Out the Door

Facing my Mortality

We're all going to die someday, (unless Christ returns).  But this week that reality is looking me in the face.  Come Wednesday, I will hit the half century mark.  I can't imagine that I'm old enough to qualify for AARP.  What makes turning fifty even scary for me is the knowledge that the median age at which people with acromegaly (a disease I've had for 20 years) die at 62.  Twelve years doesn't seem like much. 

The good news is that for the last year I've been on a new medicine that has kept my disease in check.  It's a miracle drug more me.  Thank God for good health insurance.  My prescriptions run in the neighborhood of $5,000 per month.  It's well worth it for me.  Because of this treatment, there's a very good chance that I'll live beyond the average acromegalic. 

Most of the time, having this death sentence hanging over me doesn't have a great impact on me.  But this week in different.  I'm trying not to make a big deal out of my birthday, it's really just another day.  However, I'm not having much luck.  I'll be glad when the day has come and gone, so that I can forget about it and get back to living my life as fully as I can while I can.

Part of what makes this hard to deal with are the feelings of guilt that go with the other emotional pain.  I'm a Christian.  I have faith in Christ.  I know my life is held in God's hands.  Thus I shouldn't be feeling, let alone expressing my grief and fear.  I should just trust.  And because I'm having these negative feelings, I end up beating myself up over them.  Why can't I just believe that I'm going to live a full & healthy life?  Why can't I trust that God will provide for me?  Why am I so negative?  I'm not supposed to have these feelings, I'm a pastor.  Yet, as I sit and write this, I find myself fighting back the tears.  God help me!

Essential Beliefs

Most United Methodist are familar with John Wesley's saying, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity."

The question is, what are the essentials?  The new website I'm in the process of bringing on line includes a "Beliefs" page.  What essential beliefs do you think should be included on this page?  I'm thinking I want to include 5 - 6 succinct statements of faith.  Let me hear from you.

Here's one I'm thinking about:  We believe in the sacred worth of all people.  Human life is a gift from God and every person regardless of age, race, gender, creed, sexual orientation, and whether they are born or unborn bears the divine spark of the image of God their Creator and should be treated with dignity and respect.

The Web Empowered Church

After being at a workshop a couple of weeks ago with Mike Slaughter & some of the staff from Ginghamsburg UMC, I decided to transition our church website over to The Web Empowered Church program.  It offers a number of features that I can't do with my limited skill in FrontPage.  Besides that it's free!  WEC is a ministry of the UM Foundation for Evangelism.  My enthusiasm has wained a bit as I have worked at getting it up and running.  Though I am making progress, the learning curve seems to be pretty steep from me.

Admittedly, I'm not a computer guru.  But I have been using computers for more than 20 years.  The first computer I ever owned was a Commodore 128.  It was an impressive machine with 128 KB of memory on the hard drive.  That was back in 1984.  Computers with gigabytes worth of RAM still freak me out. 

So while this new Web Empowered Church program isn't like second nature to me, I'm forcing myself to figure it out.  For one reason, because I think if and when I do, it will result in a pretty awesome website.  And two, if I don't keep making myself learn new things, there is no way that I can continue to be effective in ministry in the 21st century.  I'm only a little over half way through my ministry career.  I hope to still be serving in full time ministry 15 - 20 years from now.  Thus I dare not allow myself to take the easy way out and settle for what I'm comfortable with.  If I had done that in the past, I'd still be using that old Commodore computer with it's 5 1/2 inch floppy disks and wondering why I can't relate to the up and coming generations.

Cyber-Christians

One of my sermon points for this coming Sunday which talks about what our congregation needs to do if we are going to have a vital ministry, is A Strong Web Presence.   I sincerely believe that by taking advantage of the World Wide Web, we can literally fulfill Jesus' command to be his witnesses to "the ends of the earth."

I'd like to hear from you, how you have used the web to enhance your spiritual life or build a ministry.  Especially for some of the older folks who are skeptical of new forms of technology, having personal stories to tell will greatly increase the effectiveness of my message.

Thanks for sharing.

Dress Rehearsal

Tonight is the dress rehearsal for the community theater production of "Egads, the Woman in White" in which I play the role of lawyer Gilmore.  This humorous melodrama takes place in the late 1800's and features a wide range of community members.  Watching some of the inexperience cast members develop their acting ability has been fun.

Lawyer Gilmore sarcastically advises Sr. Percival, a dastardly character will a fiendish laugh.  In the end, Gilmore pays for his sarcasm with a swift kick in the pants.  And of course, true to any melodrama, the hero, a dashing young drawing master named Mr. Heartright, saves the beautiful Lady Fairlee from Percival's grasp and everyone lives happily ever after, except for Percival who meets he fate in a most impressive death scene.

