Voting: Choice for Life

As election season is nearing its fever pitch many of my Evangelical and Christian friends are reaching out and asking for voting advice while those who don’t find me a friend want to be sure I toe a party line. Let me be clear:

God has no political party. There are plenty of very fine people on both sides of the aisle who claim faith in God and plenty who don’t. But God is above and beyond things like political parties, neither of whom reflect healthy Christianity. But God transcends American politics anyways – His Church, the Body of Christ, is a global enterprise with people from all different tribes and tongues. It’s not that God doesn’t care for American politics, it’s that God cares equally for all His children and the places they find themselves in. Frankly, we’re not that special.

BUT some will try to tell you, dear Christian, that you MUST vote one way or another to please God. This is a lie. You have choices.

The Christian has vast choice in the voting booth. Some would like to suggest that one issue is more valuable to God or a Christian ethic so we must care more for that. I will say abortion is a tragedy with so many lives lost. Using the rubric of single-issue voting but being people with a wide Scriptural basis for ethics and values, it is a false assumption to say that God cares for just one issue above another AND even more presumptive that we could figure out precisely what God wants. But if we cared for all the ethics laid out in the Bible, even if we just focused on candidates who actually upheld the 10 Commandments, we should not vote for people who break each of these things, because each of them have worthy merit. They share equal weight in God’s eyes until and unless we arbitrarily decide which ones matter less… which is shaky ground.

So an appropriate Christian voting ethic should probably take a note out of our Anabaptist brothers and sisters’ book: not voting is more Christian because the Christian is then not complicit in what the elected officials do with our votes.

But if the Christian must vote, then we must have the maturity to apply a uniform and consistent standard of requirement to all candidates employing all Biblical ethics. Or we should at least acknowledge our bias and judgments in endorsing certain sins over others as we do vote, though all have eternal value.

If the vote is so powerful, then there is vast choice in the voting booth, and that shouldn’t be interfered with by Russian propaganda, malfeasance by officials, or guilt trips from supposed officials.”

Disunity is devilish

We have so many Biblical commands to unity that Christians must be bridge-builders. Politics? Denominations? Sacramental practices? Family styles? Handling money? Attempt to understand or at least agree to disagree, because if we believe and live with Jesus Christ as our Head then we have far more in common than apart. Unity requires intentional effort, and it is not simply being like each other – it is saying that although we do some things differently we can pursue common goals and efforts and life because we share in something as essential as being made in God’s image.

Any sort of intentional division (in the Church) is of the spirit of anti-Christ. Let’s be better than that and set positive examples in our culture rather than getting caught up in the worst stereotypes.

For more on this topic, check my most recent message here.

Unity – 9/20/20 – Year A Proper 20

UNITY (with God, in the Church, and out in the world) sermon
as part of (not What but) WHO IS THE CHURCH? series.

Looking for some spiritual encouragement and a challenge through Biblical teaching? Beginning at 36:37 is my sermon on UNITY as part of our “Who is the Church?” series at Level 13. It runs just over 30 minutes with some prayer thrown in. However, if you’ve got a little longer the praise music is most excellent here, so give the whole thing a listen if you can.

Used Matthew 20:1-16 and Jonah 4:2. Our series is based on Acts 2:42-47.

As always, if there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. May this benedictory passage stay with you through the week:

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:27-30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Go with GOD,
Pastor Jeff

No more outrage

Dear #Christian,
Please stop with the outrage. The only time Jesus flipped tables was when the religious elite preyed upon the pilgrims by charging exorbitant rates for money changing and purchasing sacrificial animals at the end of their pilgrimage. I’ve lived through the Satanic Panic, the boycotts of so many things, the burning of Harry Potter books in church parking lots, the purity culture while teen pregnancy and STDs rose…
Stop the outrage, I beg you. This will not save us or help our cause. Jesus Christ modeled love, forgiveness, and serving the less fortunate while teaching hard truths like forgiveness for enemies and praying for those who persecute us.
There is no room for outrage in Christian faith, especially if we take Scripture at face value and God is big enough to bring justice. In the meantime, we forgive, love, and serve.
These actions will reach much farther and help far more people than our outrage.
They’ll know we are Christians by our love.
Go with GOD,
Pastor Jeff

