Order of Elder

Yesterday, Bishop Thomas Bickerton convened a meeting of the Order of Elder in Western PA Conference, hosted by Christ UMC in Bethel Park. Hundreds of pastors - Elders, Deacons, local pastors, and provisional pastors - gathered for a time of worship and fellowship. Along the way, Elders elected Eric Park as the head of the Order for the next four years. Deb Flint will head up the Deacons and Tony Fallisi will head up the local pastors.

A few of us went to the Olive Garden for lunch rather than partake of the provided munchies; here are some pics of the guilty parties...

Dayton Mix (Reynoldsville), Dennis Lawton (Tionesta),
Gary Bailey (Brush Run)

Randy Costolo (Hopwood), Eric Raygor (Somerset: Grace)

Myself, Randy, Eric

Friday Top Ten: Current NFL QBs

1 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots)

2 - Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)

3 - Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)

4 - Brett Favre (New York Jets)

5 - Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)

6 - Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

7 - Eli Manning (New York Giants)

8 - Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks)

9 - Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals)

10 - Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers)

The Real Race Begins for McCain & Obama

With the Olympics behind us, America will begin now to turn seriously to the upcoming presidential election. The Democrat convention begins tonight. I have posted previously (here and here) about the need to vote first and foremost based on a candidate's personal character. In my view, both John McCain and Barack Obama seem to be decent fellows. This isn't to suggest that these men have never made mistakes or errors in judgment, and it certainly doesn't mean that I agree with all of their stated positions or goals...but, both senators seem to be OK guys.

I've been disturbed by some elements of the campaigns. It bothered and confused me, for example, when Hillary Clinton attacked Barack Obama for his "lack of experience". It disturbed me that she had only four more years of experience than Obama, and, of course, neither Clinton nor Obama possesses experience comparable to that of John McCain. Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt had very little experience, yet both are among history's finest leaders. If John McCain focuses on this aspect of the election, his campaign will go down in flames as did Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Experience isn't nearly as important as personal character. In addition, the ability to raise up talented people to serve and lead is far more important than how many years one has served in the U.S. Congress or as a state governor. In my opinion, these gifts are areas worthy of our focus.

Without question, prayer needs to begin regarding the decisions Americans will make in a little over two months.

Heavenly Father, gracious lord of all creation, you rule and judge all nations; you scatter the arrogant of mind and heart; you cast down rulers from their thrones and raise up the lowly.

This November, Americans elect those who will serve in government, and the voices that call to follow one path or another are often confusing; the signs of these times that must be discerned are tragic and unjust; the culture of death that afflicts all humankind is powerful.

Open all eyes to see your reign in history; open all hearts to share your love with people; open all ears to hear the cry of the widow, the orphan, and the stranger among us. In the midst of chaos, enable your Church to be your obedient people.

Send your Holy Spirit upon the people of this land. Help Americans to make wise and prudent decisions. Increase faith and hope. Empower your Church to live the Gospel she professes, even when this means alienation and criticism from the world. Guide your Church on to perfection, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

- adapted from justpeace.org

Friday Top Ten: Best Non-Beatles Albums

1 - The Joshua Tree (1987) by U2

2 - Highway 61 Revisited (1965) by Bob Dylan

3 - Pet Sounds (1966) by the Beach Boys

4 - What's Going On (1971) by Marvin Gaye

5 - Thriller (1982) by Michael Jackson

6 - Blonde on Blonde (1966) by Bob Dylan

7 - Nevermind (1991) by Nirvana

8 - Woodface (1991) by Crowded House

9 - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) by Simon and Garfunkel

10 - Achtung Baby (1991) by U2

I've Attended services like this...

Friday Top Ten: Best Beatles Albums

1 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

2 - Revolver (1966)

3 - The Beatles ("The White Album") (1968)

4 - Magical Mystery Tour (1967)

5 - Rubber Soul (1965)

6 - Abbey Road (1969)

7 - A Hard Day's Night (1964)

8 - Help! (1965)

9 - Beatles for Sale (1964)

10 - Let It Be (1970)

Note: All albums British editions except Magical Mystery Tour (US edition).

