Thursday Theology - Heaven and Hell

One of my first blog posts this Lent was about Rob Bell's new book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. You may remember that the buzz around the book before it was even released caused quite a controversy, and that has continued since the book's release.

A friend gave me a copy of the book last week, and I read it over the weekend. I found it to be a wonderfully engaging book that has got me thinking. And really, what more could you want from a book? It is well-crafted and full of probing questions, compelling stories, and astute analyses.

Much of the controversy is about Rob Bell's position on what happens after we die, specifically whether or not he is a universalist. In my reading of the book, he certainly does not use that term to describe his theology, nor does he even carve out a position that I would interpret as universalism. At most, I would say that he leaves the door open for that possibility (mainly because who is he - or any of us - to say what God can or cannot do).

I really enjoyed chapter 6, entitled "There Are Rocks Everywhere." The title is in reference to the rock that Moses strikes in Exodus 17 that gives the Israelites water. Bell then identifies this same rock in 1 Corinthians 10 from which all the Israelites drank. Funny thing is, though, that this rock is then identified by Paul as Christ. In other words, a millennium before Jesus was born, Christ was with the Israelites providing for them. Likewise, in the prologue to John's Gospel, Christ (the Word) is identified as being co-eternal with God and the agent of creation. All this to say, Christ is at work all around us - and all around others who don't even know it. This leaves open the possibility for Christ's work in people's lives without their calling him by name (like the Israelites) or even without their knowledge. Our God is a big God, and there are rocks everywhere.

One of the other things I like about the book is that he continually emphasizes the here and now as opposed to what happens after we die. He claims - and I think rightly so - that the Gospel is bigger than a message about what our ultimate destination will be. He continually affirms that heaven and hell can be experienced in this life, and that matters. Focusing exclusively on the afterlife gives very little meaning to the things of this life, yet Jesus, the prophets and all of Scripture spends much more time and energy focused on this life rather than the afterlife. We would do well to pay attention to that.

In the end, one of the things I take away from the book is that it has sparked this great theological debate, but it's not really a theological book. By that, I mean that Bell didn't set out to explain or defend a certain doctrine or theological perspective. Not that you can always separate these two, but he is writing as a pastor and not a theologian. His concern is for people who have been hurt in the past by hateful messages from the church about hell. His purpose is to open us up to the possibility of different ideas and to remind us that there is a different story about God's love that we need to tell.

This summer during the month of June, I plan to lead a 4-week Sunday School class on the book and the issues that it raises. I look forward to many good conversations. Feel free to post thoughts or questions here!

Methodist Monday - Methodist History Overview

Each Monday, I hope to write a little bit about The United Methodist Church. The topics will range from our history and theology to our current structure and challenges. If there is a particular topic you'd like for me to cover, just let me know!

Today: History Overview

This is a brief overview of the history of The United Methodist Church off the top of my head...

After Jesus's death, resurrection, and ascension, his disciples shared their beliefs about Jesus and what it meant to follow in his way with others. This Good News spread across the known world, and the church was born. For a millennium, the church (for the most part) was one - unified by its common leadership and theology. Then, in 1054, for various theological but mostly political reasons, the church split east and west into the Roman Catholic Church in the west and the Orthodox Church in the east. In the west, the Roman Catholic Church stayed (for the most part) unified until the Protestant Reformation in 1517 and the English Reformation in 1534, which gave birth to the Church of England.

In the 1700s, John and Charles Wesley, themselves sons of an Anglican priest, were studying for the priesthood at Oxford when they formed a small group that met together to pray, study, performs acts of mercy and justice, and hold one another accountable. This group became nicknamed the "Holiness Club." Through this experience, they realized the importance of small groups and having a methodical (that's where our name comes from) approach to discipleship. Their desire was for faith to come alive and transform their lives, the nation, and the world.

Thus began the Methodist movement as an attempt to revive and reform the Church of England. They organized small groups, preached in public (rather than only in cathedrals), went on missionary trips, and much more. Both Wesley brothers had their hearts "strangely warmed" in 1738 as they became convinced of God's love for them and ignited a fervor across England and her colonies. The movement grew and spread within and beyond the Church of England, all with John's brilliant organizational abilities providing legs to it and Charles's beautiful hymns providing a voice.

