...a response to the response so often received...

This post is somewhat reactionary to an article I read earlier about Bruce Jenner.  I actually liked the article and agreed with most of the author's views.  What I didn't like was the reaction in the comment section. (disclaimer - I know if I take time to proof-read and edit this I will end up not ever posting it for fear of people disagreeing with me, as i have multiple posts that have never been published, so forgive any editorial mistakes or over-stated sentences.)

Those who disagree with a Christian worldview often quote scripture in their defense.  Why?  If you don't believe in the scripture why quote it to defend your point of view? Because maybe by discrediting the Christian you might be able to rationalize your actions... ?

But really, whenever someone calls sin "sin," they are accused of judging, and we all know "do not judge."  Christians are reminded that "Christians are supposed to love and accept everyone" and "are not supposed to judge" and "hurting people is wrong."  Well, yes, in  sense, this is true.  Just a few of my thoughts:

1. "Christians are called to love people".  Loving people and "accepting" them is not the same as condoning all of their actions.  I love my kids but that doesn't mean I just let them do whatever they want and never tell them that they are wrong.  It is, however, out of love that I correct my kids, wanting the very best for them.  I love students in my youth group, and I accept them for who they are, but that doesn't mean I can't tell them when they make dumb decisions.  It is out of love that I tell them.  My dad has a completely different worldview than I do, the fact that we don't see eye-to-eye doesn't change my love for him.  Yes, I think he is living in sin. And yes, I still love him.  Naming sin is not the same as passing judgment.  Not the same as hating.  It is not mutually exclusive with love or acceptance.

2. "God loves and accepts everyone the way they are."  Yes, Jesus invites ALL. Jesus died for all. God loves the world.  And yes, Jesus accepts all.  The thing about the love of God, however, is that it does not leave you unchanged.  You cannot encounter God without being changed.  While God's love for you does not change based on how "good" or "bad" you are, God's love does change you.  God loves us so much that he does not leave us the way we are.  This is GOOD news! He loves us the way we are, and loves us too much to leave us that way.

3. Do we forget about Jesus?  As Christians, when we speak to issues in society, sometimes I think we get too caught up in discussion around particular issues and we forget to really talk about Jesus.  Jesus is the Truth and the Life.  Jesus is the one who gives hope.  Jesus is the one who transforms. The one who saves.  Yeah, it probably sounds cheesy. and no, people probably don't want to hear it.  What are we really shedding light on a subject simply by sharing our "righteous opinions?"  We may be well meaning, and we may be speaking about the truth, but unless we talk about Jesus we aren't really speaking truth.  There is much value in dialogue (if it can be reasonable). There is value in sociological statistics, in reason, in life experience. The most important thing Christians can contribute to the conversation is to talk about the true solution to the problem of sin - Jesus. 

a new type of "concerned" Nazarene

I have recently seen many people using the word "concerned" across social media in speaking of the Church of the Nazarene. This, no doubt, has different connotation than the group known as "concerned Nazarenes" (not to be dealt with here).

 This "concern" is a response to a number of situations across the denomination, including NPH, MNU, and most recently, NNU. I have recently read many posts, comments, discussions, blogs, and open letters. One of my favorites regarding this "concern" can be found HERE, unless you already read it from the link on my Facebook.

What I like about this open letter is not that I necessarily agree with everything, but that, for the most part, he is not accusatory or pointing fingers.  There are no personal attacks.  He comes across stronger than I would, but there is a good point being made.

Admitting that we don't have all of the information, and people are for the most part ignorant of what really happened, a message is being heard.  It would be good to see some transparency.

Whether these people are actually being silenced or not doesn't matter to most, because the perception is that they are indeed being cut off. Whether or not the message is being sent, the message is being heard, "there is not much room in the Church of the Nazarene."


Regarding this situation, I have a few thoughts and questions.
1. Is this really as big of a deal as it seems right now? Or will it all blow over in a matter of time?  Are some people just jumping on the bandwagon because they like to "stick it to the institution?"

2. Is it possible that the lack of explanation from these institutions is actually a move of grace?  Could there be more to these stories than we know, and grace is actually being shown by not sharing the details?

3. Where are we headed as a denomination? Is the "big tent" that was present in our early years still present today -  Unity in essentials, in all else, harmony...?