Friday Favre

Big Apple Brett...Favre's a Jet

What a shock to wake up this morning and discover that Brett Favre is now a New York Jet. Can this soon-to-be 39 year old quarterback handle these great new expectations?

Favre is perhaps the most beloved player in today's NFL (unless you live in Illinois or Minnesota). For those of us too young to remember the glory years of Vince Lombardi, Ray Nitschke, and Bart Starr, Favre is synonomous with the Green Bay Packers. In a franchise of countless Hall of Famers, he became the greatest Packer of all. Now, to see him in New York City, leading one of the most hapless teams in the league, is going to be very, very strange.

As a nation, we watched Brett Favre emerge in the mid-1990s as a very special young player. Built more like a tight end than a quarterback, he played with a certain joie de vivre that was contagious; he had fun, broke rules and took risks, playing the game like it hadn't been played in 50 years. It always looked as if he were playing a pick up game in his backyard with his buddies. It was a true football pleasure to see the young "gunslinger" lead the veteran Pack to a Super Bowl victory in 1997. He quickly became the only three time MVP in NFL history.

Then, something else happened. While the eyes of fandom turned to John Elway's triumphant finale and the emergence of two legends-in-the-making named Brady and Manning, Brett Favre aged. The young gunslinger transformed into a grizzled old veteran, the oldest player in Wisconsin, whose wild style of play resulted in all-time records for starts, touchdowns, yards...and interceptions. He became more than an legend; Brett Favre is an icon, like few other football stars in recent history.

He started out as the exciting young player with a contagious passion; he turned into John McClane fighting the baddies and trying to survive in Nakatomi Plaza. It was sometimes painful to watch, but you had to watch, and were ultimately thankful that you did. A tearful retirement was a sad day for all of America. It staggers the imagination that the Packers wouldn't or couldn't welcome him back into the Lambeau fold.

Now, he'll finish his career under the bright lights of the Big Apple. Has sixteen years in the NFL's smallest market prepared Favre for the scrutiny of the largest media market on the planet?

I think so.

In Pittsburgh, we take Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward very seriously. We can't be bothered with, say, Carson Palmer or Randy Moss. In San Diego, it's all about LaDainian Tomlinson; they couldn't care less about Tony Romo.

But Brett Favre belongs to all of us. We'd all love to have him on our team; at least, we'd like to sit with him, have a beer, and watch a game. Our hearts went out to him when he lost his father, and then turned out maybe the greatest performance in the history of Monday Night Football. We prayed during his wife's bout with cancer. We sat on the edges of our seats as he struggled with an addiction to prescribed painkillers, and we marveled as he became the world's toughest athlete, starting a record 253 consecutive games, often in serious physical agony.

New York City is exactly a thousand miles from Green Bay. It will be bizarre to watch Brett Favre play in a New York Jets uniform. But, he didn't leave his fans a thousand miles away; his fans are anywhere and everywhere people love the game of football. If the Steelers aren't playing in Tampa in February, what a joy it would be for every football fan to see Brett Favre under center.

A Church that's All About You

What unites us?

As I reflect on Annual Conference 2008, Jurisdictional Conference 2008, and especially General Conference 2008, the issue of "true unity" has been running through my mind. After all, the possibility for schism remains real. My opinion is that if the UMC position regarding homosexual behavior is softened, there will be schism. That's not my personal desire, mind you, it's just my opinion of what will follow that kind of vote.

Schism is a kind of heresy, to be sure. The question we will all have to figure out will be: "Who caused the schism; who committed the heresy?"

This leads to another question: "What is is that unites us as the Church?" Specifically, we could ask, "What is it that unites us as The United Methodist Church?"

This is no easy question.

