On the first Sunday in Advent, November 29, gathered in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church, Tupelo, Mississippi, were the families and friends of Millie and Chris to share with them the celebration of their marriage. As the congregation began singing the processional hymn, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, it was as if prayers of blessing were being prayed over Millie and Chris. Millie, escorted by her parents and Chris, escorted by his, found their places at the altar, the final refrain echoed through the sanctuary.
As the service proceeded, words of life were exchanged. Big, important words. After the vows were exchanged, the father of the groom prayed this prayer, adapted from the Book of Common Prayer.
Eternal God, creator and preserver of all of life, author of salvation, and giver of all grace: Look with favor upon the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life, and especially upon Chris and Millie whom you make one flesh in Holy Matrimony. Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life, that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy.
Grant that their wills may be so knit together in your will, and their spirits in your spirit, that they may grow in love and peace with you and one another all the days of their life. Grant them grace, when they hurt each other, to recognize and acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other’s forgiveness and yours. Make their life together a sign of Christ’s love to this sinful and broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair. Give them such fulfillment of their mutual affection, that they may reach out in love and concern for others. Grant that all those who have witnessed these vows may find their lives strengthened and their loyalties confirmed.
Grant, too, that the bonds of our common humanity, by which all your children are united one to another, and the living to the dead, may be so transformed by your grace, that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven; where, O Father, with your son and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign in perfect unity, now and forever. Amen.
Two lives joined in body, mind, and soul. There is deep peace resounding in the spirits of those who witnessed and shared this day.
As the gospel writer in John writes, As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
So be it. Now and forever. Amen.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Connection is…
-A group of college students from all over the state of Mississippi at The Journey, a retreat for college age students
-the granddaughter of church members from my first appointment out of seminary
- my nieces, Emily and Kelly who with my daughter, Laura, were able to share the weekend together
-a young woman whose family and ours had shared life in significant ways when I was pastor of St. Matthew’s but whom I had not seen in many years.
-a young woman whose parents were charter members of Getwell Road United Methodist Church and whose wedding I performed
-two young adults from Philadelphia, First whom I had known when I was their pastor.
- A preacher’s son, who with Laura, had grown up knowing each other through Conference Youth events and had served on the staff of SIFAT together for the last two years.
-Adults with whom I had shared ministry during the years in which I was pastor at St. Matthew’s UMC in Madison, MS.
-Bob and Anne McElroy who give of their time and energy twice a year to make sure young adults are having connecting experiences with Christ.
My heart was warmed Sunday afternoon, sitting in a familiar place surrounded by familiar friends, listening to the stories of how God had moved among these students in a mighty way.
Would that the Church pay attention to the places where God is at work and give great blessing.
-the granddaughter of church members from my first appointment out of seminary
- my nieces, Emily and Kelly who with my daughter, Laura, were able to share the weekend together
-a young woman whose family and ours had shared life in significant ways when I was pastor of St. Matthew’s but whom I had not seen in many years.
-a young woman whose parents were charter members of Getwell Road United Methodist Church and whose wedding I performed
-two young adults from Philadelphia, First whom I had known when I was their pastor.
- A preacher’s son, who with Laura, had grown up knowing each other through Conference Youth events and had served on the staff of SIFAT together for the last two years.
-Adults with whom I had shared ministry during the years in which I was pastor at St. Matthew’s UMC in Madison, MS.
-Bob and Anne McElroy who give of their time and energy twice a year to make sure young adults are having connecting experiences with Christ.
My heart was warmed Sunday afternoon, sitting in a familiar place surrounded by familiar friends, listening to the stories of how God had moved among these students in a mighty way.
Would that the Church pay attention to the places where God is at work and give great blessing.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Kingdom Has Come Near
The kingdom of God is like many things, Jesus says: a farmer sowing seed, a man hunting treasure, a woman kneading dough, fishermen casting a net, a man forgiven a debt, a wedding guest who forgot his jacket, virgins waiting for a bridegroom, a landowner being generous.
It’s also like a wedding celebration in rural Alabama, at a place called SIFAT.
Gathered on that cloud covered day were friends and family of Laura Elizabeth McAlilly and Nathan Watson Paulk. Thirty yards away a creek rushed by, swollen from the rain which had fallen during the night. Two guitarists played “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”.
Following the wedding vows, the ministers, a father and a son, led the congregation in The Great Thanksgiving. “The Lord Be with you.” “And also with you,” the congregation spontaneously chanted.
After the words of institution, one of the ministers prayed:
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.
By the same Spirit bless Laura and Nate,
that their love for each other
may reflect the love of Christ for us
and grow from strength to strength
as they faithfully serve you in the world.
Defend them from every enemy.
Lead them into all peace.
Let their love for each other
be a seal upon their hearts,
a mantle about their shoulders,
and a crown upon their heads.
Bless them
in their work and in their companionship;
in their sleeping and in their waking;
in their joys and in their sorrows;
in their lives and in their deaths.
Finally, by your grace,
bring them and all of us to that table
where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father now and forever.
Amen.
As those who were invited to serve the elements came forward, a hush fell over the worshipping congregation. Five persons made their way to the chancel.
From Africa, India, and Thailand, all participating in the ten week Practicum at SIFAT. It was as if the kingdom of heaven had come near, right there on that hillside.
A few Mississippians and a few Alabamians were there.
