Grace

***Part Two of my thoughts on If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person.***

Grace. It’s a big word, full of meaning and various understandings and interpretations. One of the things I will take away from reading “If Grace Is True” is how the authors have chosen to define grace. “By grace I mean God’s unfailing commitment to love”. I really like this understanding of grace, because it shows most clearly what it really is. Grace is God’s love overcoming everything else to draw us to him. It is God’s willingness to do whatever was/is necessary for us to have relationship with him.

One of the arguments the authors make regarding universal salvation is that the Bible presents us with two Gods- the God revealed in the Old Testament and the God revealed in Jesus Christ. They then suggest that the only accurate picture of God is the latter. That God is indeed only loving, and completely and perfectly so. That because of this, we must discard the contradicting testimonies of God acting in the world and instead recognize that because God is all loving and all powerful everyone will be saved eventually, because that is the only truly loving thing that can be done.

Grace is God’s perfect love conquering everything. Grace is God’s love taking us filthy dirty humans and making us shiny, clean, and new. Grace is when even after being made clean we get filthy again and God once more cleans us up and makes us new. And what’s remarkable, what’s amazing, what’s inhuman about this is that God does all of this without being even slightly tarnished by our filth. No matter how dirty I am, no matter how often I ignore the guidelines given me and go and get filthy and run down and beat up, God takes me in his arms and makes me clean again without even a smudge getting on him.

But where I take issue with the argument of the authors is that they believe this is something everyone will experience. I believe it is something everyone could experience, but not all will allow it. God has chosen to allow us a choice whether we wish to be clean or not. The longer we stay dirty the more miserable we will be, even if we don’t realize it. But God will never force us to be made clean and new. God will wait eagerly, but patiently at the door, for us to realize that being made clean and new is better than living in filth. And then no matter how filthy we are he effortlessly makes us clean. Even Hitler, even the 9/11 masterminds, even me. But the only way for us to be made clean is for us to allow God to do it. I believe that. I believe that God has given us free will because he desires a real and authentic relationship with us. To say that God will save everyone is essentially saying we don’t actually have free will.

The Authority of the Bible

***Part 1 of my thoughts on Universalist Theology***

The Bible was never intended to end the conversation, but to encourage it. God didn’t fall silent with the last chapter of Revelation. he continues to reveal himself. It makes no sense to glorify the accounts of our ancestors’ encounters with God while dismissing our experience with him today. (From If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland)

The author of this quote goes on to say that in fact our experiences with God should count as more than the Biblical accounts, and that we should then throw out the biblical accounts that don’t line up with our experience with God.

Now, I can see where he’s coming from. There are clearly some things in the Bible that when we read them seem to reveal to us a God different than the God we see acting in other parts of the Bible, and different than the God we experience. But, who are we to make this decision? What base line do we have for judging whether an experience we have is with God or with something/someone else? The only base line I know of is the Bible, and if we start choosing what parts of the Bible we are actually going to believe then we are adjusting our base line to fit our experience.

When researchers are testing a new product, say a medication, they typically use three groups- control, placebo, and actual drug. When we take our experiences and use them to determine what parts of the Bible are true revelations of God’s character and what parts are misunderstandings or misrepresentations it is the equivalent of taking the group who used the actual drug and using them to determine what the placebo is. It’s backwards, it doesn’t work, it doesn’t make sense. We cannot use that which we are testing to determine what we test it against.

The author argues that indeed we can and should, because that’s exactly what Jesus did. He would often take the Jewish scriptures and spin them or totally refute them. I can’t, and don’t, disagree. The difference is that Jesus never states that we should throw out any of the scripture, he simply challenges our understandings and interpretations of what that scripture is saying. In the words of the author, “Jesus challenged slavish devotion to the written word”. I don’t think choosing to trust that the entire Bible is true is slavish devotion. I think slavish devotion is believing we still must follow every rule/law exactly as written, that we must read the Bible and believe that every single story told is something that happened and not a story told to teach us something about God or humankind or both.

