Accountable Discipleship

In Memory of Dr. James C. Logan

2009-10-19T09:51:00.002-05:00

Dr. James C. Logan was for many years a fixture at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Jim died on Saturday night, October 17. He was 77 years old.

Jim was a gifted teacher, theologian, and scholar. He was generous with his time and energy, especially on behalf of his students. He served as the first E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Wesley. The evangelism chair is now named for him.

Jim was the teacher who introduced me to John and Charles Wesley in a way that changed my life and the trajectory of my career. He made me, and many of my classmates, proud to be Methodists. I am saddened by news of his death.

Eternal God, you have shared with us the life of James Logan.
Before he was ours, he is yours.
For all that James has given us to make us what we are,
for that of him which lives and grows in each of us,
and for his life that in your love will never end,
we give you thanks.
As now we offer James back into your arms,
comfort us in our lonliness,
strengthen us in our weakness,
and give us courage to face the future unafraid.
Draw those of us who remain in this life closer to one another,
make us faithful to serve one another,
and give us to know that peace and joy which is eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Discipleship is Like Riding a Bicycle

2009-10-16T08:20:00.003-05:00

This past September I rode my bike in the FedEx ‘Rock-n-Roll’ MS 150 Bike Ride. 430 people rode 74 miles from Graceland in Memphis to Tunica, Mississippi on Saturday. On Sunday morning we rode 76 miles back to Graceland. It was a great event that raised over $410,000 to fight and treat Multiple Sclerosis.

My goal for the Sunday ride was to simply finish. As we set out in the morning I rode alone, trying to maintain a stead speed at around 15 miles per hour. After about ten miles a paceline of about 20 men and women passed me. Near the end of the line one of the guys asked, “Do you want to jump in here?” I said, “Yeah! Thanks.” With that I shifted into a bigger gear and took my place in line.

Riding with that paceline enabled me to increase my speed from 15 mph to 22 mph with relatively little effort. We rode as a group for about 25 miles and broke up when we came to “the wall,” the one big hill climb of the day.

A paceline is a small group of riders riding in single file. They try to stay as close as possible to each other. Each rider tries to keep his or her front wheel inches from the rear wheel of the rider in front of him or her. Each rider takes turns in the lead. Riding this way reduces wind resistance and saves as much as 15% in energy output. A small group of riders in a paceline will go faster with less effort than riding individually.

Riding in a group also means that each rider must communicate clearly with the group. The leader must tell the riders behind him or her when he or she is slowing down by shouting, “Slowing” before applying his or her brakes. The rider behind repeats the warning so that everyone knows what is about to happen. This is done to prevent any rider from touching the slowing rear wheel of the rider in from of him or her with his or her front wheel and causing a both riders to fall.

Paceline riders also warn one another about hazards such as potholes, gravel on the road, railroad tracks, and approaching automobiles. This is done to protect one another from harm and to preserve the integrity of the paceline.

As I reflected on my experience I realized riding in a paceline is a lot like discipleship. The journey of discipleship is best taken with others. It can be done alone, but not very well, and with great difficulty. This is why the congregation promises to surround each member with a community of love and forgiveness.

Christians who travel the journey of discipleship together listen to and watch out for each other. They warn one another about hazards and dangers along the way. They offer encouragement and watch over one another in love. Disciples share a common destination (the reign of God) and do all in their power to help one another get there. Riding in a paceline can teach us a lot about discipleship.

U2 - Evangelists of the Reign of God

2009-10-09T09:36:00.003-05:00

I experienced U2 live for the first time on Tuesday night (October 6) with my 15 year old son, Noah. We made the four hour drive from Nashville to Atlanta, arriving at the Georgia Dome about an hour before show time. We had floor tickets so we took up positions very near the outer catwalk of the immense “Space station” stage designed for the 360 Tour. There was a festive spirit in the crowd. Some of which was fueled by the ubiquitous beer vendors.

U2 took the stage after an impressive set by their opening band, the British trio, Muse. Larry Mullen, Jr. walked onto the stage, took his seat behind his drum kit and began to play a driving solo. He was soon joined by Adam Clayton’s bass and the Edge on guitar. Last on the stage was Bono. He walked to his microphone like a boxer ready for a fight. As soon as he grabbed the mike the band broke into an impressive performance of “Breath” from their latest record, “No Line on the Horizon.” This was followed by “Get On Your Boots” and the classics “Mysterious Ways,” “Beautiful Day,” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Bono concluded “Beautiful Day” with a stanza of the Lennon & McCartney “Blackbird.”

The stage, which looks like a giant space ship, gives the band the ability to get close to the audience. It offers excellent sight lines and a catwalk that extends out into the audience. Several times during the show all the band members walked around the catwalk and interacted with their fans. Even Larry Mullen was liberated from the drum kit during the performance of a re-mix version of “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.” He walked around playing a handheld drum. I also noticed that the drum kit platform rotated to allow Mullen to occasionally see the fans behind him. Bono, of course, used the entire stage. He was everywhere; running, jumping, singing. At one point he pulled a woman out of the crowd and danced with her.

U2’s set list that covered most of their recording career. They closed the main set with Bono talking about the importance of non-violent resistance to oppression, acknowledging the people of Iran protesting a stolen election. The stage was enveloped in green light while images of the recent struggle in Iran were projected on the huge video display above the band as they played “Sunday, Bloody Sunday.”

Bono then acknowledged that Atlanta was the home town of one of the greatest leaders of non-violent resistance, The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. In honor of Dr. King, he sang MLK (from the “Unforgettable Fire” album). Finally, an appeal was made for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese leader who has been under house arrest for over five years. Bono sang “Walk On” while about 50 people walked onto the catwalk holding a mask of Aung San Suu Kyi in front of their faces. This marked the end of the main set.

Immediately before the band came onto the stage for the first encore, an image of Bishop Desmond Tutu’s smiling face appeared on the 360º video screen. He told us that we are all “One” in our common humanity. We are responsible for one another. Tutu joyfully told the crowd of the thousands of lives that have been saved in Africa with the advent of HIV/AIDS drugs and mosquito nets. Many of those children who are alive today will become doctors and scientists and leaders who will solve many of the world’s big problems. Tutu told us that anything is possible when we all work together as “One.” Then the band returned to the stage and played “One,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.”

U2 played two three-song encores. It was a great show. Noah and I had a wonderful time. It was worth all the effort to get there.