The Methodist movement was thriving in America in 1776. As war broke out, the Church of England recalled her priests back to England, leaving those of a Methodist persuasion in America without ordained leadership to order the church or perform the sacraments. The Methodists pushed forward with strong laity, but there was great need for clergy as well. John Wesley petitioned those in the Church of England repeatedly to send priests to America and provide pastoral leadership to the people there, but his requests were denied. So, in 1884, Wesley took matters into his own hands. Citing extraordinary circumstances and reasoning that he was already acting as a de facto bishop for the Methodists, he consecrated Thomas Coke as superintendent for the Methodists in America and sent him across the Atlantic, where Coke organized a new church with the Methodists already there: the Methodist Episcopal Church. Coke and Francis Asbury were made the first bishops.

As the nation began to expand westward, so did the church. Little Methodist meeting houses popped up across the frontier and travelling preachers known as Circuit Riders were assigned areas of responsibility. They would travel from place to place - on a circuit - to hold quarterly meetings with congregations, to celebrate the sacraments, to preach, and to share in fellowship. As cities began to form and churches became established, pastors were appointed to serve these station churches. The methods and focus of disciple-making shifted from the small group class meetings of early Methodists to Church School. Hospitals, colleges, nursing homes, and orphanages were founded, and the church continued to grow.

As you can see, the history of Methodists in America closely parallels that of our nation. The church was born around the time of our nation, has a similar governing structure and philosophy, and struggled with many of the same issues. One of the biggest issues for the first several decades was slavery. The African Methodist Episcopal Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Church Zion broke away and remain separate denominations. The church split north and south in 1844, foreshadowing the Civil War. In fact, at the time, the Methodist Episcopal Church had more people attending worship than any other denomination, and some scholars have speculated that if the church had been able to work out its differences on this issue, perhaps the nation would have as well.

North and south reunited in 1939, along with a smaller break-away Methodist denomination called the Methodist Protestant Church, to form the Methodist Church. Then, in 1968, the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) to form The United Methodist Church. We get the "United" from the EUB church.

Today, The United Methodist Church is the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States behind the Southern Baptists. We have just under 8 million members here and more than 11 million worldwide. Our mission statement is to "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."

Sunday's Sermon - The Woman at the Well

The primary scripture text for Carol's sermon today was the lectionary text from John 4, which is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Carol began the sermon by talking about college basketball and rivalries, specifically between Duke (her alma mater) and North Carolina. She likened this rivalry to the Jews and Samaritans of Jesus's day. She went on to talk about the woman - what we know about her and what we can speculate about her. In the end, she is someone who is broken and thirsting for something in her soul - just like all of us. Jesus offers her living water, life-giving water, and reveals himself to her (a Samaritan woman of all people!) as the messiah. And, of course, Jesus offers the same to us.

One of the lasting impressions I have of this woman is how much she is changed - for the better - by her encounter with Jesus. She begins the story as an outcast of sorts, drawing water from the well by herself in the heat of the day rather than with the other women during the cool of the morning or evening. She begins the story ashamed of her past, not willing to tell Jesus her tale. She begins the story with resentment toward the Jews, and probably even toward men in general. She begins the story thirsty. But in the end, she comes to believe in Jesus because he already knows her tale, and she tells her entire village. She is the first evangelist, completely changed by her encounter. Our God is a God of transformation. How am I part of God's transforming work in the world and in people's lives?

Secondly, I am reminded of the profound importance of knowing someone else's tale. When she realized that Jesus knew her - not just knew about her, but knew her down to her soul - it made all the difference. She opened up to him and had a life-changing encounter. And so, I am left wondering, "Who knows my tale? Whose tale do I know?"

Finally, I am challenged by this woman's willingness to tell others about Jesus. I picture her going through the village, knocking on people's doors, shouting in the streets and the marketplace, talking to everyone she passes about Jesus, the promised messiah. When is the last time I shared about Jesus like that?