A bride.
A groom.
Some bread and some wine.
The clouds parted; the sunshine beamed through the trees.
And the kingdom of God had come near.
It’s also like a wedding celebration in rural Alabama, at a place called SIFAT.
Gathered on that cloud covered day were friends and family of Laura Elizabeth McAlilly and Nathan Watson Paulk. Thirty yards away a creek rushed by, swollen from the rain which had fallen during the night. Two guitarists played “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”.
Following the wedding vows, the ministers, a father and a son, led the congregation in The Great Thanksgiving. “The Lord Be with you.” “And also with you,” the congregation spontaneously chanted.
After the words of institution, one of the ministers prayed:
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.
By the same Spirit bless Laura and Nate,
that their love for each other
may reflect the love of Christ for us
and grow from strength to strength
as they faithfully serve you in the world.
Defend them from every enemy.
Lead them into all peace.
Let their love for each other
be a seal upon their hearts,
a mantle about their shoulders,
and a crown upon their heads.
Bless them
in their work and in their companionship;
in their sleeping and in their waking;
in their joys and in their sorrows;
in their lives and in their deaths.
Finally, by your grace,
bring them and all of us to that table
where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father now and forever.
Amen.
As those who were invited to serve the elements came forward, a hush fell over the worshipping congregation. Five persons made their way to the chancel.
From Africa, India, and Thailand, all participating in the ten week Practicum at SIFAT. It was as if the kingdom of heaven had come near, right there on that hillside.
A few Mississippians and a few Alabamians were there.
A bride.
A groom.
Some bread and some wine.
The clouds parted; the sunshine beamed through the trees.
And the kingdom of God had come near.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Words Matter
In just a few days, our family will gather with the Paulk family on a hillside in North Alabama, at a place called SIFAT(Servants in Faith and Technology: www.sifat.org), a camp whose mission and focus is teaching global missions. Our daughter, Laura and her fiancée, Nate, will stand together and exchange those big, important words. Words like for “better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish.” Since 1979, I have been standing, facing others, inviting them into the covenant of Christian marriage.
October 10, I will invite Laura and Nate into a new life together.
To stand before my second born child and invite her and Nate to stake their lives on the covenant of Christian marriage brings a new, significantly deeper meaning to the service of Christian marriage. It’s not that I haven’t given thought to those words before. I have. Every time a young couple comes into my life asking me to be a part of blessing their marriage, I wonder how it will be for them. I am mindful of how little we really know of another person when we exchange those words. I’m mindful of the other four people who will live in that household with a couple, albeit unconscious. Parents, who have shaped, loved, taught and sometimes without intention, even wounded. Every time, I’m mindful of family traditions and that this couple will form their own while negotiating time spent with family. I’m hoping each of them has a heavy dose of forgiveness and a deep understanding of compromise.
Next Saturday, I will ask Nathan Paulk to repeat after me: “I, Nate, take you Laura, to be my wife.” I’ll ask Laura to do likewise, “I, Laura, take you Nate, to be my husband." I keep trying to imagine it; so far, I’ve been unsuccessful without a bit of a lump in my throat. Maybe I’ll keep saying the words this week until the lump disappears.
The Paulk’s and the McAlilly’s. A new family. A new journey. Around us will be gathered the people we love. That love will be made real by big words. And words matter.
October 10, I will invite Laura and Nate into a new life together.
To stand before my second born child and invite her and Nate to stake their lives on the covenant of Christian marriage brings a new, significantly deeper meaning to the service of Christian marriage. It’s not that I haven’t given thought to those words before. I have. Every time a young couple comes into my life asking me to be a part of blessing their marriage, I wonder how it will be for them. I am mindful of how little we really know of another person when we exchange those words. I’m mindful of the other four people who will live in that household with a couple, albeit unconscious. Parents, who have shaped, loved, taught and sometimes without intention, even wounded. Every time, I’m mindful of family traditions and that this couple will form their own while negotiating time spent with family. I’m hoping each of them has a heavy dose of forgiveness and a deep understanding of compromise.
Next Saturday, I will ask Nathan Paulk to repeat after me: “I, Nate, take you Laura, to be my wife.” I’ll ask Laura to do likewise, “I, Laura, take you Nate, to be my husband." I keep trying to imagine it; so far, I’ve been unsuccessful without a bit of a lump in my throat. Maybe I’ll keep saying the words this week until the lump disappears.
The Paulk’s and the McAlilly’s. A new family. A new journey. Around us will be gathered the people we love. That love will be made real by big words. And words matter.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Prayer and Good Works
I have been reading Church History in recent days. In the days after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Between 480 and 550 there lived an early Church Father known as Benedict of Nursia. Benedict was distraught by Rome’s collapse, fled to the Italian countryside around the year 500. There with his sister Scholastica, gathered two communities of people, “who were themselves looking for a more meaningful way of life” than was offered by the remnants of Christianity.
He envisioned the spiritual life as “Twelve Steps of Humility” shaping the heart for “holy obedience” whereby external chaos would give way to an internally ordered soul. Compassion was balanced with discipline.
It was a communal life of prayer and good works.
When the Methoidst movement was gaining momentum in England, there was a deep sense that folks were looking for a more meaningful way of life. It was also rooted in prayer.
He envisioned the spiritual life as “Twelve Steps of Humility” shaping the heart for “holy obedience” whereby external chaos would give way to an internally ordered soul. Compassion was balanced with discipline.
