Atheists have their number: How the Christian right is hastening religion’s decline - Salon.com

I believe that the arguments presented in this article truly challenge us to think about how our faith is lived in the world. Are we relevant to the challenges posed by the reality of a social order that has co-opted our symbols and re-introduced them in the world void of their original meaning and re-imagined in order to provide support for our privileges in American society while keeping the vast masses of people in the world under sub-human conditions. I believe the following quote from the article will entice some of you to read on.

"With an increasingly majority of younger Americans accepting evolution as fact, Christianity for many under 35 is becoming a watered-down hybrid of eastern philosophy and biblical teachings. “The turn towards being ‘spiritual but not religious’ points at the decreasing observation of doctrine and strict rules and a broader relationship to sentiment and ‘Jesus and me’ on the one hand alongside the rise of yoga, Buddhism, Hinduism and a blend or smorgasbord of eastern practices with the idea of being loosely/broadly spiritual—yet not in any specific context or foundation of the Trinity, Seven Deadly Sins, Karma, Nirvana or any of the pillars or branches of belief,” writes Alan Miller, moderator of a “spiritual but not religious” event."

Enjoy the reading!

Atheists have their number: How the Christian right is hastening religion’s decline - Salon.com

Global Ministries Statement on Human Rights for All People - United Methodist Connections

This is a powerful statement that is worth reading and sharing. There can be no equal rights for all if a segment of the population is criminalized for being who they are. We must put an end to homophobic legislation, which diminishes the dignity and worth of the person who is homosexual; even if some people think it is a sin to be homosexual it does not warrant that they be diminished as human beings. Read and share.

Global Ministries Statement on Human Rights for All People - United Methodist Connections

The Work of Christmas Lies Ahead

As it should be, we have celebrated the birth of our Lord and savior, we sang songs to his name, we have praised God, and we have celebrated his coming into the world. We have at least two millennia of creating traditions that reminds us about the Christ that was born, lived and ministered in our midst, died, and was raised from the dead. Indeed, this month, the first of the year 2014, we are reminded that God has not only revealed God-self once, but we are reminded that God continues to reveal God-self to us still today.

During the Epiphany, we come to see how Jesus, the carpenter from Galilee, was revealed to the world among the people to whom he was sent out to reach, not the proud and powerful, not the rich and famous, but rather, the lowly and despised: “the blind…, the lame…, the lepers…, the deaf…,” and “the poor have good news brought to them” (Matthew 11:5).  Our Lord and savior was anointed for this reason: “‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” Jesus understood that he was sent “to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’” (Luke 4:18-19). Indeed, God’s purpose for the world was made clear through Jesus, especially on the day the Magi came to visit with him: Epiphany.

What God manifested in the visit of the Magi is the great mystery of God’s all inclusive Grace. God had intended for salvation to be for all the human race, and through God’s amazing Grace the mystery is now revealed. Through the faithfulness of Christ we have been made acceptable before God and made to be part of the family of God. This is a magnificent gift indeed. Now it is time for us to live into the grace of God: to live righteous and sanctified lives that glorify God, transforming lives, communities, and the world.

This reminds me of a poem (“The Mood of Christmas”) by the late Rev. Howard Thurman, which captures the sentiment of this message:

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among brothers,

To make music in the heart.

As we are starting 2014, and our Christmas celebrations have ended, we are being call to continue to manifest to the world God’s saving Grace: God’s radical hospitality. For in Christ the world has been turned up-side down, and what was valuable before is no longer valuable, what was important before is no longer relevant, for God is calling everyone regardless of status, position, power, gender, class, race, sexual orientation, or country of origin, to be part of the family. The family that God has created involves everyone on this planet, including creation itself. This is the great mystery which is revealed to us in the Epiphany (the manifestation of God to the world). Indeed, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Co. 5:19), so that we might live the way God wants us to live: loving each other (1 John 3:11), doing justice (Micah 6:8), and working for peace (Matt. 5:9 and Jer. 29:7).

Let God’s manifestation through Jesus Christ continue to transform our minds, our hearts, our communities, and the world, for, indeed, the work of Christmas lies ahead. I wish you all a blessed New Year fill with God’s mercy and love. 

Christmas Celebration: Celebration of Love

Love is the central core of Christian teaching. For us this love came to be expressed in one of the most wonderful stories of the New Testament: the nativity. In this simple, yet powerful, story we have been told how God came to be with us because of God’s great love for us. The story of God’s sacrificial love for creation (John 3:15-17) is what we in the Christian tradition call Christmas.

Therefore, as we think about our Christmas celebrations we need to come to terms with the fact that Christianity decided many years ago to substitute certain pagan holidays in the Roman Empire, and in northern Europe, with the celebration of Jesus’ birth. In that process many of the pagan’s observances found their way into our celebration of the birth of Christ, and I have no problem with that because that is part of the human experience (i.e., Christmas trees, ornaments, etc.). But we, the Christians of the 21^st Century, who have inherited this observance have forgotten that faith in the living Christ is not a cultural celebration but rather a life gripping commitment to live, be, and do like Jesus Christ. We do not get extra points on the proverbial “eternal crown” by being faithful observers of the Christmas holiday (or any holiday for that matter); we get our crowns by being faithful disciples of him who gave his life for us.

