#the struggle is real, Day 2

Tuesday, May 17th - A Gospel for the Gentiles

Over the next six weeks, Toni Ruth and I will be preaching a series based on Paul's letter to the Galatians (called #thestruggleisreal).  During this series, I'm going to make every effort to post every day with some brief thoughts on various passages from Galatians.  I hope that you follow along as we look for God's grace in the midst of some very real struggles!

Acts 10 tells us the story of Cephas (Peter) and Cornelius.  The climax of this story occurs in verses 44-48.  I'll quote it in full here:

44While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ 48So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Peter seems to have made the leap that Paul had also made when it comes to God including the Gentiles in the Way of Jesus.  The big, burning, controversial question that the early church grappled with (well, one of the questions they grappled with) was about who exactly could be a rescued/redeemed/saved follower of Jesus.  The assumption by most Jewish Christians was that any Gentile who wished to become a Christian must first become a Jew and accepting all that came with that.  This included circumcision, which became something of a flash point for the early church. 

After his conversion and period of several years, presumably spend in preparation for ministry, Paul emerges proclaiming a Gospel of grace, teaching that Christians were no longer under the Law.  In other words, Paul taught that salvation did not come from following the Torah, but through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  This was a major shift for the earliest Christians, many of whom saw the Way of Jesus as a fulfillment (and continuation) of God's covenant relationship with Israel, not a departure from it.  In their understanding, there was no salvation apart from becoming a Jew and accepting the way of life God had revealed through the Law.

The church agrees (eventually) to allow Paul to journey into Gentile territory and proclaim a Law-free gospel, albeit with certain stipulations: "…abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication." (Acts 15:29)  Otherwise, Paul and his co-workers are granted the freedom to proclaim the Gospel to Gentiles without requiring circumcision, dietary restrictions concerning Jews and Gentiles sharing table fellowship, along with the other Jewish laws.  This doesn't stop Paul's opponents from stirring up trouble related to this controversy, but it does mean that Paul hits the road with passion and an unshakable sense of mission. 

While we don't argue over whether or not Christians have to follow the Torah in order to receive God's saving grace, 2,000 years later, we are still grappling with rules and requirements.  It's not about circumcision and dietary laws in our time, but we have our own issues to contend with and we still find ourselves struggling with boundaries, lines, and limits of inclusion/exclusion.  

Today, I challenge you to pray for those Christians who you would be tempted to put on the other side of the "fence" - people you disagree with, people who have fundamentally different theological convictions, people who you might be tempted to judge or dismiss.  Pray for God to shape and even transform your understanding, your imagination, and your heart like He did with Peter in Acts 10.  

Tomorrow, we'll see why it's possible that Peter didn't fully make that leap...

#thestruggleisreal Day 1

Monday, May 16th - Paul an apostle…

Over the next six weeks, Toni Ruth and I will be preaching a series based on Paul's letter to the Galatians (called #thestruggleisreal).  During this six weeks, starting today*, I'm going to make every effort to post every day with some brief thoughts on various passages from Galatians.  I hope that you follow along as we look for God's grace in the midst of some very real struggles!

I don't remember exactly when I learned about the difference between a disciple and an apostle, but it was sometime during college. I remember being surprised that I had never been taught the distinction because it really helps in understanding why there was a change in what this group of people was called once we leave the Gospels and head into the Book of Acts. 

Paul spent a good amount of time defending his position as an apostle in the early church.  He does this in Galatians 1, I Corinthians 9, and 2 Corinthians 10.  Paul was facing accusations from opponents about his legitimacy as an apostle.  Understanding what Paul meant when he used the term "apostle" helps us to understand how Paul viewed himself and his ministry.

The word disciple comes from the Latin word discipulus, which simply means "student".  So, the 12 disciples were such when they were with the Teacher.  After the resurrection and before he ascended, Jesus commissioned the disciples (Matthew 28:18-20, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8), sending them into the world to proclaim the Gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit.  As soon, as they were sent, they became apostles.  The word apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, which means "messenger, envoy". Perhaps more precisely, it comes from the verb apostello, which means "to send".  So, an apostle is one who has been sent with a particular message. 

