What Fruits Will We Be Known By?

     These are some of my thoughts on the election, as pastorally as I know how to be. I'm going to skip my personal feelings on the candidates and whether or not I believe the candidate who won should have. As a pastor called to share the love of Christ with all I cannot risk disenfranchising anyone; to label myself as Republican or Democrat would risk doing just that for those who see politics differently than I do. I realize, however, that not all pastors believe in this same philosophy (and truthfully, it's been hard to hold myself to it time and time again during this nightmare of an election season).
     I woke up to reading on social media evangelical Christians (pastors included) declaring that "Christianity had won!" in this election. I am not saying that Christians shouldn't be happy about their choice of political candidate having won! I wonder, though, if evangelical Christianity really did "win," though. For every 1 post decrying the success of the Christian right, I saw dozens of posts from individuals who are truly fearful of the new reality that Trump will be the next president of our country.
     Posts from those in the LGBTQ+ community express their fear that they will be treated as second class citizens. So many parents have expressed their concerns of raising daughters in a culture that seems to have validated mistreating women as sexual objects while others are trying to find out how to raise their sons in such a way that they respect women as human beings and children of God. Immigrants are now wondering if they will be ripped from their families. Teachers are wondering how, in light of the election itself, they can teach their preschoolers not to bully one another, that it doesn't "pay off" in the end. Minorities have expressed their fear of racism continuing to grow.
     And some of the responses to these concerns and fears by members of the jubilant Christian right? "It's time for some people to shut up and leave!" and "We are proud!" when concerns of disenfranchisement and rights being encroached upon are courageously shared. I thought we were supposed to be done with the hate of the election cycle, not continuing it the day the election was finished - and for some of these things to be said by those who profess Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior saddens me. Many of these individuals are genuinely good people! When I remember that, I hang my head and find myself repeating Jesus' words in Luke 23:34 as he is hanging on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."
     This isn't meant to be a critique of the winning party's beliefs and policies they have promised to set in motion during the campaign - I am merely stating the concerns of many in our nation as a result of those promises. How these concerns have been responded to does, however, lead to some disconcerting questions concerning the entanglement of Christianity with American politics. If the church truly won this election, why is the resulting fruit of this event fear in the hearts and minds of so many who are not male, straight, and white in America? Why is the result being set in motion that some Christians no longer want to associate themselves with the label "Christian" and would rather be identified as a "Christ Follower?"  If we, as followers of Christ, are supposed to be sharing God's love with all and making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, why are so many walking away from the faith? Surely, this isn't the fruit of the Spirit that Paul wrote about.

     Jesus in John 13:34-35 says, "I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other." Please keep in mind, I am not advocating a kind of love that makes them turn away from their beliefs of right and wrong. I am advocating, however, for a love that reaches out to those who are hurting and confused in order to lift them up - after all, this is the kind of love that Jesus advocated for throughout his ministry.

     At the end of the day, if the evangelical church is going to truly "win" this election, then it needs to start practicing its namesake. Taken from the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον which means "Good News," we are called to be preaching the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ. If Christianity truly won, then we would be known for our love instead of the hate and intolerance that many are ascribing to us now.
     Fortunately, it's not too late! Regardless of which side you voted for, we can still make sure that Christianity "wins" this election by focusing our thoughts and prayers towards those who are fearful and have lost hope; let us help them find hope in Christ (who I'm fairly confident didn't endorse either candidate, considering that God's Kingdom isn't of this world anyway). Whether your candidate won or lost the election, God is still reigning.
     Let us pray for our newly elected leaders, that their hearts and minds might be open to serving God's purposes for the United States of America. Let us be known by the fruits of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and (even this hard one) self-control.

Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

Don't Label Me!

I have wanted to write this for a while, but then Russ Abel posted this article along very similar lines. You can read that here: click here.

I remember prior to General Conference in May having lunch with another pastor. Over chips and salsa we were discussing where the United Methodist Church is at over the big hot-button topic of the day. I remember at the end of the conversation as we were heading to our cars, he advised me that because I believe in the authority of Scripture, and that I am seeking out what that Scripture is actually saying and wish to stay obedient to it, to enthusiastically take ownership that I am indeed a Conservative!

