Preach like a Methodist

One of the real joys of faith is sharing your faith with people. It gives me a great source of joy. I dare say it's my favorite thing about working with my youth is trying to answer the questions they have about faith and what it means to be a Christian in today's society. Even more enjoyable is when my peers ask me these types of questions. As I spent the last week serving with SOS in Memphis, TN. (Read more about SOS and their work in the Binghampton community HERE), I entered into a conversation with my friend Leanne. Leanne is a brilliant, smart, and funny girl. Like what seems to be a lot of my college friends, she was raised in the Methodist Church but now finds herself enjoying worship and ministry within another denomination. She asked me. " My pastor at home doesn't really reference scripture a lot in his sermons like the pastor of the church I attend while away at college. Is that just a church thing or a Methodist thing?" She asked other questions and made other statements about how when she got to college her friends had memorized scripture etc and she hadn't. Where does one begin on such a large question? I started the only place I knew. I started with the Bible. I discussed how Jesus really taught two different ways. One which would be considered "lectionary" and it led to attempts to throw him off a cliff, and the other being relationally. I discussed how both are important styles of preaching and it's really important for the pastor to know his/her audience to realize which style of preaching they would respond to best and lead to the most spiritual growth for them. It hurt as future Methodist Clergy to hear someone who was raised in the UMC feel like their pastor didn't put enough emphasis on scripture. John Wesley put Scripture above all else. Wesley too often told stories in his sermons but always brought it back to scripture.Pastors in the UMC used to preach with fire and enthusiasm.  I began to realize so many things that have worked in the past the UMC has turned away from simply in the interest of being "relevant". While I have my own theological issues with reformed theology and "neo-calvinism" ,statements like Leanne's confirm that the boldness however good or bad displayed in the preaching of modern reformed thought draws people in. There's no middle way. You might not agree with what they are saying but they hold strong to their beliefs. It used to be whenever theologians conversed about the most effective preachers at least 7 out of 10 would be Methodist. Sadly I feel that's not the case. Why did we change a system that was working? The Methodist Church I truly believe offers a theology that the "nones" so desperately seek in today's society. We offer a theology that points to the grace of God at work in our lives. We point to the work of the kingdom here and not just sell "fire insurance". We are a theology that doesn't force you to choose between science and religion. We are a theology that preaches how the love of God is big enough to draw the darkest of heart and not how God spends his time deciding who's in and who's out. If we are to claim that and stop the decline while creating disciples for Christ, we must reclaim the old "preach like a Methodist" saying.

What am I?

I used to be really into poetry, but gave it up after a while here is my foray back into it.


What Am I?
 A man without a home
a place that is empty where only me and Jesus roam
I'm too far left to be claimed by the right
and too far right for the left to say alright
I believe in saving babies
and that murderers can redeemed by grace
that I can be passionate about issues
without getting in your face
So why am I homeless
despite having my church
Because I live in the gray
and I make it work
My house sits near the middle
not the far left or the far right
I have no interest in the fight
that will continue until our church splinters
with all of it's might

I believe in change
but not just for the sake of doing it
I believe that grace helps us through suffering
because I've been through it
What am I then?
A man without a home
Not conservative or progressive enough
to avoid being stoned
What I am
is a man with a plan
and hope among all hopes
to draw folks back to the middle
to let God redeem what has broke
so we look more like the church
and less like politicians in empty suits
and a tree that is dying begins to grow
and bear fruit.