As I reflect upon what happened that night, as I look at the set list, and Bono’s appeals for non-violence and inviting his fans to participate in non-violent resistance of oppression, saving lives and helping to prevent disease, it dawned on me that we had been part of an evangelistic event. Certainly, on the surface the evening was a very good rock concert. But when you look below the surface through the words of the songs, the talk of non-violence and an invitation to participate in the work of saving lives, ending war, and resisting oppression I realized that U2 is a powerful evangelist for the reign of God.

U2’s songs tell stories about faith, doubt, hope, suffering and love. They sing about the world as it is and the world as it will be. At several points in the show Bono segued from one of his songs into a gospel song (I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Stand By Me & Sunday Bloody Sunday - People Get Ready). Near the end of the show, following his performance of “One,” he sang the great gospel hymn, “Amazing Grace.” Many in the crowd joined him. The entire concert was a powerful presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ: the good news of the coming reign of God on earth as it is in heaven. It concluded with an invitation to participate in the work of preparing this planet for the coming reign of God.

Bono tells us that the kingdom of God is breaking out all around us. We can see it if we have eyes to see and hear it if we have ears to listen. It is in the Iranian people protesting a corrupt authoritarian government through non-violent demonstrations. It is in the gentle witness of Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest in Myanmar for the crime of winning an election. It is in the work of countless people distributing life-saving drugs to fight HIV/AIDS and mosquito nets preventing Malaria in Africa.

U2 is proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. They don’t sing love songs about Jesus. While it is clear in the words of many of the songs that Bono has a deeply personal and intimate relationship with Christ, he doesn’t sing about accepting Jesus as a personal savior. On the contrary, his songs are more genuine evangelism because they tell stories that emerge from the gospel Jesus himself preached and lived, the reign of God. The relationship with Jesus comes when people respond to the good news and participate in the way of Jesus, which is the way of self-giving love. People will meet Jesus when they open themselves to their neighbor, especially the neighbor who is poor or sick or oppressed or mourning.

Jesus was the evangelist of the kingdom of God. The kingdom broke out everywhere he went: people were healed, sight was restored, the oppressed were set free, and the dead were raised. Jesus’ life is love incarnate; loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself. This love is the good news at the heart of U2’s music and their live performances. It is the character of God and of God’s kingdom.

If evangelism is proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that it is good news to those who hear it, and inviting people to participate in Christ work of preparing this planet for the coming reign of God, then U2 is an evangelist.

U2 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA
October 6, 2009

Main Set:
Breathe
Get On Your Boots
Mysterious Ways
Beautiful Day - Blackbird
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Stand By Me
Stuck In A Moment
No Line On The Horizon
Magnificent
Elevation
Until the End of the World
The Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (remix)
Sunday Bloody Sunday - People Get Ready
MLK
Walk On

Encore(s):
One
Amazing Grace
Where the Streets Have No Name
Ultraviolet
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender

Join the John 10:10 Challenge

2009-08-11T09:33:00.004-05:00

As Christians and as United Methodists we have a moral obligation to be involved in the struggle for universal health care for the people of the United States. This is a way for the UMC to show its true Wesleyan spirit. John Wesley believed that God is concerned for the souls and the bodies of all people. Salvation is for the whole person. Sanctification is a process of spiritual and physical healing restoring each person, society, and creation to wholeness; to become fully the people and world that God created us to be.

To that end Wesley published his Primitive Physic to provide the poor with simple, home remedies for common ailments. He also established free medical clinics for the poor. Wesley believed that all people should have access to health care. Health care ought not be a commodity that is bought and sold, available only to those who have the ability to pay.

I invite you to join the John 10:10 challenge. Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Let's bring good news to the poor who are uninsured and under-insured.

Teaching the Quadrilateral

2009-07-21T14:21:00.001-05:00

If you are a member of The United Methodist Church you have probably heard of the Quadrilateral. It is some times called “John Wesley’s Quadrilateral,” despite the fact that John Wesley never used the word. The more accurate adjective to use is “Wesleyan.” This strange word is shorthand for the four ingredients used by people in The United Methodist Church when we study, teach, discuss, argue about, and interpret God and God’s action and involvement in the world, the church, and in our individual lives. The Wesleyan quadrilateral contains the four ingredients of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. All four of the ingredients are essential. God reveals God’s self to us through each one. And each contributes to our understanding and experience of who God is and how God has acted in the past is acting now and will act in the future. Understanding and teaching the quadrilateral is important because it is gives us a proven way of exploring, growing in, and living our faith in Jesus Christ. It is also a characteristic that distinguishes The United Methodist Church from other Christian denominations.

In this article we will explore what the Wesleyan quadrilateral is, why it is important, and how to understand and use it in your teaching. My goal here is to equip you to interpret and teach this important part of the Wesleyan/United Methodist tradition to the children of your congregation.

What is the Wesleyan Quadrilateral?

Theological reflection is one of the church’s most important tasks. When I use the word “church” I am not referring to an abstract institution. Rather, I am referring to the gathered community of people who have been baptized “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” If you look closely at the Baptismal Covenant in The United Methodist Hymnal (pages 33-39) you will see the church described as “Christ’s body”, “the family of Christ”, and “the household of God.” These terms are used deliberately so that all who hear them understand who the church is; that it is a “community of love and forgiveness.” They also reveal that the God who became one of us in Jesus Christ is the source of the love and forgiveness given and received. All this is to say that the church is not an “it”, it is “us”, you and me together with Christ. Church is not something we do on Sunday morning. Church is the community of the baptized dispersed in the world every day of the week. The church comes together to worship, learning, and fellowship on Sunday. At the close of worship Christ sends his brothers and sisters (Romans 8:12-17) into the world as people who are forgiven, loved, and free. In worship we are fed on his word in prayer, hymns, Scripture, and sermon. He invites us to his table where sins are forgiven and he gives himself to all who will receive him in the bread and cup. Christ then blesses and sends his sisters and brothers, the church, into the world to be his witnesses and channels of his grace for a hurting and broken world. Theological reflection helps the people of the church understand more clearly who and whose they are.

The Wesleyan quadrilateral provides a method for doing theology. It is a way of exploring God, ourselves, and our relationship with God. Let’s stop briefly here to dispel any anxiety you may have about “doing theology.” Many Christians are suspicious of theology. Many more are intimidated by it, believing that only the “professionals” are qualified to “do theology.” Of course, the “professionals” are the clergy and seminary and college professors. If this article does one thing for you, I hope it helps you realize that whenever you talk about, teach, and write about God you are doing theology. In God’s reality, all of God’s people are theologians. Theology and doing theology is the work of the whole people of God. It is not, and was never intended to be, the preserve of the “professionals.” The Wesleyan quadrilateral is the method given to the people called Methodists to help us to do theology.

