Baptism and Babies

Baptism and Babies

     Matthew 3:13-17 is an incredibly memorable part of scripture. Jesus comes down to the river where his cousin, John the Baptist, is baptizing people in the Jordan (because... you know... he’s JOHN THE BAPTIST... it’s kinda’ his thing...) to represent their repentance of their old way of doing life and committing theirselves to God. In essence, it was a symbolic gesture of individuals saying, “Moving forward, my life will be different from the sinful way in which I had been living.” This was obviously a choice that was being made by these individuals who had (hopefully) given much thought and consideration into this action and wanted this very public and very visual demonstration of obedience to God.

     And then Jesus came along - the guy without sin - asking his cousin John the Baptist to baptize him. “But Jesus, I’m not even worthy to tie your sandal - if anything, you should be baptizing me!” was the response that John gives Jesus. John recognized that what he was doing was baptizing folks with plain old Jordan River water, while Jesus would baptize with a holy fire - the Holy Spirit! Yet Jesus insisted, and what we see this event of baptism being is the starting line of the Son’s ministry, for the Father, empowered but the Holy Spirit. It was an appropriate way to mark the beginning of his life’s focus not changing, but becoming even more focused on his calling.

     “What does this have to do with babies, Ben?” Before going any farther, we need to talk about what baptism is. 1 Peter 3:20-22:

“20 In the past, these spirits were disobedient—when God patiently waited during the time of Noah. Noah built an ark in which a few (that is, eight) lives were rescued through water. 21 Baptism is like that. It saves you now—not because it removes dirt from your body but because it is the mark of a good conscience toward God. Your salvation comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at God’s right side. Now that he has gone into heaven, he rules over all angels, authorities, and powers.” 

Did you catch that? In verse 21, it says that “[baptism] saves you now — not because it removes dirt from your body but because it is the mark of a good conscience toward God.” I have heard the argument from Christians before that if you are not baptized then you are not saved, because salvation comes through the cleansing waters. Reading this carefully, however, we can come to realize that the power of salvation does not come through the waters. The waters are merely symbolic of something that is happening within you - a right way of thinking, a redirecting of one’s attention toward, our Heavenly Parent. “Your salvation comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at God’s right side.”

Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace.

     In the United Methodist Church, we have come to understand that baptism is not what saves you, nor are you condemned to an eternity in hell if you don’t get baptized. Instead, baptism is a public and visible display of showing your community that you believe in the salvation that Jesus Christ provides. Hence one of my favorite phrases in Methodist theology and doctrine, “Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace.” Baptism is visibly acknowledging that the Holy Spirit is already at work in your life, so let’s celebrate this fact in the community!

     Because baptism has so long been held up as part of the “necessary salvation checklist” in many denominations, it has also been associated as something that is unable to be done without the person making that decision for themselves. This is a very logical argument - accepting the gift of salvation is a choice, and if baptism is a necessary component of salvation, then the individual to be baptized must make that decision for their own spiritual well-being. But, this is saying that without baptism the Holy Spirit cannot work in your life and Christ can’t save you, which many Christians when they look on their lives before accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, must openly admit is false: The Spirit WAS working in their lives EVEN BEFORE they knew it was God! They were already experiencing God’s grace even if they were unable to accept it. This is called Prevenient Grace in fancy theological terms.

     So when we begin to see that baptism is acknowledging that God is already doing awesome things in a person’s life — surrounding them by people that love them, offering protection and health, etc… — then we begin to realize that baptism is more of a celebration that God loves us and is doing great things in our lives already. And when the community affirms that God is at work in someone’s life as opposed to the point at which they receive “their ticket to heaven,” then babies being baptized doesn’t sound so crazy at all, does it? As a matter of fact, it even makes sense within the context of Jesus stating “‘Allow the children to come to me,’ Jesus said. ‘Don’t forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children.’” (Matthew 19:14) and helps give us a context as to why entire households were baptized. Even Peter in Acts 2:39 shares that the promise of the Holy Spirit was for not just the parents, but the children as well!

     When one is baptized in the United Methodist Church, there are vows to be made: “Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil power of this world, and repent of your sin? Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression, in whatever forms they present themselves? Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?” If they agree to each of these questions, they then say, “I do.” When baptizing an infant, however, it is the parents (or legal guardian) that is asked these questions on behalf of the child with the intention that, even though they cannot speak for themselves as of yet, they will be raised in an environment where they will learn what it is to follow Christ, reject evil, injustice, and oppression, and be taught what it is to put their trust in Christ. Then, when they are old enough, they will have the opportunity through a process called Confirmation to affirm and take upon theirselves these vows which were made for them at a young age.

