Confession and call

In our time of political division and fearmongering, a coalition of evangelical leaders have issued a call for prayer, worship and revival Sept. 8-15, 2024. 

The following “confession” is actually a call to action.

You’ll find the text and resources at this website: https://www.evangelicalconfession2024.com/

 I was alerted to it by a blog post by Kristin Du Mez, a historian who is best known for her book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.

 You can sign on in support of the effort if you wish. Du Mez notes that she is shy about such things, and I’m unclear whether she signed it or not.

 I also am shy about singing such things, but it did it anyway.

 Given that the term “evangelical” these days mostly means “conservative Republican, more or less semi-kinda some sorta Christian,” I am hesitant to put myself in that category.

 But I note that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, considered himself and his followers evangelicals. And the name “evangelical” will never be restored to its best meaning until its current corruption is rooted out and deposited in the dustbin of history.

With that caveat, I am happy to help reclaim the name in the name of Jesus.

See what you think of the confession and call to action.

 Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction

 In this moment of social conflict and political division, we confess the following Christian convictions:

 ONE: We give our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone.

 We affirm that Jesus Christ is God's Son and the only head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). No political ideology or earthly authority can claim the authority that belongs to Christ (Philippians 2:9-11). We reaffirm our dedication to his Gospel which stands apart from any partisan agenda. God is clear that he will not share his glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8). Our worship belongs to him alone (Exodus 20:3-4), because our true hope is not in any party, leader, movement, or nation, but in the promise of Christ's return when he will renew the world and reign over all things (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

We reject the false teaching that anyone other than Jesus Christ has been anointed by God as our Savior, or that a Christian's loyalty should belong to any political party. We reject any message that promotes devotion to a human leader or that wraps divine worship around partisanship.

TWO: We will lead with love not fear.

We affirm that God's saving power revealed in Jesus is motived by his love for the world and not anger (John 3:16). Because God has lavished his love upon us, we can love others (1 John 4:19). We acknowledge that this world is full of injustice and pain, but we are not afraid because Jesus Christ has promised to never abandon us (John 16:33). Unlike the false security promised by political idolatry and its messengers, the perfect love of God drives away all fear (1 John 4:18). Therefore, we do not employ fear, anger, or terror as we engage in our mission, but instead we follow the more excellent way of Jesus which is love (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13).

We reject the stoking of fears and the use of threats as an illegitimate form of godly motivation, and we repudiate the use of violence to achieve political goals as incongruent with the way of Christ.

THREE: We submit to the truth of Scripture. 

We affirm that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, authoritative for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We commit to interpreting and applying Scripture faithfully, guided by the Holy Spirit, for the building up of Christ's people and the blessing of his world (John 16:13). We believe any true word of prophecy must align with the teachings of Scripture and the character of Jesus (1 John 4:1-3). Likewise, to lie about others, including political opponents, is a sin (Exodus 20:16). Therefore, we commit to speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), knowing deception dishonors God and harms the reputation of his Church.

We reject the misuse of holy Scripture to sanction a single political agenda, provoke hatred, or sow social divisions, and we believe that using God's name to promote misinformation or lies for personal or political gain is bearing his name in vain (Exodus 20:7).

FOUR: We believe the Gospel heals every worldly division.

We affirm the unity of all believers in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28), and that through his sacrificial death on the cross, he has removed the barriers that divide us (Ephesians 2:14-18), making people from every nation, tribe, people, and language into one new family (Revelation 7:9). We are called to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and the counter-cultural unity of the Church is to be a sign to the world of God's love and power (John 13:35; 17:20-21).

We reject any attempt to divide the Church, which is the Body of Christ, along partisan, ethnic, or national boundaries, and any message that says it is God's desire for the human family to be perpetually segregated by race, culture, or ethnicity is a rejection of the Gospel.

FIVE: We are committed to the prophetic mission of the Church. 