It’s also important to understand that doing theology in the Wesleyan theology is not an exercise in naval gazing. It is not to do theology for theology’s sake. The purpose and goal of doing theology is to lead people and the church toward holiness of heart and life. In other words, theological reflection is one of the means through which individuals and the baptized community grow in loving God, loving neighbors, and loving one another as Christ loves us. Love is the guiding principle and goal.

The emphasis on love means that there is no doctrinal test that people must pass before they are admitted as members of The United Methodist Church. We see this in the fact that we do not have a catechism or doctrinal confession that guards the entrance of the church. “There is only one condition previously required of those who desire admission into these societies: ‘a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from their sins.’… Such a society is no other than a ‘company of men [and women] having the form and seeking the power of godliness, united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they may help each other work out their salvation’” (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church – 2004, ¶ 103, page 72). Granted the language here sounds strange to our 21st century ears. It means all that was required to become a Methodist was a desire for faith in God and a willingness to live that faith out in their daily lives. The Methodists historically have been Christians who sought to know and love God through loving those whom God loves as God loves them. They were, and are, more concerned with how people live than with what they believe. For the Methodists, the purpose of doing theology together is to grow in knowledge and love. A Scripture text that John Wesley often quoted to summarize the Methodist approach to theology is Galatians 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus … the only thing that counts is faith working through love.”

The quadrilateral, therefore, is an expression of this uniquely Methodist approach to Christian faith and life. We take doctrine seriously but we do not allow it to determine who is in and who is out. We leave that up to God and God’s grace given freely to the world in Jesus Christ. While other denominations are confessional (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed). This means that members of each of these traditions must learn a catechism which is a summary of belief and doctrine in question and answer form. The United Methodist Church is not a confessional church. It does not require its members to memorize a catechism. In its place The United Methodist Church has doctrinal standards. These are contained in a collection of documents that include the Articles of Religion of The Methodist Church, The Confession of Faith of The Evangelical United Brethren Church, John Wesley’s Standard Sermons, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament, and The General Rules of The Methodist Church. You will find these listed in The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church – 2004, ¶ 103, pages 59-74. We see here that, historically, becoming a Methodist emphasizes both belief and behavior, faith and life. This balance is one of the distinctives of the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition.

The sources for United Methodist theological reflection are Scripture, the Works of John Wesley (sermons, writings, journal, and letters) the Hymnal, the Book of Worship, and the Book of Discipline. It is important to notice one of the sources for our theological life together is the Works of John Wesley. His sermons, writings, journal, and letters emerged from his pastoral ministry. Wesley was not a “systematic” theologian. He was a practical, pastoral theologian. His writings and preaching reflect the depth and breadth of his reading and study. But he applied all his learning toward interpreting the gospel of God in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in light of the needs and experiences of real people’s lives. Wesley engaged the culture and reached out to all in a language they could understand and to which they could respond. The sources for United Methodist doctrinal standards and theological reflection reveal an emphasis holiness and an emphasis on balance between faith and life. In other words, United Methodist/Wesleyan theology all boils down to knowing and experiencing the love of God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength and living out that love by loving the neighbors as ourselves.

Ingredients of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral?

The Wesleyan Quadrilateral is composed of the ingredients of theological reflection, teaching, and practice: Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. The goal of doing theology in the Wesleyan spirit is “holiness of heart and life.” This means that our thinking, studying, talking, and writing about God are all directed toward finding ways to grow in our love of God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to live out that love of God through loving our neighbors as ourselves. A life guided by and filled with the unconditional, self-giving love of God is the “outcome” we desire. The ingredients of Scripture, tradition, reason and experience work together toward helping the church live out its mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who seek to grow in holiness of heart and life.

This desired outcome of “holiness of heart and life” leads us to understand that the Wesleyan quadrilateral is a lot like the recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits. If you mix together the proper amounts of flour, baking powder, salt, shortening, and milk, divide the mixture into smaller bits on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at 450° F for 12-15 minutes and you will end up with good tasting, nourishing biscuits.

When I was given the assignment to write an article to help Sunday School teachers understand and teach the quadrilateral with children, I was stumped. After all, the quadrilateral is not the most exciting or interesting topic to try to teach to children; or to adults. When I told my wife about my problem, she thought for a minute and told me “That’ll be easy. Tell them using the quadrilateral is like making baking powder biscuits.” After thinking about her idea I realized she was right. Using the quadrilateral is like making baking powder biscuits.

The first thing you realize when you study the recipe for baking powder biscuits is that it calls for differing quantities of each ingredient:

Baking Powder Biscuits
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup shortening
¾ cup milk

Flour is the primary ingredient. It provides the bulk and nutrients of the biscuits. All the other ingredients serve to hold the flour together and, when it is baked, make it pleasant to taste and smell. The shortening and milk bind the flour together. They also add protein and fat that contribute to flavor, texture, and nutrition. The baking powder give life to the biscuits by making them fluffy and light. If we forget to add this important ingredient we end up with little bricks that might make good hockey pucks but certainly do not make for good eating. The little bit of salt works with the baking powder to make the biscuits fluffy. It also enhances the flavor provided by the shortening, milk and flour. If we forget the salt, we end up with biscuits that are bland and tasteless. All the ingredients, when added in the proper proportions, work together to create good food that nourishes the body.

Now that we know how to make delicious baking powder biscuits, we can understand the Wesleyan quadrilateral and teach it to our children. The Quadrilateral has four ingredients that (Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience), when used together in proper proportion, helps Christians to understand and grow in their love of God, neighbors, and one another. It helps us recognize how God is working in the world, in the church, and in our individual lives.

A common mistake is to see the quadrilateral as a four-legged stool or table; each leg being equal and bearing the same weight. This is not an accurate way of looking at the quadrilateral because, while all of them are important and essential, the four ingredients are not equal in weight. This is why the metaphor of making biscuits gives us a more accurate way of understanding and interpreting the nature and function of the Wesleyan quadrilateral. Scripture is like the flour, Tradition is like the milk and shortening, Reason is like the baking powder, and Experience is like the salt.

Scripture is like Flour

Scripture is the primary source for Christian theology. It is where God reveals God’s self to the world. Scripture contains the witness of God’s work and relationship with the world through the Hebrew people, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the witness of the apostles and the early church. The Bible contains God’s word of love, freedom, healing, compassion, justice and hope for a world that is hurting and oppressed by the powers of sin and death. It is God’s story of love and justice for the world into which God invites us to find our story, where it intersects with God and God’s project of forgiveness, healing, and liberation.