Carnival Triumph, Humanity, and our need for something bigger

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've no doubt seen the photos of the Carnival Triumph. The ship lost power after an engine room fire and was adrift in the Gulf of Mexico until being towed to Mobile, Alabama. As you're undoubtedly aware if you read my last post, a tornado recently ripped through the town I called home for 7 years. As I read the stories of people hoarding food, stealing food off people's tables when the lights went out, and daisy stringing power outlets together so they could charge their phones and other electronics I began to realize exactly what we were dealing with. You see this is an idea often discussed by various sources. There's even wikis that describe steps to surviving when social order breaks down. You see it took less that a week for social order to breakdown aboard the Carnival Triumph.In less than a week, people began stealing or hoarding food from other people. People continued using the bathrooms despite them not working with zero regard for the health or well being of their fellow passengers. People immediately started putting on life jackets and panicking as soon as the pa call came on calling for crew help.For their part the crew did everything possible to make this bad situation as bearable as possible. The attitudes and actions displayed by the folks on board the ship (waiting 4 hours to get to the gift shop and buy a $6 can of pringles?) display the most basic idea of humanity. At our most basic, panicked, or desperate moments we are simply a broken people who revert to our primal instincts of protect ourselves and forget everything else. It's in this brokenness we reveal our need for something bigger than ourselves. See Christ calls us to lay down ourselves. At certain points in the New Testament, we are called to lay down our lives and follow Christ or told that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for their friend. What we saw on the Carnival Triumph was a broken people desperately in need of a better way. One of the most joyous and frustrating aspects of my walk with Christ is times when I want so desperately to watch out for myself and follow my own path but am moved by the Spirit to put others before myself. If the Triumph incident teaches us anything, it's that we are a broken people who must remember our call to put others first even when our mind tells us to watch for us.

Where was God when.....

Hattiesburg Tornado

Sunday a tornado ripped through Hattiesburg, Mississippi and the surrounding area. As is typical in this technological age, almost immediately a facebook group for info and support popped up. At the end of tuesday, the facebook group posted a video of the University of Southern Mississippi's Wind Symphony playing Amazing Grace. USM's music program is world renown and is one of the top music programs in all of the United States. The music program lost 2 of their 3 buildings in the storm and the 3rd has major damage to it. It was a great gesture to acknowledge the importance of the music department and acknowledge the grace of God that despite over 1,400 homes being damaged or destroyed and over 100 people being injured there were no deaths. An individual began commenting on the post about where was God's grace for all the people who wanted to keep their home and not have it destroyed by the tornado? What do we do with that? How does one respond? Here is how I respond when asked that question. God created the heavens and earth and every thing on it. God continues to create every day and in every way. Natural Disasters are simply a part of the environment and ecosystem that God has created. God does not "cause" natural disasters. Contrary to the teachings and musings of the folks on the 700 club God does not send tornados and hurricanes down on us to "punish us" for our sin. They are simply a result of the ecosystems in which we live. However God's grace is always present. Those who worship Christ worship the great redeemer. A God who emphasizes new creation who takes the broken, beaten, and damned and redeems them. A God that brings beauty from the ashes. God is not the reason people lost their homes. God is not responsible for the evil and disaster of the world, but God's grace and providence is the reason that there are zero deaths from an EF4 tornado ripping through the 3rd largest city in Mississippi and it's suburbs. I'm reminded of how Rev. Adam Hamilton addressed a similar question when returning from earthquake relief in Haiti. "If you remove God from the earthquake in Haiti, the earthquake still happens. It's a part of nature, but you've removed the only source of comfort some people may find in the midst of such a terrible disaster" Grace is in the midst of disaster. There will always be cynics, agnostics, and atheists who decry God as evil for not protecting people from disasters like this. We as Christians must respond and articulate good theology of Christ who has and is redeeming despite destruction.Where was God when a tornado ripped through Hattiesburg? In our midst, wrapping his arms around those he calls his beloved and protecting them.

Fitness Update

Okay, I probably should have written this post long ago but hey life happens. In early November I was in a friend's wedding. As the pictures from the wedding began to hit Facebook, I began to find myself more and more unhappy with myself. I didn't like how I looked. I made the decision that would have to change. I embarked on a healthy regimen. I either enlisted or had those around me volunteer to help. As of this writing, I have finished day one of week 5 of the couch to 5k program. Yesterday after a 5 minute warm-up walk, I ran for 5 minutes and walked for 3 minutes and repeated that before closing with a 5 minute run followed by cool-down. It was tough, I was tired and exhausted but it shows how far I've come since I started. Also at the typing of this, I have weighed myself. For the first time in eight years, the number on the scale begins with a two. Not since 2004 have I been under 300 lbs. I would not have made this point without one major helper along the way. My friend Luci, is a lifestyle consultant. Upon hearing about my new quest for health she struck out to help me along the way. I get weekly healthy tips that range from everything to plate arrangement to cut down on portions all the way to how to eat when going out to the movies. Luci runs a blog filled with fashion, food, and my favorite thing her Fun Fact Fridays over at Luci's Morsels which you can find HERE.I really can't begin to explain how instrumental she has been in me getting to this point. If you want to make a healthy lifestyle change beyond just working out, contact her or a lifestyle consultant who can help you along the way. Her blog is also now on my blogroll up on the right side of this page if you lose this post along the way and still want to read her helpful hints. The most important thing I've had is support. Whether it's through my friends who have encouraged me along the way, Luci answering emails at random hours of the day with health questions, or my trainer at the gym who often leaves me in pain but feeling accomplished they've been supportive the whole way. I've learned so much about what it means to be healthy and make healthy choices in just the few months I've been doing this. You realize when your high school health teacher is the Golf Coach you often miss out on some really important lessons about health. Finally I know this is not a sprint but a marathon. There will be setbacks. There will be weak moments but with support and prayer I can make it. Thanks to all who have been a part of this incredible journey so far.