It was a communal life of prayer and good works.
When the Methoidst movement was gaining momentum in England, there was a deep sense that folks were looking for a more meaningful way of life. It was also rooted in prayer.
These days, when an average pastor is asked to name the three most important tasks of ministry, prayer rarely makes the list. Preaching, Pastoral Care,and Adminstration are often the top three.
In the days to come, I believe the center piece of the United Methodist movement is prayer.
Prayer rooted in scripture.
Prayer centered in Christ.
Prayer that moves out in the world, serving in love.
Let's build some bridges across the church that we might prayerfully reach beyond ourselves with compassion and good.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Hair Cut Witnessing
I had not expected the conversation to turn in that direction.
She had been cutting my hair for about three months.
I knew she was a recovering Baptist.
She knew I was a United Methodist Minister.
She doesn’t believe in women ministers.
Or building programs.
Or once saved always saved.
She does believe in the power of Christ and the teachings of Jesus.
I’d invited her to attend a United Methodist Church near her home.
She said she’d think about it.
She never did.
I asked why she didn’t come.
She said she was busy.
I asked, “do you have a holy longing?”
She said she didn’t.
I asked, “do you ever wrestle with doubt?”
She said, “I do.”
As she finished my hair cut, she said,
“You know, my husband grew up Jehovah’s Witness.
His family didn’t speak to him for ten years when we joined the
Baptist Church.
Will you pray for my husband ,Mark. I’d go back if he’d go with me.
But he has trouble with it all.
"Ok."
“I’ll pray,” I said.
I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again.
Today was her last day to cut hair. She was retiring.
So I’m left to my prayers.
I am wondering how many thousands of others like her are cutting hair or
Checking at Wal-Mart or changing the oil at Jiffy Lube.
She said she missed singing in the choir and serving.
“I was a worker,” she said.
“Thanks for the haircut,” I said.,
I’ll pray for Mark.
And I walked out the door.
Was it enough?
She had been cutting my hair for about three months.
I knew she was a recovering Baptist.
She knew I was a United Methodist Minister.
She doesn’t believe in women ministers.
Or building programs.
Or once saved always saved.
She does believe in the power of Christ and the teachings of Jesus.
I’d invited her to attend a United Methodist Church near her home.
She said she’d think about it.
She never did.
I asked why she didn’t come.
She said she was busy.
I asked, “do you have a holy longing?”
She said she didn’t.
I asked, “do you ever wrestle with doubt?”
She said, “I do.”
As she finished my hair cut, she said,
“You know, my husband grew up Jehovah’s Witness.
His family didn’t speak to him for ten years when we joined the
Baptist Church.
Will you pray for my husband ,Mark. I’d go back if he’d go with me.
But he has trouble with it all.
"Ok."
“I’ll pray,” I said.
I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again.
Today was her last day to cut hair. She was retiring.
So I’m left to my prayers.
I am wondering how many thousands of others like her are cutting hair or
Checking at Wal-Mart or changing the oil at Jiffy Lube.
She said she missed singing in the choir and serving.
“I was a worker,” she said.
“Thanks for the haircut,” I said.,
I’ll pray for Mark.
And I walked out the door.
Was it enough?
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Good Life
St. Augustine said in a sermon: "You all say 'the times are troubled, the times are hard, the times are wretched.' Live the good lives and you will change the times by living good lives. You will change the times and then you will have nothing to grumble about."
The Sermons of Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century
Ed. John E. Rotelle, OSF
Sermons 111.9.74, New York 1991
The Sermons of Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century
Ed. John E. Rotelle, OSF
Sermons 111.9.74, New York 1991
Friday, September 25, 2009
An Open Invitation to the People of the United Methodist Church
If you believe that Jesus Christ is the center of our Faith and that all of life flows from life in him…
If you believe that what unites us in Jesus Christ is greater than any difference that may separate us…
If you believe that we as Christ-followers need to recapture the gift of Christian Conversation…
If you believe that the Holy Scripture is best understood in light of the life, teaching death and resurrection of Jesus…
If you believe that we are better together than we are apart…that our strength is in unity not in schism…
If you believe that resurrection is stronger than death, that hope is greater than fear…
If you are tired of the endless arguing about who is in and who is out, who’s acceptable and who’s not…
If you would like to have a conversation about what’s right with the United Methodist Church…
I invite you to a conversation about the matters of our hearts and the desires of our faith…
I invite you to a conversation where we discover those places of vitality and strength…
If you believe that what unites us in Jesus Christ is greater than any difference that may separate us…
If you believe that we as Christ-followers need to recapture the gift of Christian Conversation…
If you believe that the Holy Scripture is best understood in light of the life, teaching death and resurrection of Jesus…
If you believe that we are better together than we are apart…that our strength is in unity not in schism…
If you believe that resurrection is stronger than death, that hope is greater than fear…
If you are tired of the endless arguing about who is in and who is out, who’s acceptable and who’s not…
If you would like to have a conversation about what’s right with the United Methodist Church…
I invite you to a conversation about the matters of our hearts and the desires of our faith…
I invite you to a conversation where we discover those places of vitality and strength…
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Losing Self
Four years ago today I left Tupelo, Mississippi to travel to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to offer a hand in the cleanup after Hurricane Katrina. Little did I know then that journey would begin a relationship which would ultimately bring me south to a new beginning. I arrived, first, in Bay St. Louis to visit Rick and Lynn Brooks. Before I could find their parsonage, I had to negotiate with the Mississippi National Guard that I had legitimate business coming inside I-10. When I finally got to Rick and Lynn’s home, which had received eight feet of flood water, I discovered that the difficult work of “mucking out” had been done.