Scripture is like the flour in the biscuit recipe because, as flour provides the “stuff” of the biscuits, the Bible provides the foundation for understanding Christian faith and life. Christian theology begins and ends with and within the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. This is what John Wesley meant when he proclaimed himself to be a “man of one book.” He did not mean that Scripture was the only source that leads us to God and exploring God’s mystery, presence, and power. Wesley read widely in his exploration of God, from his contemporaries in the Church of England and other traditions such as the Quakers and Moravians. He also studied the writings of the early fathers and mothers of the early church, including the Western (Roman Catholic and Protestant) and Eastern (Greek Orthodox) traditions. All of which began and ended with Scripture. It is the foundation for understanding and interpreting Christian faith and life.

Tradition is like Milk & Shortening

Tradition helps us to read and understand Scripture. Through it we are connected to those who have gone before; who have read, struggled with, and prayed Scripture. Tradition is the living witness of the good news of God given to the world in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the witness of the vast tradition of the one holy universal church of Jesus Christ we can know who and whose we are: children of God by adoption through the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ (see Romans 8:12-17). The tradition also teaches that the church is the living, breathing, witnessing body of Christ in the world. The baptized are members of this body each given a unique gift that contributes to the body’s life and mission of being a sign community for the kingdom of God. The church is not the kingdom but the world should get a glimpse of what it is like when it encounters the church. Tradition brings the witness of Scripture to life and makes it visible as a living, breathing presence and witness in the world.

The primary sources for learning and participating in Wesleyan Christian tradition are The United Methodist Hymnal and Book of Worship. The tradition of the church is contained in its liturgies, prayers, hymns, creeds, and affirmations of faith. These provide the context for people to encounter God and to make themselves available to the transforming, liberating, healing power of grace in sacraments, worship and prayer. Tradition brings us into God’s presence and sends us into the world to walk and serve with Christ in his work of bringing good news to the poor, release to the captives, opening the eyes of the blind, let the oppressed go free (Luke 4:18).

Other important sources for engaging tradition are John Wesley’s standard sermons, his notes on the New Testament, and The Book of Discipline. All of these are, to some degree, interpreting Scripture and helping us to apply its message to life today. Wesley is a helpful guide for us today because in him we have a masterful synthesis of both the Western (Catholic and Protestant) and Eastern (Orthodox) traditions. His interpretation of the gospel was informed by a wide variety of sources from both major expressions of the Church. In the Book of Discipline we have the historic expressions of The Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren traditions (Articles of Religion, Confession of Faith, and the General Rules). These provide a summary of Christian faith and life for the church. The Book of Discipline also contains the polity, or structure and discipline around which the life of The United Methodist Church is organized. This is an interpretation of what the Scripture has to say about ordering the life of the church for mission and ministry. Its purpose is to help the church to live out its Scriptural mandate to make disciples of Jesus Christ, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that (Christ) commanded” (Matthew 28:19-20a).

Tradition is like the milk and shortening because it is the living expression of Scripture. It helps us read, struggle with, and live the promises, commands, and hope contained in Scripture.

Reason is like the Baking Powder

Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind” (Matthew 22:37). God sheds light on God’s word through the gift of reason. God gives us the freedom to question, think, and teach in order to watch over one another in love. As the baking powder makes the biscuits light and fluffy, reason allows the light of God to illuminate and animate Christian faith and life. Reason opens our minds to interpret and understand God’s word in Scripture and through tradition. Reason helps us to perceive and recognize God’s presence at work in the world and in human lives. Most importantly, it helps us to be aware of God’s majesty and mystery. In other words, reason equips us to know how much we don’t know which leads to humility.

Finally, reason helps to prevent us from making Scripture an idol and tradition into traditionalism. Reason, tempered with humility, helps us to relate to Scripture and tradition as means of grace, as places where God promises to meet us in order to form our character more and more into the character of Christ. It helps to prevent us from making them into the end of and sources of faith and life in Christ. In other words, reason, with humility, helps us to make sure we are worshipping and serving the living God and not Scripture and tradition.

Experience is like the Salt

The little bit of salt in the biscuit recipe is there to do two things. It reacts with the baking powder to help the biscuits to rise, to give them a light and fluffy texture. And it enhances the flavor provided by the flour, milk, and shortening. The salt doesn’t create the flavor; it brings it out and magnifies it. That is what experience does for Christian faith and life.

Experience is our real-life encounter of God-with-us in our ordinary, every-day life. These encounters with the divine bring us to, and keep us with God. They inform our thinking and understanding of who God is and how God works in the world (reason) and breathes life into our reading of Scripture and living out of the tradition. Experience is the Holy Spirit’s work in, with, and through us that gives life and meaning to the good news of God for the world in Jesus Christ. Experience allows the Holy Spirit to work in us to make faith vital and life-giving. It forms us into channels of God’s grace for the world. We become living witnesses for Jesus Christ in the world and follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Experience is like salt because it adds flavor to Scripture, tradition, and reason and makes them taste good. “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).

Conclusion

The Wesleyan Quadrilateral gives us a rich and vital way for seeking truth, knowing, loving, and serving God, and for making disciples of Jesus Christ who have the form and the power of godliness. The four ingredients (Scripture, tradition, reason and experience) work together to help Christians grow in holiness of heart and life. However, it’s important for us to understand how the four ingredients work together. This is why comparing the quadrilateral to making biscuits works well. All the ingredients (flour, milk, shortening, baking powder, and salt) work together to create something that is good to eat. However, it is only good to eat if each ingredient is used in proper quantities.

This is to say that the quadrilateral is not equilateral. Each ingredient is essential and plays a vital role. But the desired outcome (holiness of heart and life) is only possible when the components are used and combined in correct proportion and relationship to one another.

Church experts liken emergent movement to early Methodism

2009-06-12T09:45:00.002-05:00

Here's an excellent article from the United Methodist Portal that features two of my good friends, Dr. Paul Chilcote and Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards. They discuss the similarity between the contemporary "emergent" missional church movement with the early Methodist movement that developed in Britain and America: Reminiscent of our roots: Church experts liken emergent movement to early Methodism

Remembering

2009-05-25T12:34:00.004-05:00

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

I’ll begin by saying "Thank you" to all whom we remember and honor today.

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who fought and died for their country. They fought and died for what their country stands for--freedom and justice for all people. They answered the call to service. Their answer to that call was witness to their commitment to a noble cause. In service to that call, they sacrificed their lives. They are part of the great cloud of witnesses we honor and remember today.

