Tag: god

Naming Samaritans (and why this is relevant in our current cultural/religious tensions)

“Why do we need to point out people’s ethnicity or sexuality?” “Why can’t we just say that we welcome all people?”  I’ve had this conversation recently and found it helpful to remember how Jesus called attention to particular identities – Samaritans, Gentiles, Women, Eunuchs. In all of these cases, the purpose of naming these identities, is not to push a “Samaritan Agenda,” (or fill in the blank with the other identities); the purpose is to stand with those who have been harmed and to go the extra mile in honoring them as beloved children of God – and to put these two purposes together in a way that illuminates the calling that comes from God through Christ.  

To use the term “Samaritan” as an illustration, we see multiple examples of this counter-cultural calling. In the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, we are given an example of how we are all to be good neighbors (Luke 10:25-36).  It was shocking to the religious ones who heard the parable. In the story of ten persons being “made clean” with only one returning to give thanks, we are directly told that this one was a Samaritan, and he became an example of not only being made clean but also being made well or healed. (Luke 17:11-19). 

To the shock of even his disciples, Jesus takes time to talk to a Samaritan woman at a well.  She becomes the first preacher, we might say, and many believed because of her testimony (John 4:1-42). And she is just one example of Jesus honoring women and giving them a place and a voice at the proverbial table (See Luke 8:2; 10:38; 23:55; Mark 7:24-30; John 4:39; Acts 1:14, 2:14-17, 8:12, 9:36, 16:14-15, 21:9; Rom 16:1; 16:3; Phil 4:2; Gal 3:28; and more).   

At one point Jesus is called a “Samaritan” and it is not meant to be a compliment.  This is followed by the accusation that he has a “demon within him.” This accusation occurs in a conversation with religious leaders who firmly believe that God is on their side. Jesus makes it clear that this practice of using religion to divide and judge only serves the “father of lies.”  (John 8:39-58).  

This big lie can be illuminated by what John Wesley called the “wildness of enthusiasm.”  In this condition, we confuse our own opinions and biases with the will of God.  In another place Wesley uses the term “bigotry” to describe this big lie.  He defines bigotry as an extreme attachment to one’s own party, opinion, or religion to the point of causing bitterness and division, often in the name of God.  Jesus names particular identities in the hopes of challenging this evil among us. 

As we address the religious tensions among us today, naming particular identities is challenging. Accusations of bias and bigotry flow from multiple sides.  It is true that Jesus treated all with honor and respect, wanting all to know God’s love and to be able to live into this love.  In this light, the scriptures make it clear that we are all one in Christ and that God shows no partiality (Gal 3:28; Acts 10:34).  And, from the other side, the scriptures also name particular identities, not to promote what we might call “secular agendas” but to call attention to the sin that divides and demeans, often in the name of God.  In Christ, both of these approaches can be true, for biblical truth is that which reveals love and opens the way for true togetherness. In the spirit of grace and truth, we can hold both of these perspectives together. (Alethia – John 17:17; I Cor 13:8; Eph 4:1-16; Col 3:5-17).  

My hope is that this analysis will help us all make good decisions about how to be more welcoming. How can we go the extra mile in showing Christ-like love and cultivating opportunities for all to grow in this love, without putting up barriers that get in the way?  May we find the courage to do this well. 

Thoughts on Transformation and Truth (sparked by a handwritten sign)

As we arrived at worship, there was a man standing on the corner of our property with a two-sided handwritten sign.  One side said, “Trans Women are Men.”  The other side said, “Repent or Perish.”  Needless to say, this was upsetting to many.

When I hear this targeted message – in the name of the gospel – my heart goes out to some people that I know.  For one example, I think of one dear soul in the church who was born as a male.  Few knew this.  To most she was known as a sweet woman in the church who sang in the choir and served in the food pantry and shared the love of Christ.  I suspect that there are persons with similar stories in many congregations, and they have had to live in fear while wanting to be faithful.

I am grieved when people come to church and have to encounter bigotry in the name of righteousness. (And to be clear, I define bigotry, with the words of John Wesley, as an extreme attachment to one’s own party, opinion, or religion to the point of causing bitterness and division, often while thinking that they are in service to God).  It is hurtful when beloved souls are targeted and used to promote other agendas. I think of the Greek word “pornia,” which can be defined as the objectification of persons so that they can be used for our pleasure and purposes.  As I read the scriptures, those who engage in such practices are not giving witness to the kingdom of God.