Putting on a bandage when we need surgery

My heart breaks for the families in Connecticut. As would be expected, a conversation has arisen in light of this most recent tragedy about gun control. This is a conversation that has needed to happen for too long, but it's simply a bandage on a situation that is so dire it requires surgery. You see, guns are only a small portion of the problem. The real problem lies in an American culture that much like Rome, thrives on violence. So much so that the violent culture flows along naturally every day and we perceive it to be "normal". Americans whether they will admit it or not love violence. Some would like to say they don't but we all do? #1 sport in America? American Football one of the most violent sports in the world. Top Pay Per View purchases since 2009? UFC. Some of the top songs for 2011? Grenade by Bruno Mars, Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People, (run run faster than my bullet?), S&M by Rhianna? See where I'm going with this? What happened in Newtown was terrible, horrible, and should never be forgotten. What is forgotten in the conversation is while it was a tragedy, these tragedies happen every single day on the violent streets. Statistics tell us that between 1,300-1,900 people will die in gang related violence every 7 years in major cities alone.They didn't die because easy access to guns. They died because of a culture in film and music that glorifies violence, gang banging, and the "ride or die" attitude.  Fixing the gun culture in America is a start, but I've always be told if you want to kill a snake you cut off the head. I'm sorry to inform many many people out there but the NRA is not the head of the snake. Violent American culture is the head of the snake. We turn on the news and see nothing but bad news about violence, war, death, and crime yet we keep watching because we can't turn away. Celebrities and media types cry out for stronger gun laws but decry any effort to cut down on the sex, drugs, gun play, and objectification of women in media as "censorship". We can't keep talking about gun control. We have to get to the root of the issue. We are the little boy with his finger stuck in the damn plugging the leak. It's only a matter of time. Want to stop Newtown from happening again? Don't just ban assault weapons, refuse to participate in the culture of violence.

Why the battle over homosexuality may be the death of the UMC

"A house divided against itself cannot stand"