We have so many interpretations (and translations) of the Bible that it would be inaccurate to claim that the Bible unites us. If someone believes, for example, that interpreting Genesis 1 literally is the only legitimate approach to that text, they can hardly be united with someone who approaches it more allegorically.

It would also be inaccurate to claim that we are united by our doctrinal standards. It's extremely rare for anyone during our Annual Conference session to make a reference to our Articles of Religion, for example. John Wesley's sermons may see an occasional reference, but much of this seems historical or, at best, inspirational for many of us. I have been with pastors who have denied one or more of our Articles; it isn't pretty.

While United Methodist clergy do function within the lines of apostolic succession, I don't think that this is what unites us. Most United Methodists aren't aware of the succession and could likely not care less.

Clearly, we are not united by a common liturgy, such as that which unites the Anglican Communion (at least in part). While I have my own preferences ("smells and bells!"), I think the diversity of our worship can be a good thing...from High Church to Southern Gospel to Baby Boomer to Emergent, and everything in between. It can be exciting and all very faithful when planned well theologically, but our liturgy clearly doesn't unite us.

We are not united by a common law or Discipline; for this, I blame primarily the left wing of the Church. They tried to find loopholes in Church law...just as the world would do...in an attempt to salvage the ordained ministry of someone who had admitted to being in violation of the law. In doing so, they played politics with the Discipline, and disregarded the clear wish and intention of the General Conference and our covenant together. That was very dishonest, and demonstrates to me that we are not united by canon law (remember - the issue wasn't sex...it was whether or not Church law had been violated).

Our common history doesn't really unite us, especially as we take in more and more folks who are former Roman Catholics or former Presbyterians or former Pentecostals or former atheists, agnostics or pagans. We may know about the history, but are hardly united by it.

It would be wonderful if we were united by a common mission, but, frankly, we can't seem to agree as to what being a disciple means, much less how to make disciples. And with the theological error of adding "for the transformation of the world" to our denominational mission statement, we are less united by mission than ever before.

I'd like to think we are united in and through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. But I'm not entirely certain we agree on who he is, much less what he teaches or the legacy he calls us to live out.

And maybe that lies at the heart of our problem. Our problem isn't primarily ethical, and it's not primarily Biblical. Our problem is primarily Christological. We simply don't know what to say about or do with this Jesus fellow.

The Right Reverend Eric Park wrote in his summary for candidacy as a General Conference delegate, "I am convinced that [one] of the most significant challenges facing United Methodism [is]...daring to live a life that is subordinated to the Lordship of Jesus and the countercultural ethics of the Kingdom of God."

That's it in a nutshell: how do we live a life that is subordinated to the Lordship of Jesus? We have no common understanding of what that means, especially as it relates to Holy Scripture, the Great Tradition, Reason, and Personal Experience.

Perhaps, before we have another General Conference, before we discuss any changes in Church law, we ought to find some common ground concerning the person and Lordship of this man Jesus Christ.

Vacation

We are off on vacation, headed to Cincinnati, where we'll be visiting an old college chum (and former suitor for Robyn's lovely hand). While spending time together, we'll also be taking the kids to King's Island as well as some other local attractions (I'd like to get to the William Howard Taft Historic Site, but I may be the only McIlwain interested in that). Back to the office on July 28, a date on which I've been called to jury duty in federal court. I'd best enjoy myself till then!

A Prayer for Jurisdictional Conference

Almighty and everlasting Father, who by your Holy Spirit presided in the council of the apostles, and has promised, through your Son Jesus Christ, to be with your Church to the end of the world;

we humbly ask you to be with the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church, assembling next week in Harrisburg.

Save them from all error, ignorance, pride, and prejudice;

grant a special blessing upon the delegation from Western Pennsylvania, especially our brother Eric Park, who has been nominated to be consecrated to the episcopacy;

and out of your great mercy direct, sanctify, and govern the entire Conference in their work, by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, that the Gospel of Christ may be truly preached, truly received, and truly followed, in all places, to the destruction of the kingdom of sin, Satan, and death;

till at length the whole of your dispersed sheep, being gathered into one fold, shall become partakers of everlasting life;

through the merits and death of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.