We affirm that Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), therefore the Church necessarily stands apart from earthly political powers so that it may speak prophetically to all people, the society, and governing authorities. The Church has been given a divine mission of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). First, we call everyone to be reconciled to God through the proclamation of the Gospel as we teach people everywhere to copy the way of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). Second, we seek to reconcile people to one another by addressing issues of justice, righteousness, and peace (Amos 5:24). We accomplish this by loving our neighbors (Mark 12:31), and by engaging our public life with humility, integrity, and a commitment to the common good as defined by our faith in Christ (Romans 12:18).

We reject both the call for the Church to withdraw from societal issues out of fear of political contamination, as well as any attempt to distort the Church into a mere vehicle of political or social power.

SIX: We value every person as created in God's image.

We affirm that all people bear God's image and possess inherent and infinite worth (Genesis 1:27). Jesus bestowed dignity upon those his culture devalued, and he taught us that our love, like God's, must extend even to our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Our faith in Christ, therefore, compels us to act with love and mercy toward all from the very beginning of life to the very end, and honor everyone as an image-bearer of God regardless of age, ability, identity, political beliefs, or affiliations (John 13:34-35). We commit ourselves to advocate for the value of everyone our society harms or ignores.

We reject any messages that employ dehumanizing rhetoric, that attempt to restrict who is worthy of God's love, or that impose limitations on the command to "love your neighbor" that Christ himself removed.

SEVEN: We recognize godly leaders by their character.

We affirm that the character of both our political and spiritual leaders matter. Within the Church, we seek to follow spiritual leaders those who display evidence of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus warned us to be on guard against false teachers who come as wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15). These voices will tempt us with flattery, bad doctrine, and messages we want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). They serve the false idols of power, wealth, and strength rather than the true God. Outside the Church, we will evaluate leaders based on their actions and the fruit of their character and not merely their promises or political success (Matthew 7:15-20). When any leader claims to have God's approval, whether in the Church or in politics, we will not confuse effectiveness for faithfulness, but carefully discern who is truly from God (1 John 4:1).

We reject the lie that a leader's power, popularity, or political effectiveness is confirmation of God's favor, or that Christians are permitted to ignore the teachings of Christ to protect themselves with worldly power.

Conclusion

We stand united in our confession of faith in Jesus Christ, resolved to uphold the truth of the Gospel in the face of political pressure and cultural shifts. We commit to being a light in the world (Matthew 5:14-16), and faithful witnesses to the transforming power of Christ's love. We pray that God’s Spirit will revive our Church and strengthen Christ's people to be agents of his presence and blessing in this turbulent age.

To him who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 1:24-25) 

Look away, patriots!

You’ve probably already formed an opinion about recent attempts to jam religious teaching into public schools. Whether you have or haven’t yet, here’s my take on plans to post the Ten Commandments in schools, and to force teaching of religion in the classroom.

 First, the Ten Commandments. The governor of Louisiana recently signed a law requiring them to be posted in every public school classroom in the state.

 The best case against this idea comes from someone who endorses it. That’s former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

 Remember him? He’s the judge who kept railing about “judicial activism” until, in a fit of judicial activism, he placed a two-ton granite statue featuring the Ten Commandments in front of the state court building, then disobeyed a federal judge’s order to remove it from public land, and then was removed from office.

He still bloviates about culture wars issues, and apparently some people still take him seriously. Here’s my take: If Moore loves an idea, you may suspect that it is seriously wrong.

The Louisiana law faces plenty of opposition, including lawsuits. Here is the response of the governor: “When you elect people, you elect them by a majority. That majority gets to rule. And so what I would say to those parents is that if those posters are in school, and they find them so vulgar, just tell the child not to look at it.”

That response is so wrong in so many ways it’s hard to know where to start. Let me skip to the worst part: “The majority gets to rule.” That means, of course, that those in the minority have no rights. Whatever the majority wants is what goes. This is the road to dictatorship.

And if you don’t like dictatorship, just don’t look. Pretend it’s not there.

What’s so wrong about posting the Ten Commandments in schools?