I would return several more times over the several months as First United Methodist Church, Tupelo, partnered with Main Street, Bay St. Louis to restore their home. In the midst that recovery work, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward invited me to become the District Superintendent of the Seashore District. It’s been quite a journey. We’ve got an abundance of stories. We’ve come a long, long way, thanks to the wonderful people called Methodists across the world. UMCOR, United Methodist Committee on Relief, an arm of the General Board of Global Ministries has been a great gift to our recovery. The Bishop’s Appeal for Church Recovery brought financial resources to our congregations. Through those efforts and the partnerships that were forged we have been able to restore, rebuild and reestablish our congregations and sustain our pastors. The United Methodist Church is a making a difference in the lives of millions of people!
The work of UMCOR and UMVIM(United Methodist Volunteers in Mission), the church is being renewed. Too much of our time is wasted focusing on all that is wrong with the United Methodist Church. There is much that is right. Our people respond when a tangible need is place before them. We in Mississippi are the benefactors of what the writer of the book of James teaches, namely that faith without works is dead. The faithful United Methodist Christians across this country and the world have given hope where there was no hope.
On Wednesday of this week, we will dedicate a home for Amy Hille, who for the last four years has been living in a makeshift home made of scrap wood, tin and tarp. Her house has built with love by the hands and feet and hearts of faithful United Methodist Christians. Teams have come thinking that in their coming they were helping. In one sense they have done just that. In a deeper sense, they have lost their lives for the sake of the Gospel. In losing themselves for the sake of the Gospel, they have been renewed. For many, they have been saved.
Go lose yourself, somewhere today, for Jesus’ sake.
And while you are at, build a few bridges. The world needs you.
I would return several more times over the several months as First United Methodist Church, Tupelo, partnered with Main Street, Bay St. Louis to restore their home. In the midst that recovery work, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward invited me to become the District Superintendent of the Seashore District. It’s been quite a journey. We’ve got an abundance of stories. We’ve come a long, long way, thanks to the wonderful people called Methodists across the world. UMCOR, United Methodist Committee on Relief, an arm of the General Board of Global Ministries has been a great gift to our recovery. The Bishop’s Appeal for Church Recovery brought financial resources to our congregations. Through those efforts and the partnerships that were forged we have been able to restore, rebuild and reestablish our congregations and sustain our pastors. The United Methodist Church is a making a difference in the lives of millions of people!
The work of UMCOR and UMVIM(United Methodist Volunteers in Mission), the church is being renewed. Too much of our time is wasted focusing on all that is wrong with the United Methodist Church. There is much that is right. Our people respond when a tangible need is place before them. We in Mississippi are the benefactors of what the writer of the book of James teaches, namely that faith without works is dead. The faithful United Methodist Christians across this country and the world have given hope where there was no hope.
On Wednesday of this week, we will dedicate a home for Amy Hille, who for the last four years has been living in a makeshift home made of scrap wood, tin and tarp. Her house has built with love by the hands and feet and hearts of faithful United Methodist Christians. Teams have come thinking that in their coming they were helping. In one sense they have done just that. In a deeper sense, they have lost their lives for the sake of the Gospel. In losing themselves for the sake of the Gospel, they have been renewed. For many, they have been saved.
Go lose yourself, somewhere today, for Jesus’ sake.
And while you are at, build a few bridges. The world needs you.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
More Thoughts from Christianity for the Rest of Us
Michel de Certeau: …the Christian story begins on the ground level, with footsteps…intertwined paths give their space to spaces as they weave their places together.
The early Christians were known for what they did…practicing hospitality and forgiveness…
I like the image of “cutting edge traditional.”
There is a distinction between the life giving great tradition, says Huston Smith, that is the voice of peace, justice, and beauty emanating from the Christian soul, and the authoritative, exclusive traditionalism as practiced by some contemporary American Protestants.
Thoughts stirred and discovered by re-reading, “Christianity for the Rest of Us” by Dorothy Butler Bass
The early Christians were known for what they did…practicing hospitality and forgiveness…
I like the image of “cutting edge traditional.”
There is a distinction between the life giving great tradition, says Huston Smith, that is the voice of peace, justice, and beauty emanating from the Christian soul, and the authoritative, exclusive traditionalism as practiced by some contemporary American Protestants.
Thoughts stirred and discovered by re-reading, “Christianity for the Rest of Us” by Dorothy Butler Bass
Monday, September 21, 2009
Four years out: Healing Hearts and Homes
Today I spent the day with a team of volunteers working on Katrina recovery. 120 United Methodist lay and clergy from across Mississippi gathered to spend the next three days restoring hearts and homes. Four years out we have had over 160,000 volunteers from across the world who have contributed in excess of 1 million dollars in labor savings.
Across the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church alone, VIM efforts have increased by 35% among those who have been inspired to take their mission efforts to other places in the world.
I am mindful of what a great gift the United Methodist Church is as we continue to offer hope to a hurting world.