4. I am, and will remain, faithful to the Church of the Nazarene.  That does not mean I will not ask the tough questions.  But I will not make unfounded criticisms or accusations.  There are definitely questions that need to be answered in the near future. There is definitely a need to strengthen our identity as the Church of the Nazarene.  I am not saying we have lost our way, just that there are many Nazarenes who don't know who we are anymore.

Something stirring...

Something has been stirring inside of me for the past few weeks.  I'm not sure what it is. I can best express it as a series of questions, and I'm not sure about the answers... all I know is that I feel compelled to write, to share my thoughts and opinions, contribute to some of the conversations going on in this world. Just by admitting this, I already begin to answer some of these questions.

Why do I never share my thoughts on issues? Political, social, current events, or anything?  Why do I share articles on FB and rarely comment on any or give a caption to the ones that I share?  

Am I afraid to put my thoughts out there? Am I afraid of what people might think? Am I afraid of offending? Of putting off? Of being pigeon-holed or stereo-typed? Afraid of criticism? 

Or am I just afraid that I'll turn out ignorant in conversation? Have nothing worth saying?

Is my desire to share my thoughts motivated by self-promotion? Arrogance?

I am reminded of two scriptures:

Luke 6:26 - Woe to you when all men speak well of you...

And Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

But that doesn't mean I put stuff out there just to be criticized (duh).  And I need to always ask myself questions about what motivates me - a need to be heard? arrogance? self-promotion? OR to be the "light of the world" and "salt of the earth" (Mt 5:13-16), to proclaim truth and justice, and just being obedient to the Spirit.

So I think, in this moment, I am making 2 resolutions:

1. Quit living in ignorance and become aware of what is going on in the world, country, and community.  Become knowledgeable.  Learn both sides of issues.

2. Don't be afraid to use that knowledge and insight in conversation.  Listen to the Spirit in seeking ways to get involved in constructive dialogue.  If I believe that there is truth to be told, don't be afraid to tell it, always in love.

Time...

Time... something I have been thinking about today.  That is not to say that I haven't thought about it in the past, but it's been on my mind today. Specifically, the use of time in relation to Kingdom Living. This is not something that I have figured out, but it forces me to work it out when I try to articulate my thoughts. With that said, this will not be a well-crafted paper, rather a string of  unedited thoughts and questions... and hopefully some answers at the end.

The way people use their time is significant.  Christian or not, people's use of time says a lot about them.  I know easy lines can't be drawn, but is it true that our use of time portrays our priorities?

Those who play video games all the time find their games important. 
Those who love to shop find "things" to be important. (specifically those that love to buy)
Those who are workaholics find their work/job/money to be most important.

Those are generalizations, I know.   Does what we spend the most time on reflect what we find to be most important?  Does what we say is most important "outweigh" what our actions portray to be the most important to us, or the other way around?

To begin, let's take sleeping and eating out of the equation.  Those are a necessity to life.  Most people could probably use more sleep and less food, but that is another discussion.

It seems to me (from my experience), that most people rank God, family, friends, church, career in their top priorities.  Aside from career, most people do not spend the majority of their time focused on any of these said priorities.  I understand that our jobs often require more time than we have free...but let's talk about free time.

I don't feel like doing a lot of research or providing sources, but just a google search, a common number is that in 2010 Americans averaged 34 hours of TV a week (full-time job?).  What does that say about what they find important?  Well, that could say a lot of things, but most of them are inward focused - satisfying some need/desire within themselves...

But wait...people don't usually put their own happiness on their list of most important things...

To be honest, this has been bothering me because over the last couple days I have watched a lot of Netflix (I do this occasionally).  But then I feel like I wasted the day...what was accomplished?  I use the fact that I am taking care of a (almost) 1 year old as an excuse to have the tv on on all and not get much done...

So, if my time truly reflected what was most important to me I would spend the most time "with" God, then my family, then the church (which is also my job/career).  Practically speaking, keeping God as the first priority does not mean I have to be spending my time "for God" as a separate activity from my family or the church.  God desires a wholesome family, and being a good husband and dad pleases God.  Being faithful in my calling to ministry pleases God.