Throwing any part of the Bible out means that I am determining what it is that God is actually saying, rather than opening myself up to hear what he says amid the clutter of that which he is not saying to me. Some parts of the Bible are not specifically relevant to my life today, and perhaps are not even accurate reflections of who God is. But that doesn’t make them any less authentic as accounts of God working in the world through history. And because of that, I cannot be comfortable with any theology that is willing to choose which parts of the Bible are valid accounts of God’s work, and which are not.

Burning the Quran

Perhaps you, like many Americans, have heard about the tiny church planning to burn Qurans on Saturday. Perhaps you have not. For the past day I have been debating whether to write about this or not, mainly because I agree with the general consensus that the church is seeking attention and so I don’t want to go giving them that attention in any way. But this has been outweighed by something I feel is more important- talking about what it means to live as a Christian in relation to people who hold different religious beliefs.

I am very firmly a Christian- I believe that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose again so that through him we can overcome sin. I also believe that anyone who does not believe this is not going to heaven. But in all of this, I do not think I have the ultimate hold on what is true. I do not doubt what I believe, but neither do many other people who hold different beliefs, how can we both be right? Ultimately that is the beauty and challenge of faith, truly believing something that you cannot fully prove in this lifetime.

Since I believe that any one who is not a Christian will not be going to heaven it is my responsibility as a Christ follower to do everything I can to show them the truth as I believe it. So how can I live in harmony and peace with Muslims or Jews or Hindus or any of the other theistic religions? There are a fair number of Christians who will say that we cannot live in peace and harmony with people of other faiths because we are ultimately condemning them to hell if we do. But I don’t agree with this.

When I talk to a dedicated Muslim or Jew I realize that as much as I believe what I believe they believe what they believe just as strongly. Am I going to become a Muslim though? I don’t foresee any reason that would ever happen. So why should I expect someone who is living a different faith with the same integrity and passion and intelligence as I live mine to change what they believe? I don’t think I should. This doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t talk about what I believe within the proper context, but it does mean that I should show these people the same respect I would hope to receive from them, and even more importantly the same respect I have for another Christian.

When I heard about the burning of the Quran I wasn’t concerned about the safety of the troops over seas, or the other people abroad who could be put in danger. I also wasn’t worried about the extremist groups using this as a rallying cry. Although these are all very valid concerns. When I heard about the burning of the Quran I immediately thought about how sad it would make me to have someone burn the Bible. Yes, it would make me angry too, but mostly it would make me sad. I would be saddened that they were unable to see the value of the book, saddened that we had done something so horrible that they felt the only way to show how they feel about us, and thus about God, is to burn our sacred text.

Don’t burn the Quran, not because it will insight violence or be used to stir up the masses. Don’t burn the Quran because someone might get hurt. That’s not a reason to not do something if that something really needs to be done. The reason this church, and all Christians, should not burn or disrespect the Quran is because it is the sacred text of a group of people who have beliefs and faith that to them is just as valid and real and true as our Christian beliefs and faith is to us. And for that reason if none other we should desire to hold the Quran in high regard as a way to show that we respect the differences. As a way to say that we recognize that your beliefs should be given the same regard as ours.

Burning the Quran doesn’t prove that Christians are better or more correct. The only thing burning the Islamic Sacred Text would achieve is to show how stupid and ignorant and hateful Christians and Americans can be.

Oops,

It’s interesting. For the past month I have had a lot of free time and have frequently found myself bored. I read quite a bit, fiction and non-fiction alike. I have read quite a bit about God this past month. But I realized this morning that I haven’t read my Bible in a long time. I talk to God a lot, I read a lot about God, I read a lot about how to have a better relationship with God, what right theology is, I listen to Christian music, I even look up verses fairly regularly. But not having a schedule has lead to me not having a time with God routine which has lead to a serious defecit in Bible reading.

I am thankfully going to be back in a routine/schedule later this week and should be able to easily get back in the habit. It’s not that I don’t want to do it, but rather that I fail to think about it. But it got me wondering: what are some things we can do to help us remember that our relationship with God is more than simply prayer and talking to God? And on the opposite side, what can we do to help us remember it’s not just about reading the Bible?

Church at Starbucks

I had an interview at Starbucks last week and then visited a church up in Michigan on Sunday. How are these two things related? It’s quite simple really- Starbucks has a better philosophy of church than most churches I have been to.