First, it’s an imposition of religion by the state. It’s a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. It endorses and establishes a religion imposed by the state.

You may argue that the Ten Commandments are simply a list of basic moral rules. Really? Where do they come from? From Jewish scripture, adopted by Christians. Not from any other religious tradition. And the first four commandments are explicitly religious and have nothing to do with “moral” behavior beyond expected religious adherence.

By the way, the Bible contains two versions of the commandments – one in Exodus 20, the other in Deuteronomy 5. Oh, and they are closely mirrored by a third version in Leviticus 19.

Jews, Catholics and Protestants endorse slightly different versions of the Ten. Whichever version you prescribe, you create an establishment of religion that is banned by the Constitution.

Or at least it is until the “originalists” in the Supreme Court come up with an “original” opinion that they say follows exactly what the founders really, truly had in mind when they wrote the Constitution.

Whatever version you prescribe, does one of the commandments say not to “kill” or not to “murder”? Big difference. The original Hebrew says “murder.” But who’s an originalist now?

Anyway, what’s wrong with putting a little morality in the classroom? What’s wrong is that we know that whoever “rules” will try to enforce a very strict (and, dare we say, partisan) morality that, in fact, violates the spirit of the Ten Commandments.

How about a little gospel instead of chiseled-in-stone law? How about posting the text of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in schools? That won’t pass constitutional muster either, of course. But wouldn’t you like to hear any red state governor proposing anything like that? Ever read what Jesus said? Yikes!

I have not forgotten to comment on the teaching of religion in the classroom. It is hard to imagine Louisiana, or any other state inclined to require this, to set up any system that guards against intentional abuse by “Christian” nationalists and fundamentalists.

Rather, they will actually invite such abuse. Because both these efforts have nothing to do with religion or morality in the schools. They’re simply stealth attacks on public education in general. The idea is to make public education impossible, so that private, sectarian, partisan education can prevail – funded by everyone, of course, because the majority rules.

And you can’t just not look at it.

An extra-Oord-inary verdict

Name a notable Church of the Nazarene theologian.

 Think about it awhile if you like.

 Ray Dunning and Mildred Wynkoop come to mind. They’re among my faves, too.

 Any others?

 Especially, any who are alive?

 How about Thomas Jay Oord?

 Nice try. See, he just got drummed out of the church. Like, totally. He’s not even Nazarene anymore. He’s former Nazarene now.

 Why? Because he championed the inclusion of LGBTQ+ folks. What’s worse, he actually tried to get the church to change its position on their inclusion.

 Heresy and worse, a Nazarene court ruled the other day.

 A church court not only stripped Oord of his preaching credentials. It actually expelled him from membership in the denomination.

 Excommunicated him. De-fellowshipped him. All but pronounced a holy curse on him.

 Members of his local church in Nampa, Idaho, have no intention of enforcing this action. Lord knows what the denominational bigwigs will do to them.

 Oord was found guilty of “conduct unbecoming a minister” because he taught “doctrines out of harmony with the doctrinal statement of the Church of the Nazarene.”

 You see, the Church of the Nazarene officially holds that “the practice of same-sex sexual intimacy is contrary to God’s will.”

 One piece of evidence the court cited was a book Oord wrote with his daughter Alexa, Why the Church of the Nazarene Should Be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming.

 Oord is sad about the verdict but not surprised (though he hadn’t expected the unprecedented expulsion from the church). “I had hoped the Church of the Nazarene could be a place for me and those like me who fully affirm queer people and support their allies.”

Forget about it.

Understand that Oord was not found guilty of denying any doctrine about salvation, or the Father, Son or Holy Spirit.

Nope. Nothing like that. He was found guilty of opposing church doctrine about sex.

Sex counts more than anything else these days in some churches.

Among Southern Baptists, for example. Or Global Methodists.

But no more among United Methodists, thank God.

We United Methodists have our problems, for sure. But we don’t worship sex.

Tell me these other folks don’t. Cause they sure act like they do.