When it comes to repentance and the dangers of siding with that which leads to death (the other side of the sign), we all need to start by looking in the mirror.  In this act of repentance, God will open the way to God’s forgiving, life-giving, eternal love.  This love does have the power to transform us, into the image of Christ – but let’s focus on the right things (II Cor 3:17-18). The hope is that we would be transformed from an eagerness to divide and judge to an eagerness to hold one another in love, with patience, kindness, and a humility that does not insist on its own way. The hope is for a transformation from “arrogance of spirit” to a desire for “unity of spirit.”  The hope is to give witness to the God and Father “of all, who is above all, and at work through all, and in all” – a big God. (See I Cor 13:1-8; Eph 4:1-6; Col 3:12-17; Rom 12:1-18, just to start).

May this experience give us the courage to be bold in our witness – as a congregation and as individuals.  Many beloved souls in our community need those willing to stand with them in a time when the lies of division, judgement, and objectification are being masqueraded in such obscene ways as truth (Aletheia -that which opens the way to what is life-giving and glorifies God).  

Just recently, for another instance, we have had people take fragments of curriculum that we have used and weaponize it by telling lies about what is being taught.  And before we judge too harshly, know that we all need to pay attention. It is so easy to be tempted by the “father of lies,” to borrow a term from Jesus. Jesus uses this term in a conversation with religious leaders claim that God is on their side and who call Jesus is a “Samaritan” (it is not a compliment) with a demon in him (John 8:39-59). Promoting faith in that way is the opposite of truth.

May we be among those who live into the words of the Creed, that we proclaimed last Sunday,  as those “kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ,” a truth found in a God “whose mercy is over all his works,” a truth that “manifest itself in the service of love” (as defined above), a truth “set forth in the example of our blessed Lord, to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth. Amen (may it be so).”

Published on my Facebook page as well

Awakening Through Wilderness (a devotional possibility for you and for UMCs)

No doubt we are moving into a new season in the life of the church.  In order to navigate this reality, I am convinced that we need to look into our past as much as we look towards the future.  Or maybe a better image is the need to attend to our roots in order to branch out and bear good fruit. 

With this motivation I, along with Lauran DeLano Grosskopf, have written a series of books where each chapter contains a paraphrase of one of Wesley’s sermons, a devotion on the same theme, and resources for reflection.  With this series, Wesley’s sermons have been rearranged to fit within the liturgical year, thus connecting them to our weekly rhythms.  My hope is that these resources will help us reacquaint ourselves with inspiration from our past and lead us to good fruit as we move into a new season as United Methodists. This would be a good way to go through the year with Wesley.

Below is a brief description of the latest book from the publisher. Within the book there are testimonies from Paul Chilcote, Ashley Boggan, Bishop Deloras Williamston, Ken Willard, Adam Hamilton, Bishop Laura Merrill, Rebekah Miles, and more.

  “Awakening Through Wilderness invites readers on a transformative journey through Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, exploring timeless truths through the voice and vision of John Wesley. This third installment in this acclaimed series builds on previous works, Wanting More and Radically Blessed, continuing the mission to make Wesley’s foundational teachings accessible and deeply relevant for today’s church.

 In this book, each chapter offers a devotional paraphrase of one of Wesley’s classic sermons, followed by a modern devotion and practical questions for reflection. Each chapter masterfully connects Wesley’s original passion for renewal and reform with the liturgical rhythms of the church year, guiding readers through themes of fasting, self-denial, temptation, grace, and resurrection.

 The wilderness becomes a powerful metaphor for life’s trials, doubts, and spiritual dry seasons-those times when God seems distant and faith is tested. Through Wesley’s insights and pastoral reflections from Michael and Lauren, readers discover that the wilderness is not merely a place of hardship but also a space for awakening, transformation, and renewed purpose.

 Whether read individually or used in a group study setting, Awakening Through Wilderness offers a clear, engaging path for spiritual growth. Each chapter’s discussion questions and reflection resources make it ideal for small groups, Bible studies, or personal devotion, especially during Lent.