Here's the interesting thing that I'm not sure occurred to me until yesterday morning while reading Galatians 1 - the word "apostle" indicates both the authority of a designated leader and the humility of an obligated servant.  "Apostle" quickly became a title of authority in the Church.  So much so that it has historically been limited to only that first generation of Church leaders.  We might send missionaries and delegates and servants and evangelists, but we don't send apostles (not in the UMC, anyway).  But, the very word itself indicates that it is a position of humble service.  An apostle is sent by a higher authority with a message that is not their own.  Paul seems to hold these two realities in balance - having authority while at the same understanding that the message he proclaims is not one that he created, having "received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." (Gal. 1:12)

So, for us today: even though we don't refer to ourselves as apostles, we are still sent into the world (to our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our schools, wherever) to proclaim a message that we didn't invent or create.  We go as students, as disciples - still learning, still growing, still seeking to be present with the Teacher.  We go with a message of grace and salvation that we have been blessed to receive.

So, here's a question as we begin this 6-week journey of looking for God and for good news in the midst of our very real struggles - how are you taking the message of God's love and grace into the world today? 

*ok, so I know this didn't get posted on Monday and that today is Tuesday, but better late than never, right?

Why I'm a United Methodist - 5a

In a previous church where I served, there were two women who invested a great deal of energy and care into the worship life of the church.  They were both exceptionally skilled at organizing all the 'pieces' of worship at a large church and took great care of the worship space.  I learned a great deal working with both of them and watching how attentive they were to the intricacies and subtleties of worship that most people (and even many pastors) simply don't think about.

Shortly after I left this church, the congregation decided to replace the carpet in the sanctuary.  Ever attentive to how to best care for the worship space, these two women suggested that the church purchase some carpet squares to put down during communion to reduce the drips and splatter on the carpet that accompanies serving communion by intinction (each person receives a piece of bread torn from a loaf and then that piece is dipped into a common cup).  Not a bad decision.

The first official service of worship on the new carpet was the wedding of some close friends of ours and communion was part of the ceremony.  Freshly carpeted, the sanctuary was beautiful - including the carpet squares laid down, ready for any crumbs or spills.  The couple had invited several previous ministers to assist with communion and there were many happy reunions that afternoon.  One in particular taught me a lesson about communion and only deepened my love for the Lord's Supper in the Methodist tradition.

One of the aforementioned worship leaders had son, Doug, who was mentally handicapped.  Doug's heart was so kind and joyful - it was always a blessing to see him and his smile.  Doug came forward to receive communion and when he saw one of his former ministers serving, he was so excited that he gave him a huge hug.  The pastor happened to be holding a chalice full of grape juice, which was subsequently knocked around, causing some of the juice to fly out of the cup and onto the new carpet. Not one drop hit the carpet square.

Reason Number 5a - I'm a United Methodist because everyone is welcome to the table to receive the Lord's Supper, which means that everyone has an opportunity  to experience God's hospitality and saving grace in the presence of Jesus Christ.

We can't control God's grace. As Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount, "for God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous."  Who are we to put up obstacles in the way of people who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness? I love that in the United Methodist Church, anyone who wishes to come and receive can do so.

We can't limit God's grace.  It is very much a blessing that we Christians don't have the option to determine how much grace people receive. Talk about a disaster. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll probably admit that there are people who we feel are outside the reach of God's grace. If you don't think that applies to you, it's likely that I could list some people or groups, and for at least a couple of them, you'd say there's no hope for their redemption.  I say that because, much as I hate to admit, it's true of me too.  My ability to show and share grace is limited by my lack of faith, my immaturity, my ignorance, my sin, my need to grow in love and understanding. That's not true of God - God's grace knows no limits and God won't be thwarted by our occasional desire to keep people from receiving that grace.

We can't manage God's grace. Blood spills, bodies break, cups tip over, crumbs litter the floor - the body of Jesus and the grace of God goes where we don't plan and where we can't manage.  Thank God.  Otherwise, I might have never received that grace, over and over and over again. I'm glad that somebody welcomed me to the table and I'm blessed to welcome other people in the name of the one who saved me.