This brings up a question: Are conservatives really the only ones who see Scripture as authoritative and wish to stay obedient to them? I have had the pleasure of knowing so many pastors who would easily fall into the "progressive" camp, yet unlike how many Conservatives would paint them, they are some of the most Godly individuals that I know. 

Progressives decry Conservatives for simply plucking some words out of their context in order to say that the Bible upholds their narrow view of Scripture and God (hence the accusation of proof-texting) while Conservatives condemn Progressives for taking too many liberties in their interpretation of Scripture. Both sides want God's truth to shine through this storm that the church universal is being battered around in and both sides are crying out the name of Jesus to calm this storm -- but to make sure that the storm is calmed in the way that they believe it should be calmed in.

I have seen where the name of John Wesley has been used by both sides (self-righteously) to defend their cause as being the true and just way of how the Methodist Church ought to be. Conservatives have declared John Wesley as being a dyed-in-the-wool Bible-believing conservative himself while Progressives call upon his non-traditional practices for the sake of sharing God's grace. It really makes me wonder if either side, Conservative or Progressive, could really consider and understand that John Wesley was both Conservative and Progressive.

No one can doubt Wesley's love and adherence to the Bible. Here is a man who described himself as "a man of one book." Incredibly learned, always soaking in yet more knowledge in seemingly every subject... Yet, it was because of his love for the Bible's Truth that Wesley spent his life in ministry sharing Grace with all that he came across. It was out of a desire to show grace that he started a prison ministry. It was because of grace that orphans were able to receive an education. It was out of the drive of grace that resolved himself to become more vile, putting aside any pretense left of respectability, and began to preach outside of a church in the fields. John Wesley did so many things that the conservatives of his day shook their heads at. The proof of this? His home church, St. Andrews Church in Epworth, refused to let him preach in the same pulpit as his father one Sunday morning. Almost without a second thought, John Wesley began to preach on the grave where his father was buried in the surrounding cemetery next to the church, bringing about a larger crowd than was actually inside for service!

John Wesley was incredibly Progressive and Conservative, willing to put aside the shackles of respectability and "we've always done it that way!" that had been holding so many pastors down. At the same time, John never wanted to start his own church, splitting away from the Anglican church. True to the word? Most definitely. Breaking the mold most liberally? Most certainly. This was all done for the sake of Scriptural holiness.

There must be a balance sought between Truth and Grace

What I am finding as the driving force behind many Conservatives “is Truth above all” while what drives many Progressives is “Grace above all.” There must be a balance sought between Truth and Grace - I wonder if this is one reason why Wesley emphasized a balance between the head knowledge and heart knowledge of God. Now, I am not saying that Conservatives display no grace or that Progressives preach no truth, but a balance is certainly off when you begin to declare that schism from those that don't believe like you is the only prudent necessary course of action.

I am reminded of Paul's words about the church being like a body. We are many parts that need one another to help keep us in check. I see fantastic examples of personal holiness and spiritual discipline being practiced and preached by Conservatives, while at the same time I am in awe of the social justice ministries that are spearheaded by Progressives. We need each other! We have been given the opportunity by God to sharpen each other, to make each other stronger. Instead, I have seen where this beautiful church has done exactly what Paul declares we should not do in Romans 14 - we have been judging one another and have been tearing one another down with our arguments and actions.

Let's be honest: vows have been broken on both sides.

If the extremes of those in the church force a choice instead of seeking unity, it will be a day where my heart along with the hearts of many others will break. That would be a day that would seem to say that Truth and Grace cannot coexist with one another within the United Methodist Church. It will be a day where labeling one another Conservative or Progressive overrode our true identity: Children of God.

I for one am praying for unity and harmony, even in the midst of this storm. To me, that is the most Wesleyan thing I can and should do.

Please, if you are to label me, label me a Child of God seeking both Truth and Grace.

It's More Than...