Abraham Lincoln

In his famous speech while accepting the Republican Senate Nomination, future President Lincoln uttered these words. For those familiar with Scripture, you will probably realize Lincoln is repeating the words found in the 12th chapter of Matthew "And every city or household divided against itself will not last" (Matt. 12:25). This my friends is how the United Methodist Church currently finds itself. At the crossroads of an almost Civil War within the church that will no doubt end with the same pain and hurt the last time the church came to this point (Methodist Episcopal Church Split Over Slavery). Now before everyone goes huffing and puffing about the title let me say this. Homosexuality and how the United Methodist Church deals with it, is a very important issue. That being said it is not the only important issue and in some people's opinion not the most important issue. I think it is a divisive enough issue to lead to the death of the UMC and here's the main reason. It does not significantly affect the path the church is on now. That is to say it doesn't stop the bleeding. Churches like St. Mark in Atlanta (across the street from Charles Stanley's Church) have seen drastic growth when becoming more open and friendly to people who identify as homosexual. That's excellent and great, but to simply suggest that changing the churches stance on homosexuality would fix the ills of the church is misguided. If we convinced every LGBT person to attend and support a UMC, it still would do little to stop the drastic rate in which we are shutting church doors. It is a start, but the root of why we are losing people is way deeper. Say you have a youth group. In that youth group are 10 young men. Statistics tell us that 6 out of those 10 men will walk away from their faith during their college years. Similar statistics tell us that the likelihood of a family becoming actively involved and remaining actively involved in a church drops drastically when the mother or the child is the primary member responsible for drawing the family to church. We have to rediscover what it means to be Wesleyan. We have to get people not only into the doors but to where they become passionate disciples of Jesus Christ.Fighting for gay rights is great, but not when you focus so much on social gospel you forget personal gospel. Wesley realized both were hand in hand. Focusing only on social gospel and not holiness does nothing to create disciples. It takes both parts of the equation. Are there people who are passionate about social justice who balance it with personal gospel? Sure. The inverse is also true, but elevating social justice above personal gospel like we have been known to do completely flies in the face of what it means to be Wesleyan. When you realize how fluid some people believe doctrine within the UMC to be, you begin to realize why Jon Stewart called the UMC the "University of Phoenix of Christianity. Give your money and believe what you want" Don't believe me? Google United Methodist Church believers baptism. You'll find tons of UMC churches that while acknowledging infant baptism openly state they prefer "believer's baptism" while only offering infant baptism a few times a year. If you need something more recent, you can also find pastors that despite the UMC saying people coming to the United Methodist Church from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) should be rebaptized due to drastically different understandings of Jesus Christ, feel it is their place to decide whether they need to be baptized or not. Every pastor upon being ordained takes an oath to uphold the Discipline of the United Methodist Churches. Every single day pastors readily ignore their oath. Jon Stewart was accurate. You really can disagree with things even Wesley himself taught and still be Methodist. That has to change if we are to grow. We have to be willing to say "This is what we believe" and stick to it. Having a Pastor saying "I don't think Hell exists" when we recite a creed affirming our belief that Christ descended into hell is why Jon Stewart is right. We have to begin by holding ourselves accountable.






Secondly, the battle over homosexuality within the UMC has become all consuming. I served for 2 years on the United Methodist Student Movement Steering Committee and attended Student Forum 2 years before that. I distinctly remember one year when there were approximately 20 petitions to the student forum. 12 of the 20 dealt with the issue of homosexuality and were almost identical in wording. This was 2006. How many more things were going on in the world that students needed to be aware of and vocal about? How many injustices and atrocities were being committed all over the world? In my opinion, the UMC has become so focused on the issue of homosexuality that we overlook the rest of the world. If we are a global church, we must insist that issues facing our brothers and sisters around the world are just as important as the issues facing Americans. For me this was no better displayed than in the post General Conference responses from Bishop Minerva who told our brothers and sisters from Africa to "grow up" because they felt differently about homosexuality. The struggle over homosexuality led to protests and demonstrations at General Conference in Tampa this as it has for the last few general conferences. The difference being this year General Conference was a complete and utter waste of time. No beneficial changes came out of General Conference. The one's that did were quickly done away with by judicial council rulings. Rather than discuss any of those issues and how we address them, the responses and reflections kept pouring in from Bishops and Pastors on General Conference and focused on a singular issue. The fact that changes to the Discipline and Ordination rulings concerning homosexuality had not changed. Even after we heard passionate debate from the floor about divestment, little to nothing was said about it in the wake of General Conference.






So where do we go from here? Do we continue to be a church divided against itself who is more interested in our side "winning" than holy conferencing? Do we continue to focus solely on homosexuality to the point that we ignore those hurting within the global church? If we do start to take a more holistic approach rather than basing success or failure on a single issue, how do we insure that the issue does not fade from conversation? These are questions the United Methodist Church must answer in the future.I believe homosexuality is a massive issue for the UMC and churches around the world, but we must quit acting as if it is the only issue. The hatred, time, effort, and energy spent ensuring "victory" for one side or the other has only served to strengthen the split within the UMC. Liberals and Conservatives, it's time to come forward and work together for the good of the global church. Liberals admit there are issues in the world just as important as whether a homosexual person can be ordained. Conservatives admit that homosexuality is a major issue and can no longer be simply swept aside. The church must deal with it and deal with it appropriately. We can either go forward focusing on both homosexuality and other issues or simply continue to look more and more like congress in Washington each day where we choose not to give a single inch until the divide is as deep as it can possibly be. When we reach a place where we began voting or expressing opinions simply because our idea was "voted down" or not spoken about favorable like happened at General Conference this year, we begin the end. We step foot down a road that will lead to ruin. A house divided against itself can not stand. We can no longer let a single primary issue drive the divide so deep in the church. Remember how that ended last time.