Just a quick note - those two women who so effectively organized and arranged worship at my previous church were not trying to control, limit, or otherwise manage God's grace. They simply wanted the new carpet to look nice as long as possible. 

Why I'm a United Methodist, Part 4

When I was 8 years old, my church had a revival.  The 3rd night was designated as "Youth Night" and after the sermon, the preacher called all of the youth and children up to the altar.  I remember kneeling at the altar while the preacher led us in repeating a prayer.  I don't remember the prayer itself, though I'm pretty sure that it was some version of what is known as the "Sinner'sPrayer".  In my young mind, being a Christian meant that you went to church, didn't smoke, didn't drink, and didn't cuss.  I had to go to church, drinking and smoking weren't options at that point, so all that was left as a means for proving or disproving my new-found Christian faith was cussing.  I assumed that if I was in fact a Christian, I'd be physically unable to say a cuss word.  So, for the sake of finding out if my conversion was legitimate, I decided to run an experiment.  After successfully saying the word "s---", I concluded that I was not, in fact, a Christian.  

Sadly, many people (Christians and non-Christians alike) have an understanding of the Christian faith that is not that different from my childhood version.  There are many people who simply believe that being a Christian means being doing 'good things' and not doing 'bad things'.  But God calls us to greater heights than this.  We are called to be holy and through God's sanctifying grace, we are led to this holiness.

Reason Number 4 - I'm a United Methodist because holiness of heart and life is so central to the theology and practice of who we are as United Methodists.

It was liberating for me when I learned that holiness is not about personal moral achievement.  It is grace, a gift from God.  The United Methodist doctrine of sanctification is much deeper and loving than the over-bearing moralism of Christian fundamentalism.  If we look to a Hebrew understanding of holiness, the basic meaning is not moral perfection but 'set-apart-ness'.  In terms of what God does in a person through sanctifying grace, God works in them leading them to a new way of living in the world.  God does not call us away from the world like hermits nor does God set Christians up on some moral pedestal so that we can look down our noses and judge all of "those people".  Rather, God leads us away from the destructiveness of sin, self-absorption, and idolatry to a life shaped by the humble, sacrificial love of Jesus and the indwelling peace of the Holy Spirit.  John Wesley's Covenant Prayer (see below) teaches us that we are set apart not because of our worthiness or moral perfection but to be used by God for the sake of reconciliation and giving witness to the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee or laid aside by thee.

Exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

I also found it liberating and energizing to learn that holiness is not merely personal holiness.  Methodists have long preached and sought to live out social holiness.  For me, social holiness is not about political reform or moral crusades - it means that God's love revealed in Jesus and made present in the Holy Spirit can actually change things in the world.  Sanctification is not merely an internal transformation in individual disciples but it's also about God using disciples to change things in the world around us.  Christians are to make God's Kingdom visible in how we treat our neighbors (hint: 'neighbors' = everybody), in how we work for justice and peace, and in how we care for hurting, sick, and broken people. 

I love that in the United Methodist Church, we are concerned with both the transformation of a person's heart and life while also working for the transformation of the world through the love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.  To see this in action, check out the work of UMCOR.

By the way, I still do my best not to cuss.  But if I do, I'm pretty sure that grace abounds…

In invite your feedback - why do you belong to your church?  What do you love about your church?  And, I kindly ask for no negative comments about the United Methodist Church or any other denomination.  Make sure your words give grace to those who read...

Why I'm a United Methodist, Part 3

My journey, like almost everybody's journey, has been somewhat circuitous, turning this way and that, with ups and downs and a few places when a wheel went off the road a little.  There have been and continue to be mistakes - wrong turns, potholes, occasional fender-benders.  I'm going to stop with the traffic metaphors, I promise.  Through all of my miscues, mistakes, and mess-ups, I'm still here with a beautiful, loving wife, two awesome kids, and a vocation that I love deeply.  Some of that is the result of hard work, some good choices, and a lot of help from other people.  But mostly, I'm where I am - I'm who I am - because of God's abundant, awe-inspiring grace.

