The doctrines they (the Methodists) preach, and the discipline they enforce, are, I believe, the purest of any people now in the world. - Francis Asbury
Show me the Love
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2005
Not that I’m totally concerned about what others think, but as a conservative Christian, I’m often accused of being close-minded, traditional, condemning, and unloving. As with all stereotypes, these attributes are generalizations and cannot arbitrarily be applied to all conservative Christians. Unfortunately, there are many on both sides who lack all concern for their brother. It leaves me wondering what happened to the love in Christianity.
Many ‘Christians’ are quick to condemn others. By condemning, they will somehow force people into orthodox teaching and into a state of non-sinning. And they think that by condemning, they are in fact carrying out the will of God. The response comes in the words of Agrippa, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28 KJV). Update: Condemning will not make people Christian and will not bring people to holiness. We do not live in the Middle Ages anymore where the threat of ex-communication was real and meant social rejection as well. In modern Christianity, no one is going to join or follow a religion that condemns them. They go to churches that are welcoming.
If one truly wants to convert someone—change their life around—the evangelizer has to be welcoming. If someone visits my congregation on a Sunday, I don’t greet them with proof-texts and doctrinal standards. I greet them in love (1 Peter 5:14). Love welcomes people and gets them in the door.
When some Christians hear the word ‘love,’ I’m sure some envision hippies around a fire singing Kum-Buy-Ya. We may think that somehow love is left for liberal Christians. The very foundation of Christianity, in fact, is love. Mark 12:29-31 reminds us, “‘The most important [commandment],’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.” You cannot claim to be a Christian without love.
Now, on the other hand, this does not mean that we allow sin. In fact, sin is detestable. Love also does not mean always being polite. Jesus was loving but not polite when he overturned the money changers’ tables in the temple. Tough love helps people work through their problems and lead them to a relationship with Jesus that transforms their lives.
Overall, love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). It means that our first priority is to love God and our neighbor. By doing this, one has already begun their path toward entire sanctification. As a sort of sending, keep in mind 1 John 3:18, “Remember, Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” Boastfully claiming to be in Christ with words or tongue is not enough. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4). Patient and kind love exhibited in action and in truth not only invites other people to Christ but also takes you further down the road to holiness.
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Update on the ELCA
SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 2005
The Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has made some interesting decisions this passed week. A much anticipated vote rejected the ordination of practicing homosexuals into the clergy. On the other hand, while they did not condone the practice of blessing same-sex unions, they did overwhelmingly pass a resolution to give pastors and bishops personal discretion in ministering to homosexual people in the church without risking discipline. This vote effectively allows pastors to continue what they’ve already been doing. Pastors and bishops have already decided if they will or will not bless gay unions, and this vote simply encourages this practice to continue.
Overall, the basic conclusion of the two votes is that nothing changes in the ELCA. Being a member of the ELCA, I’m frustrated with the inability of the ELCA to make decisions one way or the other. Vague ‘resolutions’ are the forte of the ELCA. How the Churchwide Assembly could reject gay clergy while also allow blessings of gay unions is beyond me.
Either way, the two votes give me a lot to think about. I did make a commitment to myself to leave the ELCA if they passed either of the resolutions. However, as I’ve already stated, I should not so easily give up on the ELCA and the mainline. This Churchwide Assembly’s decisions, though, could be the last thing I need to head on over and officially join a Methodist church. (The United Methodist Church has been calling me for a while now.) While I would be giving up on the ELCA with such a move, I would still be part of the mainline and be a step closer to doctrinal harmony between a denomination and myself.
In ELCA news related to the UMC, the Churchwide Assembly did pass a resolution to enter into a Eucharistic ‘partnership’ with the United Methodists. As I’ve noticed, the ELCA has continually looked for ways to be friends with everyone. I’m not terribly upset by the decision because I already take communion with ELCA Lutherans and United Methodists. Besides, I think John Wesley’s Anglican tradition has a lot in common with Martin Luther’s interpretation of the sacrament; there’s probably enough overlap between the two theologians to permit such a partnership.
In regards to the proposed “full communion” between the ELCA and UMC, the ELCA needs to think seriously about what a full communion means. The ELCA has full communion agreements with the Episcopal Church, the Moravian Church, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church USA, and the Reformed Church in America. Luther would turn in his grave if he knew that some of his Lutheran flock were sharing the Eucharist with the Reformed. The Lutheran heavyweights once said, “Better to drink pure blood with the Papists than mere wine with the Calvinists.” God help us if we take our tradition and doctrine as a mere thing, ready to be sacrificed for the sake of togetherness.
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The Role of Tradition
TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2005
Many in the Protestant tradition seem to have forgotten about tradition and the role it plays in theology and doctrine. Growing up Lutheran, I’ve learned that Lutherans often define themselves by what they’re not. One overarching theme is, “Well, we’re not Catholic.” Now, clearly, Lutherans are not Catholic, but contemporary Lutherans—and certainly Lutherans over the past one hundred years—take this to the extreme by precluding any possibility of doctrinal overlap. In Sunday School and Confirmation class, we were taught that Lutherans have Scripture and Catholics have tradition without any possibility of crossing over to share in some of the other.
But actually, Lutherans (and other Protestants) have both Scripture and tradition as do Catholics. The boundaries between tradition and Scripture aren’t so black and white as my Lutheran mentors wished it could be. So, what is the role of tradition in Protestantism, and more specifically, what is the role in Wesleyanism?
We hold the teachings of the first four Ecumenical Councils in common with the Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, and the other Protestants. That’s why we share the same Scripture, believe in the Trinity, and follow that other good, orthodox stuff. These four Councils took place in the first few centuries of the Church, and Protestants, while not always knowing it, follow the teachings of these Councils when formulating doctrine about those things that are considered most critical for being Christian.
Beyond that, each tradition goes down their own path and starts their own sets of “traditions.” In the Wesleyan tradition, almost all of the beliefs about communion, baptism, Scripture, etc. come from the writings of John Wesley, John Fletcher, Francis Asbury, Adam Clarke, Charles Wesley, and others. While these theologians and preachers did use the Anglican tradition as a background (after all, that’s what they grew up with), they formulated the base for Methodist belief.
Now, contemporary Methodism gets a lot of flack for often going against this base of Methodist belief. For example, the doctrine of Christian perfection is barely understood, let alone followed among many Methodists. Methodists need to get back to their heritage and tradition, or else risk losing the very thing that even makes us Methodists. A recent Christianity Today article discussed the “death of discipline” in the Church. This could easily be turned into the death of the Book of Discpline for Methodists.
Clearly, the role of tradition exists in Protestantism. It’s by acknowledging and following the Methodist tradition that will keep us from falling away to bad doctrine. Like the Bereans from Acts 17, we need to test our experiences and reasoning against “the whole tenor of Scripture” and tradition to see if what we’re becoming is actually a representation of the truth.
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