Remembering, or remembrance, in the Bible is what forms identity and determines conduct of the people of Israel and the early church. When the people of Israel remembered how they were freed from slavery in Egypt and the God who gave them their freedom, they remembered who they were and whose they were. They remembered God is a God who loves righteousness and justice. When they remembered, they knew God expected them to treat one another and the stranger with righteousness and justice, kindness and mercy.

The early church was built on remembering Jesus Christ--his life, death and resurrection. Every Sunday was (and is) a memorial day in which all that God has done for the church and the world in Jesus Christ is remembered. This remembering is how God reminds us who we are and whose we are. Our remembrance causes us to witness to Jesus Christ in the world and follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In like manner, when we remember our fallen brothers and sisters, we remember who we are and whose we are. We honor their memory when we honor the cause for which they fought and died--the principles upon which our country was founded, namely freedom and justice for all people. We honor their memory when we work for justice and peace in the world; when we become a non-violent and peaceful people who lives justly with kindness and mercy for all.

We honor their memory when live in such a way that violence and war will be prevented and eventually abolished from the face of the earth. We have a responsibility to our fallen brothers and sisters, a responsibility that calls us to be good stewards of the freedom we enjoy and often take for granted. One of the responsibilities of freedom is to love justice by seeing to it that all people are treated justly. To work for justice and honor their memory is to be advocates for peace and non-violence.

In May 1995 I was in Washington DC over Memorial Day weekend for a meeting. Because I had been asked to give the address for the annual Memorial Day ceremonies in the small town I was living in at the time, I visited the Vietnam Memorial. While there I had the good fortune to stumble upon the Memorial Day Writers Festival. It is an annual gathering of veterans who share stories and poetry with one another and the public. I visited several tents and listened in on many stories and poems. I walked over to a Marine who had just finished reading some of his poetry. I introduced myself to him and thanked him for his words and his witness and his courage. Then I asked him if he could give me any advice about what I could say to the people of my small Minnesota town on Memorial Day. He told me the one thing that should be said :

“The greatest honor and witness and memorial we can give to our fallen brothers and sisters would be to live our lives in such a way that war will never again be an option for nations to resolve their conflicts. The greatest honor we can give to their memory would be to give our children a world in which justice and peace are honored and war is no more; the greatest memorial we can build is a world in which young men and women will never again have to suffer and die on battlefields.”

That is the word I want to leave you with this morning. Let us be a people who love justice and make peace for our children and grandchildren.

Collect for John & Charles Wesley

2009-05-24T08:49:00.002-05:00

Lord God, you inspired your servants John and Charles Wesley with burning zeal for the sanctification of souls, and endowed them with eloquence in speech and song: Kindle in your Church, we entreat you, such fervor, that those whose faith has cooled may be warmed, and those who have not known Christ may turn to him and be saved; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

"The Church's First Mission"

2009-05-20T13:40:00.002-05:00

Andrew Thompson has written another excellent column for the United Methodist Portal titled, "The Church's First Mission." Read it here.

8 Ways to Easily be Missional

2009-05-11T14:29:00.002-05:00

Today I stumbled across Jonathan Dodson's blog, Church Planting Novice. The title of the blog is a how he describes himself and his current vocation. Dodson is involved in planting a congregation in Austin, TX with a group of "imperfect Christians." I wish him well.

He says in an April post that "Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: “As you go, make disciples….”; “Walk wisely towards outsiders”; “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt”; “be prepared to give a defense for your hope”. We can be missional in everyday ways without even overloading our schedules." He then gives 8 practical ways to live a missional life:

8 Ways to Easily be Missional

Bishop Willimon on theological education and pastoral leadership

2009-05-10T22:02:00.002-05:00

Bishop Will Willimon is usually a provocative and thoughtful writer and speaker. He has posted an important article on his blog. "Between Two Worlds" is an extended reflection on the challenge faced by seminary graduates as they try to make the shift from the world of the academy to the world of the church. In the first they learn and talk and write about the church as it ought to be. In the second they are confronted with the church as it is. Of course, the two are irreconcilably different.

I particularly appreciate this comment on the disconnect between the academy and church with regard to Biblical studies:

"I recently heard Marcus Borg of the errant “Jesus Seminar” chide us pastors for protecting our congregations from the glorious fruits of “contemporary biblical scholarship.” There’s a brave new world of insight through the historical-critical study of Scripture! Don’t hold back from giving the people in the pew the real truth about Jesus as it has been uncovered by contemporary biblical scholarship and faithfully delivered to you in seminary biblical courses. He implied that even the laity, in their intellectual limitations, can take the truth about Jesus as revealed by Professor Borg and his academic friends.

"Yet it seemed not to occur to professor Borg that contemporary biblical scholarship, because it is asking the wrong questions of the biblical texts, and even more because it is subservient to a community that is at odds with communities of faith, may simply be irrelevant both to the church and to the intent of the church’s Scripture. Sometimes the dissonance between the church and the academy is due, not to the benighted nature of the church, but rather to the limited thought that reigns in the academy.

"It took me a long time to learn this. As I said, I remember experiencing that dissonance in my first days in my first church in rural Georgia. I was the freshly minted product of Yale Divinity School now forlorn and forsaken in a poor little parish in rural Georgia. My first surprise was how difficult it was to communicate. If was as if I were speaking a different language. As I preached, my congregation impassively looked at me across a seemingly unbridgeable gulf."

A Jazz Theologian and the Methodist Review

2009-05-05T09:19:00.003-05:00

I found two excellent resources for theological reflection on mission and evangelism this week. The first is Robert Gelinas' blog, Reflections of a Jazz Theologian. According to information on his blog, Rev. Gelinas is lead pastor (and resident Jazz theologian) of Colorado Community Church in the Denver area. He is also the author of Finding the Groove: Composing a Jazz Shaped Faith.

I appreciate his use of the metaphor of Jazz as a way of understanding Christian faith, discipleship and mission.

The other exciting resource is a new web site and online journal started by Ted Campbell, Rex Matthews, Henk Pieterse and others. It is called Methodist Review: A Journal of Methodist and Wesleyan Studies. The first issue was "published" late last week. It's free! If you are interested in scholarly investigation of the what it means to be Wesleyan, check it out.

"The Spirit and Discipline Make a Christian"

2009-04-21T10:25:00.001-05:00

The following is the introduction to the presentation I'll give at the Wesleyan Institute this week. The Institute will be held at Faith Community UMC in Xenia, OH. My presentation will the the third of three plenary sessions on Friday. Paul Chilcote, Daniel Flores and I will provide some reflection on the meaning of the famous quote from John Wesley's "Thoughts Upon Methodism": "I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out."

Paul will speak on the meaning and role of doctrine in disciple-making, Daniel will address the spirit of Methodism and the work of the Holy Spirit, and I will give a presentation on the nature and role of discipline in the United Methodist way.

