Cue the stereotypical 80s synthesizers. The Final Countdown is upon us. I am marrying my best friend in 100 days. There are a mixture of feelings whirling about in my being. Time has seemed to pass by so quickly since that day when I surprised her as she left work and asked her to marry me. Yet, at other times, it has seemed to pass by so slowly, as if the day would never get here.
Despite the random speeds that time seems to take, I am feeling rather excited, yet also nervous. It is a somewhat similar feeling that I had on November 4th of last year (the day I proposed). I was very excited for this major step I was going to take, and yet I was also nervous. Looking back, those nerves don't seem to make sense. They still don't seem to make sense. I was very confident that she would say yes, just as I am very confident she will say "I do" on October 30th.
Perhaps it's the fact that the road I am taking is a sudden and different one. All the changes in my life have seemed to come gradually. Yet, on that day when my best friend and I get new titles - "husband and wife" - I realize that I will wake up the following morning a married man. It will no longer be about me, but about "us."
You can point to the fact that we have been dating since 2004 as an indicator that we know each other quite well. Yet, I feel that being a husband will be such a different adventure for me. Others have crossed this bridge before and have made it, but the nerves are still there when I think about how close the day has gotten.
I know, however, that if I follow the perfect example of love, that I'm going to be all right. More importantly, that "we" are going to be all right. I'm prepared to love Alexandra the way Jesus loved His bride - the Church. I'm prepared to speak to her in kindness and truth the way Jesus spoke with kindness and truth to His flock. I'm prepared to share my gifts with her with the same charity Jesus showed to those around Him. I'm prepared to sacrifice everything so that she could gain everything, just as Jesus gave it all so that Church can be all that it is and all that it can be.
I am definitely in love. And one hundred days from now, that love will be manifest in a new covenant that I will share with the one that I love.
Let the Final Countdown begin...
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
One Founder on Independence Day
After the signing of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote the following letter to Abigail and the children.
Happy Fourth!
The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not. (The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784, Harvard University Press, 1975, 142).
Happy Fourth!
The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not. (The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784, Harvard University Press, 1975, 142).
Friday, July 1, 2011
I'm 24...for a Moment
I thought I'd pay homage to Five for Fighting's "100 Years" in the title to this post. When I think about that song, I think about how quickly life goes by.
Today is my 24th birthday, and that number is not highlighted in that hit single. Nor is it highlighted in Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink." But when I think about the age I'm at, I kind of realize that in the grand scheme of things, "24" is not an exciting age. It is not a milestone of any kind. In fact, if you look at the upcoming milestones in my life - 25, 30, 40, etc. - they are just numerical proofs that time flies by, and that none of us are getting any younger.
I look at the changes in my life since I turned 23, and I realized that I am a blessed man. Let's rewind, shall we?
I was hired to finally teach full-time with benefits at a private, Catholic school to teach Social Studies (my kind of shindig). In November, I proposed to my high school sweetheart. In January, I found out that I was going to be an uncle. A little later on, I found out that she was going to be a girl. Sprinkle in a lot of other events, and this could equate to a very eventful year. However, like all things, these events have quickly become a part of my past.
This upcoming year, I WILL be married. This upcoming year, I WILL be an uncle. This upcoming year, I WILL lose hair (all right, this last was happening already, anyways). In the grand scheme of things, I am a limited creature. And although I am heading into my "prime", I guess, I realize more what those limitations are.
While it could be depressing to some that they are getting older (after all, I'm going to be a quarter-century old next year!), I see it as a reminder that I have been given these years as a gift.
I never am really all that excited for my birthdays. I am not really a "party" kind of guy. I prefer staying in, watching a ball game, or hanging with friends in a very relaxed setting. But the other day, a spark of excitement emerged within me.
Yes, I'm 24. And immediately, the only positive thing I can think of about "24" is that it was one of my favorite TV shows back when it was on the air. I'm more excited because it reminds me more about who God is, rather than who I am. In the long run, my story doesn't mean much if I don't pay attention to History...His Story.
On this day, my 24th birthday, I am fortunate that I try not keep the focus on myself. I find that I only get in emotional or spiritual trouble when I do focus on Yours Truly. My focus is on the One who made this all possible. My focus is on the One who led me home. My focus is on the One who has guided my steps since that time. My focus is on the One who lets me back in whenever I fall away.
My birthday wish this year? I wish that everyone would feel that way at one point in their lives; that everyone would establish that relationship. It is that relationship that has formed the standard in my other relationships. If everyone held that as the standard (and this includes many Christians who do not), this world would surely see the change that it desperately needs.
"There's never a wish, better than this...when you've only got a hundred years to live."
Today is my 24th birthday, and that number is not highlighted in that hit single. Nor is it highlighted in Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink." But when I think about the age I'm at, I kind of realize that in the grand scheme of things, "24" is not an exciting age. It is not a milestone of any kind. In fact, if you look at the upcoming milestones in my life - 25, 30, 40, etc. - they are just numerical proofs that time flies by, and that none of us are getting any younger.