For the past 80 years we have been hearing people talk about putting Christ back into Christmas and as great as that sounds we must be wise about its meaning. What does it mean to put Christ back in Christmas? How many of us honor Jesus life and teachings during this season?

A season that should be one of the highest holidays of Christendom has become just a mere commercial enterprise where the only vestige of Christ left is in the name for the season: Christmas. At this point, of course, we start blaming the atheist, the secularist, the liberals, (media, pastors, politicians, etc.), store owners, and anyone else that we think has anything to do with the co-opting of the holiday. However, at the heart of the matter in this cultural war, which by the way we won centuries ago, is the fact that, if we really feel strongly about this high holiday it would show through our actions, through our way of being, through our commitments, through our love for each other, and not just for those who are like us, or those who think like us, but for everyone whom God loves. The Christmas story, and its observance, is not simply a way for us to remember Jesus’ birthday, but rather, the story of Christmas is a narrative that helps us realize what God has done for us, and what it means to be imitators of God in Jesus the Christ.

Do not be confused, I love Christmas. I love seeing the faces of my children, and all children for that matter, when they open their presents and play with their new things (toys, books, or other things). We have to come to terms with the fact that the Christmas celebration around the world has very little to do with Christ in our present celebration. Therefore, we have to come to terms with the fact that many people celebrate the season without any connection to Christ,  for many people is just one more nice justification to celebrate family, and community, which is fine; but it is nothing more!

However, for us, the followers of Jesus the Christ, the calling is different. We must teach our children that the reason for our celebration of Christmas is not the gifts we receive, since that is something we can do at any other time. We, the followers of Jesus the Christ, must teach the world that our celebration is to remember that God’s gift to the world in Jesus Christ is our reason for our joy and celebration. Christmas is a time to help the world believe in the one who is our savior, and our redeemer. And we do not do this by imposing our beliefs on others but by living out our faith in the living Christ. A faith that is manifested, as John Wesley reminds us in the General Rules of the Methodist Societies, by the way we treat each other, by the care we give each other.

It is therefore expected of all who continue [within these societies] that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation,

First: By doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind . . . ;

Secondly: By doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all...:

To their bodies, of the ability which God giveth, by giving food to the hungry, by clothing the naked, by visiting or helping them that are sick or in prison.

To their souls, by instructing, reproving, or exhorting all we have any [interaction] with

Thirdly: By attending upon all the ordinances of God…

Living as Christians during Christmas is not simply a celebration but rather it is about showing to the world that what we believe, what we proclaim to be true, makes a difference in the world. If we truly do no harm, if we truly do all the good we can to every one we can, we really live the Christian way. Let us show to the world the Christ that has been born in us so that the world may believe in the gift that God has brought through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

One God, one Lord: How Paul redefines monotheism | The Christian Century

One of the best theological minds of this generation brings some new ideas about Paul, theology, and monotheism. Enjoy a great read.
One God, one Lord: How Paul redefines monotheism | The Christian Century

Basic Principles of the Kingdom of God

There are so many topics that one can choose to write about in the church, in personal life, in the life of the nation. There are so many happenings in the Conference, in the State, and in the Nation. We have many decisions to make at the personal, local, and national levels in order for our communities to continue to move forward. Some decisions will be bad, and some will be good. We can only pray that the decisions we (and our leaders) will make will be based on ethical values that are consistent with the ethics of the Kingdom of God. We must always keep in mind that our lives must reflect the image of God so that those who look at us can see through us the God claimed us.

If we believe that God is with us and in us, if we believe that Jesus Christ leads our lives, that we are moved by the Holy Spirit, then our way of being must be congruent with the Gospel that Jesus preached and taught; the Good News that Paul preached and taught.

The Kingdom of God presents us with some basic principles that we must keep in mind when making decisions that are based on God’s will. The first principle is love: to love God with all our hearts, with all our strengths, and with all our minds. Of course, an integral part of this principle is to love every human being as we love ourselves. The second principle is justice: to act justly, to be just. In our dealings with everyone around us we are called to see all human beings as equal in the sight of God, which means that we are to treat everyone without regards of race, national origin, immigration status, gender, class, or sexual orientation. We do not have to agree with people’s behaviors but must make sure that everyone be protected by our laws, and be treated with the same care and concern we want people to treat us. Our actions and attitudes are not always going to be on par with the laws of the land, this will be a tension that Christians in any country in the world must confront because our final allegiance must be to our God.

The third principle of the Kingdom of God is hope: to live with a sense of God’s will that a better world is possible. A world where human relations are based on people’s needs instead of people’s desires, a world where people care for everyone because they see in each other the image of God, the promise that a better world is possible because God is in the world. The fourth principle is peace: to do and to promote peace in the world but not just any peace. The Lord wants that the peace we promote in the world community be a peace that looks at the needs of all human beings and not a peace that will benefit some at the expense of others; a peace that promotes security and development, a peace where everyone has work which promotes self sufficiency and independence.