Here's the introduction to my remarks:

“Members of the household of God,

I commend these persons to your love and care.

Do all in your power to increase their faith,

confirm their hope, and perfect them in love.”1

John Wesley knew Christians, the people we call today disciples of Jesus Christ, are not born. They are made. Making disciples requires generous doses of grace and discipline. Wesley says in a couple of his sermons, “It was a common saying among the Christians in the primitive church, 'The soul and the body make a man; the spirit and discipline make a Christian'—implying that none could be real Christians without the help of Christian discipline.”2

Today God continues to provide an ample supply of grace and the Holy Spirit. The church has, however, been somewhat lacking in providing the discipline needed to open sin-damaged hearts to the healing, reconciling power of that grace. The result has been a church that is in decline in numbers and in mission.

Methodists have historically been people whose lives are guided by three books: The Bible, The Hymnal, and The Discipline. The Bible is the word of God containing all that is needed for salvation and life in the reign of God. The Hymnal contains tradition that has been handed down and lived by faithful disciples since the time of the Apostles. The Book of Discipline provides the guidance for living the life laid down in Scripture and tradition. It has been developed and changed over the years. The changes have been shaped by the church’s experience as it seeks to be a faithful witness to Jesus Christ and his coming reign on earth as it is in heaven.

Today the Bible continues to be primary as a source of faith and practice. The Hymnal is receding in importance and influence as more and more congregations turn to projection screens, praise music, and other sources for worship. The Discipline has become equated with church bureaucracy. It is the last place most people look for guidance for living as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world.

All this is to say that discipline is not generally associated with discipleship today. Today discipline is often more closely associated with polity and punishment. If you ask a typical member of a United Methodist congregation about what comes into their mind when they hear the word “discipline,” I suspect he or she may say something about the Book of Discipline. Or he or she may recount some memory of punishment for some childhood misbehavior. Neither of these likely bring to mind fond thoughts or memories. It’s fair to say that discipline has an image problem.

It’s also fair to say that if The United Methodist Church is going to take seriously its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, then we must wrestle with the need for discipline. I say this because we know from Scripture and tradition that disciples cannot be made apart from discipline. This is why John Wesley wrote the lines at the beginning of his tract, “Thoughts Upon Methodism” we have heard today:

“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”

What does Wesley mean by “discipline”? To get at this we need to understand that for Wesley discipline is closely related to doctrine and the spirit of Methodism. For him, as you have heard from Paul and Dan today, discipline is the practical application of the doctrine and spirit of the Church and of Methodism. Wesley believed that doctrine is meant to be lived. This means that for the Methodists being a Christian meant much more than simply believing or giving assent to the creeds and the Articles of Religion. Christianity is both a religion and a relationship with the living God. It is a system of belief and a way of life. Wesley believed you can’t have the one without the other.

Discipline, therefore, is how you hold the two together. Charles Wesley puts it this way:

Unite the pair so long disjoined,

Knowledge and vital piety:

Learning and holiness combined,

And truth and love, let all men see

In those whom up to thee we give,

Thine, wholly thine, to die and live.3

Knowledge is gained through the study of doctrine. Vital piety is seeking after God and striving toward holiness guided by the spirit. Without discipline the two tend to go their separate ways.

Some pursue knowledge about God. But without piety they end up know about God without actually knowing God. They turn God and faith in to objects of study. This is a way of treating God like a thing and keeping God at a distance that can be managed and controlled.

Others pursue intimacy with God. These are the folks who, in Wesley’s time, were known as “enthusiasts.” Today we call them “religious fanatics.” They emphasize emotion and feelings and are suspicious of scholarship.

Both claim to “know” God. But the God they “know” is a God of their own creation. Those who emphasize learning tend to turn God into a distant character of history who has very little to do with the world as we know it. Those who emphasize holiness tend to see God as their good buddy who is intimately involved in their lives and the world. Both have glimpses of who God really is, but because they lack discipline and tend to act according to their own temperament and prejudices, this God is of their own creation. Because they do not practice the discipline of holding learning and holiness together, they cannot know the fullness of God revealed in Scripture, tradition, and in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[1] The United Methodist Hymnal, in “The Baptismal Covenant,” §16.

[2] Sermon 122: Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity, § 7

[3] A Collection of Hymns for the Use of The People Called Methodists, #461:5, The Bicentennial Works of John Wesley. Vol. 7:644.

50 Ways to Love Your Neighbor

2009-04-17T10:53:00.002-05:00

Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all you rsoul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:30-31).

Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove have developed an excellent list of 50 ways you can love your neighbor. Check it out here: Fifty Ways to Love Your Neighbor

Wednesday in Holy Week

2009-04-15T09:23:00.002-05:00

This hymn is #13 in Charles Wesley’s Hymns for Our Lord’s Resurrection published in 1746.

Break forth into praise!

Our surety and head,

His members to raise,

Hath rose from the dead:

The power of his Spirit

Hath quickened our Lord,

That we by his merit

May all be restored.

Our Captain and King

With shouts we proclaim,

And joyfully sing

The wonderful name;

The Name all-victorious

We publish, and feel,

Triumphantly glorious

O’er Sin, earth, and hell.

The Power of his rise

We know and declare,

And rapt to the skies,

His happiness share;

In heavenly places

With Jesus we sit,

And Jesus’ praises

With angels repeat.

We sing of his Love

While sojourning here,

Till Christ from above

Our Savior appear;

The heirs of salvation

With triumph receive,

In full consummation

Of Glory to live.

Collect for Wednesday in Easter Week

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Re: Are There Wesleyan Basics Worth Reclaiming

2009-04-14T15:01:00.002-05:00

Kevin Watson has an excellent post in response to John Meunier's excellent post. Check it out: Deeply Committed

Tuesday in Easter Week

2009-04-14T08:36:00.002-05:00

This hymn is #11 in Charles Wesley’s Hymns for Our Lord’s Resurrection published in 1746.

Come ye that seek the Lord,
Him that was crucified,
Come listen to the gospel-word,
And feel it now applied:
To every soul of man
The joyful news we show,
Jesus for every sinner slain,
Is risen again for you.

The Lord is risen indeed,
And did for us appear,
He hath been seen, our living Head,
By many a Peter here:
We, who so oft denied
Our Master and our God,
Have thrust our hand into his side,
And felt the streaming blood.

Raised from the dead we are
The members with their Lord,
And boldly in his name declare
The soul-reviving Word;
Salvation we proclaim
Which every soul may find,
Pardon and peace in Jesus’ name,
And life for all mankind.