One of the directors (who attends a Lutheran church in town) said to me the other day that she was glad that I was a part of the cast.  She thought it was important that pastors be seen in public.  In a way, I thought it was a strange comment, but then that shows my preconceptions.  As a United Methodist pastor, I've always assumed that it was part of my responsibility to be involved in the community in which I live.  I've always been a member of one sort of community club or other wherever we have lived and I've enjoyed doing community theater in the past.  I was even on the city council for a few years during a former appointment.

Having thought about it more, I'm beginning to understand where she's coming from.  Pastors can get so tied up caring for their own flock, that there's little time to be involved in the wider community.  This is one of the things for which I'm grateful as a UM clergy.  My congregations have always anticipated and even expected that I would be an active member of the community.  And I'm glad that I can do something I enjoy doing and be Christ's respresentative at the same time.

Common Ground? Part 3

After several days of busyness, I have a chance to complete my response to Joel Thomas list of liberal theology.

16. The possibility that not only may we acquire new understandings of God’s revelation but that it is possible that God is still revealing.

No matter how many years humanity lives upon the earth, we will never fully comprehend God and all His ways.  Somewhere around 100 AD, when the last of the New Testament was written, God didn't say, "I've revealed to humanity all that I'm going to show them about myself."  Thus we can anticipate that God will be continually revealing new things to us, though they will always be built on and in agreement with what God has revealed in the past.

17. Humans, while tending toward depravity, are capable of responding to divine grace.

I can't imagine any United Methodist disagreeing with this statement.

18. As “imitators” of Christ, we must engage the essential unity of faith and works.

Seems to me that's exactly what James is saying when he speaks about faith without works is dead.

19. That Christian existentialism is criticized but effectively practiced by the “orthodox” and fundamentalists but honestly admitted to by many liberals.

I'm afraid I'm not sure the point that Joel is trying to make here, so no comment.

20. Rejection of an over-emphasis on a “personal relationship with Christ” that fails to adequately place faith in the context of community.

Christianity at its heart is a religion of relationships.  Emphasis of one type of relationship over another is bound to lead to less than the fullness of faith.  This is true whether the relationship is with Christ or with one's neighbor.  Didn't Jesus teach that how we treated the least is how we have treated him?  And don't we love our neighbor because we have first been loved by Christ?

21. A strong emphasis on “corporate sin” as being as evil and destructive as personal sin.

I think this becomes a bone of contention between liberals and conservatives.  From my point of view most liberals don't place a strong enough emphasis on personal sin and moral behavior.  Just as I'm sure most liberals would say that conservatives often ignore "corporate sin."  Again the key is to keep things is balance.  Corporate sin arises out of the personal sin of many.

22. That while miracles happen, God does not ordinarily suspend the laws of nature.

Miracles by their very definition are not everyday occurrences.  Though the argument could be made that one of the greatest miracles every performed by God was the creation of the universe with its laws of nature.  Thus when we see the laws of nature at work, we're witnessing the ongoing miracle of creation.

I want to thank Joel for stirring and challenging me to think about these topics.  It's been a long time since I've had to look at my beliefs in any kind of systematic way and while my responses were brief, I'm glad for the opportunity to do so.

UM Bloggers Unite

For some time there's been talk about getting the Methoblogosphere together in one place.  Gavin and his buddies down south have been working to put this together.  Thanks to their efforts, things are starting to happen.  Mrytle Beach in January sounds mighty fine to me.

Check out what's being planned.

Common Ground? Part 2

Continuing my response to Joel Thomas' liberal theology prepositions.

7. Doctrines, church authority and Scripture cannot be divorced from subjective personal experience.

This seems to me to deny the reality of ultimate truth.  If everything is subject to a person's own interpretation, then there can't be any universal reality.  Without a doubt, each person brings their own experiences to their understanding of doctrines, church authority and Scripture, but one must be open to the correction of the body of Christ.  This is where our understanding of tradition comes into play.

8. Community wholeness in relation to God is as important as a personal relationship to God through Christ. (“Shalom” creation.) 

No argument here from me.  There are two great commandments, love God and love your neighbor.  One cannot be fulfilled without fulfilling the other.  I would question if most liberal Christians would be comfortable reversing this statement.  A personal relationship to God through Christ is as important as community wholeness in relation to God.

9. An understanding that the Bible contains “all things necessary for salvation” but not necessarily all things related to salvation.

I guess I don't know exactly what Joel means by "not necessarily all things related to salvation" so really can't respond to this without some clarification.

10. A refusal to make creeds a test of faith.

The great creeds of the faith are invaluable in helping a Christian see the broad picture of what the Church has believed through the ages.  However, they are not the litmus test which determines a person's faithfulness.  What a person believes is important, for beliefs are the precursor to action.  And it is one's actions which like the fruit of a tree that reveals one's true nature.  There are some statements of faith that must be non-negotiable.  For instance, that Jesus died for the sins of the world, was raised to new life, ascended to the Father, and will return again in victory.  A person can not rightly be called a Christian if this statement of faith is not a part of their personal creed.