One of the very first things I was told during my interview was that Starbucks strives to be the “third place”- you have work or school, and home. Starbucks wants you to think of it as another place that is an integral part of your life. For some people, the closest the get to community outside of work, is at Starbucks getting their coffee or meeting up with people. It’s really sort of sad, but this is the way it is, and Starbucks is doing what they can to encourage this mentality among consumers, because it’s good for business. When people feel a connection to a specific place (ie: Starbucks or church) they are more likely to commit to that place. The best way people make connections to places is via relationships. Starbucks recognizes this and puts it to use to positively impact business.

It seems churches are missing this very obvious thing. When you ask someone about their church they are most likely to tell you it’s name, where it’s located, about the pastor/preaching/style of worship, and about the programs. None of these things are church, and none of these things are what people are seeking in life. A lot of people make snap judgments about a church based on one or more of these factors, but none of these things are what is going to keep people connected, because at the heart of church is community and fellowship and CONNECTION.

In this world the greatest thing churches have to offer non-Christians is connection. Church is community, it is people “doing life together”, it is not worship, programs, pastors, or bad coffee. We cannot do evangelism with programs or worship, we must do evangelism by connecting with people.

And this is where the church should be far surpassing Starbucks, but we are not. Starbucks is not set up to seek authentic, deep relationships. The connections are brief, and remain shallow within that setting. It’s inevitable. Sadly, the church seems to take this same approach. We are too scared to be authentic as a whole, we are too worried about keeping up appearances, about maintaining the right friendships, about our kids being exposed to only good things, to commit to connecting with everyone around us. We only connect to those like us, the other people are relegated to superficial relationships. Which we can get at Starbucks without feeling guilty or having to give 10% of our money.

I walked into the church in Michigan on Sunday smiled at people as I walked past, and was “warmly greeted” by the designated greeters, and no one else. I had coffee after church and had no one come talk to me. I walk into Starbucks and am “warmly greeted” by the employees. Who proceed to ask me about my day or make other conversation as they get my drink ready. And if I should happen to be a regular, they know my name and my drink order and even if they don’t actually feel this way, act excited to see me. Come on churches, we can do better than this. We MUST do better than this or church will be happening more at Starbucks than in the places designated as such.

With This Bread

I’ve been pondering something since Sunday and finally feel I have some words to share it with all of you.

I visited a UCC church on Sunday. It was interesting for many reasons, but what I left thinking about, and have been mulling on and off since then is open communion. Until Sunday I would have said that I didn’t think we should have open communion. This is based on the theology of the churches I’ve attended all my life, which is that in partaking of communion we are sharing in Christ’s sacrifice and if we do that without believing in his saving work, or without genuine repentance for our Sin we will be judged. Based on this theology open communion doesn’t make sense because we would be inviting people to reap additional judgment for participating in the sacrament.

So Sunday morning as I sat in church preparing to partake of the meal I wasn’t sure how I felt about it being open to anyone and everyone, and I wasn’t sure if I would choose to participate. And then in explaining the church’s decision to have open communion the pastor said something like, “Even Judas, who had already made a deal to betray Jesus, was invited to participate in the last supper. Jesus did not leave anyone out of the meal, and so neither do we.” I was struck by this idea that Jesus invited everyone to the meal, even those who he knew were partaking without a sincere heart or faith.

A few months ago I read a book by Sara Miles in which she shares her story of conversion. She first walked in to a church and partook of communion on her first visit. She didn’t know what she believed, and certainly was not at that point a Christian. But her experience of her first communion- although she didn’t believe yet at that time- was so profound she began a journey that lead her to becoming a Christian. I have never had such a profound experience as what she, at that time a non-Christian, had. Who’s to say I am deserving to participate and a non-Christian is not?

When I think about it, the Lord’s Supper is just that- the Lord’s. It’s not our job to determine who is qualified to partake. No matter how sacred it is, ultimately the decision as to who is invited is up to God and not us. And he clearly shows us in who he invites to participate with him in the Gospel accounts that all are invited to partake. Does this mean those who partake with wrong motives don’t face judgment? Of course not, but it does mean that it is not up to determine who can partake. Just like salvation, it’s not up to us, it’s up to God, and we need to welcome everyone. Even the most blatant anti-Christian if they choose to partake. You never know when God will use this sacrament to make a connection.