O might they all receive
The bleeding Prince of Peace!
Sinners, the glad report believe
Of Jesus’ witnesses:
He lives, who spilt his blood;
Believe our record true,
The arm, the power, the Son of God
Shall be revealed in you.

Collect for Tuesday in Easter Week:

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

A Wesley Hymn for the First Week of Easter

2009-04-13T09:38:00.003-05:00

This hymn is #7 in Charles Wesley’s Hymns for Our Lord’s Resurrection published in 1746.

Jesus, show us thy salvation,

(In thy strength we strive with thee)

By thy mystic incarnation,

By thy pure nativity,

Save us thou, our new-creator,

Into all our souls impart,

Thy divine un-sinning nature,

Form thyself within our heart.

By thy first blood-shedding heal us;

Cut us off from every sin,

By thy circumcision seal us,

Write thy law of love within;

By thy Spirit circumcise us,

Kindle in our hearts a flame;

By thy baptism baptize us

Into all thy glorious Name.

By thy fasting and temptation

Mortify our vain desires,

Take away what sense, or passion,

Appetite, or flesh requires;

Arm us with thy self-denial,

Every tempted soul defend,

Save us in the fiery trial,

Make us faithful to the end.

By thy sorer sufferings save us,

Save us when conformed to thee,

By thy miseries relieve us,

By thy painful agony;

When beneath thy frown we languish,

When we feel thine auger’s weight,

Save us by thine unknown anguish,

Save us by thy bloody seat.

By that highest point of passion,

By thy sufferings on the tree,

Save us from the indignation

Due to all mankind, and me

Hanging, bleeding, panting, dying,

Gasping out thy latest breath,

By thy precious death’s applying

Save us from eternal death.

From the world of care release us,

By thy decent burial save us,

Crucified with thee, O Jesus,

Hide us in thy quiet grave:

By thy power divinely glorious,

By thy resurrection’s power

Raise us up, o’er sin victorious,

Raise us up to fall no more.

By the pomp of thine ascending,

Live we here to heaven restored,

Live in pleasures never ending,

Share the portion of our Lord:

Let us have our conversation

With the blessed Spirits above,

Saved with all thy great salvation,

Perfectly renewed in Love.

Glorious Head, triumphant Savior,

High enthroned above all height,

We have now thro’ thee found favor,

Righteous in thy Father’s sight:

Hears he not thy prayer unceasing?

Can he turn away thy face?

Send us down the purchased blessing,

Fullness of the gospel-grace.

By the coming of thy Spirit

As a mighty rushing Wind,

Save us into all thy merit,

Into all thy sinless mind;

Let the perfect gift be given,

Let thy will in us be seen,

Done on Earth as ‘tis in Heaven:

Lord, thy Spirit cries Amen!

(Meter: 87.87 D, Tunes: austria, beach spring, hyfrydol)

Collect for Monday in Easter Week (BCP)

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that we who celebrate with awe the Paschal feast may be found worthy to attain to everlasting joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

N.T. Wright: "The Church Must Stop Trivialising Easter"

2009-04-13T08:43:00.003-05:00

Here's an excellent essay by one of my favorite writers, Bishop N. T. Wright:

The Church Must Stop Trivialising Easter

"It is finished." (John 19:30a)

2009-04-10T16:25:00.002-05:00

Tonight Blakemore UMC will observe Good Friday with a worship service featuring the Seven Last Words of Jesus. Each of seven people will give a 5-7 minute homily on one of the words. I'll be speaking on the sixth word, "It is finished." It's challenging to speak about this verse in only seven minutes. It feels like I'm not finished. I suppose my message won't be finished until I acually preach tonight. Here is what I'm going to say:

“It Is Finished.”
John 19:30a

What does “it” mean? Is “it” Jesus’ life? Certainly these words from his lips mark the end of his life. But is his life finished? Well, because we read these words from a post-resurrection perspective, we know that his death on the cross is not the end of his life. His life is certainly far from finished. He is very much alive and well and active in this world. No. Jesus’ life is not finished.
Is “it” Jesus’ suffering? Certainly these words mark the end of his suffering on the cross. His death was real. His body and all of its systems ceased to function. His heart stopped beating. His breathing stopped. His brain shut down. The incredible pain he suffered on the cross was finished. But because the risen Jesus is very much alive, his suffering continues. He suffers with and for the world that he loves that is broken and inflicted by injustice, violence, disease, hunger, and greed. No. Jesus’ suffering is not finished.
Is “it” Jesus’ unjust death sentence? Certainly Jesus’ sentence was dutifully executed by the Roman soldiers, with the cooperation of the religious authorities. But as long as religious and government authorities believe it is right and just to take life, to kill in the name of God or of the state, Jesus’ death sentence is not finished.
Is “it” Jesus’ relationship with his disciples? Certainly on that terrible day his male disciples thought so. They all deserted him in his hour of greatest need. They fled and hid from the authorities they feared would do the same to them. The women were the disciples that stayed with Jesus to the end. They wept and prayed for him at the foot of they cross. They cared for his body and helped put it in the tomb. And they were the first witnesses to his resurrection. We know from the perspective of Easter that Jesus’ relationship with his disciples was not finished on the cross.
What does “it” mean? When Jesus said “It is finished” he told those present at Golgotha and us today that God’s work of salvation was accomplished. It is finished. There is nothing more to do.
Jesus’ proclamation from the cross of “It is finished” connected his work with God’s completing the work of creation described in Genesis 1:31-2:2

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.

It’s important to understand that the Greek and Hebrew words translated in English as “finished” do not mean that creation and salvation are static or inactive. Rather they mean that creation and salvation are complete and dynamic processes that invite human participation. We also need to be reminded that both are accomplished by God alone. In other words we cannot create ourselves, nor can we save ourselves. Creation and salvation are God’s work and are pure gift.
The Apostle Paul describes salvation in Ephesians 2:8 where he writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” And in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” Salvation is pure gift. All we need to do to get it is to accept it and then to live it. That’s what Paul means by “faith” and “in Christ:” Salvation is a new way of life, lived with Christ and participating with him in his working of preparing this world for the coming reign of God.
Before we can accept this gift of life as it was meant to be lived in the world that God is restoring to wholeness we need to die to the old life ruled by sin and death. Jesus described salvation life in Matthew 11:4-5, “… the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”
“It is finished.” What are you going to do about it? I’ll close with these words from Charles Wesley. You can find them at #346 in the Hymnal:

Sinners, turn: why will you die?
God, your Maker, asks you why.
God, who did your being give,
Made you himself, that you might live;
He the fatal cause demands,
Asks the work of his own hands.
Why, you thankless creatures, why
Will you cross his love, and die?