If you spend any time studying about Methodism and if the material you're studying is any good, it won't take long at all to realize that God's grace is the beating, loving heart of United Methodist theology.  We are a people soaked in, supported by, and suffused with God's grace.  I love this about my church!

Reason Number 3 - I'm a United Methodist because God's grace is so central to the theology and practice of who we are as United Methodists.

I should probably give an illustration here or tell some pertinent story about grace, but the examples are too many, the instances too abundant.  Every time I step into the pulpit or counsel a hurting person or baptize a child or bless the communion elements or preside over a funeral I do so only by the power of God's grace.  That God is willing to use me in those ways amazes and astounds me.  After all, I know me.  I know the things I've done (or not done), the things I've said (or not said), and God help me, all the things I've thought.  And God knows all of that stuff and then some.  Stuff I don't remember or didn't even realize.  And yet God still calls me to preach and teach and serve.  I tell ya, that's grace.  My favorite line in any praise and worship song is in Chris Tomlin's song Indescribable: "You've seen the depths of my heart and you love me the same." 

I love the Methodist "way of salvation", which is one way to describe how we understand God's grace.  We typically talk about grace in 3 (or maybe 4) forms: prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying.  If you're feeling like 3 doesn't cut it, you can add convicting in there also, between prevenient and justifying.  I love that these forms of grace work in unison to cover the whole of our lives.  A Wesleyan understanding of grace sees God's loving, gracious activity in our lives not only in isolated, individual moments - it's more like grace is woven through the tapestry of our lives, woven throughout from the beginning. 

God's prevenient grace goes before us.  I think back over the course of my life and I see God's fingerprints all over the place.  Even in moments of struggle, pain, or loss, God was at work all along the way, leading me by His grace.  I trust that you can say the same thing about your life as well.  God's grace still goes before me, God's fingerprints are still all over the place, even when I don't recognize them. 

There are times when we become aware of that grace, of God's loving presence and we accept for ourselves the gift of that grace.  There was a moment in my life (Sunday, November 28th, 1992 to be precise) when God's grace and love became real to me in a way that it had not before.  In this moment, I experienced God's justifying grace and it really did feel like my heart was "strangely warmed".  I didn't run to the altar, I didn't shout or cry, I didn't actually say anything - but everything changed.  God began a work of transformation in me that is still ongoing.  I felt that my sins were forgiven, that God loved me, and I became conscious of that Story that I was written into at my baptism.  I experienced and understood the love and mercy of Jesus in a profoundly new way and I'm still feeling the ripple effects of that moment of justifying grace.

That moment began a process/journey of what we Methodists call sanctification, which is God's grace at work in us, perfecting us in love.  When we are justified by God's grace, that's not the culmination or end of the story - it's only the beginning!  I love that about being a United Methodist!  God is still working on me, still shaping me through the Holy Spirit.  What I love about the United Methodist understanding of grace is its vibrancy - all three 'forms' of grace are always present.  It is not ultimately a fixed system or progression, as if the Holy Spirit is bound to some predictable script.  God's grace is alive and dynamic, always present and available. 

In invite your feedback - why do you belong to your church?  What do you love about your church?  And, I kindly ask for no negative comments about the United Methodist Church or any other denomination.  Make sure your words give grace to those who read...

Why I'm a United Methodist, Part 2

A happy (but too brief) reunion with Joe and Beverly McMurry

It's one of my favorite memories: walking into the back door of Bethpage UMC, bounding up the small set of stairs and then hearing Rev. Joe McMurry boom out as soon as he saw me, "Joooohnnn Wesley!"  I don't know how many Sunday morning's this actually happened, but it felt like a lot and it meant the world to me.  I was a hyperactive kid, prone to being impulsive and unable to sit still for any meaningful length of time.  As a consequence, I occasionally got on people's nerves.  Sometimes it felt like the whole world was poised, waiting to fuss at me for talking too much, asking too many questions, not sitting still, whatever.  Oh, don't feel sorry for me - all of those things were true!