As I was reminded recently, the early Christians were known for what they did…practicing hospitality and forgiveness…present day Christians continue that legacy as we offer hope, healing and the possibility of new beginnings.
Across the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church alone, VIM efforts have increased by 35% among those who have been inspired to take their mission efforts to other places in the world.
I am mindful of what a great gift the United Methodist Church is as we continue to offer hope to a hurting world.
As I was reminded recently, the early Christians were known for what they did…practicing hospitality and forgiveness…present day Christians continue that legacy as we offer hope, healing and the possibility of new beginnings.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Thoughts for a Saturday morning
1. Martin Luther King said, “that the religious community could help a divided nation find common ground by moving to higher ground.”
2. A more authentic Church, writes Dorothy Butler Bass, is one on a journey to becoming God’s church…new people…new ways of being…new communities.
4. New image: Transformative Traditions
5. Jesus is not the way to get somewhere else but Jesus is the Christian Journey itself. The arrival is in God.
6. Jesus says “follow me” not follow a map to me.
7. Maybe every congregation needs a full year of mentoring new comers into a life of discipleship.
8. We’re invited to come into a living relationship with Jesus Christ who takes over the center of one’s life.
9. Christianity is a religion of the streets.
These thoughts stirred today as I re-read Dorothy Butler's Bass' book, Christianity for the rest of us.
Building Bridges...
Friday, September 18, 2009
Centered in Christ
In our time, authority is being questioned.
In this post Modern, post Christian world, the authority of Scripture is being debated and scrutinized. On the one hand, the orthodox view holds that all authority is in the Word of God as it is written. The words are inspired, inerrant, and infallible. God said it, I believe it, which settles it. Additionally, God is not continuing to offer any new revelation or understanding to what God has already said in Scripture.
On the other hand, are revisionists who hold that God’s word is ever unfolding and must continually be interpreted in light of current realities and new knowledge. The Word of God is continuously being brought under the light of each new day with new understandings and interpretations. God is still speaking, and one must be open to that new Word from God. While one who follows this model holds that God’s Word is authoritative, it is only so as it is interpreted under the current light of day.
One of the difficulties in the midst of this debate is that since 9/11/2001, there has been a dramatic increase in anxiety in the world. Anytime anxiety increases, so does the desire for there to be an external authority in which to place one’s security. The growing secular culture, coupled with the rise of uncertainty in our world, gives fundamentalism more than an honest hearing; it becomes truth for many.
The antidote to that anxiety isn’t to become rigid.
Rather, the antidote to that anxiety is to become centered in Jesus Christ.
What I believe the Church needs today is disciples who live a balanced lives, head and heart, in their approach to the Holy Scripture.
By being centered, lives are transformed.
This is my deepest hope.
I’m grateful God is raising up those who share my hope.
May our tribe increase!
In this post Modern, post Christian world, the authority of Scripture is being debated and scrutinized. On the one hand, the orthodox view holds that all authority is in the Word of God as it is written. The words are inspired, inerrant, and infallible. God said it, I believe it, which settles it. Additionally, God is not continuing to offer any new revelation or understanding to what God has already said in Scripture.
On the other hand, are revisionists who hold that God’s word is ever unfolding and must continually be interpreted in light of current realities and new knowledge. The Word of God is continuously being brought under the light of each new day with new understandings and interpretations. God is still speaking, and one must be open to that new Word from God. While one who follows this model holds that God’s Word is authoritative, it is only so as it is interpreted under the current light of day.
One of the difficulties in the midst of this debate is that since 9/11/2001, there has been a dramatic increase in anxiety in the world. Anytime anxiety increases, so does the desire for there to be an external authority in which to place one’s security. The growing secular culture, coupled with the rise of uncertainty in our world, gives fundamentalism more than an honest hearing; it becomes truth for many.
The antidote to that anxiety isn’t to become rigid.
Rather, the antidote to that anxiety is to become centered in Jesus Christ.
What I believe the Church needs today is disciples who live a balanced lives, head and heart, in their approach to the Holy Scripture.
By being centered, lives are transformed.
This is my deepest hope.
I’m grateful God is raising up those who share my hope.
May our tribe increase!
I give thanks today for:
-cell phones that work
-email that makes it to the right inbox
-for air conditioning that keeps on cooling
-for a hot meal cooked and served among friends
-Melodye Luke who keeps us all informed and sees her work as servant ministry
-Pastors who care about their congregations and who don’t mind going the second
mile
-Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Guide, and our Friend
-Prayer that allows me to take all my anxiety and need to the One who knows
my need even before I ask
-for the privilege of serving a long side you and laboring in God's Kingdom known
as the Seashore District
As Paul wrote in Philippians 1: I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.
-cell phones that work
-email that makes it to the right inbox
-for air conditioning that keeps on cooling
-for a hot meal cooked and served among friends
-Melodye Luke who keeps us all informed and sees her work as servant ministry
-Pastors who care about their congregations and who don’t mind going the second
mile
-Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Guide, and our Friend
-Prayer that allows me to take all my anxiety and need to the One who knows
my need even before I ask
-for the privilege of serving a long side you and laboring in God's Kingdom known
as the Seashore District
As Paul wrote in Philippians 1: I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Ode To A Seminary Student
The first Bible that made a significant impression on me was given to me for my 16th birthday. It was one of those imitation leather, green copies of the Living Bible. If you remember that greenback book, you are a baby boomer. Two friends offered it to me with their favorite verses highlighted in yellow. John 3:16. Romans 8:28. Philippians 4:13. In those days of my adolescent formation, I was glad to get my hands on a version of the Bible which was more accessible.
