“What’s Going on in the UMC? – Article 3: The Three Models”

           We continue our discussion of the debate about human sexuality in the United Methodist Church.  In my first article, I set three ground rules for myself in writing these articles and for all of us in discussing them.  Please refer back to those.  Last time I outlined some of the history of the debate.  Today, I want to pick up where I left off in discussing the work of the Commission on a Way Forward. 

This commission of 32 people from all over the world and representing both sides of the debate was formed by the Council of Bishops in order to offer possible solutions to the debate to be presented by the Council of Bishops to a special called General Conference, which has been set for February of 2019 in St. Louis. It will be up to the Council of Bishops, with the input of the Commission on a Way Forward, to decide what will be placed before the special General Conference for a vote.

The Commission has presented three possible models to the Council of Bishops…

1.     Affirm the current Book of Discipline (which forbids same-sex marriages and the ordination of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals) and place a high value on accountability.

Obviously, this is the solution that is most desired by traditionalists and least desired by progressives.  (I prefer the terms traditional and progressive to conservative and liberal due the secular political baggage of the latter.  I will discuss these groups, along with centrists, and the organizations which represent them in the next article.)

Accountability has been a major concern for traditionalists because many pastors continue to perform same-sex marriages and homosexual persons continue to be ordained and serve as clergy, including Bishop Karen Oliveto in the Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain Conference.

2.     Remove the restrictive language, (from the Discipline) thus allowing for same-sex marriage and homosexual ordination, while protecting the rights of those whose conscience will not allow them to perform same-gender weddings or ordain LBGTQ persons.

This may seem like a compromise to some, and it is touted by centrists, but I have seen objections from both traditionalists and progressives.  Many traditionalists cannot see themselves as continuing to be part of a Church that does not uphold their key value of biblical morality.  Likewise, many progressives see the Church that results from this compromise as segregated and in violation of their key value of inclusivity, which they also see as a biblical value.

Also, I have heard both traditionalist and progressive clergy raise concerns about being pressured, one way or another depending on where they serve, by their local churches or conferences.  

3.     Create separate branches of the Church which are grounded in a unified core of shared doctrine and services, including a shared Council of Bishops.

This would allow traditionalists and progressives, and perhaps centrists, to each have their own branch of the Church with their own local churches and conferences and would still allow the branches to share ministries such as United Methodist Committee on Relief, United Methodist Publishing House, our colleges, university, seminaries, hospitals, and other institutions, and our pension and benefits system.

In my opinion, this may be the best option, but it will need to be done very carefully and very well.

Depending on your position, one of these options may seem clearly the right way to go.   However, that does not make it easy.  Adopting any one of these options may cause large numbers of people to leave the Church and still may not end the debate.  I would ask that we all be in prayer for the Council of Bishops, the Commission on a Way Forward, which continues to work, and the upcoming Special General Conference.

What’s Going on in the UMC? – Article 2: The History of the Sexuality Debate”

This series of articles is meant to update you on the current status of the debate within the United Methodist Church over human sexuality, specifically, the ordination of homosexual persons and the performing of same-sex marriages.  In my last article, I set three ground rules for myself in writing these articles and for all of us in discussing them: First, let us be upfront about our own position and do our best to understand the positions of others and to represent them fairly.  There are people we love on both sides.  Second, let us stop trying to convince each other that we are right, and they are wrong.  Instead, let us focus on the future of the church.  Third, let us confine this discussion to the United Methodist Church, and not discuss the issue as it relates to the rest of society.  I always welcome discussion on my blog at https://pastorbrianoliver.blogspot.com/, or you can always call, write, or just talk to me in person.

Today, I want to briefly trace the history of the human sexuality debate within the United Methodist Church.  At General Conference in 1972, in response to growing questions about homosexuality in the church and in society, a statement was added to the Book of Discipline which prohibited “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals” from becoming members of the clergy (304.3).  Later, a paragraph stating, “Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches (341.6) was added.  One should not think that these things used to be allowed and then were forbidden, rather General Conference saw itself as clarifying what the Church had always believed in the face of new questions.

The Book of Discipline is the global rule book for the United Methodist Church and can only be changed by General Conference, the official rule-making body which meets every four years with delegates from all over the world.  You may from time to time hear that the Iowa Annual Conference, or another United Methodist group, has voted one thing or another.  Those votes and statements have no authority whatsoever, only General Conference can make those changes.

The church has continued to debate this issue ever since.  At every General Conference, petitions have been brought forward to remove these restrictions and, amid emotional debate and demonstration, those petitions have failed to pass.  This debate continues to divide our Church and disrupt our ministry.

Fast forward to General Conference 2016.  Facing yet another set of petitions to change the rules that promised to be hotly debated and yet again defeated, delegates called upon the bishops to form a “Commission on a Way Forward” to develop a plan to bring this decades-long debate to an end.  The Commission has met, and continues to meet, and has published some models for the Church to consider.  We will look at those models, and where we go from there, next time.