I have read several of Oord’s books. He is a process theologian. I read most process theology with interest but not much agreement. I find Oord a challenging as well as interesting read, and I think he’s right, or close to right, much of the time.

Happily, I don’t belong to a church where you have to be “right” about sex all the time.

Images good and bad

Religious-theme controversies hither and yon:

 ·       Score one for the Apaches. And the image of Christ!

 For 35 years, the 8-foot-tall image of an Apache Christ hung behind the altar of St. Joseph Apache Mission in Mescalaro, New Mexico.

 The icon was created by Franciscan friar Robert Lentz in 1989. It depicts Christ as a Mescalero medicine man. It is a visually stunning reminder that Christ comes to us in many guises in all cultures.

 I have a postcard version of the icon that I have treasured for more than 20 years.

 A month ago, the people of the church were shocked when they showed up for worship and saw that the icon was gone. So were other art works that mixed Christian and Apache themes.

The priest said he had removed the “pagan” images to avoid corrupting the people.

Apparently he preferred the usual (non-corrupting) European images of Christ that appear in most Catholic artwork.

The priest said the local bishop and other diocesan officials had approved of the art’s removal.

Church people threw a fit. Then something truly momentous happened. The bishop backed down. He removed the priest, returned the artworks and apologized (as much as bishops ever really apologize for anything).

*  *  *  *  * 

·       Some people are really upset about the Last Supper “parody” during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Paris.

Problem is, the scene was not a portrayal of the Last Supper It was a portrayal of the Feast of Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine and orgies. No wonder it was so ribald. Oh, those French!

And, oh those (primarily Americans) who were so quick to take offense!

I missed seeing the whole thing first-hand. I watched about ten minutes of the parade, saw a few boats carrying athletes down the Seine, yawned and quit in boredom.

*  *  *  *  * 

·       Some people claim that God “spared” Donald Trump from assassination when a bullet nicked his ear.

If you follow the logic of that, then God directed bullets to kill firefighter Corey Comperatore and seriously injure two other bystanders at the Trump rally.

Or maybe Trump just moved his head at the right time.

Or maybe the shooter was just a bad shot.

You really ought to be careful assigning divine motive to bullets. It makes God the author of an awful lot of pain.

But if you must believe that God “spared” Trump, then the next time something awful happens to you, you must accept the notion that God did it to you, on purpose, because you so richly deserved it.

Relax. God doesn’t work that way.

Because if any of us God what we deserve, we’d all be in a terrible fix, wouldn’t we? 

You are welcome

As part of its transition from Spring Hill United Methodist Church to Resurrection Spring Hill, core team members are relearning some of the basics of being a church – especially the need to be radically welcoming.

 Some of what you will read here is being presented to team members by Yvonne Gentile of the Resurrection staff. She and Debi Nixon have written a book, The Art of Hospitality, that covers this ground thoroughly.

 The gist of what follows, however, comes not from that book but from a couple of messages that I delivered more than 20 years ago. See, these principles are not new. Neither are the issues they address. We neglect them to our peril.

 This is a message I delivered during the church’s informal Summer Session this Sunday.

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Linda and I have some friends who once moved away and immediately began the hunt for a friendly church.

The first church they checked out was cold and indifferent. The music was lethargic. The pastor’s message was uninvolving. Worse, not a single person spoke to them the entire time they were there. Not a single person even said hello – not even the usher who handed them bulletins. No one said a word to them.

 They were stunned by the reception they received. As they were walking to their car, four-year-old Aiden summed it up as only he could. He said: “Well, that sucks!”

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 Every church in the world considers itself friendly. Wherever you go, you'll hear, "We're a friendly church." But the sad truth is that many churches are friendly only within their closed circle.

They are not friendly to newcomers. They are actually hostile to newcomers, because they make newcomers feel like outsiders rather than like guests.

Have you ever stepped into a room where it's obvious that everyone there knows everyone else and no one knows you – and no one cares to know you?

Someone has said that visiting a church is like walking into the wrong family reunion. No one has to tell you to go away. It’s clear you are not welcome.