 The books in this series are written with warmth and clarity, drawing on deep knowledge of Wesleyan theology and a pastoral heart for today’s church. Throughout we are reminded that “God’s love comes to us on its way to others,” inspiring readers to grow in grace and to live out their faith with courage and compassion.

    You are invited to step into the wilderness and emerge awakened to the transforming power of God’s love.”

These books are available through Market Square Books, Cokesbury, and Amazon/Kindle. I would be honored if you would take a look (you can get a sample through kindle) and if you feel so led, share these resources with others.  If you would like to talk about this, please know that I would love to have that conversation.  Many Blessings!

Methodism Exposed (exploring the real method that leads to life)

The word “exposed” is meant to be provocative.  Other terms would be “revealed” or “illuminated.”  Going back to Wesley, a lot of misconceptions have existed around the use of the word “method” in Methodism.  Its deeper meaning is often lost.

The method of Methodism is often defined as the disciplined and intentional practice of the Means of Grace – prayer, worship, searching the scriptures, conferencing, service, etc.  There is truth in this, but we miss much inspiration if we stop here. [i]   While Wesley does give praise for the Means of Grace, he balances this praise with strong warnings. We can engage in all of these practices, and they can still sink us into a living hell.  The Means of Grace can be more of a burden than a blessing. They can lead us into the form of religion without the power.  This happens when we turn the “means” into the “end,” and begin to think that faith is found in the practices themselves. [ii] (For more see the notes below)

When Wesley uses the term “method” he most often speaks of the method that God uses to bring us into life.[iii]  Wesley describes God’s method with the word “reconciliation” in one place.  In another place, we are told that Jesus is God’s method for healing souls that could never be healed by human endeavor. The outcome of God’s method is the renewal of the image of God within us.

In more than one place, Wesley gives us an outline of how this method typically works. [iv]    The first step is an awakening in the soul to the mystery and reality of God. This awakening often starts with fear.  We recognize our sin and how short we fall from the glory of God.  How can we ever be justified – in alignment and harmony with God?  How can we ever be saved?  This fear often leads to attempts to justify ourselves.  And these attempts always leave us wanting.  When religion is defined in this way, we only bring God down to our level.  From here, we are led into the heart of God’s method. We are awakened to God’s eternal love and this changes everything.  It leads us into a desire to practice the Means of Grace, along with disciplined and daily self-examination, with the hope of being transformed, from one degree to another, into the very image of Christ and Christ’s love. This is a way to describe the method that God uses to bring us into life.[v]

And now, here is a more poetic way of describing God’s method, using a Charles Wesley hymn as inspiration:

This is how it works. 

Love comes first.

It opens our heart to a new reality. 

We sense that we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves,

And more than any finite thing.

This love works to pave the way

And plants the seeds of living faith. 

This is how it works. God’s love comes first

And it leads to,

A faith that works by love, a faith that works for love. Love!

This is how it works, our hearts are changed;

We turn towards life-giving grace.

We sense that heaven has begun in us,

And new life has been won. 

This love works to make us whole,

And forms the Savior in the soul.

This is how it works. God’s love comes first. 

And it leads to,

A faith that works by love, a faith that works for love.  Love! 

(Lyrics to a worship song entitled, “Faith that Works for Love,” inspired by the Hymn “Let Us Plead for Faith Alone.”  For a version of the song, additional verses, and commentary on how this method contrasts with other understandings of faith, see Hymn Inspired Worship Songs, YouTube, Michael Roberts. This was a part of my pandemic project)

[i] It is worth noting that Wesley does not tie the word “method” to the Means of Grace. In the sermon on the Means of Grace, for example, no version of the word “method” or “methodism” is found. 

[ii] Moving in the other direction, in Wesley’s famous pamphlet entitled “Character of a Methodist,” he does not directly talk about the “means of grace” or focus on what we do.  In fact, he says that our “schemes of religion” are “quite wide of the point.”  For methodists, faith is so much more than “just believing” or “accepting” what God has done for us. A methodist is one who has been awakened to God’s love.  In faith, we give ourselves into this love.  The experience of this love leads to peace with God and this peace leads us to “abound in love and in good works.”  To paraphrase Wesley, “Methodists are those who think, speak, and live, according to the method laid down in the revelation of Jesus Christ. Their souls are renewed after the image of God, and in all true holiness. Having the mind that was in Christ, they walk as Christ also walked.” 