Truth to Power: Sacrilege and Heresy

There are many immoral things we must tolerate as “foreigners and exiles” who must submit to every human authority (1 Peter 2:13). The governments of the world continue to prize money over people, plundering the earth over caring for it, and craving power over well-being. We both pursue the righting of these wrongs and also must follow the laws of the lands we’re in. This is a sad form of tolerance.

However, as Christians we must NEVER tolerate sacrilege and heresy.

This evening, President Trump wanted to recognize a national landmark that was damaged last night. This is ok. In order to do so he forcibly removed peaceful protesters from the area with violence and chemicals (not ok) in order to walk to a church, the pastors of which had just been chased off with teargas (not ok, source:https://www.facebook.com/gini.gerbasi/posts/10157575422089624?hc_location=ufi), without reaching out to the church pastor (not ok) to take a photo op with a Bible (not ok) without praying, offering words of comfort and leadership, or helping the people he serves (not ok).

To use a church and the holy Christian Bible as props in a campaign of propaganda for personal adulation or gain is sacrilege and heresy. God will not be mocked or taken advantage of or used as a prop (idolatry).

Especially in a time when our world needs healing, reconciliation, leadership, and a reliance upon God, this is especially disgusting, and no Christian can be in support of this action. It’s a plot to rile a base and secure votes the night before an election, and we must see through the ruse to note the disgust of it all.

A godly leader must actually reflect godliness and Biblical character if they are going to claim Christian faith. Anyone who claims faith and doesn’t act godly is a charlatan, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And so is our President. That cannot be tolerated.

“11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”” – 1 Peter 2:11-17, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+2&version=NIV

Here is Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s statement on the matter.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s statement on President Donald Trump’s use of St. John’s, Holy Bible

P.S. Additional Biblical resources for the pastoral call to speak truth/judge:

We are not to judge outsiders who are not part of the Church. But the Bible says that if we claim Christian faith we must live out Godly actions (Matthew 7, 1 John, Gal 5, etc).

The President has claimed Christian faith multiple times since running for President, therefore we should expect Christian actions from him. Within the Church while trying to keep every Christian holy and obedient to God, we actually are to judge other Christians in accordance with good fruit (John 7, 1 Corinthians 5, Romans 15, Matthew 18).

And finally, as a pastor part of my job is rebuking Christians for sin that they may receive the Holy Spirit’s conviction to come back to God (1 Tim 5, 2 Tim 4, Titus 2).

There’s also a difference between judging (which is damning to hell) and exhorting to holiness (calling out sin in the Christian).
In general we should not judge. But there is much Biblical evidence for keeping Christians on the straight and narrow. I’m not judging, I’m expecting Godly fruit out of one who has claimed faith.

But this particular fruit is rotten. I’ve said little to nothing against his many indiscretions (don’t judge, expect a new Christian to still make mistakes).
Using a Bible and a church site for one’s own personal gain/adulation while harming others is absolutely unchristian behavior, and I will call that out every time. It’s literally my job as a pastor.

Represent Faith By Pursuit of God

I was privileged to be able to share the message at Hanfield UMC last week.

During the season of Lent we’re looking through the book of Daniel with a series called “Thriving in Babylon.” The idea is that we’re living in a culture that reflects the ancient, pagan culture of Babylon more than it does the Kingdom of Heaven, but we’re called to reflect Christ at every turn. It’s also paired with the background of Pastor Tim and I discussing a book called “Revangelical” by Lance Ford whereby we as Christians need to redefine or even recapture the word “evangelical” from the strained, political connotations it has been stuck with.