Since those days, I’ve spent a lot of my life pouring over the Bible. I’m prone to look at a variety of translations in search of the meaning of a particular text. I’m grateful for good scholarship which challenges me to dig deeper. My most recent favorite translation is Eugene Peterson’s The Message. I even have a Bible app on my iphone with a host of translations at my fingertips.
There is no lack of interest in the Bible. It is the foundation of our faith. Indeed, I believe that Jesus models an incarnational theology. His life, teaching, death, and resurrection provide the very foundation on which our lives are transformed. Simply stated, that transformation is a result of living in relationship to Jesus Christ rooted in the whole of scripture. From my vantage point, the best way we understand life is by studying the Bible and following Jesus. As a result, persons become vibrant witnesses to the Word made flesh. We honor not just the stories that confirm our particular points of view, but also affirm the whole of scripture as it forms and informs our spiritual lives. In our time, we are losing a sense of our rootedness in scripture with, on the one hand, an interest in the spiritual, and on the other hand, a growing sense of secularism. For that reason, I’ve always preferred the language of Christian formation rather than merely spiritual formation.
One of the key issues facing both the United Methodist Church, and our culture is how one appropriates authority. In fact, voices across the landscape of Christendom today speak freely about Biblical authority. In truth, the Church has been trying to settle on its understanding of authority since the fourteenth century. The question that emerged was: what authority will we trust?
For a very long time the Church and tradition spoke as one voice. With the onset of the age of enlightenment along with the onslaught of the plagues which swept Europe, the authority of the church began to break down. With the Protestant Reformation and the emergence of the priesthood of all believers, the Church divided in two branches, Roman Catholic and Protestant. Later the Church of England was added to the mix. Then, along comes John Wesley with a heritage in the Church of England. Wesley was influenced by Thomas Aquinas via Richard Hooker who articulated the ideas of what we now know as the quadrilateral: scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. For Wesley, scripture was primary. While Wesley referred to himself as a man of one book, sola scriptura, he was actually a man of many books. His primary authority, however, was Scripture.
Authority is being questioned in our time.
If we are to build bridges from the Church to the culture, understanding and appropriating authority will be essential.
Since those days, I’ve spent a lot of my life pouring over the Bible. I’m prone to look at a variety of translations in search of the meaning of a particular text. I’m grateful for good scholarship which challenges me to dig deeper. My most recent favorite translation is Eugene Peterson’s The Message. I even have a Bible app on my iphone with a host of translations at my fingertips.
There is no lack of interest in the Bible. It is the foundation of our faith. Indeed, I believe that Jesus models an incarnational theology. His life, teaching, death, and resurrection provide the very foundation on which our lives are transformed. Simply stated, that transformation is a result of living in relationship to Jesus Christ rooted in the whole of scripture. From my vantage point, the best way we understand life is by studying the Bible and following Jesus. As a result, persons become vibrant witnesses to the Word made flesh. We honor not just the stories that confirm our particular points of view, but also affirm the whole of scripture as it forms and informs our spiritual lives. In our time, we are losing a sense of our rootedness in scripture with, on the one hand, an interest in the spiritual, and on the other hand, a growing sense of secularism. For that reason, I’ve always preferred the language of Christian formation rather than merely spiritual formation.
One of the key issues facing both the United Methodist Church, and our culture is how one appropriates authority. In fact, voices across the landscape of Christendom today speak freely about Biblical authority. In truth, the Church has been trying to settle on its understanding of authority since the fourteenth century. The question that emerged was: what authority will we trust?
For a very long time the Church and tradition spoke as one voice. With the onset of the age of enlightenment along with the onslaught of the plagues which swept Europe, the authority of the church began to break down. With the Protestant Reformation and the emergence of the priesthood of all believers, the Church divided in two branches, Roman Catholic and Protestant. Later the Church of England was added to the mix. Then, along comes John Wesley with a heritage in the Church of England. Wesley was influenced by Thomas Aquinas via Richard Hooker who articulated the ideas of what we now know as the quadrilateral: scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. For Wesley, scripture was primary. While Wesley referred to himself as a man of one book, sola scriptura, he was actually a man of many books. His primary authority, however, was Scripture.
Authority is being questioned in our time.
If we are to build bridges from the Church to the culture, understanding and appropriating authority will be essential.
Friday, August 21, 2009
This I Believe
Perhaps you have heard the radio presentation “This I Believe” on NPR. Many of the essays submitted have been compiled into two volumes by this title. Some time ago, I penned my own affirmation of faith. It has not changed though the geography of my life has.
I believe that people are the most valuable resource we have. I believe that God calls out the best in us even and especially in the worst of times. I believe that I have been place on this earth for a purpose and I am seeking to live out my purpose as one of His servants. The virtues of honesty, humility, and servanthood are the virtues I seek to embody within my soul and with the resources I have received. These are goals which I believe will contribute to making the world a better place.
I believe that loving and being loved are the two greatest gifts one can give and receive. I believe that the Church is called to stand in the gap and hold people in times of pain and crisis to give them hope.