     Then it is the congregation’s turn to make a vow – not only to renew their own baptismal vows, but promising to take this new brother or sister in Christ and raise them up in Christ’s love. The act of baptism is a way of bringing the community of Christ together and reaffirm that the Spirit is moving in and amongst everyone’s life. Is baptism something that guarantees that someone gets to Heaven? No – but if the congregation and parents are serious about helping to raise this child to follow Christ, then the likelihood of them knowing that the Spirit is at work in their lives drastically rises along with the possibility of them accepting Jesus Christ.

     This was obviously a brief overview of infant baptism (albeit longer than I intended), and there is so much more to it. So instead of thinking of this post as a complete defense of infant baptism, think of it instead as the beginnings of a conversation. I tried to briefly point out that there is a Biblical precedent for it as well as share that there is more than simply sprinkling water on a baby’s head and calling it “good to go!” Baptism, being the deeply communal act that it is, requires an action that all christians, regardless of age, must practice: loving one another like Christ loves us.I believe that is where much of the confusion stems from: because baptism has been regarded by so many for so long as directly related to salvation, it has become an individualistic action as opposed to one that the whole community of Christ is a part of.

     If you are at church one morning or in a lake, pool, ocean, horse trough, etc… and you see someone being baptized – whether it be an infant or adult baptism – I encourage you to recognize it for what it is: an acknowledgement that the Spirit is already at work in transforming their life, and your role as a disciple is to foster their growth in Christ.

     God Bless.

Being Lost

Being Lost

Luke 15:11-32

So, there’s this story that Jesus tells his followers about a wealthy father and his two sons. His oldest son always followed the rules, respecting his dad, getting his chores done, and was content with living his life in this way. His younger son, however, experienced a great deal of discontent – and for what reason, we are not given.

One day, the younger son decides that living on this farm that his father owned was no longer good enough for him – that it was time that he struck off on his own. We are led to believe that, for whatever reason, he actually really hates his dad. This is believed because he demanded that he receive his inheritance from his father right then and there before striking off on his own. Demanding your inheritance from your parent who is very much alive is equatable to telling your parent to, “Drop dead, I want nothing to do with you. I’m taking what’s rightfully mine and I’m leaving!” The older brother’s jaw must have dropped to hear this from his brother’s mouth. Then, if his jaw hadn’t hit the floor, it certainly did when his father actually complied with the request! The younger son then took what was given to him and moved to the city.

Now, we don’t know what exactly went on in the city for the younger son or how the money was spent, only what big brother will later on speculate. Given the meaning of “prodigal,” however, we can infer that he was reckless with his money and certainly didn’t follow Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University financial course. His resources were used up around the same time that severe food shortage hit the country. Like what many others were likely experiencing, he hit some dire straights. Things got so desperate for the younger son that he hired himself out to a pig farmer to feed his animals. A Jew, debasing himself to the point of becoming unclean by being with pigs. He became so hungry that the slop he was feeding the pigs was beginning to look awfully good… then it hit him: he was never in want when he was in his father’s household – even the family servants were never in need of anything. If he could only go back home, but surely that bridge was burnt and damaged beyond repair, right?

The younger son resolves himself to return to his father, but instead of being reinstated and recognized as his son, he is determined to be content with being only a servant since he effectively removed himself from the family. The young son is practicing his speech all the way home, expecting a cold welcome. Imagine his surprise, then, when his father, seeing him crest the hill, came running out to him, embracing him and calling for a party before he can deliver his prepared speech! The fattened calf was slaughtered, a robe fetched, and the family ring placed upon his finger. The father, not caring about the insult given him or money lost, was going to celebrate his lost “prodigal” son returning home!

Big brother was not so forgiving, though. When he learns what all the commotion was about upon returning from the fields, he refuses to join in on the celebrations. If we stop and think about it, we can see why he is so mad. As a result of dad giving his younger son the inheritance early, the estate had been cut in half, which meant that the overall earning potential over the subsequent years would suffer – by taking his inheritance early, the younger brother had also lost his older brother’s potential wealth! Putting money aside, however, the older son saw this as rewarding irresponsible behavior. “I’ve done everything right, Dad! I’ve followed your instructions, always been obedient, and not once did you celebrate me for following the rules! Then my little brother comes home after wasting all of your money on God-knows-what, probably prostitutes, and you throw a massive party for him!”