So in the third week of this series I was preaching out of Daniel 3, the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego story. The main idea or “Focus” is: The best evangelism (way to represent God) is our pursuit of God.

For every message I write a “Function” statement, essentially the “So what?” idea: As a result of this sermon, we should set aside time each day this week (for example, in place of our TV/streaming/youtube) to seek Christ in prayer, Scripture, and/or service (30 min per day).

I hope this quote from one of my favorite theologians helps prod us to better pursuit.

“Whosoever then would fully and feelingly understand the words of Christ, must endeavor to conform one’s life wholly to the life of Christ… Vanity of vanities, all if vanity, except to love God , and Him only to serve. This is the highest wisdom, by contempt of the world to tend towards the kingdom of Heaven.” – Thomas A’ Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

Without further so, here’s the message. I hope you enjoy and are challenged.

Represent

Unity

The Church loves talking about the Prodigal Son – the redemption, forgiveness, and celebration are irresistible. How often do we examine the older brother and repent of our contributions of dis-unity in themodern Church? This message is a call to Unity.

Preached on 7/2/17 at Hanfield UMC.

Towards A Theology of Play

Towards a Theology of Play

There is plenty of research and writing about the need for enjoying one’s Sabbath time. After a summer of driving my students hard towards a better understanding of God (believing that what we think about God determines how we act and live our lives) by exploring His attributes I wanted to give them a Sunday “off” at youth group. The purpose was less to explain the need for a Sabbath and have one (though we did) than to simply hope to redeem time off for these students. I’m a parent – I wish my son wouldn’t like to almost exclusively play (to my chagrin I realize my cultural conditioning in that statement). On the other hand, our culture makes much of work and commitments while making fun of those who seem to spend their time playfully. The generation coming up is perhaps more stressed than at any other time in history!

Despite this, I’m gaining a bit of a bookish reputation with my new youth group. Since I got here in April we’ve played a few games, but I find this to be a far less important aspect of youth group than helping teach our students a more vibrant faith (Vibrant faith is contagious, disciple-making faith). I’m having fun, I make our youth meetings fun even while we’re doing lessons, and I’m hearing from most all of these students that it is a direction they’re quite pleased with. Let’s be real though, many students come to youth group simply for a breather from “life” and to have some fun in the midst of their busy lives, especially now that school has started.

This past Sunday we had a game night. There was junk food galore, board games spread around, foosball upstairs, some football tossing outside, and an impromptu dodgeball game targeting those of us gathered at the different game tables. We had a blast. With about fifteen minutes left, though, I pulled them aside for a “Gotcha!”

Promised Play

Rather than playing (ha!) into cultural stereotypes glorifying work to the demonization of play, I wanted to help redeem the idea of play for our students and give them an ordained view of playtime (in community).

Psalm 104 celebrates the glory of God’s creation and the diversity of His creativity. Specifically, vv 24-26 speaks of something (Leviathan) created for play! Indeed, you can’t look at some of the creatures in our world and not see a playful Creator God!

At motion, how?

“Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit” – 21 Pilots

I have to confess my love for 21 Pilots. I am probably supposed to like something more mature or dignified, but my ears like what they like.

At the turn of the new year “heavydirtysoul” is heavy in my mind. I’m not big on resolutions. I’ve failed at keeping so many of them that I decided to quit making them. Rather than one big, herd-like push with all the other resolutionists every Jan 1, I’ve decided to take appropriate, intentional action as a problem comes up or an adjustment needs made in Heather and I’s lives. The weight I carried with me for most of my life? No spur of the moment new year resolution fixed that. Getting fed up being fat and intentionally making changes fixed it when I was actually ready (mature enough) to do something about it.

At the beginning of 2017, as with the end of any year and the beginning of another, I confess that it is difficult not to get a little introspective with where things stand with LIFE. Am I where I want to be? Where do I want to be? Is that where God wants me to be? Am I taking steps towards any or all of those things? This line of questioning could apply to job(s), family situation, living arrangement, passions, hobbies, etc. It inevitably gets a little deeper, though: What moves and inspires me?

