Jesus: An Unraveling Revelation

Colossians 2: 2-3 (NIV) My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

This Lenten Season we look at the revelation that is Jesus.  Lent begins on March 6^th with Ash Wednesday; we are going to set the Lenten stage on Transfiguration Sunday (March 3^rd).  In our reading that morning, Jesus will be encountered both on the mountain top and in the valley (Luke 9: 28-43). 

On that mountain top, the voice from the heavens will say:  “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”  For the rest of that scene, Jesus is silent but the next day, when they come down from the mountain, Jesus is frustrated by a failure of the disciples to sustain healing powers displayed earlier in the Gospel.  Jesus says:  “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?”  The disciples were previously able to heal people “everywhere” but now, they fail.

The text is unclear, at least to me, as to what has gone wrong:  one scene, they have it, a few scenes later, whatever they had, is gone.  Jesus calls them “unbelieving and perverse.”  I understand “unbelieving” but perverse is less used in our 21^st Century world.  One definition is the “showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences.”

“A deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences.”

The disciples have just themselves healed others.  Three of them have been on the mountaintop and heard the voice of God pronounce Jesus as divinely chosen and, given their first shot out of the barrel to show they get it, they stumble. 

What happened in that movement from mountain top to valley? 

I’m just guessing here mind you but I wonder if it just wasn’t life.  Don’t we often have a deep and fundamental desire to behave unreasonably and unacceptably?  We glory in mountain top moments, but journey into that valley, unbelief.

The reality is that Jesus is an ongoing mystery with a revelation of knowledge and wisdom.  That knowledge and wisdom might be revealed to us is in testing while listening to the prophetic voice of Jesus himself.  My personal take is that the more I study Jesus, the more I realize I don’t know, I don’t understand.  I am sure that at times, Jesus could accuse me of being faithless and perverse. 

Are we in the United Methodist Church being faithless and perverse, and if yes, who?  My knee jerk is it must be those who do not agree with me, but that is less than gracious. 

I am saddened by the most recent experience in St. Louis this week by the United Methodist Church to reach some kind of accommodation with how we understand human sexuality, specifically, homosexuality.  We are clearly not of one mind on this.  I am frankly, still digesting what happened.

But even in my despair, I invite us to urgently refine the prophetic call of the mysterious but revealed Jesus.  I believe that means being in, but not of, the world.  Instead of being so vanilla and bland we might be a church in the “middle of anywhere”, I believe we are called to be a church on the "edge of somewhere” with that somewhere located more in valley than in mountaintop.  That somewhere is emotionally closer to despair than exhilaration. 

Join us in March as we try to unravel that revelation that is both the mystery and beauty of Jesus. 

Selah, Pastor Dennis

My Tuesday eNote -- Pastor Dennis

While this note has been "overcome" by the events of Tuesday in St. Louis, I think it provides an accurate assessment of where we ended up:

Friends:

This is a brief note to provide you an update on what has transpired so far in St. Louis at the special, called United Methodist General Conference on Human Sexuality. 

The Special Session has until 5:30 PM our time today to wrap up, but I think it is fairly safe to forecast that the current status quo will be maintained.  Multiple “plans” were discussed and considered but only the Traditional Plan reached the floor of the General Conference as potentially approved.  The Traditional Plan would retain the current homosexuality as “incompatible with a Christian life-style” wording and would attempt to make enforcement of violations of the Discipline more uniform across the connection.  When we talk about the connection, we are referring to all of us who call ourselves “United Methodists.”  The Traditional Plan, particularly the enforcement element, keeps running into problems in how the United Methodist Church is organized, with Conferences having wide latitude and authority constitutionally. 

Progressives lack the voting power to bring about the desired policy changes, and Traditionalists lack the voting power to bring about the constitutional changes needed to accomplish enforcement across the connection.  The UMC Constitution, like the US Constitution, has a high bar for change, and neither side has the votes to do it.  About 2/3 of the US Church is in favor of more inclusive language, but only represents about 60% of total delegates.  The final count on most issues keeps settling in at the 55/45 percents with inclusive being the 45%.  Differences exist here, but that is about right. 

My own assessment, unless something unexpected happens this afternoon, is that where we were last Friday, is where we are going to be tomorrow:  very divided on the topic of human sexuality. 