“But son,” the Father says to his eldest progeny, “You’ve been with me the whole time – what’s mine is yours, always has been! All you had to do was ask!” This is where we begin to see that maybe the younger son wasn’t the only one that was lost… just the more obvious one.

How many times have you followed the rules and expected some “Universal Law of Fairness” to kick in? How many times have you been disgusted by those who messed up and didn’t follow the rules, but still seem to have everything handed to them on a silver plate? I know that this has been me on a number of occasions, even as a young child. I remember a first-grade field trip to the zoo, and the parent chaperoning my group had purchased us a treat – well, this was against the rules, and I was sure to voice this out loud! Instead of accepting the graceful act of love which was presented to me and my classmates, I decided to call her out for her nice deed! How many times have you not been able to accept a gift of grace and love given to either you or someone else because of “the rules?”

It’s easy for us to pick on the younger brother in this story. After all, it’s easy to see where he was out of line – he told his dad “I wish you were dead, now give me my money!” Blatantly out of line. We’re even finding ourselves beginning to side with big brother as the story unfolds – “He did this to you, and you’re going to throw him a party!?!?” Then the Jesus hits the listener when the father tells his son that he’s been a part of experiencing the love all along. We realize then that following the rules for the rules’ sake is dangerous because it keeps us from fully opening ourselves up to and experiencing the love that is already freely given to us.

All of our rule-following won’t save us, and we find that the case happens to be just the opposite – if we concern ourselves solely with keeping the rules / laws / regulations, then we will wind up more lost because we will have blinded ourselves to the love which God already freely gives us. Therefore, let us celebrate when others realize that love in their own lives, whether they finally realize that being a stickler to the rules as they see them are not what’s important after all or they have finally come to their senses and repent of their wasteful and selfish way of life!

Let us be a part of the party. Let us open ourselves up to the experience of God’s love no matter how “prodigal” we may be.

photo credit: lost-man.jpg found at https://bestcatholicgifts.com/the-parable-of-the-lost-coin-moral-lessons

Where is God?

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand at the mountain before the Lord. The Lord is passing by.’ A very strong wind tore through the mountains and broke apart the stones before the Lord. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. After the fire, there was a sound. Thin. Quiet. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his coat. He went out and stood at the cave’s entrance. A voice came to him and said, ‘Why are you here, Elijah?’” 1 Kings 19:11-13

  I firmly believe that people are searching for God. The reasons may be different – some are searching for peace while others are searching for healing, others may simply be looking for the first semblance of direction in their lives – but people are constantly seeking out God. This very well may be the reason why when a natural disaster occurs, there are those who are quick to give God the credit for “punishing those sinners” while nonbelievers are asking the question, “Where was God when that earthquake / hurricane / fire happened?” Even nonbelievers jump to that question of where God is because maybe (just maybe) there is a part of them that still hasn’t given up that search for a higher being, even when their search has landed them in skepticism and doubt.

Then there are those moments in our lives where we can’t help but to feel that we are lost and in need of God’s presence, so we seek God out. We’ll go on retreats or begin serving in the church - not so much to be the hands and feet of Christ so much as just wanting to experience God in a more tangible way. We even get it into our heads that, “And in this way I will experience God!” And sometimes we do recognize God in the midst of storms in our lives – but if we are really paying attention, we will recognize that God is indeed in the midst of the storms, but not the storms themselves.

In the Scripture passage above, Elijah is on the run. God’s other prophets have been killed and he was next. He was the sole survivor of God’s prophets because of the Baal worship that had taken over in the Promised Land. He felt abandoned and alone. Then God spoke to him and informed him to go outside of the cave he was hiding in, for the presence of the Lord was about to pass by that place. “Trust me, Elijah, you’re not going to want to miss this!” Then this destructive wind came along, followed by an earthquake, followed by fire, and you can just see Elijah out there, experiencing these storms and the destruction they undoubtedly caused, begging to see God’s presence in the storms – likely expecting that God was the storm! Yet even though Elijah was looking in all the places that he was certain God would be in, God wasn’t there.

Then Elijah heard it… a thin, quiet voice… asking this question for the second time, “Why are you here?” Maybe we can rephrase the question: “Why are you looking for me in the storms? Did you think I was the storm?” I really want to know which was more surprising to Elijah in that moment: the fact that God’s display wasn’t the massive, awe-inspiring power of nature that he just witnessed on display, or that the most powerful being in the cosmos was in this small, still voice…

A fellow pastor in my area recently returned from his second trip to Israel. He had been there about 20 years ago, and during his touring and seeing all of these holy places, he was convinced that he would experience God in these Christian landmarks – and he returned disappointed. On this second trip, he had been thinking that maybe it was a maturity thing and, over the past few decades, he has matured and grown closer to God. After his return, aside from baptizing in the Jordan River, again he returned without really clearly feeling the presence of God like he had imagined in these historic Christian landmarks. If anything, he has felt God more clearly in our small town in southern Indiana.

