Conversion is just as important as Inclusion

Fortunately, my parish is blessed with priests who have values and have experienced in some way the transforming power of the Gospel. Sure I quibble and tease about little ritual issues, but in truth I really respect them. However, in my sojourn across many so called "inclusive" churches, there appears to be a liberal inquisition afoot (thank you Eric for this little phrase). This includes some Episcopal Churches unfortunately. The Liberal Inquisition is all about getting people through the door, into the Church and getting them to be part of their ministry. In striving to provide a spiritual home for marginalized people, we often forget the task of spiritually feeding them and inviting them to experience the transformative and redeeming power of the Gospel.

In these places they tolerate every new wind of doctrine and heresy. In these churches, it is not uncommon for priests and other leaders to deny the divinity of Christ, or perhaps to reject the authority of scripture. Sermons are not evangelical, not life-changing, just boring discourses about arcane theology or the newest rage in New Age. I may not agree with some folks interpretations of the so called "clobber" scriptures against homosexuality, but I haven't thrown my Bible into the garbage. Folks like John Crossan and Shelby Spong often relegate Jesus to be some kind of benign Bolshevik revolutionary: hardly scriptural, hardly historical, hardly reality. They relegate Paul to the position of irrelevant obsolete teacher of Christianity and revile him for some of the very hard things he says. This is hardly life-changing stuff.

In our desire to include and accept everyone, we forget that Christianity also has a teaching mission. We take people where they are and we're supposed to make them better disciples, not leave them in the pig trough. It's a great thing to share the love of God, don't get me wrong. It's a great thing that we want to provide a spiritual home for gays and lesbians who can't find a home elsewhere. However it's also our responsibility as we adopt these wayward children who have been cast off by other Christian communities, to form them in scripture and the ways of discipleship, because they will be our future. If we fail, our Church will die. If we neglect this task, our Church will die. As I wrote previously: either the Episcopal Church shows its relevance for today's society or it is time to simply let it pass into the mores of history.

Purity is Gaining Ground

Today I was reading the August issue of Christianity Today and there was an article that particularly interested me. It was an article on discussing sexuality on the college campus. It's something that is surprising to me, but also a "thank you Lord" moment. The article was actually an interview with the author of a book that studied sexuality on college campuses and compared evangelical Christian with secular campuses. As usual, these articles are focused on heterosexual relations only, which is fine given the audience they're shooting for. The key point of this was that the "hookup" culture is beginning to lose ground on secular campuses. Students (even the most liberal of them) are beginning to come to the realization of their unhappiness of the hookup culture which objectifies people. For Christians, the hookup culture is naturally contrary to the teachings of Christ. For to objectify someone and not treat them like we would treat Jesus is indeed sin.
In the Gay community, fortunately, the hookup culture is also losing ground. Young gay adults are beginning to realize that hooking-up is detrimental to one's spirit and one's own self. They are figuring out that the dangers are much more than getting HIV or an STD (which in and of themselves are life threatening). They are figuring out that hooking up is hurtful. The gay community has too long been marred by the image that we are sexual perverts who engage in relations without regard for who it is we are "doing". Fortunately this is losing ground, but not soon enough, and not fast enough. Unfortunately, this culture has infected the Church as well (both in straight and gay populations ... no pots calling the kettle black here!).
So here is where I commit political suicide, or something rather close to it. The liberal end of mainline denominations have not done enough to teach sexual ethics according to scriptural expectations. When the Diocese of California announced that they would be providing pastorally for those same-sex couples in the Church who wished to get married, I was overjoyed. Yet where was the message reminding them of the expectations of a disciple? Where was the statement that it is the expectation of the Church that sexual relations occur only within the context of a committed relationship (preferably lifetime)? It's one thing to talk about societal ethics and norms, it's quite another to talk about the norms and expectations for someone who claims to be a disciple. In becoming disciples we have laid down our rights and given up our pride. So there is no "I have the right to sleep with whom I choose when I choose" in the Church, absolutely not. There is a huge difference between trying to live the Gospel as best as we can and throwing it in the trash altogether. This goes both ways, the Mainliners have been so busy policing the bedrooms of their gay parishioners that they have not had time to teach straight people about the moral expectations of discipleship.
It is with great thanks that this news comes to me, that is that purity is gaining ground. The new generation is turning out to be much more conservative than their parents, albeit in different ways. A church leader said that this new generation is marked by a selfless faith that is also engaging. The Holy Spirit is working! Thank you Lord!