It's Time to Correct Our Eschatology

2009-04-08T10:52:00.002-05:00

Here's an excellent piece from The United Methodist Portal:

Heavenly minded: It’s time to get our eschatology right, say scholars, authors

Reflections on the person of Jesus for Monday of Holy Week

2009-04-06T09:51:00.003-05:00

Jesus, thy far-extended fame
My drooping soul exults to hear;
Thy name, thy all-restoring name,
Is music in my sinner’s ear.

Sinners of old thou didst receive
With comfortable words and kind,
Their sorrows cheer, their wants relieve,
Heal the diseased, and cure the blind.

And art thou not the Savior still,
In every place and age the same?
Hast thou forgot thy gracious skill,
Or lost the virtue of thy name?

Faith in they changeless name I have;
The good, the kind physician, thou
Art able now our souls to save,
Art willing to restore them now.

Wouldst thou the body’s health restore,
And not regard the sin-sick soul?
The soul thou lovest yet the more,
And surely thou shalt make it whole.

My soul’s disease, my every sin,
To thee, O Jesus, I confess;
In pardon, Lord, my cure begin,
And perfect it in holiness.

-- Charles Wesley

… What is the righteousness of Christ? It is twofold, either his divine or his human righteousness.

1. His divine righteousness belongs to his divine nature, as he is 'He that existeth, over all, God, blessed for ever': the supreme, the eternal, 'equal with the Father as touching his godhead, though inferior to the Father as touching his manhood'. Now this is his eternal, essential, immutable holiness; his infinite justice, mercy, and truth: in all which 'he and the Father are one.'

But I do not apprehend that the divine righteousness of Christ is immediately concerned in the present question. I believe few, if any, do now contend for the imputation of this righteousness to us. Whoever believes the doctrine of imputation understands it chiefly, if not solely, of his human righteousness.

2. The human righteousness of Christ belongs to him in his human nature, as he is 'the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus'. This is either internal or external. His internal righteousness is the image of God stamped on every power and faculty of his soul. It is a copy of his divine righteousness, as far as it can be imparted to a human spirit. It is a transcript of the divine purity, the divine justice, mercy, and truth. It includes love, reverence, resignation to his Father; humility, meekness, gentleness; love to lost mankind, and every other holy and heavenly temper: and all these in the highest degree, without any defect, or mixture of unholiness.

3. It was the least part of his external righteousness that he did nothing amiss; that he knew no outward sin of any kind, 'neither was guile found in his mouth'; that he never spoke one improper word, nor did one improper action. Thus far it is only a negative righteousness, though such an one as never did nor ever can belong to anyone that is born of a woman, save himself alone. But even his outward righteousness was positive too. 'He did all things well.' In every word of his tongue, in every work of his hands, he did precisely the 'will of him that sent him'. In the whole course of his life he did the will of God on earth as the angels do it in heaven. All he acted and spoke was exactly right in every circumstance. The whole and every part of his obedience was complete. 'He fulfilled all righteousness.'

4. But his obedience implied more than all this. It implied not only doing, but suffering: suffering the whole will of God from the time he came into the world till 'he bore our sins in his own body upon the tree'; yea, till having made a full atonement for them 'he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.' This is usually termed the passive righteousness of Christ, the former, his active righteousness. But as the active and passive righteousness of Christ were never in fact separated from each other, so we never need separate them at all, either in speaking or even in thinking. And it is with regard to both these conjointly that Jesus is called, 'the Lord our righteousness'.

-- John Wesley, excerpt from Sermon 20: The Lord Our Righteousness (1765)

Adam Hamilton: The church offers ‘what’s desperately needed’

2009-04-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

Mainline Protestants are uniquely positioned to reinvigorate the American church by bringing together the evangelical and social gospels, the Rev. Adam Hamilton says in an interview with local television news anchor David Crabtree.

Adam Hamilton: The church offers ‘what’s desperately needed’

Practical Atheism

2009-04-03T08:42:00.003-05:00

Mark Galli, my favorite writer at Christianity Today, has written an interesting article about the new atheism. I think his analysis of the recent popularity of writers such as Hitchens and Dawkins is spot on. What's interesting about this article is Galli's assertion that the atheism that is a far greater threat to the Church is the practical atheism of many Christians:

Where to Find the Real Atheists

It’s Not What You Know; It’s Who You Know

2009-03-27T13:37:00.003-05:00

The core proclamation of the Wesleyan tradition is “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8a). One of John Wesley’s most important sermons, “The Scripture Way of Salvation,” is an extended meditation on the meaning of this text and its implications for Christian discipleship.

A basic question this text raises is “What is faith?” Judging by what I hear from United Methodist pulpits and see in Sunday School and small group curriculum it seems that faith is equated with belief in God and the affirmations about God found in the historic creeds. The goal of much Christian education and worship is to give people good information about God, Jesus, the Bible, church history, tradition and theology. It assumes that a regular diet of information will result in believing. If simple affirmation of the information is faith then the people will be “saved.” If faith is simple belief in Christian affirmations then this approach to Christian education and worship is all we need to make faithful disciples of Jesus Christ; salvation, then, all about what you know.

When we reduce faith to affirmation of or assent to a set of beliefs and doctrines, it then becomes a private possession. It demands very little in the way of response. It becomes one more thing to posses and control.

Such “faith” is also the result of individual effort on the part of the believer. It is the result of work done by the believer for the believer’s own benefit, on the believer’s terms. Grace has very little to do with such “faith” because it is not a gift that has been received, it is an object that has been obtained through work and study. This means that salvation by faith becomes salvation through works. Believers then believe they have earned their salvation and place in God’s household. Grace has little to do with it.

Is that all there is to faith? Certainly learning and study are good and important to faith development. But they are secondary. Scripture and tradition clearly teach that salvation is not about what you know; it’s about who you know. This means that faith is, first and foremost, a relationship with the living God who became one of us in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Because it is a relationship with Jesus, faith is also a gift. It is grace. It is God’s work in, with, and for us to love God and to love those whom God loves. God is not an idea or a concept to be studied, discussed and dissected. God is a living person. God is personal. Therefore, faith is a relationship with the living God.

All this is to say that we need to take a close look at our philosophy of Christian education. We need to give more weight to teaching the practices required for participating in the divine-human relationship that is faith: prayer, worship, the Lord’s Supper, Scripture (reading, hearing, & studying), fasting, and Christian conference (mutual accountability and support for discipleship). Rather than focus on developing beliefs and opinions, focus on the whole person.