“What’s Going on in the UMC? – Article 1: Introduction”

During 2018, or at least a portion of it, since I do not know how many articles this series will be, I would like to take the opportunity to inform all of you about what has been going on in the United Methodist Church regarding our ongoing debate about this issue of human sexuality.  In a nutshell, the debate centers around whether the UMC should change its rules and allow homosexual persons to serve as pastors and allow same-sex marriages.  However, as we will see in the coming months, there are a lot of moving parts to the debate.  This first article will give just a very brief introduction of the series and set some ground rules for future discussion.

First, let us be upfront about our own positions, and try to understand and fairly represent the positions of others, even if we do not agree with them.  For my part, I believe that the current position of the UMC regarding sexuality should not be changed. There are people I love in these churches, and in the UMC, who are on the other side of this debate, which is what makes this discussion so difficult.  I understand and respect the position of those who do not agree with me.  I believe that their position is driven by a desire for love and justice and I continue to love them as brothers and sisters in Christ even if my understanding of the authority and meaning of the Bible differs from theirs.

Second, I would suggest that rather than continue to try to convince each other that we are right and that they are wrong, now the time has come for us to talk about if and how we can continue to work and worship with each other as United Methodists and Christians while each following our own convictions.  Therefore, other than the preceding paragraph, I will not be making, or entertaining, any statements or debates about the rightness or the wrongness of the issue itself.  Such things will only keep us from the more important conversation of how we move forward and would distract me from presenting to you the current information in the most unbiased way I can.

Third, this discussion is about the United Methodist Church, not about any other group or society as a whole.  We will leave aside any debate about this issue in the larger political, legal, or social arenas.  For the record, I fully support the full civil rights of LBGT+ persons in the secular world, that falls under loving our neighbors.  In the church, we love each other and hold one anther accountable to the Christian life; outside the church, we just love.

If you can agree to be held accountable to these rules, and to hold me accountable to them, then I invite you to read on and become part of this conversation with me in the coming months.  The easiest way to engage is through the comment section of my blog at https://pastorbrianoliver.blogspot.com/.  However, you can always call, write, or just talk to me in person.

Over the course of the coming months, I will be sharing information and opinions from various sources and I will try to be as fair as I can.   Next time, I will outline some of the history of this debate to help us understand how we got where we are. 

Spiritual Disciplines #12: Celebration

We have come to the end of the year and to the end of our study of Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline with the last discipline, the discipline of celebration.  The topic of celebration is appropriate this time of year as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. 

Celebration is a result of the joy we receive in obedience and the practice of the other disciplines.  Celebration is also a discipline in itself because we do not always feel like celebrating.

As most of us gather with family and friends to celebrate, we know that there are many who will find it hard to celebrate this year because of loved ones lost, loved ones absent or estranged, sickness, financial problems or any of a myriad of other personal and family issues.  Add to all of those the difficult political times in which we find ourselves.  To these people I would like to say that if your celebrations this year must be in a lower key, we understand.  Do what you have to do. 

However, I would also like to say that the spiritual discipline of celebration, especially the celebration of Christmas, is not about us, our family, or our circumstances, it’s about Jesus and the new hope that he brings to us and to the world in the midst of our circumstances.  Jesus birth itself was in the context of poverty, political oppression, and violent tragedy.  Jesus birth brings light to a world of darkness, hope to a world of despair, joy to a world of sorrow, peace to a world in conflict, and love to a world of hate.  All of that is cause for celebration regardless of our personal circumstances.  As I said before, your celebration may be in a lower key this year, and that might be a good idea for all of us in this sometimes crazy season, but celebrate we must. 

I wish you all a Blessed and Merry Christmas.

Spiritual Disciplines #11: Guidance

How do I know God’s will for my life?  That is the age-old question.  That is also the question which Richard Foster attempts to answer in the chapter entitled “Guidance” in his book, Celebration of Discipline.

          Guidance often begins with an impression or prompting in our spirit.  Sometimes it may be something we are inclined to and would enjoy doing, sometimes it is not.  In either case, we just “feel” like it is something we should do.  Sometimes it is a small thing like putting our pocket change in a Salvation Army kettle, taking the time to stop and help someone who has dropped their shopping, or a sudden thought to write or call someone with a word of encouragement; other times it is a big thing like starting a new ministry in your church or even being called into “professional” ministry.

          Unless it is a small spur-of-the-moment act of kindness, it is a good idea to meditate and pray about a prompting, to engage the mind in thinking, as well as the heart in feeling about it.  If it is of God, it will only get stronger.  It is also necessary to make sure to align the prompting with Scripture.  An old saying goes, “God’s will never contradicts God’s Word.”  I always put it this way: God is NOT calling you to rob the bank and give the money to the church!