Most of all, I believe in God, the Father, Jesus Christ, His Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that my gifts and graces are called on and called out to bring hope and foster healing in people’s lives. Finally I believe that the best hope any of us has is sharing our life and faith in the midst of community.
Yes I believe.
I believe that people are the most valuable resource we have. I believe that God calls out the best in us even and especially in the worst of times. I believe that I have been place on this earth for a purpose and I am seeking to live out my purpose as one of His servants. The virtues of honesty, humility, and servanthood are the virtues I seek to embody within my soul and with the resources I have received. These are goals which I believe will contribute to making the world a better place.
I believe that loving and being loved are the two greatest gifts one can give and receive. I believe that the Church is called to stand in the gap and hold people in times of pain and crisis to give them hope.
Most of all, I believe in God, the Father, Jesus Christ, His Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that my gifts and graces are called on and called out to bring hope and foster healing in people’s lives. Finally I believe that the best hope any of us has is sharing our life and faith in the midst of community.
Yes I believe.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Radical Center
"Would to God that all party names and unscriptural phrases and forms which have divided the Christian world were forgot and that we might all agree to sit down together as humble loving disciples, and at the feet of our common master to hear his word, to abide in his spirit and to transcribe his life in our own." John Wesley as quoted by Adam Hamilton in Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White.
At the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, 2004, there was a bit of stir about a resolution that might come to the floor to present the idea of "amicable separation." On Friday morning, the last day of General Conference, Bruce Robbins and the late Bill Hinson were permitted to address the conference for the purpose of addressing the rumors. We were told a group of persons representing the so called progressive side of the church and the so called conservative side of the church had been exploring how to co-exist in a time of great division. The conversation stalled and no conclusions were drawn. Essentially, the disagreements were, and are, around Biblical authority and the growing frustration that the doors of the United Methodist Church were in fact, not as open as we sometimes think. (A full explanation of the factors leading up to this can be found in Dr. Stan Copeland's book, Lord, He Went.)After Hinson and Robbins presented, a resolution calling for unity in the church was offered. It was a carefully crafted statement with essentially no practical way to achieve unity built into the resolution. During that debate, I was recognized by the chair to speak in favor of the resolution. I spoke about another voice in the church that was represented by neither the left nor the right. I used a phrase that, in retrospect, has not been well received by some in our beloved denomination. I spoke of the wide middle of the church. The link here will give you a verbatim of the session at General Conference during the unity debate.
http://www.gc2004.org/interior_print.asp?ptid=17&mid=4722&pagemode=print
If given the opportunity to speak today, I would frame the conversation a bit differently. My sense is that the middle language does not capture the passion and depth of faith with which many of our tribe hold. Thus, finding a way to give voice to this crucial conversation is critical. Adam Hamilton is instructive. In his book, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, Hamilton calls us the "radical center." Bishop Scott Jones, speaking theologically, refers to language that centers us theologically in Jesus' command to "love God and love neighbor." He refers to it as the "extreme center" and has a book by that title. I believe Hamilton gets it right. The radical center is that which holds us to our roots in the Christian Tradition as well as our Wesleyan heritage, calling us to love God and neighbor. We cannot be lost in a theologically one-sided faith. Evangelism and social holiness are rooted in one gospel, not two. Holding these two carefully, thoughtfully and prayerfully together keeps us from a divided heart. Jesus held Matthew 25, “the least of these” with Matthew 28, “Go into all the world and make disciples," together by both word and deed.
There is nothing moderate about holding the center. In fact, it is demanding, perhaps more demanding, than living on the one side of the theological spectrum or the other.
In the coming weeks, among other things, I intend blog here about those ideas under three headings: "Rooted in Scripture", "Centered in Christ" and "Serving in Love".
Hopefully, this will be a place to begin a conversation that will allow some bridge building to be done.
I welcome your comments and look forward to the conversation.
At the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, 2004, there was a bit of stir about a resolution that might come to the floor to present the idea of "amicable separation." On Friday morning, the last day of General Conference, Bruce Robbins and the late Bill Hinson were permitted to address the conference for the purpose of addressing the rumors. We were told a group of persons representing the so called progressive side of the church and the so called conservative side of the church had been exploring how to co-exist in a time of great division. The conversation stalled and no conclusions were drawn. Essentially, the disagreements were, and are, around Biblical authority and the growing frustration that the doors of the United Methodist Church were in fact, not as open as we sometimes think. (A full explanation of the factors leading up to this can be found in Dr. Stan Copeland's book, Lord, He Went.)After Hinson and Robbins presented, a resolution calling for unity in the church was offered. It was a carefully crafted statement with essentially no practical way to achieve unity built into the resolution. During that debate, I was recognized by the chair to speak in favor of the resolution. I spoke about another voice in the church that was represented by neither the left nor the right. I used a phrase that, in retrospect, has not been well received by some in our beloved denomination. I spoke of the wide middle of the church. The link here will give you a verbatim of the session at General Conference during the unity debate.
http://www.gc2004.org/interior_print.asp?ptid=17&mid=4722&pagemode=print
If given the opportunity to speak today, I would frame the conversation a bit differently. My sense is that the middle language does not capture the passion and depth of faith with which many of our tribe hold. Thus, finding a way to give voice to this crucial conversation is critical. Adam Hamilton is instructive. In his book, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, Hamilton calls us the "radical center." Bishop Scott Jones, speaking theologically, refers to language that centers us theologically in Jesus' command to "love God and love neighbor." He refers to it as the "extreme center" and has a book by that title. I believe Hamilton gets it right. The radical center is that which holds us to our roots in the Christian Tradition as well as our Wesleyan heritage, calling us to love God and neighbor. We cannot be lost in a theologically one-sided faith. Evangelism and social holiness are rooted in one gospel, not two. Holding these two carefully, thoughtfully and prayerfully together keeps us from a divided heart. Jesus held Matthew 25, “the least of these” with Matthew 28, “Go into all the world and make disciples," together by both word and deed.