Today is a good day

“Relative gender composition aside, same-sex couples are situated identically to opposite-sex couples in terms of their ability to perform the rights and obligations of marriage under California law. Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals”  -Judge Vaughn Walker

One step toward equal rights for all. Now to wait for it to reach the Supreme Court and see the effect reach every state. Thank you to all those who stood up and fought.

Longing

I wanted to write this nice, elegant post about longing and desire and letting God fill the hole, and…

Instead I couldn’t come up with any nice elegant things to say.

It sucks. I was fine, I still am fine most of the time. But then days come along where the longing seems to consume every minute, no matter what I try to do to fill it in. That’s been today.

I had an awesome day yesterday hanging out with new friends. Last night I went to bed full of joy and gratitude for these new people. And none of that has gone away.

But after spending a day with a couple who has so much of what I long for I woke up this morning feeling exceptionally lonely, and wishing I was waking up next to someone. As I made dinner I wanted to be making it for someone else too. At church this morning I longed to have someone standing beside me as the reality took route. And everything today just seemed like it needed a second person to make it complete.

I know God is all I need. I know God can fill the emptiness I feel. And I’m not just saying these things because they are the right things to say. I have experienced it, I know it, I live in it 95% of the time. But right now it doesn’t feel true.

Obviously God created us for human companionship as well, today I know this more than I do most days. And it hurts.

I think this may be why God created ice cream.

Moving On

What happens when you recognize that you cannot continue to grow and develop in the circumstances you find yourself in? At what point do you have to cut the ties and move on? How can you determine if you need to change behaviors in your life or if you need to change the circumstances? These are the questions I’ve been wrestling with the past couple of weeks.

I was going through life, walking the path that had been set forth for me, content with where I was, excited with new ideas for improving the youth ministry and ways to get youth involved in the life of the church as a whole. When suddenly my path split- it wasn’t clear anymore what I was supposed to do, but I was faced with two branches- one would mean continuing as I had been, the other curved sharply and I could not see what lay ahead. And that’s how I knew that God was calling me to the new path.

Fear set in. Then denial. I think for a phase I even accused God of trying to lead me astray. But at the end of the week I knew what I had to do, and I knew it had to be now. And so with knots in my stomach and fear barely overcome by trust I turned in my resignation. It felt sudden, it felt unexpected, but in retrospect I see how God has been working all year leading me to this point.

In every way I can imagine this is stupid and irresponsible- I need to pay the bills, and finding a job right now that will do that is not going to be easy. I have plans for the ministry that I’ll never get to follow through on, and I have kids who I’m leaving just when they have started to trust me. And yet, I have a deep peace that assures me this is what God is calling me to. He will provide, I just don’t know how yet.

We’re the guilty ones

It’s been 3 months or so now, and still the oil spill is making the news nearly every day. And it still is a part of conversation on a regular basis as well. Typically what I hear is how tragic it is, how horrible it is BP didn’t do more to prevent this situation, how BP knows they can’t stop the leak but they have to keep pretending to try to keep the public happy, how BP did this, and BP did that, and occasionally how the government failed to do the right thing before or is failing now, how clean up isn’t going well, etc.

While all these things may be true, what we seem to be forgetting too often is that it isn’t BP who caused this mess, it isn’t the government who failed to regulate well enough, it isn’t someone else’s fault- it’s my fault and it’s your fault and it’s the fault of every person who relies on oil to go through a normal day. If we didn’t consume it, they wouldn’t be drilling for it. It the demand wasn’t so great, BP would not be the thriving business it continues to be even in the wake of this disaster. At the end of the day, they may be the ones responsible for building the drill that is now polluting the water and land, but I am the one responsible for them existing.

Until I step up and take the blame for my part in this catastrophe, until I am willing to change my behavior to reduce- or better yet, eliminate- my dependence on oil we are never going to see new energy sources take over. It has to start with me, it has to start with you. Because they aren’t going to see to it, they are going to do what’s good for business. And we, the consumers, determine that.