I know this sounds "ranty" but that's the state of mind I'm in at the moment :)

A Gay Man on Surrender ...

I was worshiping yesterday evening at Vineyard North Phoenix at their YA service. This was such a great service to attend. It was emergent in every sense of the word (except doctrinally of course). Everyone was seated on the floor, and the theme of the night was different postures of worship (the previous meeting's theme being worshiping God through our lifestyle). The music was typically Vineyard, but still their songs are powerful expressions of worship.

One of the songs hit me yesterday night - it is called "Surrender"

I'm giving you my dreams, I'm Laying down my rights / I'm giving up my pride / for the promise of New Life / and I surrender all to you / all to you / all to you.

Being a gay person, the words "laying down my rights and giving up my pride" have special meaning considering that they're two very big buzz-words in the community. Just a wow moment. Especially as I wonder about those who call themselves "gay Christians" - I myself being one of them. But especially for those folks who have stiff upper lips like I did towards anyone who disagreed. - wouldn't our Christian community be a bit better we just took a moment and laid down our rights and gave up our pride?

Needless to say this goes both ways. We spend too much time demonizing and de-humanizing the other. We spend too much time preparing our next carefully planned canon blast against the other side's arguments. Don't we? So what if we were the bigger people, the people who would be willing to cast aside our pride for a moment and engage the other authentically? What if we laid down our rights for a moment and just engaged each other as we are? Wouldn't we then experience the healing and reconciliation that Christ promised?

I know that I get a lot of glares from the gay community, and that's ok. Even though I'm gay, that doesn't mean that for a second I need to give up on who I am first and foremost, a disciple of Jesus, my Master. Oh Master, be my teacher, be my savior, be my God!

The Spirit of the Lord ... How incredible ...

A lot of you know that I make a habit of studying over the summer (mostly stuff that people think is boring). The Spirit has moved me off of what I thought I was going to read this summer (mostly Pope Benedict XVI's theology, ...). So instead, I get inspired to start reading Millard Erickson's Christian Theology and to start studying Greek. On this track, I was also inspired to apply to Seminary - Fuller Southwest specifically. Things have eerily lined up together to show a path to seminary and to a theological education.

My Episcopal friends puzzle at the fact that I would attend Fuller, a decidedly NON Anglo-Catholic seminary, and certainly not liberal at all. During this summer, I've discovered that theologically, I'm a lot more conservative than I thought I was. After reading ample amounts of N.T. Wright and John Stott, along with one or two Oxford Movement tracts, I find a lot of affinity with conservative approaches to theology. This isn't to say that I'm not inclusive or a total fundamentalist. Unfortunately, Evangelical theology has too often been associated with fundamentalism. The book I'm currently chewing through is How to Be Evangelical Without Being Conservative by Roger Olson. It's actually confirming and further strengthening my decision to apply for (and if admitted attend) Fuller Seminary. I found affinity with the fact that my theology and approach to things is very Evangelical. Olson mentions that Evangelical Faith is built on four "isms": biblicism, conversionism, crucicentrism and activism, all four things resonate deeply within me and are parts of my faith that are invaluable and essential.

So needless to say, the Spirit has been moving, very strongly. Recently while attending a service at Phoenix First Assembly. Let me digress for a moment by saying - yes I do church hop, because sometimes I need a dose of contemporary music and charismatic worship. It is the time I use to spend with God in a less structured worship setting. For the first time in years I broke down in tears and worshiped the Lord and began to pray aloud to Him and thanking Him for everything He's done for me. It was during a song called "Hosanna" by Hillsong - when these words were sung, I could do nothing but break down and cry and worship.

"Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what brakes Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from now into eternity"

God has broken my heart for what breaks his and that is why my passion for ministry to gays and lesbians is so strong. People wonder where I get the energy from, well, it's because it breaks God's heart to see people suffering and being rejected and shown not the love that he showed us by sending his Son to die on the cross, but the hate that comes from the devil. I feel strongly called to work in this area and to help heal the rifts and divisions that have been caused.

Weeding and Christian Discipleship

It's summer time in Arizona! As a teenager, I always wondered why weeds and grass would grow in this hot arid weather (mostly because I hated mowing the lawn and weeding the yard). We all get anxious about weeds in our yards. Not just because we’re concerned about the beauty of our lawns, but also because we’re concerned that our grass will survive. So I would dutifully, but begrudgingly pull weeds and mow the lawn in the summer. Luckily, I won’t be teaching about the character-building properties of pulling weeds. But what on earth does proper weeding have to do with the Gospel?
Well today, the lectionary invites us to ponder the parable of the weeds. That’s right, our dear Lord even talked about weeds. You can read the parable on your own. It can be found in Matthew 13:24-30. So what does this all mean? In some traditions of interpretation it is thought that the Lord will wipe out (and burn) all the unbelievers in the end times. I’m not so sure about this. Parables are interesting, quirky things that Jesus uses to teach. Some interpreters say that every detail has some theological significance and each parable is intricately coded to teach specific things in a secretive manner. Some are at the other extreme, believing that they are merely stories and have only one point to make. I tend to be towards the middle of these approaches (how Episcopalian). So now, let’s discuss how to properly dispose of weeds.
Jesus first attempts to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven as someone who sows the good seeds of wheat. In the night, an enemy comes and sows weeds among the weeds. As we know from last week, wheat is an important crop because it provides the most food, so any problem with the crop could be devastating to the community, so having bad weeds is a big problem. So the servants come to the master and say: “Sir didn’t you sow good seed in the field? Where then did they come from?” (Mt. 13:27) Like any good farmer, the servants want to get rid of the weeds so that the wheat can grow healthily.
The reply from the master of the field is rather surprising. He says: “No … because while you are pulling the weeds you may root up the wheat with them” (Mt. 13:29). This is surprising and yet it’s not. It’s surprising because we would think that removal of the weeds would be an important part of ensuring a good crop. Yet it’s not so surprising because in the process of eliminating the weeds, we lose some of the vital wheat. This actually serves to teach us something very important about discipleship.
The Lord teaches us that in our world, there are folks of all kinds and just as the Lord has sown good seed, so the Devil has sown bad seeds as well. What we have to understand here is that it is not any business of ours who ought to get weeded out and sent to the fiery place. As we heard in the story, the Master forbade the weeding of his field. In the Christian Church today we get too busy deciding who’s part of the “tares” and who’s part of the “wheat”.
We can see a recent, stinging example of this in the recent Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). The stated position of this conference was in effect to sort the weeds from the wheat. It is this kind of thing that threatens the institution that the Lord set up in order to share His love with the whole world. We begin to look like bickering children instead of stepping up to do the work we ought to do. Instead of being the force for change, we become the forces of discord and hate.
Our task, rather, is to preach repentance and the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord gave us a spirit of frustration and discontent “in hope that the creation itself ill be liberated from bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom. 8:20-21). This visible hope and this visible discontent and our actions to counter it through acting justly and mercifully towards a broken world are what attracts folks to the Gospel. Not flashy evangelism, not carefully planned invitations to Church, just our faith and our hope. As we wait we don’t just sit idly. We are called to serve and called to heal this broken world in any way we can in order that we can be free!
Finally, dear sisters and brothers in Christ, remember that we have nothing to fear. Paul teaches us: “those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.” (Rom. 8:14-15). As the children of God, we have already been set free. All we must do is subject ourselves to the Spirit of God and allow God to work through us to make an impact and share His love with all people.

Amen

Ecumenism ... Loss of Identity?

