are in a season where it is difficult to find people who are not anxious about the future, angry about the status quo, or generally find it difficult to have a deep sense of peace and joy about life. There is confusion, pain, and grief all around us. I know many of you have questions about the action taken by the Western Jurisdiction in electing an openly gay bishop. Indeed, this election raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity. Our Book of Discipline has clearly delineated processes in place for resolving issues even as complex and unprecedented as this election. The South Central Jurisdiction was still in session when the election took place. They approved a resolution requesting a declaratory decision from the Judicial Council on whether “the nomination, election, consecration, and/or assignment as a bishop of The United Methodist Church of a person who claims to be a ‘self-avowed practicing homosexual’ or is a spouse in a same-sex marriage (is) lawful under The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.” ....In a world where there is so much uncertainty, you can be in control of you and believe that God will take care of you because His certain and predictable love never ends. I encourage you to stay focused on Jesus Christ and on our love for one another as Christ loves us. I ask you to join me in prayer as we strive to faithfully and compassionately fulfill our covenant with God, the church, and one another.

   I believe God’s Spirit is at work to bring healing and to show us a way forward. I am open to how God works. Echoing the words of Bishop Ken Carter, who grew up in South Georgia, “Patience is a fruit of that same spirit....I can wait on and work with God. We are not yet perfect, but I plan to hang in there. I hope you will be there, too.”
   Grace and peace, Scott

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

This is God's song; let it be ours as well

   Worship on Sunday was moving. I found myself caught off guard and moved in my spirit on three occasions during the hour we were gathered together, all in one place. Once was when Brig. General Sehorn spoke about every prisoner memorizing the names of over 400 fellow POW's, in the hopes that when one of them might be freed, they could return to the US and inform the 400 families that their loved ones were OK as of a certain date. That little detail struck a chord, as I thought about all of those families that went years without knowing anything good. Later, I was moved to tears as Jim described the moment on the USAF cargo plane headed out of North Vietnam that would carry hundreds of airmen home after years of brutal captivity and they stood to sing praise to God. That thought was still in my head on Monday night as our family sat on a grassy hillside watching the red glare of fireworks; our nation celebrates its 240th year of independence because of the intentional service and sacrifice of real men and real women.
   The other moment that moved me on Sunday happened before Jim's message, though. After singing The Star-Spangled Banner, Karen Clay had chosen for us to sing a moving tune that opened with,

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
- Lloyd Stone, composer

Stone wrote the opening two verses of the hymn we sang in the interval between WWI and WWII; he was 22 years old at the time. Halfway through these opening words I found myself unable to sing for a moment. I was struck; God hears the songs of many nations, God desires the hearts of every person, God longs for peace in every place, and the end of tyranny for all time. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers for the same. Grace and peace, Scott