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On any given Sunday, every church gathering may be visited by a special guest – a person who is looking for a spiritual home. It is our joyous task as Christian people to welcome every person who comes to our door as if that person were Christ himself.

The Rule of Saint Benedict has guided the leaders of monasteries and retreats for many centuries. It has one simple guideline for hospitality: “Let all guests be received as Christ.”

Remember that Jesus told us, "Whatever you do to the least of my children, that you do to me" (Matthew 25:40).

Christ comes to us in many different shapes and sizes and colors, in many different costumes – and sometimes, as Mother Teresa once said, in a "distressing disguise." If we snub one person, we snub Christ.

The book of Hebrews lowers the stakes a little. It says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13.2). Whether we’re entertaining angels or Christ himself, we want to get it right.

When people come to us, especially for the first time, they are not here primarily to hear the music or the prayers or the sermon. They are here to test the relational climate. If the climate is cold or indifferent, they will know immediately.

Basically, they want to learn four things:

•             Who are the people here?

•             Are they like me?

•             Will they like me?

•             Will I like them?”

If they can get “yes” answers to those questions, they’ll likely come back. So it’s up to us to introduce ourselves as genuinely and therefore as convincingly as we can.

Surveys consistently show that people decide within the first 7 to 10 minutes whether they will return. We don’t have much time to make a good impression. First impressions are the best – or the worst – impression we will leave on most guests.

I think that's the key. Do we consider newcomers as visitors or as guests? A visitor is a short timer, just someone passing through. A guest is someone we value simply because they have come into our presence.

When you invite someone into your home, how do you behave? That's the kind of hospitality we need to extend to others as a church. There should be no visitors in our midst – only guests.

Hospitality starts with a warm and genuine greeting at the door – if not at the front steps, if not in the parking lot itself. If you're just going through the motions, people will immediately sense that and label you – and the church – as phony.

So we greet all guests as if they were very important, because they are. They are made in the image of Christ. So we ought to treat them as if they were Christ himself.

They come to church hoping somehow to experience the love of God. Our job is to remove all the distractions, obstacles and obstructions that they might encounter moving into unfamiliar territory among unfamiliar people.

They are more likely to experience the love of God if they experience love from us. Above all else, they will remember how we made them feel. So we want them all to feel welcome, loved for who they are.

What follows now is a guest service training manual: 10 commandments for welcoming people to our church.

1. As I said earlier, greet every newcomer as a guest, not a visitor. Offer each person a gift that only you can provide – that is, the gift of your full attention. You never know whether this person is Christ in disguise, or an angel, or your new best friend.

2. Never point. Always escort. If a newcomer asks you where something is, don’t just tell. Show and tell. Along the way, if there’s time, you might introduce yourself and get to know the person a little.

If you can’t show and tell for some reason – you’re caring for a child or are physically unable or otherwise fully occupied – then quickly find somebody else who can help.

Here’s how important that is: On the Fourth of July weekend we had guests in our home and we wanted to make homemade ice cream. I discovered that we were out of rock salt, so I went to Price Chopper in search of more. It wasn’t in any of the places I thought were logical. I was baffled.

 I saw a young checkout clerk who had nobody in his line at the moment, so I asked him about it. He grinned and said, “You’ll never find it on your own. Let me show you.” He turned off the light on his work station and led me to where the rock salt was cleverly hidden. Then he led me back to his work station and checked me out, smiling all the time.

 That’s good customer service – and fine hospitality.

 3. When you encounter someone new, don’t ask, “Are you new here?” That can be embarrassing when you ask someone who’s been part of the church for 20 years and you’ve never gotten around to meeting them.

If you see someone you don’t know, simply say, “Hi! I don’t think I know you. My name is…”  This is your newcomer mantra. Repeat it with me, please. “Hi! I don’t think I know you. My name is…”

That approach puts guest and host on the same level. Neither of you is “in” or “out.” For all the newcomer knows, you might be a newcomer yourself.