With today's announcement that the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church USA will be pursuing bilateral agreements to allow for some form of interdenominational exchange of clergy, this has caused me to reflect on ecumenism and what it really ought to be. I consider this one of those .5% moments, that is about only .5% of people who call themselves Christian actually think about these things.

So what is the point of ecumenism? I hope that it isn't to achieve one big amorphous blob of a Christian Church. Albeit Christ prayed that "we all may be one" (John 17:21), I don't know that he necessarily meant one church. The implications of current and future ecumenical agreements between the Episcopal Church and other denominations present very difficult challenges to the uniqueness of denominations.

Don't get me wrong, denominationalism can be ugly and indeed evil, but there is something to retaining different kinds of expressions of the one faith. The Episcopal Church is unique among the Protestant denominations in that we are perhaps the most closely linked with the ancient practices. We were affected by the Reform, but we were not radically changed by it. As Queen Elizabeth put it, we are a mildly reformed holy, catholic and apostolic Church. In addition, the Anglicans have taken great strides to maintain the validity of the apostolic succession of its ministers, and rightly require that those presiding at its services be ordained by a Bishop with apostolic succession.

You see, while it's is nice to have the touchy feely, loving intercommunion between denominations, these kinds of movements strike at the heart of individual denominations' distinctives. For example, the Episcopal Church is known for a high eucharistic theology in its mainstream. Mainstream Episcopalians maintain some form of the real-presence doctrine, with only fringe radicals on both sides (left and right) maintaining a memorialist approach to the Holy Eucharist. Furthermore, the ecclesiology of the Episcopal Church is much different that those of the other big-box mainline denominations. We believe in a threefold Priesthood and the effectiveness of lay ministry. The Canons set forth a clear wall of separation between the ministries of the Priesthood and those of laity. In other mainline denominations, these distinctions are either heavily blurred or have been eliminated altogether.

At this point, I hesitate to call it heresy as I don't know what all is behind this and what has been proposed, however I am leaning towards it. I am definitely in the camp that opposes full communion with any denomination which does not retain full apostolic succession or will not submit to the re-ordination and/or re-consecration of all its clergy in order to conform to this. This is not to say that I do not believe in ecumenism. I believe that interdenominational dialogue is not only healthy but necessary. It helps us to understand where other Christians come from ad appreciate and respect the traditions from which their particular expressions of Christianity came.

I tend to attribute this move towards blurring denominational lines to a loss of identity among the mainline churches. Mainline churches have been under so much pressure due to continually declining numbers (at least among the Episcopalians, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church and some wings of the Presbyterian Church USA) and the growing number of aging mainliners, that they feel compelled to pursue these interdenominational accords and agreements to keep the whole institution of mainline Christendom alive. Right now, it's barely that. It's in survival mode. Call me a pessimist, but this is like trying to use buckets to prevent a ship from sinking.

Instead of engaging in these identity-blurring exercises, denominations ought to strengthen their distinctives. Episcopalians should strengthen their focus on liturgy and theological diversity and commitment to orthodoxy, Presbyterians and Lutherans ought to focus more on the spirit of the Christian Reformers which made them what they are, Methodists ought to focus more on the spirit of the Wesleyan movement and its impact on wider society. In this context of strengthening their understanding of their distinctives, they should also engage in multi-denominational talks to seek understanding and mutual respect. If a mainline denomination does this and shows its relevance to society, it has then earned its right to survive. Otherwise, it's time to let it pass.

Lay Down Your Monkey

It seems that as we journey on the path of Discipleship, we often worry about how we’re doing. Sometimes we wonder why our resolutions don’t pan out. We ask ourselves: Why although I want to do the right thing, I sometimes end up doing the wrong thing? This seems to be the monkey on our backs. So today we’re going to learn a little bit about that monkey and why we ought to pay attention to it, and also why we ought to lay it down.