          Foster includes guidance among the corporate disciplines in his book because guidance should always include a corporate element.  For any major spiritual decision, after we have consulted God’s Word, and thought and prayed about it, we check our calling with those we can trust to help us with discernment from our family and our church community.

          Not all promptings require a full-blown guidance process and not all the things God calls us to even require promptings.  It is always God’s will that we participate in church, family, and community.  It is always God’s will that we work hard at whatever we do and that we be kind, compassionate, and generous.  We do not have to wait for guidance to do those things.

          We need to do more in our church to be the kind of community that can offer spiritual guidance to one another.  I leave you with a couple of quotes I saw online recently, I do not know where they originally came from, “God’s will is what we would want if we knew what we wanted,” and, “God’s will is what you would want if you knew what God knows.”  

Spiritual Disciplines #10: Worship

            When most of us think of worship we think of music, or prayer, or sermons.  We might also think of a group of people gathered at a certain time and place for an event, or we may think of a worship service that is either traditional or contemporary, formal or informal, liturgical or non-liturgical.  All of those things are elements of worship, but worship itself is something bigger.

            The word worship comes from an old English word which means to ascribe worth to something.  To worship something or someone is to engage in a series of actions and attitudes that show that thing’s or that person’s worth.  In old English, one worshiped the king by bowing in his presence.  It was understood that to worship the king meant something different, lower, than worshiping God.

            Of course, in modern English we use the word worship only in reference to God.  God, and God alone, is the sole object and audience of our worship.  Worship is never about our personal preferences in music or style, but rather only about what is pleasing to God.  The good news is that God is pleased with many kinds of worship.

            I would like to offer you another definition of worship: Worship is what the soul does when it is aware of the presences of God.  We know that God is always present with us, but we are not always aware of God’s presence.  The things we do in worship singing, praying, preaching, are some ways that we can become aware of God’s presence.  These are what Richard Foster, in his book The Celebration of Discipline, calls “avenues to worship.”  These things are not worship itself, but they lead us to worship.  We all have different things that help us become aware of God’s presence and this is where different styles of worship and music come in.  We should all be willing to experience different worship and music from time to time.

            We should all gather for public worship whenever we can, we need each other.  However, each of us needs to worship each day, throughout the day, by becoming aware of God’s presence and doing those things that help make us aware and keep us aware of his presence.

            I would like to leave you this month with some of the lyrics of the Michael W, Smith song “The Heart of Worship.”

When the music fades

All is stripped away

And I simply come

Longing just to bring

Something that's of worth

That will bless your heart

I'll bring you more than a song

For a song in itself

Is not what you have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear

You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship

And it's all about you,

It's all about you, Jesus

I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it

When it's all about you,

It's all about you, Jesus

Spiritual Disciplines #9: Confession

          We now turn to the first of what Richard Foster, in his book, Celebration of Discipline, calls the corporate disciplines: the discipline of confession.

          Most of us have an idea of what confession is.  Confession is simply, after thorough self-examination, admitting our sin, as it says in the fifth step of twelve step programs, “to ourselves, to God, and to another human being.”  As hard as it is to confess our sins to ourselves and to God, confessing to another person is a downright terrifying idea for most of us.  We Protestants have been taught to be suspicious of the Roman Catholic idea of confessing our sins to a priest.  However, history has been teaching us that we Protestants may have thrown many babies out with the bathwater during the Reformation and that there is much wisdom in some of the practices we have rejected out of hand, even if some adjustments need to be made.

          It is true that many of our day-to-day sins can be dealt with “just between us and God,” but there may come a time when we need someone with whom to share our struggle and who can offer us assurance of God’s forgiveness.  That is why confession is both a private and a corporate discipline.  The Bible promises that if we confess our sins God will forgive us (1 John 1:9). The Bible encourages us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16). The Bible gives us the authority to assure one another of God’s forgiveness (John 20:23).  While I am always ready to help anyone with this, the person to whom you confess need not be a pastor, any mature Christian can offer this. 

A couple pieces of advice in case you should be chosen by another to hear a confession.  Frist, listen, you are not there to trade stories or to share your experiences.  Second, take the sin seriously.  Third, you must not be shocked by the sin, nor should you act as if it is not a big deal.  Fourth, offer assurance of God’s grace and forgiveness.  Fifth, and most importantly, keep your conversation confidential.  The only exception to this would be if you are concerned about someone’s safety.  If that is the case, ask them to go with you to the pastor, or other appropriate authority.  If they will not go with you, tell them that you are going anyway and do so immediately.

As I said, this may be uncomfortable territory for most of us, but it is what it takes for us to truly be the church for one another and for our community. 

Pastor Brian.