- adapted from The Book of Common Prayer 1928

VBS 2008

Tonight, Vacation Bible School begins at Jefferson church. Lots of preparation and prayer have resulted in a lot of excitement at JUMC. Our theme is "Water Works Park: Where Kids Ride the Wave of God's Love". (That's just cheesy enough to serve as a contender for an Annual Conference theme, but I digress...)

We've made some changes this year that have boosted the excitement level. Several of our newer members have gotten involved, bringing new ideas and joy to the ministry. We're also, for the first time, holding VBS in the evening rather than in the morning, so, while we're not sure what to expect in terms of numbers, we've gotten a lot more adult and teen helpers who have a greater availability post-dinner.

I really enjoy VBS and look forward to it each year, largely because my own faith journey was "jump started" by a VBS ministry. Though I was baptized as a baby in early 1971 (in a Presbyterian church), that event was the extent of my church involvement for many years. I befriended the Elston family in Johnstown, PA, and they invited my brother and I to the VBS held at their church, Westmont UMC. We loved it. The Elstons told us that if we enjoyed VBS, we might like Sunday School and worship each week as well. They picked us up every Sunday (along with their own 5 children) and took us to church. The Elstons and Westmont UMC found a way to love two obnoxious, goofy-looking, loud twin boys, and we experienced the love of God in a very real, tangible way.

Church camp followed (at both Camp Allegheny and Jumonville), extensive involvement in children and youth ministries and, eventually, a puppet ministry, and in 1983 I was confirmed (in April) and surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus (in June). While my faith and my understanding of Christianity has grown a great deal since those days, my roots are way back in Westmont's VBS and the faithfulness of the Elston family.

So, VBS is a special time for me. I can't help but get excited about the idea that we may touch at least one child with the grace of God, and that because of our faithfulness this week, the touch may have a lasting impact on this life.

I Would Do Anything for Love, But I Won't Do That

"God said to Abraham, 'Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.' So Abraham rose early in the morning...

"When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

"But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!...Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.'

"And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son."

- from Genesis 22 (ESV, adapt.)

On the surface, the Old Testament selection in this week's lectionary is an absolutely appalling story. I simply cannot imagine serving a God who demanded the murderous sacrifice of my child. The event so respulsed Abraham's wife, in fact, that the Scriptures suggest that it caused a permanent rift in that marital relationship (Abraham lived in Beersheba, Sarah at Hebron).

Most interpreters through the centuries have viewed this uncomfortable episode as a test of faithfulness, noting that Abraham kept nothing from God...even his heir. That is certainly a valid explanation. The book of Hebrews makes much of this view.

But I have tended to look at this story through different eyes.

A 1937 commentary entitled The Pentateuch and Haftorahs by Joseph Hertz, a prominent rabbi and scholar, suggests that since child sacrifice was so very common in the ancient Near East, the amazing component of the account isn't the patriarch's faithfulness, but rather that the Lord commands Abraham to cease from killing Isaac. The narrative thus may be in our Bible to teach that child sacrifice is simply an unacceptable practice for the people of God; this would be yet another mark of Israel's uniqueness and holiness among the nations.

What a powerful interpretation!

The repercussions of the "Binding of Isaac" story for the 21st century Church seem clear. We, like ancient Israel, are to reject the sacrifice of children in the face of a culture which seeks to hypersexualize and exploit them. We are called to stand against those movements and societal impulses which would diminish childhood and ultimately harm children. We are to serve as witnesses to God's prevenient grace for all children, and advocate for their safety and wellness. This means to not only provide a "safe sanctuary", but also to champion better education, truly caring family environments, adequate health care, safety and security, and appropriate standards in "entertainment" marketed to children.