Feel free to comment below with responses to any of these questions, or pose your own!

Thursday Theology - Guilt

Oops! I haven't posted in a week! Daily disciplines have always been a struggle for me on my journey of faith. This blog is a nice microcosm of that. My typical pattern is to begin a practice, have it interrupted for some reason, stop doing it altogether, and then feel guilty about it. For example, I began blogging daily at the start of Lent and did pretty well for a couple of weeks. Then, this weekend, I had a fever and stomach bug and didn't blog. I haven't picked up the practice again until now, which I, of course, feel guilty about.

So, time to get back on the horse!

Since I am feeling guilty for not blogging, why don't I start there today! Guilt is a tricky topic as it relates to faith, especially when we begin to wade into the waters of ontological guilt in concepts like original sin and the atonement. But that's not the kind of guilt I want to write about today. I want to write about feeling guilty - like I have failed, let someone down, or been inadequate.

Guilt can serve two purposes. One is good; the other, not so much. Good guilt motivates us to change. In it, we recognize our deficiency and work to rectify it. As Christians, we might call this conviction and repentance. It can be a means through which God's grace works in us to make us more holy, turning away from destructive behaviors toward life-giving ones. This good guilt doesn't stay with us because we are changed by it.

The bad guilt, though, is what I think most of us experience more often. This guilt hangs around, doesn't let go, and can even attach itself to our soul like a parasite and suck the life and joy out of us. It tells us that we are not good enough, that we have failed, that there is something wrong with us, that we are not worth redeeming. This guilt comes from many different places and for various reasons. Sometimes it is an act we have done in the past that we are ashamed of and cannot move beyond. Sometimes it is simply not living up to someone's expectations. Sometimes it is realizing our own place and role in the misfortune or oppression of others (e.g. white guilt). Whatever it is, I do not think this guilt is what God wants for us.

Yet, as Christians, we often get this guilt from one another and from the church. We receive a message that if we do not live up to a certain standard - like never doing anything bad but having a picture perfect life where everything is in order and we spend hours each day in prayer, study, and serving the poor all the while with great joy - then we are failing. I don't know anyone who lives up to that standard; I'm not even sure Jesus did! But I suspect that most Christians walk around with some sense of guilt that they are not a good enough Christians.

But do you know what? That is the exact opposite of what God wants for the life of faith! Romans 8:1-2 tells us, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." Guilt is a symptom of condemnation, but we who are in Christ have been set free!

So, I know that getting past and getting rid of guilt isn't as easy as snapping your fingers are simply saying, "You shouldn't feel guilty." But really, we shouldn't feel guilty! Ours sins have been forgiven and we are loved right where we are. So may we begin to overcome our guilt and live into the newness of life, free to be ourselves!

Thursday Theology - Lent and Sacrifice

My sister sent me a link on Facebook yesterday to blog post entitled Eating Chocolate for Lent. I hope you'll take a moment to read it, as I did, because it offers an astute challenge from a feminist perspective to the practice of giving up something for Lent. For many, especially women, who are already habituated to sacrificing and submitting to the authority of others, this Lenten practice can be demeaning and self-deprecating rather than life-giving and life-affirming.

To me, Lent is an opportunity and even a challenge to us to be more intentional about our faith. Some do that by sacrificing something; some do that by taking on a habit or discipline; and some may simply need a reminder that they are loved by God and to find ways to dwell in that love. One thing is clear to me: a one-size-fits-all approach won't work. We must each try to discern what it is we can do (or not do) to be more intentional about our faith development during this season.

For me, I am blogging. It forces me to set aside time to think, pray, reflect, and write...each of which is a way that God can work in my life. Some years I have given up something, which has been a fruitful practice for me. Some years, I have not done anything. But whatever we do in Lent, it ought to be something that is grace-filled and not condemning...many of us get more than enough of that from others or even ourselves. How are you partnering with God this Lent?

The Word on Wednesday: John 2:1-11

Up until now, I have been pretty random with my blog posts, but last night it occurred to me that I might do well to have more of a structure or pattern to them. So, you will begin to notice some alliterative titles guiding me in the future.