I am getting tired of all of this rambling...let's try to get to the point... so what am I trying to say? Let me try to make a list of quasi-conclusions:

1. If God really is most important - then spend time with God! Spend alone time with God.  It is so easy to neglect prayer and study in the busyness of the day - but it is essential!  Prayer and God's Word are the lifeblood of the believer!  I am not saying we need to spend every moment of "free" time that we have doing these things, but we need to make sure we ARE doing them.  and for me: I need to do them more!

2. Kingdom living means living as members of the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdoms of this world.  That means the things that are important to God are important to us (and the things of this world like "stuff," money, and worldly success are not).  Even with my time that is not spent "alone" with God, I can have God as my first priority.  I can do things that directly or indirectly "further" the Kingdom.  This might look like blogging (sharing my journeys), raising awareness and support for social causes, volunteering time, etc etc.

3.  Grow.  Feed your mind.  If you are going to spend hours in front of a screen, feed your brain something useful.  Learn something (I am thinking Kingdom-minded here).  Or read... learn something.  Become inspired. Another part of growing may be in a physical sense.  Do things that are healthy for your body :).  And if you can, while you do them, listen/watch something edifying rather than entertaining.

4. Consider the way you spend your time.  What does it say about you?  If you made a list of what was most important and a list of how you spend your time, how would they match up?  My point is: be intentional.

The Kingdom of Heaven is... part 2

As promised, the second paper I wrote entitled "The Kingdom of Heaven is..."  This paper was written in May.  Again, I have included the assignment description

Assignment: Students will submit a 500-600 word paper, "The Kingdom of Heaven is..." This should be a succinct articulation of the student's concept of the meaning of the kingdom. This is not a research paper. Rather, it is a reflection of the student's current understanding of the kingdom.

Response:

            The Kingdom of Heaven is still difficult for me to explain, though I think I have a better understanding than I did at the outset of this class.  I do not know that my understanding is clear enough to preach it or explain to someone else.  I am always reminded of the old adage “If it’s foggy to you, it’s muddy to them.”  In other words, if it is always even less clear to the person (people) you are talking to than it is to you.

            What I do know is that the Kingdom of Heaven is not just something in the future.  Nor is it some separate realm existing in a “parallel dimension” (that is the way one of my teens described it).  Though the fullness of the Kingdom will not be realized until Christ’s second coming, the Kingdom of Heaven is also a present reality. This part I understand clearly, and can communicate clearly.

            I had my teens do a little Bible study on all of the parables and teachings in Matthew on the Kingdom of Heaven.  What really made the present-future reality of the Kingdom obvious to one of my students was Matthew 13: 47- 50.  Though the Kingdom of Heaven now includes everyone (the net that contains both good and bad fish), at the end it will only include the Christians (good fish).  When this student made this connection it solidified this concept for the entire group.

            This understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven makes it obvious why it is important to proclaim the gospel and “evangelize.”  We want there to be as many “good fish” as possible when Christ comes again.  My students understood that clearly.  What I have a hard time communicating to them is the implications that it has on social justice.

            Social justice, surprisingly (not really, I just forgot that I did not know what it meant when I was there age) was a new concept for my teens.  That is a big hurdle to jump over with the already new understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven.  I know that our acts of compassion have eternal implications for the Kingdom, but explaining that part, both the theology and the practice of it is where things get foggy and harder to communicate. Explaining how “loving your neighbor” means taking care of “the least of these,” and that these are THE GOSPEL just as much as salvation – this is where communication breaks down.

            I realize that communicating my understanding of the Kingdom forces me to understand it better.  What was foggy the first time will be clearer the next time, for both me and the listeners.  I know that this is a personal reflection paper on the Kingdom of Heaven, and that I have sort of hi-jacked it and made it something else, but bear with me.  I semi-recently heard a staff pastor, in reference to a theology conference, say “I don’t do that theoretical stuff.” (There are so many things to say about this…) A correct understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven is not just to have the best “theory.” It has nothing to do with theory! Our theology of the Kingdom informs our way of life!  It has direct implications on our own relationship with God as well as our relationships with others.

            Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven as a present-future kingdom has two main implications (these are simplistic, I know).  The future aspect (understanding that the Kingdom will be manifest at the coming of Christ) calls us to personal holiness.  We want to live a life that pleases God and “make it” into the Kingdom.  It also calls us to evangelism, trying to get as many people in by the end as we can.  Recognizing the present reality of the Kingdom calls us to social holiness – a love for others, especially the “least of these.” This social holiness requires us to do more than make converts, but to love and serve others as well. Though scripture clearly outlines both of these, it seems that Christians today often neglect social holiness because “that is not the way to heaven.”  What we do for others in the present, however, does have an eternal impact on the Kingdom of God.

Concerning the "inerrancy" of scripture

American Christianity, generally speaking, does not hold to the traditional view of scripture as affirmed throughout Christian history.   For most, they believe that either the Bible is completely true, or it is not true at all.  Either it is absolutely correct in every statement, or there is no point in believing it.

I have also heard many atheists use arguments that "prove" parts of the Bible "wrong" and come to the conclusion that God is not real based on insignificant issues.

I fully agree with the report linked to below, that "this misguided concept of detailed ‘inerrancy’

diverts attention to unprofitable debates about unimportant details" (9)

This is an important discussion, since that is NOT the Wesleyan perspective.

My brother recently posted a brief discussion on the topic, concerning the report of the Scriptural Study Committee commissioned by the General Assembly.  His discussion can be found here  (second half of the article), with some clarifications made here.

The really good stuff, however, can be found in the actual report, which you can read here.

I highly recommend reading the full report on the Nazarene understanding of the authority of the Bible and what we mean by "inerrancy"

I know, I'm not really saying much...but read the report!

The Kingdom of Heaven is...

Below is a paper that I wrote at the beginning of a my last master's class.  In the future I will post my concluding paper on the Kingdom of Heaven.  I have not edited it for this blog.  I have also included the description of the assignment.  After reading, what are your thoughts?  How would you describe it?

Assignment: Students will submit a 500-600 word paper by April 16 titled, "The Kingdom of Heaven is..." This should be a succinct articulation of the student's concept of the meaning of the kingdom. This is not a research paper. Rather, it is a reflection of the student's current understanding of the kingdom.

Response:

            The Kingdom of Heaven is difficult for me to describe.  This is partially due to the lack of teaching and preaching that I have heard on the Kingdom of Heaven.  In contrast, the little I have heard about the Kingdom of Heaven from different pastors and professors has been either ambiguous or contradictory to what others have told me.  I, however, can best describe the Kingdom of Heaven as an “already-not yet” reality.

            The Kingdom of Heaven is, in a sense, already a reality.  On the other hand, it has yet to come.  The fullness of the Kingdom has yet to be realized.  This “fullness” will come upon the return of Christ.  Often times, it is this future sense of the Kingdom that people most often refer to or understand “The Kingdom of Heaven” to refer to. 

            In fact, many believe that we “usher in” the Kingdom.  Now I am no eschatology expert, and I can’t even say that I have formed any opinion on what I believe will happen or the timeline in which it will happen.  I do not, however, believe that we bring in the future Kingdom of God.  I do believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is a present reality.  What we do on Earth does not speed the coming of the Kingdom, but it does have eternal effect on the Kingdom.

            When we pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” I do not think that we are praying for a future thing.  We are praying for God’s will, for God’s kingdom, to be a present reality on earth.  The passage of scripture that has best helped me understand this present-future tension is Philippians 3.  Paul explains that our citizenship is in heaven.  Paul’s argument though is about the present life.  Since our citizenship is currently (not just in the future) in heaven, because the Kingdom of God is our “commonwealth” rather than the earthly “kingdoms,” it should change the way that we live our present lives.

            There are two aspects to kingdom living I think.  First, personal holiness. We must live our own lives as members of the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdoms of this world.  Second, as members of Christ’s Kingdom we must act out social holiness.  We must make our world look like the Kingdom of God by acts of compassion and social justice.  This is where we truly pray that God’s Kingdom come – that the Kingdom with no more suffering or pain may be here now.  Though pain and suffering will not entirely disappear until the fullness of Christ’s Kingdom is realized, we can make an eternal impact in the Kingdom by making a difference in the lives of others now.

            The Kingdom of Heaven is present.  If that were all it was, it would be a great disappointment.  The Kingdom of heaven is future.  If it was just in the future, we would have little purpose in life.  Because the Kingdom of Heaven is both present and future, it guides the way we live now and gives us great hope for the future.