[iii] Key sermons from Wesley on this topic include Righteousness of Faith where we read of God’s “method of reconciliation.” In the sermon Original Sin we hear that Jesus is God’s method for healing souls that could never be healed by any human endeavor.  Through Christ God heals our “functional atheism” by giving us faith – that divinely given conviction that God is with us and that nothing can separate us from God’s love. This leads to repentance, to trust, and transformation into the love of God. In the sermon Laying the Foundation we hear, once again, that methodism is not a new religion. It is the restoration of the image of God, centered in love, which is the summary of all the law and the prophets. Methodism is about intentionally cultivating the blessings of love, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit.  It is not rooted in orthodoxy of opinion.  In this sermon Wesley speaks of this divisive temptation and then gives thanks for being delivered from this misguided zeal. God’s method is never meant to lead to the arrogance of spirit that causes division and harm within the Body of Christ. In the sermon Use of Law we hear that the ordinary method of God is to first convict us of our sin and our need.

[iv] God’s method involves movement along the Way of Salvation. This movement is described often with the key terms of Justification to Sanctification (and later others built upon what Wesley said about Preventing Grace and added Prevenient Grace as a way to describe the movement of God in our lives).  In another place, this movement is described with different States of Being in which we may find ourselves.  In our Natural State there is a false peace with no thought of God.  This can lead to a Legal State, where there is no peace at all. Next is the Evangelical State or the State of Love where we experience the peace of God. 

[v] Perhaps more than practicing the traditional Means of Grace, (or perhaps at the heart of this practice) we participate in God’s method through disciplined and regular self-examination.  Wesley consistently posed questions to the people called Methodists, calling for daily reflection. Is heaven in your heart? Is your heart being transformed into the likeness of Christ? Are you growing in holiness, defined by the virtues of patience and kindness and a humility that does not insist on its own way? Are you attending to the means of grace that will open the way for this love? Are you becoming less judgmental and more compassionate?  Do you know the peace of God?  Do you let other theological/political matters distract you from our core purpose? Do you understand that the narrow way leads us into the wideness of God’s mercy and the wide way of the world leads us into narrowness of spirit? These are the kinds of questions that Wesley posed over and over again as a way for us to participate in God’s method.

We Believe in the Trinity! So What?

This past Sunday we celebrated Trinity Sunday, which sparked these reflections (which were shared in our weekly church newsletter).  In my mind, these thoughts seem so relevant in a time when the spirits of division and fear are so active among us.

As United Methodists we believe in the Trinity.  It is the first doctrinal statement in our Articles of Religion. All of our official creeds are written in trinitarian form, and we use one of these creeds in all of our worship services almost every Sunday. In the sanctuary, we also sing the doxology regularly, giving praise to our triune God.

My question right now is “so what?”  How does this affirmation affect our actual living?  First of all, this understanding helps us to know that God is always bigger than any one perspective or description.  The God we worship is more than creator, savior or spirit, judge, redeemer, or sustainer, parent, friend, or bestower of gifts. No one name will suffice, when trying to comprehend the fullness of a God whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).  This perspective helps to keep us humble, curious, and open.  It has the power to spark a desire to grow in the ways of God (Psalm 85:10-13).

For another answer, this understanding of God gives us an option to the binary way of thinking that gets us in such trouble.  Either/Or, Win/Lose, Red/Blue, In/Out.  The outcome of this perspective too often leads to division, judgment, competition, exclusion, and so much fear.  Is there a better witness?    

What would a trinitarian witness look like? Within the Trinity we see cooperation rather than division, mutual trust rather than competition, grace rather than judgment, inclusion rather than exclusion.  Within the Trinity, the value is not power over others; the value is love.  And we know what this love looks like.  It is patient and kind. It serves with a humility that does not insist on its own way (I Cor 13:4-8; Eph 4:1-6).  It is so different from a witness that calls for uniformity of opinion rather than unity in love. 

I invite you to take a moment and reflect on these two different witnesses? Which perspective gives glory to God, honors Christ, and bears the fruits of the Holy Spirit?  Which perspective is more likely to be life-giving for relationships?  Which perspective comes closer to illuminating the fullness of God?      

We believe in the Trinity!  So what?  “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor 13:14).