I have been using Christ UMC's Lenten Devotion for my own devotional time during Lent. Today's reading was from John 2:1-11 in which Jesus performs his first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee by turning water into wine. As I read the story this morning, I was struck more by what Jesus says in response to his mother telling him that they are out of wine than by the actual miracle: "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."

What does Jesus mean by this cryptic statement? Perhaps he means that it's not time for him to reveal his true identity as the Messiah, and so he doesn't want to perform a miracle. But, he does perform a miracle, which indicates to me that either a) this is not what we means or b) he is doing it reluctantly only because his mother asked him to do so.

Another option for what he means, though, comes from a common phenomenon in John's Gospel. It seems as though people are often talking on a plain, literal, physical level while Jesus is speaking on a spiritual, deeper level. This Sunday's text from John 3 when Jesus says that you must be born again (or from above) and Nicodemus takes it as literally going back into your mother's womb.

If that is what is happening here, then while Mary is talking about actual wine, Jesus is perhaps talking about wine in a spiritual sense...the wine that is his blood, the cup of salvation. And his time has not yet come to offer it on our behalf (though we are anticipating it during this season of Lent). Jesus knows this is what the people at the wedding truly need - the gift of grace - and not more wine, but he gives them wine. Indeed, his gift of physical wine is a sign to them and to us of his gift of spiritual wine. May we all drink of this gift with grateful hearts!

Where Has All the Sci-Fi Gone?

Tonight marked the season, and possibly the series (it hasn't been renewed for next season yet, and there is much speculation that it won't be), finale of V. The original V was a mini-series and short television series back in the 1980s. Both series are about lizard-like aliens, disguised in human flesh, who come to earth in the spirit of peace, but who have ulterior motives. This updated version has (at least in my opinion) a better storyline, more relevant themes, and much improved special effects.

As you can tell from my brief description, V is a science fiction show. Sci-fi is my favorite genre for television and movies. One of things I love about science fiction is that it is able to make a commentary about our own world through telling a story about a different reality. The Star Trek franchise is particularly adept at this, with commentaries on topics ranging from the environment to war.

One of the aspects of V that has particularly piqued my interest has been its wrestling with issues of faith. One of the main characters and members of the Fifth Column is Jack, a now-defrocked Catholic priest. Through him, we see a constant tension and struggle between the greater good and the morality of individual actions - do the ends justify the means? The soul has also been a focal point as well. It appears as though the alien visitors do not have one, and their queen has been trying to isolate the human soul so that she can destroy it and thus crush the hopes of humanity - is their something in us that is eternal? Perhaps one of the most telling commentaries is that while Jack's faith guides and sustains him, the alien queen is able to hijack his religion through influencing the Vatican and make it her ally in her quest to dominate humanity - what role should organized religion play vs. individual spirituality?

All of these issues/questions and many more raised by the series are why I enjoy the show (once I get past the gore and violence) and the science fiction genre in general. There aren't a lot of great sci-fi shows these days...they simply don't get a large viewership and so they aren't as profitable as other shows. But I am thankful for the ones that are still around because they help me to see the world a little bit differently. I guess they are a little like parables in that way.

So, I leave you with a parable to ponder from Matthew 13:45-46 - "The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it."

Sermon Reflections

I took the weekend off from blogging because my in-laws were in town, and we had a really nice weekend with them, including dinner at Sopapilla's and everyone at church on Sunday morning (this is quite a big deal for my father-in-law).

On Sunday, I preached about the paralyzed man in John 5 who spent 38 years waiting to get into the pool by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem so that he might be healed. I talked about how his paralysis - his inability to move forward - was not just about his physical ailment but also about his mental and spiritual state. He was stuck because he placed boundaries and borders around God and God's activity, thinking that he could only be healed if he was able to get into the water. Then Jesus shows up and rocks his world!