….

I can’t judge your inspiration – mine is personal, as is yours. But are you in touch with some Source of inspiration? Sir Isaac Newton’s first law of motion essentially implies that an object at rest will remain at rest unless it is acted upon by an external force. Do you know what force is acting upon you? Have you intentionally sought out that force and made sure that your influencers are positive ones? Or are you lackadaisically letting any force move upon you… essentially one of the YOLO zombies that 21 Pilots references in their song?

Some of us are moved by family members or friends, culture, the media, religion, etc. There are deeper forces at work in our world, and I worry how many live like the lyric quoted above: “Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit.”

As the calendar flips to an entirely new year, I pray you are not simply fleeing in your little corner of the world like a rabbit escaping the clutches of a dog’s jaws. Death comes for all of us, but does not have to be a fearsome specter haunting our waking moments. I hope the force acting on your, your source for movement, your muse or inspiration, is not something based in your fear for that is at the very least an exhausting way to live.

One of those other deeper forces at work in our world, I faithfully believe, is God. Not religion. God. An intimate, loving, benevolent, righteous, life-giving, abundance-pouring, sanity-saving, prisoner-freeing, God. Not an abstract thought system to get along with, but a Presence I have experience who has rescued me from the jaws of death… I am no longer a rabbit chased by the dogs. I can stand freely, not afraid of death. My soul is no longer heavydirty, and if your source of movement or force of life is not doing all of that for you, let’s talk.

2016 is over, and a new year is here. I have no resolutions to make. Because of the choices I’ve made, the path my life has taken, and the work to find rightness in this world, I’ve got a path laid ahead because of the divine Force that impacted my life while I was at rest. I pray you find something equally compelling. I pray death is not chasing you but rather something to be faced with confidence. I pray that whatever moves and inspires you (by your intentional choice or not) is life-giving. I pray that 2017 is a year of growth, improvement, challenges accepted, and life given. I’m excitedly planning on it for our family, and it is within reach for you as well. heavydirtysoul? Not anymore. Not ever again. Thank God.

Time and Chance

“11 I have seen something else under the sun:

 The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong,

nor does food come to the wise

or wealth to the brilliant

or favor to the learned;

but time and chance happen to them all.

 

12 Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come:

 As fish are caught in a cruel net,

or birds are taken in a snare,

so men are trapped by evil times

that fall unexpectedly upon them.”

– Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

 

My grandpa is a great man! He has raised six kids and has too many grandkids and great-grandkids to keep track of. He was a farm boy scouted by pro baseball teams. He was a horseman. He was an insurance salesman. He taught me how to golf. He made me think that if I ever decided to smoke it would be a pipe like him (with Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco only, thank you very much). He doesn’t have a theology degree but knows more about the Bible than I do. He takes care of his family and presides over it well.

 

But like Solomon discovered and recorded in Ecclesiastes, time and chance affect us all, whether we’ve lived a good life, a hard life, a long one, or a short one. The great equalizer, cancer, has caught up with my grandpa. It began as pancreatic cancer, but despite his pancreas being removed it has metastasized and is spreading to his liver and beyond. Time and chance…

 

In the last few years my grandpa and I have grown apart – not through any intention on either of our parts. It just gradually happened. Time and chance…

 

I hope to rectify that. We can’t go golfing, but we can still sit and talk. It almost feels awkward at this point. As though I’m ashamed for what I’ve missed by letting us grow apart. I understand lots of kids grow up and just get involved in their own lives. However, I sure didn’t think I could be that selfish. Shame is a good word. And yet if you’re feeling shame don’t let it control you or dissuade you from doing what you know is right. Time and chance may take their toll too soon, and then you’ll have to live with the compounded shame of never doing anything about your shame in the first place.

 

Life really is too short. Time and chance don’t help the odds. So get out there and do some living!