Above all else, it means that the Church needs to stop looking at children as "the future", as so many seem eager to do, and instead think of children as "the present", and lovingly invest in them not because someday they will build or save the Church, but rather because right now...today...they are precious souls in the Kingdom who need to know that their Heavenly Father is deeply in love with them.

My prayer is that we as a society and especially as a Church, like Abraham, turn from sacrificing our children to the gods of a culture which is broken and diseased, and that we find ways instead to truly love these treasured young people through the merciful grace of Jesus Christ.

Building Project Dedication

We had a great day at Jefferson church yesterday. Our building project has finally been completed and we dedicated the new facilities as part of our Lord's Day worship. My predecessor at JUMC, the Rev. Dr. Douglas Heagy, who had originally cast the vision for the project, joined us (on loan from First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greensburg, PA) with his family as part of a wonderful homecoming. Doug brought the word to a full house and did an excellent job. He talked about "taking the long view", noting that we may not often see the fruit that is produced by our faithfulness, but it is important nevertheless to labor for the Kingdom and trust that God has something special in store. Timely words.

We then ventured out of the sanctuary to our new facilities to consecrate and dedicate them for Kingdom use. Joining Doug and I were Trustee chairperson Bud Turner, architect John Kudravy, and fundraising leader Ron Lewis, all three of whom served on our Vision Committee for the project. A time of fellowship followed, with refreshments provided by the Boy Scout troop we sponsor.

In the above pic, you can see on the left some of the improvements to our education building...new roof, new windows, new doors, new siding. You can also see our new corridor which now connects our education building and our worship building for the first time in the 165 year history of JUMC. Some members of our church family are standing in our beautiful new courtyard, which is a lovely setting for fellowship as well as for prayer.

In this pic, you can see one of the blocks in our new corridor. One side is bordered with blocks purchased to help defray the costs of our project; those blocks are dedicated in memory or honor of loved ones. The other side of the corridor is bordered with blocks listing the names of every pastor who has served JUMC since its founding in 1843, along with their dates of service. It is quite an honor to be included in this blessed roll call.

All in all, a terrific day. Our new improvements better equip us to reach out to our community, providing a more efficient, safe, and attractive headquarters for mission to Jefferson Hills and Pleasant Hills (the two communities I consider to be my "primary parish"). It is a true blessing to serve alongside such a neat team of saints, and I thank God that I'm along for this ride.

Headed to Grove City

Tomorrow morning, our kids go to school for about two hours. When they return, we will pack the van and head to Grove City, PA for Western PA Annual Conference 2008. The theme this year is simply (yet profoundly) "Love" . Our son Christian is a lay member of Conference; our daughter Kate will be attending for the first time, and will be there as a page. I'm also providing transportation for two young ladies from a neighboring congregation (Pine Run UMC in Clairton, PA) who will be serving with Kate as pages.

Of course, I covet prayers. I especially ask that our youth and their adult leaders be lifted up in prayer. It is a long, long week, and nothing could be accomplished without their faithfulness, hard work and late hours.

I look forward to connecting with sisters and brothers in Christ...to heartfelt worship...to theological challenges which force me to grow...to the renewing presence of the Holy Spirit...and to returning home on Sunday afternoon.

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have given the Holy Spirit to abide with us for ever: Bless, we pray, with his grace and presence, Bishop Thomas Bickerton and other clergy and the laity soon to be assembled in your Name, that your Church, being preserved in true faith and godly discipline, may fulfill all the mind of him who loved it and gave himself for it, your Son Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

- adapted from The Book of Common Prayer

Thank you, Penguins

Last night, the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. It was the fourth NHL championship in 11 years for this veteran hockey team. Without question, they are the best team in professional hockey in the 2007-2008 season.

But, I want to take a moment to thank the Penguins. This hockey season was one of the most exciting sports rides, in my opinion, in Pittsburgh history. It was a real joy to watch it and, at times, be a part of it. It was a lot of fun, and Pens fans everywhere should be rejoicing today, even as we feel the sting of losing the ultimate hockey prize.