I have already had a person or three express reservations about continuing in a denomination which espouses a position of homosexuality as “incompatible with a Christian life-style.”  I am mindful that others feel that if the UMC were to move to what is labeled a “more inclusive view” would cause others to consider leaving.  As I said a few weeks ago, we are going to lose people no matter what happens, and here “we” means “the church” not necessarily “Hilltop.” 

I humbly ask for all of the events of the Conference to be digested and processed, with “where next” considered after the passions of this week have subsided. 

I propose that after the 10:30 AM service is over this Sunday, we grab some coffee and return to the sanctuary and talk, listen, pray, and confer.  I would think some kind of “question/answer” format would work best.  I am disappointed with where we are, but not without hope.  I hope our talk and time together can be constructive and helpful. 

In the words of the confession of the Korean Methodist Church:  “we are not alone, we live in God’s world.” 

Selah, Pastor Dennis

There Should Be No Division in the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12: 24b-26 (New International Version):  “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

One of the more famous quotes that John Wesley never said is: 'In essentials, unity; in non-essentials liberty, and in all things, charity.' It is unclear who said it first, maybe St. Augustine, but it appears doubtful that Mr. Wesley, the founder of the worldwide movement called Methodism, said this. But it is a good quote, a very good quote, nonetheless.  It is quite clear how Mr. Wesley felt about division in the church: he was against it. 

The United Methodist Church has been debating human sexuality for about three years less than half a century. That is a long time, a very long time. At issue is the current position of the United Methodist Church that states homosexuality is incompatible with a Christian life-style primarily leading to restrictions in the area of ordination, weddings and the use of church space.

 

This February in St. Louis, over 860 elected delegates from the World-Wide Church will gather in legislative session once again, and thrash out where we stand on this issue.  We will be represented by four clergy and four laity, six from Colorado and two from Montana. They were elected in 2015 and their term of service effectively ends this summer.

There are three competing plans for what we are going to do about human sexuality:

1. Remove the restrictive language and allow various levels of the church to make their informed decision as to what works for them in their context. No church will be forced to accept an openly homosexual pastor. No pastor will be forced to perform a same sex wedding. No church will be forced to allow their space to be used for a same sex wedding. This is the “One Church Plan.” 

2. Retain the current restrictive language and it would strengthen the response for those who violate these restrictions. This plan would permit “gracious exit” for churches who find the language problematic. This is called the “Traditional Plan.” 

3. A very contextual solution that would eliminate one layer of church hierarchy and keep us United in name, but would allow for three different theological understandings to be their defining ethos. It is reasonably safe to say these three approaches are: more open and affirming, roughly where we are now, and something between the two. This is the most complex plan, and will require the longest to implement for various reasons. This is the “Connectional Conference Plan.” 

As with any legislation, amendments can be offered, debated and voted up or down. It is quite challenging to know precisely what will be approved or disapproved. This will be a defining moment for the movement called Methodism.  There will be some leaving no matter what is or is not agreed to, that is a simple fact. Division is going to happen: the issue is how to minimize the division while being faithful to scripture as informed and illuminated by our traditions, experiences and reason. 

I believe that if we are attempting to minimize division and want to find solutions, we can. I confess often, I hear voices that are uninterested in reaching common understanding and I hope a spirit of active listening leading to understanding will be present in St. Louis. 

I personally endorse the “One Church Plan” as a pragmatic solution that allows conscience to be invoked at multiple levels: conference, local church and pastor.  Is it perfect? No. There may come a day twenty-five years from now where such an agreement with the “One Church Plan” will be viewed consistent with barring pulpits to women so long ago is viewed now. “You were part of a denomination which permitted some churches to refuse to accept homosexual pastors and refused to perform same sex unions?”  My explanation at that charge would be:  We had to accept that compromise in order to keep the United church from becoming Untied. 

Barry Welliver, your Lay Leader, and I will be discussing this on Saturday, February 9^th, at the United Methodist Men’s Breakfast. Breakfast is at 8:30 am, and our discussion will probably start about 9:00.   Send a note to office@hilltopumchurch.org if you do not normally attend the Men’s breakfast and would like to attend to help with head-count. All are welcome. 

I pray we can find a way to stay United on the essentials and agree to a Grace-filled state of being less than United over non-essentials.

Selah, Pastor Dennis