I invited the congregation to think about the boxes that we put God in and reflect, during this season of Lent, on how we need to open ourselves up to different ways of thinking and new ways of doing things. I have been pondering all of this for myself as well, and here is where I am today. One of the boxes that I have is what it means to be a pastor; more specifically, what I do day in and day out as a pastor. I've realized that I am very comfortable at the church, where I can write sermons, prepare Bible studies, make phone calls, send e-mails, organize events, and the like. I enjoy all of these and do them well. But being a pastor (and in the end, being a disciple) isn't about staying inside the box that is the church building. It's about moving beyond the box to share God's love with those who aren't part of the church.

To be honest, much of what that looks like is uncomfortable and unknown to me. I have been part of the church my entire life, surrounded by a community of love and forgiveness. The last period of my life where I spent real, quality time with people who weren't Christians was in college. I am sure I interact with people who aren't Christians all the time...at the grocery store, at a restaurant, walking in the neighborhood...but I don't think I have a meaningful relationship with anyone who is not a Christian. Isn't that sad? And really, I'm not even sure how to go about making that happen.

As a pastor, it seems like one of the things I should be doing is cultivating relationships outside the church with at least part of the motivation being to invite my friends into a life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ. That's certainly what I encourage church members to do, but I don't do it myself. Part of it is simply a by-product of professional clergy - we don't have co-workers who aren't part of the church. Part of it is my natural tendency to be more introverted than extroverted. But part of it is a lack of openness to an expanded vision of what it means to be a pastor, and that's where I can change.

So, my hope is that God might give me a little push to get beyond this stuck point in my own life, and my prayer is that God will do the same for you!

The Beginning of a Good Work

"The One who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (Philippians 1:6)

On Wednesday, I mentioned the hunger meal of rice and beans that we do at Christ UMC on Ash Wednesday. I'm not really sure when or how this tradition started (maybe some of the Christ UMC folks can fill in the details), but I know it has been happening for several years. Volunteers provide the food and cook the meal (it's really quite tasty!), and it is free with donations going to a hunger ministry. This year, the Outreach Committee decided the funds would go to the Open Table, which is a ministry in Nashville seeking to mobilize resources to help the marginalized, specifically the homeless, especially those who were displaced from Tent City during the flood last year. They are doing some really great things.

Recently, I have been feeling something stirring inside of me around the issue of homelessness. I can't really define it and don't understand it yet, but something is happening. I think I am in the beginning stages of God calling me to do something about this issue. Again, not sure what. This Sunday, I am preaching about the paralyzed man in John 5 that Jesus healed. Part of the amazing thing about this story is that the man had great faith and thought he knew how God would heal him (through the waters of the pool). In the end, Jesus pushed him beyond his expectations, outside his mindset and the box in which he had put God's activity. I'm hoping to avoid that very pitfall by trying to keep an open mind and a willing heart and see what happens. I guess that's all anyone could ask of me at this point.

I am encouraged by the words above from Philippians 1:6. I know God has begun something in me, something good. I don't know what will happen or how it will end up, but I trust that together we will see it through to completion.

Rob Bell and Universalism

A friend from church e-mailed me last night to ask my opinion on Rob Bell's new book Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, which was originally set to be released on March 29th but has been moved up to March 15th after a promo video and some advanced copies got the Christian blogosphere up in arms with claims that Rob Bell was embracing universalism. He forwarded me a review of the book and asked me to respond. So, here are my thoughts:

There has been a lot of buzz about Rob Bell's new book, and it hasn't even hit the shelves yet! So, obviously, I haven't read it and can't really comment on the content of it yet. From the review, it looks like Tim Challies read an advance copy, which is not always the same as the final product.

One of the things I like about Rob Bell is that he thinks about things in a different way. He is very creative and uses wonderful images and stories. He also likes to ask a lot of questions and doesn't always give the answers. I actually think that is a really good thing, but it seems like the reviewers disagree: "Christians do not need more confusion. They need clarity." One of the biggest dangers that pastors/teachers/leaders in the church face is being utterly convinced that our way of thinking and our theological position is right/good/correct and all others are wrong/bad/improper. I think one of the signs of spiritual maturity is being able to wrestle with theological issues and being comfortable not always having an answer. Sometimes the best we can do when faced with the mystery of God is wonder.