Last season, the young Penguins lost in the first round of the playoffs, but demonstrated that they were a team to watch in the future. Led by 20 year old Sidney Crosby, the best player in the world, the team was poised this year to go deep in the playoffs and make a lot of noise.

Then, starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury got hurt, and was out for months. Miraculously, journeyman goalie Ty Conklin stepped in and did a phenomenal job of filling in. On New Year's Day in the outdoor "Winter Classic" game in Buffalo, Crosby played brilliantly in adverse conditions, winning the game in a shoot-out, even while leading the NHL (at the time) in assists (in the last season, he'd won the league scoring title).

A few weeks later, Crosby was hurt in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While he recovered, Evgeni Malkin emerged as one of the league's leading scorers and a new superstar. The Penguins just kept overcoming adversity to find success.

Perhaps what has been most special about the Penguins, particularly this season, has been the fact that they have really become a part of the Pittsburgh community, moreso than the Steelers or the Pirates, in my opinion. The Pens have really made an effort to serve their fans and reach out to them. Even yesterday, with the game coming up in just a few hours, I ran into leftwinger Pacsal Dupuis in Giant Eagle, where he was happily signing autographs and shaking hands even while he picked up milk and bread. The Pens have embodied the principle of immanence, and are beloved for it.

The Pens also emerged this season with colorful characters which are a hallmark of Pittsburgh sports. Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury are the uber-talented superstars, of course, but their supporting cast is filled with interesting players loaded not only with talent but with guts and with heart...Hal Gill, Sergei Gonchar, Marian Hossa, Georges Laraque, Ryan Malone, Brooks Orpik, Gary Roberts, Jarkko Ruutu, Jordan Staal, Petr Sykora, and others. Several might sign with other teams for significantly more money in the offseason, but it has been great to have them on this team.

What a season. I was able to enjoy the entire season with my daughter Kate, who became Pens-obsessed, and the rest of my family, who also lived and breathed hockey for the last two months. Though the Pens dominated the Eastern Conference, they lost to a team with veteran skills and talent which earned the title of "champion". The future is bright for the Penguins, though the pain is real today.

I really have no point in this post other than to simply say, "Thank you, Penguins", to thank God for this exciting season, and to look forward to when the puck drops again in October.

And, by the way...the Steelers report to Latrobe for training camp on July 27.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

"Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God...

"Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth.

"And God said to Noah, 'I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch...I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.

"But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.'

"Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him...And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred fifty days."

"But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided...Then God said to Noah, 'Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you...'

"Then Noah built an altar to the Lord...and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the Lord said in his heart, 'I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done...'"

- from Genesis 6-8 (NRSV)

Often, Christians get too caught up in the details of the Great Flood story, missing its beauty. Many conservatives insist that it is a literal event; many liberals consider it to be an ancient fable. Books have been written to support both sides and debates have been held, all of which has proven very little about the veracity of the Great Flood.

This is a story that is about more than a prehistoric cataclysm, more than just another, albeit massive, geologic disaster. The story is beyond simply a tragedy of the sea.

What strikes me as I read the story again (it is part of the lectionary for this Sunday) isn't the fantastical element of the story, but rather the change of heart apparently experienced by God.

Because of the sin of humankind, God was determined to wipe his creatures off the face of the planet and "reboot". The waters flowed and only Noah and those on his "ark" were safe.

But something happened in the heart of our paradoxical God, who is at once never-changing and yet always dynamic. It's more than just a "reboot" with the relatively righteous Noah. Something about the Great Flood "event" broke the heart of a perfectly loving God. God admitted that "the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth", and knew that humanity would eventually be just as rotten and corrupt as the generation destroyed in the Great Flood. Our Lord will be hurt again and again by our sin, and yet he decided to stick it out and love us anyway.

This is marriage. This is covenant. This is real gospel love. This is the Jesus story told through the wetness of monsoonal downpours and waterlogged wood.