11. Openness to “finding Christ in the culture.”

I believe this is most definitely true.  Indeed, I believe it is one of my chief duties as a pastor to help people find Christ in their everyday lives and the culture in which they live.

12. Doubt is not inherently the enemy of faith, but can be used by God to engage that very faith.

God is big enough to handle our questions.  Jesus even questioned the Father, "My God, why have you forsaken me?"  Too often, the Church has seen honest questions as an attack upon the faith.  Still, it is those who have questioned the established order who have lead the Church to it's greatest revivals.  That said, there are some essentials which must be held above question.

13. A strong commitment to social justice.

This is an area where we conservatives can learn from our liberal sisters and brothers.  And I don't believe that conservatives are against social justice, it's that we want to see it achieved in different ways.

14. The idea that self-reflection is a necessary component of faith.

I'm not sure why Joel lists this among the beliefs of liberals, it seems to me to be a more conservative idea.  Self-reflection and self-examination are necessary steps toward repentance and personal holiness, both which are emphasized by conservatives.

15. Acceptance that the Bible incorporates an intentional tension between “universal” and “exclusive” salvation. (To remind us that God alone judges?)

I'm afraid I see little evidence in the scriptures that point toward "universal" salvation.  Perhaps one can make some case for it by proof texting, but clearly the scripture as a whole teaches that salvation comes by faith and in particular, faith in Jesus Christ.  I do wholeheartedly agree that God alone judges.

I'm going to be out of town for a couple of days in order to attend a workshop put on by Ginghamsburg UMC in Ames, but I hope to conclude my responses to Joel by the end of the week.

Common ground?

Too often we United Methodists focus on what divides us rather than the essentials which bind us together.  I've certainly done my share to add to the fray.  In an effort to see if any common ground can be found, I want to respond to Joel Thomas' understanding of liberal theology.  Since this is fairly long list, I won't try to look at them all at once.

1.  View the Bible as inspired and not inerrant.

Before I can properly respond to this, I need to know what Joel means by the word "inerrant."  I don't believe that the Bible is 100% scientifically accurate.  Why should it be, it's not a science book?  Did God literally create the world in six 24 hour days or did a big fish swallow Jonah whole only to spit him up again?  I doubt it.  The Bible is far more concerned about answering the "why?" question than the "how?"  It is the Bible's answers to the "why's" that are inerrant.  Thus the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments are the "sufficient rule both of faith and of practice" (Statement of Faith; Korean Methodist Church, UM Hymnal # 884).  No other source is needed other than the Bible in order for a person to know how to receive salvation and to live the Christian faith.  Other sources are helpful, but not necessary and always secondary.

2.  An understanding that some passages in the Bible are metaphorical or “myth based.”

Which ones?  Some of the Old Testament stories and Jesus' parables.  Okay, I can buy that.  Jesus' physical death and resurrection, then there's no way.  Unless our faith is based on reality and not just a metaphorical story or a myth, we are building our life on sand.  "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." 1 Corinthians 15:19 (NIV).

3. An emphasis on the need to apply human reason, experience and tradition in interpreting the Bible. 

These are essential to the way we approach the faith as Wesleyans.  However, they cannot replace or supersede a clear reading of the scriptures.  We humans have the amazing capacity to rationalize most anything.  We can weigh the pros and cons (reason), look at human experience, and search the practices within the  history of the Church and come up with whatever answer we desire.  Without the scriptures as a final authority, the door is open for ever kind of interpretation.

4. Application of insights from the social sciences (which are also not inerrant) is crucial to interpreting the Bible. As the social sciences are themselves God’s revelation of truth, they complement rather than compete with Scripture.

Freud can't be equated with Paul when it comes to understanding our faith or the human situation.  The social sciences can add to our knowledge, but they are interpretive and not revelationary.  They are valuable only to the degree that they help us apply the truths of the scriptures, but they cannot add to the truth of the scriptures.

5. An emphasis on Biblical criticism and literary analysis.

Biblical criticism and literary analysis have their place in the study of the scriptures.  The problem comes when scholars begin to nitpick the scriptures to pieces, as done by the Jesus Seminar.  Rather than being concerned to a high degree about Biblical criticism or literary analysis, (ie, exactly who did write Hebrews) the Bible should be approached as a gold mine of truth from which the riches of God's wisdom may be extracted.

6. Scripture must be viewed through the lens of time and culture.

The Bible is a culturally influenced book.  Much of it was written with a particular people and a particular situation in mind.  We live in a culture very different from the world in which the Bible was written and thus our reading of the Bible is influenced and even distorted by our culture's perceptions.  The key is to seek to understand what the writers were saying to the people of their day and to bring that truth and apply it in our culture.

Please stop back in the coming days to follow this discussion.

Don't miss this

Today Mark Winter shared a personal story that will touch the heart of every man and probably most women as well.  Check it out.