However, it did make those adults who were patient with me and did make me feel welcomed that much more important.  And there were a lot of those people, most of whom were at Bethpage UMC.  But Joe stood out.  He always seemed happy to see me.  I'm pretty sure that Joe made a lot of people feel that way, but it was important for a 7-year-old to have one authority figure (outside of his parents) who expressed joy and gladness at their presence. 

Reason Number 2 - I'm a United Methodist because Rev. Joe McMurry made me feel welcomed and wanted in church.

At Annual Conference, candidates for ordination are asked John Wesley's Historic Questions.  One of those questions is "will you diligently instruct the children in every place?"  While Joe's enthusiastic greeting was not technically 'instruction', it did teach me an important lesson about ministry and making kids feel special and like they belong in the church.  Joe and his wonderful wife Beverly (who was just as welcoming and equally influential for me) moved to another church when I was 7, giving me my first taste of the United Methodist system of itineration.  But I try to honor Joe's legacy of faithful ministry by trying to make the children in my church feel welcomed and loved. 

So, there's my second reason that I'm a United Methodist.  I'm thankful to God for Joe and Beverly McMurry and their faithful witness to God's love and for being examples for me of Christian hospitality!  And for what it's worth, I have been planning for several months to start this 'series' of posts and this has long been #2 on my list.  Just a few weeks ago while I was serving at Carolina Cross Connection, I realized that our camp was only minutes from Joe and Beverly's home.  I asked my team if we could stop by and they were happy to.  Joe and Beverly greeted us just as warmly and with the same joy and kindness that I remembered from my childhood.  What a blessing it was to see them again!

In invite your feedback - why do you belong to your church?  What do you love about your church?  And, I kindly ask for no negative comments about the United Methodist Church or any other denomination.  Make sure your words give grace to those who read...

Why I am a United Methodist, Part 1

Not that anybody's sitting around wondering, "why is Wes Smith a United Methodist?", so this is more for my benefit - some helpful reminders as the church begins moving towards General Conference next year.  The reasons I'll be sharing on this blog are not exhaustive, but they are the most important reasons to me.  So, let's get started!

Reason Number 1 - I'm a United Methodist because my parents raised me in a United Methodist Church.  

I've heard it said a number of times that "cradle Christians" are only Christians because their parents brought them up in the church. Those of us who grew up in the church might have heard people question our commitment or our depth of faith because we've always been in the church. As Paul would say, that's some skubala right there (look it up).  Certainly, there are people who are Christians (of any denominational variety) that are Christians simply because of inertia.  And there are people who have not critically examined the faith that was handed down to them by their families.  But this true of any number of things - holiday traditions, grocery store preferences, favorite sports teams, on and on.  However, simply because it's true for some doesn't mean that it's true for all.  Some of us have critically examined our faith and take seriously our participation in whatever church/denomination we're a part of.  And we still choose to remain in the church/denomination/tradition that we were raised in.  

I'm a United Methodist because my parents were (and still are) both incredible examples of what faithful Christian commitment looks like in a United Methodist context.  They raised me to be committed to God, to my family, and to my church. I was taught, whether they would have put it this way or not, to hold to Methodism's twin concern for personal and social holiness.  How I behave, the choices I make, how I view and interact with the world - these things are important and are to be shaped by God's love for me and my love for God.  My dad was more involved in the leadership side of things, serving on pretty much every committee in my home church at one time or another.  My mother was a dedicated Sunday school teacher and also provided leadership in a number of groups and activities in the church.  For a few years, both of them led the UMYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship) at our church, which puts my personal involvement with that ministry at almost 30 years. 

So, there's my first reason that I'm a United Methodist.  I was raised by two parents who were active leaders in our church and who were and are still models for me of Christian commitment.  I am extremely thankful for my mom and dad and their example! 

In invite your feedback - why do you belong to your church?  What do you love about your church?  And, I kindly ask for no negative comments about the United Methodist Church or any other denomination.  Make sure your words give grace to those who read...