I think there is a profound truth behind this experience of my friend’s. We often times expect that we will experience God as a result of God always doing something to us. All too rarely do we at large consider that maybe, just maybe, we experience God’s presence as a result of God doing something with us. Those moments that really drive us as Christians are those moments that we realize that we are doing something as the hands and feet of Christ. We feel the presence of God when are praying with brothers and sisters, as we are working together in collecting food for the hungry, or helping those in our community with bills that they otherwise would not be able to cover just to keep the lights on for their family. Sometimes, those actions are so seemingly small and minuscule that it’s all too easy to overlook, yet it is in these acts of love that God is found.

This isn’t to say that God can never be found in an earthquake or massive fire… it just doesn’t seem to be God’s modus operandi. After all, we’re talking about a God that, in order to restore a relationship with us, came to earth in the least flashy way: as a baby to poor folk, promptly became a refugee, then grew up in a small town called Nazareth upon returning to Israel. We weren’t saved by a warrior on a white steed but by a teacher of peace riding a donkey – pretty low-key in comparison to what the Jewish people were expecting a savior to look like. So sometimes, God’s miraculous healings come through doctors and nurses at the hospital, and the way in which your marriage was saved was a neighbor who was more than happy to watch your kids allowing you to go to counseling or reconnect during date night.

Certainly, God is present in our lives – but rather than being the storms or showing up in the most grandiose of ways, may we recognize that God walks with us through the storms.

[Photo credit: Shutterstock. Words overlaid with “Over” for iOS]

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.

Getting Ready for a Revival!

Before leaving for England, the pastors that meet on a weekly basis, Tuesday mornings, at city hall to pray with the mayor had been talking about bringing a joint church revival here to Sullivan. They were thinking about doing this in April - 8 months away.

While I was in England, as I've mentioned before in this blog, I had been gaining more and more of a sense of urgency. Something needs to happen in Sullivan - I don't know what that looks like other than it needing to be led by the grace of God and the Holy Spirit. When I come back to the mayor's office the next Tuesday morning, no longer were they talking about this revival through Revive Indiana being 8 months away - they were already going through logistics and how to pull this revival off in 2 months! While I was gone, feeling the Spirit tugging on me, the pastors back here in Indiana were feeling this same push!

I stop and I think about what John Wesley did for the church: he organized and executed a revival, yet he didn't do it alone. The Spirit was working through him, his brother, their classmates, friends and acquaintances. Often times when we talk about the Methodist movement, it often times sounds like John Wesley gets all of the credit and he did it all by his lonesome - and that couldn't be further from the truth.

There are many things which I am impressed by concerning this upcoming revival. For one thing, it is all of these different churches which are coming together as the Body of Christ. Sure, we might not all agree on every doctrine, but we recognize that the main and unifying point of Christianity is our relationship with Jesus Christ - that we are all called to grow closer to God through His Son. As long as we keep our eyes on that truth then we're golden!

The other amazing thing to me about this is that the Spirit literally knows no bounds, either spatial or chronological. God was working on my heart while I was in Salisbury, England while He was working on the hearts and minds of the pastors back home, 5 time zones away. Even though there is a part of me that wants to throw up my hands in exasperation at the lunacy of pulling off an event this big in 2 months, I find myself at peace, trusting that no matter what happens, God will use this for His glory. Good will come out of it - and my part of this process is to trust and obey.

So here I am, in the midst of sermon planning and writing, studying, visiting parishioners and trying to get ready for the Fruitful Congregation Journey which will help lead Sullivan First UMC into being a more fruitful and vibrant congregation (a revival in and of itself), at the same time, I am actively promoting and helping to get this ecumenical event off the ground. All I can say is that I am incredibly blessed to be given the opportunity to be a part of something like this alongside some truly wonderful and gifted people from the various churches in this city.

If you want to learn more about Revive Sullivan, you can check out our Facebook page (just search for "Revive Sullivan"). I am going to be looking into a website and likely building that if Revive Indiana (who we are doing this revival under) does not already supply us with one.

Prayers, please, for the community of Sullivan. May this city come to know the grace of God as it is actively working in all of our lives, and may the Spirit cut through the attitude of apathy which Sullivan has taken on. May we all come to understand that we are loved and valued children of the Most High God!