"God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble. That's why we won't be afraid when the world falls apart..." Psalm 46:1-2

I didn't know about the mass shooting that happened in Orlando until lunch after services. When my friends at the lunch table started talking about it I didn't know what to think. This is a horrible tragedy, an abhorrent act of hatred, and yet the responses to this occurrence have been all over the place. This hatred has been met with much hatred for sure - but how that hatred has been directed has left me saddened and broken hearted. Some have used it to as a way to say that God used this shooter as a form of punishment for a sinful people. Others have clamored that the only way to end gun violence is to make guns more readily accessible for "the good guys." Others have posted pictures of gay people kissing for the sole intent that it would just make mad the shooter and others with the same hatred towards the LGBTQ community. Then others have purposely made this political with more pleas for stricter gun control.

My question now is: which is more depressing? The horrendous action that killed more than 50 of God's precious children (regardless of whether or not they are followers of Christ, they are still God's children), or the fact that those who pour out in righteous indignation can't seem for even one second stand in unity before ripping into one another by arguing over what is best between the polar opposite solutions to how to keep guns out of the hands of those who would inflict harm?

But it's more than gun control (or the lack of, however you view it). It's about a worldview that has glorified violence, whether it be violence to inflict terror or violence in the name of protection. Effectively, at it's core, violence is brought on by hate. This hate has taken on the form of more than mass shootings (or the plans to commit a murder on a large scale, as demonstrated by the Hoosier pulled over on his way to the LA Gay Pride Parade heavily armed). Just this morning I learned on my way to work of a 15 year old girl who had did not realize a nude photo had been taken of her until it had been Snapchat'd across her school. Not knowing how to deal with this form of emotional violence (you can call it cyber bullying, it is still very much violence), she killed herself at home in her bathroom.

It's more than gun control and bullying - it's hatred. It's a blatant disregard to love your neighbor as yourself as Jesus has shared with us as a must-do. This comes out in the form of violence, of brutality, of bullying, of manipulation of an individual or group, of the refusal to work together in unity and demand schism over one issue, stereotyping a whole people group (religious or racial) based on the actions of a relative few... effectively it is the exclusion of the "other" and this is not what God had in mind.

At God's core is community: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together to bring about wonderful change and transformation in the midst of a broken world. Three very distinct persons coming together, and instead of working against each other, being thankful for one another and the gifts that they bring to the table. We were made in God's image, and this fact means that we were made to be in relationship with one another - in community with other people, even those with whom we may disagree. God recognized with Adam that it was not good for him to be alone, so Eve was created as more than just a "helpmate" but a companion, someone whom Adam could love and be loved in return. Two very different people and yet they were in community, and remained in community with one another even after they had been kicked out of the Garden of Eden (remember, Adam blamed Eve for making him eat the fruit? I can only imagine the hurt incurred, especially since this would have been the first time anybody blamed someone else for their own actions and choices.)

It's more than any particular and singular issue: it's about hate in all its forms.

 So what can we do about it? First, we can pray. We can pray for all those who are grieving the loss of loved ones due to this hatred that has been allowed to become a part of our society. We can pray for those who are recovering physically from their wounds in these tragic acts and pray that they might find emotional and spiritual healing in the wake of them. We can pray for ourselves, that we might have the courage to stand up against the systemic hatred which has festered in our society towards any group of people - LGBTQ, racism, religious groups, etc...

Second, we can be Christ's hands and feet towards the marginalized. We can treat our brothers and sisters who are LGBTQ, Muslim, gun control, anti-gun control, other denominational Christians, etc... like the human beings they are! Like the precious children of God that they are because they all have been made in God's image at birth as well!

Father God, forgive us for our trespasses against our fellow human beings. We have forgotten that our actions of hatred have actually been hatred as we have been told that bullying and even shootings are normal events. Help us to realize that these are not natural things and bring us back to what you have commanded of us: to love you, Lord, with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, as well as to love our neighbors as ourselves. Through your Holy Spirit, strip us of our sinful desires and create in us a new person emulating Christ in which Your love overflows and affects all those we come across, regardless of whatever people group they might belong to. Amen.