There is nothing moderate about holding the center. In fact, it is demanding, perhaps more demanding, than living on the one side of the theological spectrum or the other.
In the coming weeks, among other things, I intend blog here about those ideas under three headings: "Rooted in Scripture", "Centered in Christ" and "Serving in Love".
Hopefully, this will be a place to begin a conversation that will allow some bridge building to be done.
I welcome your comments and look forward to the conversation.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Inside-Out
I walked over to the church Sunday morning to prepare for worship. Miss Mary Eliza was already there waiting, as is her custom, for church to begin. We walked into the quaint sanctuary at Cambellton United Methodist Church and I placed my notes on the pulpit. On the altar I placed four loaves of freshly baked bread from the Publix Supermarket. The aroma of the bread wafted through the sanctuary. We were preparing for worship. The text was John 6:35, Jesus is the bread. The image of fresh bread placed on the altar stirred images of communion and other times when bread has been essential.
Just before the service began, Laura, our daughter and her fiancée, Nate Paulk arrived. I had invited them to sing in worship. The song they chose was one I had not heard, “Inside-out” by a contemporary Christian group, Hillsong, out of Australia. Their music lifted the spirits of those in worship. I was thrilled to finally hear the two of them sing together.
The images of bread and the spirit of God moving in our minds and hearts from the inside-out captured my imagination. Too much of our time is captured in doing rather than living in the God’s spirit. The times in my own life when I’ve forgotten who am I and whose I have come when I have tried living from the outside-in rather than the inside out. When we know in our heart of hearts that Jesus is the bread of our lives, we live more centered and whole, from the inside-out.
We’re building bridges…across the Church…inside out. Thanks Laura and Nate, for teaching me a now/old way to be present in the world. Jesus, who built bridges from the inside-out, brings bread that is ever lasting.
Lord, give us this bread, that we might live first from the inside.
Bill
Just before the service began, Laura, our daughter and her fiancée, Nate Paulk arrived. I had invited them to sing in worship. The song they chose was one I had not heard, “Inside-out” by a contemporary Christian group, Hillsong, out of Australia. Their music lifted the spirits of those in worship. I was thrilled to finally hear the two of them sing together.
The images of bread and the spirit of God moving in our minds and hearts from the inside-out captured my imagination. Too much of our time is captured in doing rather than living in the God’s spirit. The times in my own life when I’ve forgotten who am I and whose I have come when I have tried living from the outside-in rather than the inside out. When we know in our heart of hearts that Jesus is the bread of our lives, we live more centered and whole, from the inside-out.
We’re building bridges…across the Church…inside out. Thanks Laura and Nate, for teaching me a now/old way to be present in the world. Jesus, who built bridges from the inside-out, brings bread that is ever lasting.
Lord, give us this bread, that we might live first from the inside.
Bill
Friday, August 7, 2009
It's Friday but...
I'll leave in the morning for Cambellton, Georgia. Sunday morning I'll be preaching at the Cambellton United Methodist Church where our son, Chris, is a student pastor. Chris is in the midwest, attending a wedding of one of his friends from soccer playing days, Jared Monts.
Cambellton is one of many rural congregations across our United Methodist Connection. The church predates the civil war in its beginnings. Out back are civil war graves as well as the graves of former slaves. It's sobering to take the walk behind the church, down the path to the cemetary.
I look forward to seeing Miss Mary Eliza and Dan and all those whose lives are blessed by being a part of that faithful community of believers.
The Gospel lesson for Sunday is from John's Gospel, chapter 6, where Jesus says in a variety of ways, "I am the Bread of Life."
I'll begin by saying, "I've never met a bread I didn't like." We will travel a journey together and our lives will be gathered up in the Spirit and Presence of God.
I suspect there will be bread enough to sustain us all as we gather. And a bridge will be built between a son and a dad, a pastor and a congregation, between a Mississippian and some good, salt of the earth Georgians.
And for that, I give thanks.
Cambellton is one of many rural congregations across our United Methodist Connection. The church predates the civil war in its beginnings. Out back are civil war graves as well as the graves of former slaves. It's sobering to take the walk behind the church, down the path to the cemetary.
I look forward to seeing Miss Mary Eliza and Dan and all those whose lives are blessed by being a part of that faithful community of believers.
The Gospel lesson for Sunday is from John's Gospel, chapter 6, where Jesus says in a variety of ways, "I am the Bread of Life."
I'll begin by saying, "I've never met a bread I didn't like." We will travel a journey together and our lives will be gathered up in the Spirit and Presence of God.
I suspect there will be bread enough to sustain us all as we gather. And a bridge will be built between a son and a dad, a pastor and a congregation, between a Mississippian and some good, salt of the earth Georgians.
And for that, I give thanks.
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