Well, there is one giveaway.

4. You’re wearing your nametag. It’s the easiest way to let others know who you are. OK, we don’t have nametags yet, but we will. When we get them, wear yours every Sunday. Linda and I have been known to keep ours in the glove box of our car, so it goes with us wherever we go, just like Pocket Jesus.

I have to confess. I have a short-term memory problem. When I’m introduced to people, I remember their names for roughly 10 seconds. I need all the help I can get with names. Nametags help immensely.

Newcomers don’t have nametags, of course, and they don’t want to advertise themselves as newcomers by wearing a nametag that’s different from everyone else’s. So make it easy on the newcomer by wearing your nametag, and trying hard to remember their name.

5. Save the “best seats” in the back for guests. Face it. We all want to sit in the back so that we can see who’s here and who’s not – and no one likes twisting around to see who’s behind you.

Newcomers feel the same way. They want to sit in the back so they can observe others without being observed.  Newcomers also typically arrive late, so saving room for them in the back causes less embarrassment for them while they’re trying to find a seat.

Of course, if your family includes small children, you may want to sit near the back so that if a child gets disruptive, you can escape without bothering people. It’s OK for you to sit in back with the newcomers. Just make sure you greet them.

How do you greet them? You say: “Hi! I don’t think I know you. My name is…”

6. If the best seats are in the back, the best parking spaces are closest to the building. So, unless you have a mobility problem, save the best parking spaces for guests.

Newcomers are probably going to arrive late anyway – and if they have to hunt for a parking space, they’ll be even later getting into the building.

So follow Jesus’ rule: “The first shall be last” (Matthew 20.16). When you pull into the parking lot, look for the worst space that’s left.

If we run out of spaces – and we might some day soon – some of us may have to park across the street in the library parking lot. If that makes it easier for a guest to park, it’s worth the longer walk.

And if you encounter someone new once you get closer to the building, what do you say? “Hi! I don’t think I know you. My name is…”

By the way, I know that being this open to newcomers is not easy. I’m an introvert. I’m naturally shy. I have to push myself to greet strangers this way. But I always feel better afterward.

7. Remember the “circle of 10.” Imagine a 10-foot radius all around you. Wherever you’re sitting, that’s your home turf. Greet everyone who steps inside this 10-foot radius.

How do you greet them? “Hi! I don’t think I know you. My name is…”

The point of this rule is to keep church people from running across the sanctuary and pouncing on newcomers like predators in search of fresh meat. Only approach a newcomer who’s outside your circle if that person appears especially lost or neglected.

Newcomers want a taste of our hospitality but not such a huge helping that they’re overwhelmed. They want to be welcomed beyond their expectations, but not mobbed.

8. Here’s another rule – the “rule of three.” For the first three minutes after the end of worship, try to talk to newcomers only. Try not to talk to anyone you know unless there is no one else close by to talk to.

Here’s the rationale: It takes a newcomer three minutes to slip out of the church. We can’t let them escape without meaningful human contact. So even if you’ve already met them – especially if you’ve already met them – try to talk with them on the way out.

9. What do you talk about? How about, “I’m glad I met you today. Thanks for being here. Have a good week. Hope to see you again.” Normal stuff. You’re not trying to impress people with what a great conversationalist you are. You’re just being friendly. That’s all you need to be.

10. Finally, don’t talk church business in the presence of guests. Your first priority is getting to know them. It’s rude to talk about things they’re not involved with. And, since they don’t know the context of the conversation, it’s easy for them to get the wrong impression about what you’re discussing.

These 10 “rules” aren’t really rules. They’re just pointers for welcoming people, reminding us how to be more open to others. If we follow these pointers, we’ll become a more welcoming church and a growing church, because we are welcoming others just as Jesus welcomed us.

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Do you remember four-year-old Aiden, who I mentioned at the opening of this talk? He’s all grown up now. He’s a graduate of West Point and an Army officer. Wherever the Army sends him, I expect he’s always looking for a friendly church.