First, we need to understand that the monkey can be a good thing. It is the conscience of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 7:14 we encounter something that appears to be contradictory to what we’ve heard Paul say before in Chapter 6. He says: “but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin” (Rom. 7:14). Actually this reflects our human condition. We have to remember, that like everyone else we are subject to inner rebelliousness. It graphically points out that all of us often fail to meet the radical demands of the Gospel. It also points to the fact that sin is persistent and will be with us always. We must understand that the struggle is also perpetual.

Paul says: “For I have the desire to do good, but I cannot carry it out” (Rom. 7:18). Doesn’t this sound familiar? Haven’t we all said something like this to ourselves? But we must remember that by virtue of the fact we are believers, something else has happened. We understand that the struggle against sin in our lives is war. As Paul put it: “For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law; but I see another work in me waging war against the law of my mind making me a prisoner [of sin]” (Rom. 7:22-23). It is the opposing force to our love and devotion for our God. We must be aware of it. This is beneficial because it not only helps us to grow as disciples. Conviction of sin helps us to realize the blessing we have all received through the death of our Lord on the Cross and His glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. In the last verse of today’s reading, we read “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 7:25).

Now, back to that monkey, although it has an important function, it really tends to get the best of us. It makes us worry too much about whether we are doing all the right things or being at the right places. Paul, being a former Pharisee and Jewish legal scholar was probably scrupulous at obeying the Law of Moses. It must have been very difficult for him to realize that he messed up and did something wrong. Just like us today, often we get bogged down with the “legal” requirements of Christianity. So now, we need to put down our monkey. Jesus invites us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). The path of discipleship is not meant to be impossible, it is not meant to be insurmountable. Jesus invites us on that path today. So put down your monkey.

Jesus invites us to a fulfilling life of obedient service to him. No it’s not going to be an easy life, but the teachings of Christ are easy and there we can find rest from our worries and our troubles. Jesus says: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart ad you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mt. 11:29-30). Won’t you put down your monkey today and hear what God has to say in your life?

Reflections on Freedom (July 4)

Today is July 4th and causes me a lot of reflection, as do most things these days. But it especially gives me pause especially about the Church that I have chosen to life my discipleship life in: The Episcopal Church. Over the past few months (heck, years) we have been derided for our independent spirit, and our revolutionary work. Be it the ordination of women, the consecration of Bishop Gene of New Hampshire, or the blessing of folks who are only doing their best to live the precepts of the Gospel, we are one revolutionary place to be. We are a mishmash of folks who range from seething fundamentalist all the way to tree-hugging revisionists, but we are all together. Most of us, fortunately, find ourselves on the via media (the "Middle Way"). No matter what we will always join together at the table.

Just a reminder to the folks who think that America's church is off kilter. We were founded during the revolutionary days of the United States, 1789 to be exact - just thirteen years after the Declaration of Independence, and only a few years after the signing of the Constitution. We were revolutionary even then. Our Church refused the demand for our Bishops to sign a loyalty oath to the Queen. What did we do? We figured it out. The Holy Spirit led us to the Scottish Nonjuror Bishops who didn't have to sign the loyalty oath. The American Church was condemned then. When in our 1789 Prayer Book we chose to include the Scottish Epiklesis (that is the invitation for the Holy Spirit to come into the Sacrament to make it the Body and Blood of Christ) we were branded as heretics. Then, some years later, Bishop Absalom Jones was consecrated, the first African American Bishop. We were resoundingly condemned then. And so the story goes. The Episcopal Church will always be what it is. Much as I don't like some of the revisionism and denial of fundamental tenets of Christianity by many Bishops, Priests and indeed laity, I am still committed to table fellowship with them. I still love them and appreciate them, even though I strongly disagree with them. Why? Because the Episcopal Church is the symbol of Christian Freedom in the World. We allow people to do what they need to do to live the Gospel as best they can. So, being revolutionary, being condemned is nothing new for us Episcopalians. We must charge forward into new territory and keep on being the Light of the World (Mt. 5:14).

Praise be to God for our Country, praise be to God for our Church!

Feast of Independence Day, 2008.

Thank You Bishop Wright!