Back to the issue of questions...I do think the reviewers are helpful when they point out that it matters how the questions are framed. And the way Rob Bell is framing the questions, he is challenging the standard evangelical doctrines of heaven and hell. My guess is this is really the whole point of his book - to get folks to re-examine these doctrines. Some would say this is a dangerous and destructive enterprise, but I personally believe that it is good and healthy and that the Church always needs to be open to the moving of the Holy Spirit, whether that movement is to change or to reaffirm.

The issue (heaven and hell) that the book addresses is a difficult one because you are dealing with the eternal destinies of people and the very character and nature of God, and there are many different perspectives throughout scripture and the history of the Church. Rob Bell seems to be challenging the one that has become dominant in today's evangelical circles, which basically states that Christians go to heaven when they die and non-Christians go to hell. Especially in our world today, where church attendance in the US is lower than in previous generations and we are exposed to and even in relationship with people of different religions, I think we need to examine this position. In the end, if we agree with it, it should increase our drive and motivation to share the Gospel with others. If we think another position is better, that's important too and should shape how we live.

It is certainly a theological issue that I still struggle with personally. Some days, I think there are very few of us who will be going to heaven (narrow gate, hard road, eye of the needle, etc.). Other days, I think we will all be there (1 Tim 2:3-6, John 12:32, Rom 5:18, etc.). Most of the time, though, I settle somewhere in the middle. As a United Methodist, Arminianism is part of our heritage. It stands in contrast to Calvinism and states that God's desire/will is for all of humanity to be saved and grace is extended to each of us, but we must ccoperate and respond to the grace offered to us. To me, it best satisfies the tension between the nature of God's love (which one might think means all go to heaven) and the passages of scripture that talk about the eternal destiny of the wicked. But even within an Arminian framework, there is still wiggle room on the exclusivist-inclusivist-pluralist spectrum.

The one thing that I do believe strongly and hold to unswervingly is that salvation comes through the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Again, within that lies some wiggle room. Does one have to believe in Jesus Christ and confess him as your Lord and Savior? What does that mean for infants and children who die? If God's salvation is extended to them without belief and confession, can it be to others? What about the person who never hears about Jesus? Or who is taught that Christianity is evil? Is God's grace big enough to extend to them? What about the faithful and devout Buddhist or Hindu or Muslim or Sikh? What about Jewish folks, God's chosen people? In the end, I tend to land somewhere in the inclusivist camp because I think that God's grace is big enough to extend beyond what we call Christianity and that people of other faiths are sometimes (often?) responding to God's grace in Jesus Christ without knowing or naming it.

When all is said and done, I have more questions than answers. And it certainly is not my place to judge others and decide their eternal destiny. I will leave that to God. But I am left to trust in God's grace offered to me through Jesus Christ, and to share that Good News with others.

Ash Wednesday

This year for Lent, I am once again taking on the discipline of journaling online. I hope you will join me on this journey toward the Cross and the Resurrection.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. This evening, Christ UMC will be worshiping together with St. John's Anglican Church at 6:30 after a hunger meal of beans and rice (more on that another day). The Ash Wednesday service is a somber and solemn service designed to help us confront two realities that we would usually prefer to avoid: our mortality and our sinfulness.

These two realities are difficult for us to think about, let alone discuss. But they are two things that unite all of humanity. We will all die, and we all fail to live up to God's hopes and expectations for us. Fun thoughts, I know. But it is important for us to consider both of these, even if it is just once a year. When faced with each of them, and especially both of them together, we gain a greater understanding of God's grace. Both of them point to our great need for something divine beyond ourselves, because without it, we really do not have a reason for hope. Without God's grace, death is the end, our life ending in defeat. Without God's grace, we are lost in our trespasses, with no chance of overcoming. Without God's grace, our very existence is toil and futility.

But praise be to God that we are not left on our own, but that through Jesus Christ we have the promise of redemption, reconciliation, forgiveness, regeneration, and even eternal life. In order to realize fully each of these, we must see our need for them that God alone can supply.

So, as we begin the Lenten season, my prayer is that we might become more aware of who we are in Jesus Christ and trust more fully in God's grace.