We learn from the story of the Great Flood and from the deliverance of Noah that we live with a God who loves us no matter what, and who does not reject us entirely even when we thoroughly screw up (I suppose that the one caveat is that we are given the capacity to completely reject him, but that's an issue for another post). And God in Christ promises to be with us "even to the end of the age."

"God has built an ark of gracious love and mercy to preserve us from destruction and carry us safely to the place where we can make a new start and fulfil our ancient destiny, and this time we are all in the same boat."- Nathan Nettleton

"Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life's tempestuous sea;
unknown waves before me roll,
hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
Chart and compass come from thee; Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

"When at last I near the shore, and the fearful breakers roar
'twixt me and the peaceful rest,
then, while leaning on thy breast,
may I hear thee say to me, 'Fear not, I will pilot thee.'"

- Edward Hopper, 1871,

UMH 509

Wesley's Standard Sermons #29

In my preparation for Sunday's sermon on Matthew 6:24-34 (the Gospel selection in this week's lectionary), I have returned again and again to John Wesley's sermon on the passage. Good, good stuff.

While I regularly read, study, and meditate upon Wesley's sermons, I confess that for reasons which elude me I often "skip" the 13 standard sermons based on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I'm not sure why this has been my practice; I am not proud of my neglect. Wesley's sermon on this passage is so spot on, so much what I have wanted to say, that I am tempted to simply read his text. I won't do that, of course, but I'm not going to make light of the fact that much of my sermon will be drawn from Wesley's fine work.

If pastors who read this blog are preaching on this passage, I'd urge you to look again at Wesley's words if you have not already done so. You can find his sermon here. If you're not preaching on this passage this Sunday, I've no doubt that you will still be challenged and uplifted by this excellent sermon.

Rerun: Trinity Sunday / Peace with Justice Sunday

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, the one Sunday in the Christian year devoted to a doctrine, rather than an event. This makes sense, for the Doctrine of the Trinity is the most important doctrine in Christianity.

The Doctrine of the Trinity is important for many reasons; it helps define, for example, other crucial doctrines, such as Incarnation and Atonement. Christians are, technically speaking, not monotheists as much as they are Trinitarians.

I am amazed, nevertheless, at the number of pastors who never preach on the Trinity. I relate to Roger Olson's words in his wonderful 2002 book The Mosaic of Christian Belief (pages 133-134):

...some Christians have become so exasperated by the seeming confusion surrounding belief in the Trinity...that they have functionally given up on it. They may be members of a church with the word 'Trinity' in its name; they may pay lip service to belief in something called Trinity if asked; they may sing a hymn about God's triunity now and then in worship. But fewer and fewer Christians seem actually to embrace the belief known throughout Christian history as 'Trinity'. As one modern Catholic thinker has said, modern Christians tend to be functionally unitarian.

This is too bad; it's scandalous, in fact, given that our spiritual ancestors sometimes died for their devotion to the Holy Trinity.

One of the reasons this doctrine is so important is because of what it teaches us about God. From the Doctrine of the Trinity, we learn that God is social by his very nature; God exists in community.

We, therefore, as those devoted to the God who has revealed himself as triune, should also exist in community. We need the Church in order to faithfully incarnate Trinitarian doctrine...an important realization on the eve of Annual Conference.

But Sunday is not only Trinity Sunday, for in her wisdom, the Church has declared the day to also serve as Peace with Justice Sunday. Peace is more than simply the absence of conflict; it is a way of life in which each person has the essentials such as food, water, and shelter, in which sins such as sexism and racism don't exist, in which love is the crucial factor in human relations. In order to faithfully live in community, the Church must prayerfully support the elimination of poverty, war, racism, sexism, hate, and the like. True peace is intimately married to real justice.

And so, we are called to live as faithful Trinitarians, modeling the One God who exists in community, and doing the work of Christ by loving our sisters and brothers in the human family by prayer and sacrifice.

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all."

- 2 Corinthians 13:14

Originally posted 5/29/07