Some Conservatives would tell you that the Episcopal Church ought to be booted out of the Anglican Communion. GAFCON recently proposed that there be a panel of 14 Primates who get to decide who is a legitimate Bishop or not. Well, they were finally chastised by Bishop N.T. Wright, the Lord Bishop of Durham (Church of England). And thank G-d for that.

Although the Bishop of Durham is very traditionalist, he also understands that the foundation of Anglicanism is diversity and that no one has a monopoly on being a "true believer" in this Church. The article on BBC News was so awesome:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7487802.stm (Audio)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7487805.stm (Text)

Creation Season? ... WTH?

One of my dearest friends told me today of something afoot in the Episcopal Church to create a new liturgical season and this modify the Church's liturgical year. It's been called "Creation Season". As a conservative (I know, this has political connotations, but for me it doesn't) Episcopalian, I see this as yet another attempt to infect the Church with revisionism.

We as a Church are entering very shaky, scratch that, dangerous theological territory when we begin to make our worship focus on the creation rather than the creator. This resolution is problematic on many grounds.

What's worse is the Archbishop of Canterbury who proclaims himself Orthodox is purported to be supportive of this. This is a bit comical considering the same Archbishop has been busy chastising the Episcopal Church for being governed the way it is. Reeks of hypocrisy.

Here's the resolution from the Diocese of Newark (home of the revisionist Bishop John Spong ... that's another blog post). My comments are under each paragraph.


The Diocese of Newark will be presenting a Resolution to General Convention about the formation of a Creation Season.

It reads:

DRAFT
Resolution to the 76th General Convention
Anaheim, CA, 2009

WHEREAS: God the Creator has made the universe with all its marvelous order, its atoms, planets, galaxies and the Earth with its infinite complexity of living creatures, and

WHEREAS: Our Gracious God has filled all living creatures with plenteousness, and has blessed human beings with the task of the stewardship of the creation upon Earth, and

WHEREAS: Since 1991, many Episcopal Churches in the United States have celebrated a "Creation Cycle of the Pentecost Season" to honor God the Creator with worship, music and praise for these gifts of life, and

• The provision above appears to be contradicted in later statements. It seems like we will be honoring creation, not the creator.
  

WHEREAS: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Willams, has joined ecumenical leaders the world over in calling for the celebrating of liturgical period annually to recognize the human role as workers to preserve God's Creation, therefor be it

• This statement presents a very risky theological statement. This liturgical period celebrates the "human role". Funny considering that no other liturgical season focuses on the creation. How does God fit into all this? Or does He?

RESOLVED: That the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church commends to dioceses and congregations the celebration of a liturgical Creation cycle of at least four weeks in length at an appropriate time during the liturgical year, for the purpose of affirming the sacredness of God's creation, and of spreading an understanding of environmental stewardship and ecological justice, and be it further

• This is yet another problematic, anthropocentric statement. At the very least, this is a misguided yet somewhat noble attempt to teach about stewardship of God's creation. However, this could also mean a full fledged endorsement of idolatry which is contrary to Christian teaching. Why not give thanks to God's creation? And out of our gratefulness to God for his creation we ought to take care of it?
  

RESOLVED: That the Music and Liturgy Commission of the Episcopal Church be encouraged to consider a form for such a Creation cycle to be included in the next issue of the Book of Occas-ional Services, and be it further

RESOLVED: That the convention affirms the work of the Episcopal Ecological Network in its efforts to establish "Green Teams" in congregations, and to make available resources for the
celebrating of a Creation Cycle throughout the Church.

The Valley of Sorrow

Right now, it seems that it is a valley of sorrow and depression for a lot of folks that I know. The number of notices on the church prayer list coming through of deaths, cancer, serious illness, and all that is growing again. A friend of mine's grandmother died a few days ago, and her mother was just robbed at machine-gun point last night. These kinds of incidents lead me to wonder what the Lord has in mind. It's a scary time these days. But who knows what will be next.

The only thing that I know is that God will be there and help us all through (Ps. 23). We may not all realize he's there, but in the end he's there.