With these Kingdom principles in mind, we must strive to make decisions that are Godly and righteous decisions. These principles lead us to open the doors of our church to everyone. But not only that, by being disciples of Christ we are called to go further, we are called to go out into our communities and invite people to come in, to reach out to people in our neighborhoods and invite them to be part of our faith community of God’s household. In simple terms: to share the grace and love of God with everyone we meet, and where distinctions made based on race, sexual orientation, theological or ideological ideas, gender, or status are not the focus.

If we want our churches to live the principles of God’s Kingdom, if we want our faith communities to be expressions of God’s beloved community, communities that show the diversity in our neighborhoods; we must be willing and open to “love the stranger.” That is to say, we are called to receive in our midst whomever the stranger might be, whether they speak English or not, look like us or not, eat different foods than we do, sing songs different from ours, or are different in any other way.

In order for us to bring into our circle of faith “the stranger,” God’s strangers, we must be willing widen the circle to include everyone God has already called in. No one is left out!

Next time I would like to explore how these principles connect with the three simple rules of the Methodist Societies: Do no harm, Do all the good you can, and observe all the ordinances of God.

Starting a conversation on Christian stewardship

Last month I wrote about how God wants ABUNDANT life for all of us. Indeed, I do not need to retract from making that statement for I truly believe God desires that every human being on the face of this planet experiences abundant life; life that is full and is lived to its fullness. As part of that abundant life that God desires for us is God’s desire for us to use the resources we have received from God in a manner that is consistent with God’s will, and our commitment to God. We usually refer to this in the Christian tradition as Stewardship.

Given the fact that I have decided to focus my messages for the month of September on Discipleship at Trinity United Methodist Church in Frederick, Maryland, I thought that it would be appropriate to open the conversation with a subject that is intrinsically connected: Stewardship.

Let me just say that as I start that I do not think that I have much to teach anyone about the subject, for I think people already know plenty about it, but as a pastor I must address this matter. In the first place let me say that for Disciples of Christ, stewardship is an integral part of our identity. Stewardship is not about giving money (although it involves some of that), it is not about bequests, and it is not about raising funds either. Stewardship is a way of life; for to be a Good Steward means a life commitment to God’s purpose and desire. Indeed, stewardship is part of a life of holiness.

Here John Wesley has some great points to contribute in this conversation. In his sermon on The Good Steward, Wesley tells us that a good steward is one that is “is not at liberty to use [wealth and resources] as [they] please, but as [their] master pleases. [They have] no right to dispose of anything which [they possess], but according to the will of [their] Lord. For [none of us are] the proprietor of any of these things, but barely entrusted with them by another; and entrusted on this express condition, -- that [we] shall dispose of all as [our] master orders. Now, this is exactly the case of every [human being], with relation to God.”

Indeed, as stewards of God’s resources, we have been entrusted with all the things we have so that we might use them to supply for our needs and the needs of others. So Wesley continues: “We are not at liberty to use what [God] has lodged in our hands as we please, but as [God] pleases, who alone is the possessor of heaven and earth, and the Lord of every creature. We have no right to dispose of anything we have, but according to [God’s] will, seeing we are not proprietors of any of these things; they are all, as our Lord speaks, allotria, belonging to another person; nor is anything properly our own, in the land of our pilgrimage. – (See more at: http://www.umcmission.org/Find-Resources/John-Wesley-Sermons/Sermon-51-The-Good-Steward#sthash.4QEbTbw1.dpuf).

Indeed, everything we have: wealth, influences, education, intellect, abilities, etc. Everything belongs to God. You can see how this changes our conversation of stewardship, if everything belongs to God, and I have been entrusted with all these things by God, then stewardship is not a mere ten percent of my wealth (as in tithing), stewardship is a life commitment to live a life that is holy to the Lord; a life that is worthy of the Lord. Stewardship then is about giving back to God that which belongs to God in the first place. As Hebrews states: “Everything belongs to God, and all things were created by his power” (2:10).

Wesley uses this sermon to explain that we as God’s Stewards (as disciples of Christ) are not the owners of what God entrust to us, but temporary custodians. This applies to our souls, bodies, possessions, time, abilities and opportunities.  In this sermon, Wesley states, that there will be a day of great judgment, a day when we are to give our final accountability on the use of the resources God has placed in our hands. On that day may our “books” be in order with God.

Saint Augustine had the same understanding we see in Wesley, that is why he said: “Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.”

Let me end with a quote from Randy Alcorn the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries, which I believe will bring the concept of stewardship home: “When I save, I lay something aside for future need. If I sense God's leading, I will give it away to meet greater needs. When I hoard, I'm unwilling to part with what I've saved to meet others' needs, because my possible future needs outweigh their actual present needs. I fail to love my neighbor as myself” (from Money, Possessions and Eternity). Indeed, God’s abundance in our lives is given so that we can provide for our needs, and for the needs of those whom our God loves.

May you be able to live in God’s abundance and grace.