I look at the changes in my life since I turned 23, and I realized that I am a blessed man. Let's rewind, shall we?
I was hired to finally teach full-time with benefits at a private, Catholic school to teach Social Studies (my kind of shindig). In November, I proposed to my high school sweetheart. In January, I found out that I was going to be an uncle. A little later on, I found out that she was going to be a girl. Sprinkle in a lot of other events, and this could equate to a very eventful year. However, like all things, these events have quickly become a part of my past.
This upcoming year, I WILL be married. This upcoming year, I WILL be an uncle. This upcoming year, I WILL lose hair (all right, this last was happening already, anyways). In the grand scheme of things, I am a limited creature. And although I am heading into my "prime", I guess, I realize more what those limitations are.
While it could be depressing to some that they are getting older (after all, I'm going to be a quarter-century old next year!), I see it as a reminder that I have been given these years as a gift.
I never am really all that excited for my birthdays. I am not really a "party" kind of guy. I prefer staying in, watching a ball game, or hanging with friends in a very relaxed setting. But the other day, a spark of excitement emerged within me.
Yes, I'm 24. And immediately, the only positive thing I can think of about "24" is that it was one of my favorite TV shows back when it was on the air. I'm more excited because it reminds me more about who God is, rather than who I am. In the long run, my story doesn't mean much if I don't pay attention to History...His Story.
On this day, my 24th birthday, I am fortunate that I try not keep the focus on myself. I find that I only get in emotional or spiritual trouble when I do focus on Yours Truly. My focus is on the One who made this all possible. My focus is on the One who led me home. My focus is on the One who has guided my steps since that time. My focus is on the One who lets me back in whenever I fall away.
My birthday wish this year? I wish that everyone would feel that way at one point in their lives; that everyone would establish that relationship. It is that relationship that has formed the standard in my other relationships. If everyone held that as the standard (and this includes many Christians who do not), this world would surely see the change that it desperately needs.
"There's never a wish, better than this...when you've only got a hundred years to live."
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Archbishop Dolan
The link below is to a great piece that aired a couple months ago about New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Although I may not agree with him on a minor issue or two, I think his personality is what the Catholic Church in the United States needs.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360248n
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360248n
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Reverend Billy Graham on Pope John Paul II
"When future historians look back on the most influential personalities of the 20th century, the name of Pope John Paul II will unquestionably loom large in their accounts. Few individuals have had a greater impact - not just religiously but socially and morally - on the modern world. He will stand as the most influential moral voice of our time.
"I first became acquainted with the name of this remarkable man when I visited Poland in 1978. At the time, he was known as Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, and he had invited me to have tea with him and to preach in his home church, St. Anne's in Krakow. As it turned out, however, we did not meet; he had been called away to Rome to participate in the election of a new pope following the unexpected death of John Paul I. To everyone's surprise - including his, I'm sure - Karol Wojtyla was elected pope, taking the name of John Paul II. When my plane from Poland landed in New York, after his election had been announced, I was interviewed by the media. They had scores of questions to ask because they knew I had just finished a preaching series in Poland that included several Catholic cathedrals. I remember one incident on Good Morning America when David Hartman asked me how to pronounce his name. When I told him, he slapped his knee and said that he might be the only reporter in New York who knew how to pronounce the name.
"After that, John Paul welcomed me several times at the Vatican, and although we came from different backgrounds, we developed a warm friendship with each other. His courageous stands for morality and faith in an age of rampant secularism, as well as his compassion for all who suffer and his strong commitment to social justice, won him the respect not only of his fellow Roman Catholics but of anyone concerned about the moral and spiritual confusion of our time. His call for young people to renounce the false paths that our modern world beckons and to commit their lives to Christ and His will struck a responsive chord in the hearts of millions.
"As the world faces the challenges of the new millennium, may Christ's call to repentance and faith be heard with ever greater clarity by each of us."
- The Reverend Billy Graham
"I first became acquainted with the name of this remarkable man when I visited Poland in 1978. At the time, he was known as Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, and he had invited me to have tea with him and to preach in his home church, St. Anne's in Krakow. As it turned out, however, we did not meet; he had been called away to Rome to participate in the election of a new pope following the unexpected death of John Paul I. To everyone's surprise - including his, I'm sure - Karol Wojtyla was elected pope, taking the name of John Paul II. When my plane from Poland landed in New York, after his election had been announced, I was interviewed by the media. They had scores of questions to ask because they knew I had just finished a preaching series in Poland that included several Catholic cathedrals. I remember one incident on Good Morning America when David Hartman asked me how to pronounce his name. When I told him, he slapped his knee and said that he might be the only reporter in New York who knew how to pronounce the name.
"After that, John Paul welcomed me several times at the Vatican, and although we came from different backgrounds, we developed a warm friendship with each other. His courageous stands for morality and faith in an age of rampant secularism, as well as his compassion for all who suffer and his strong commitment to social justice, won him the respect not only of his fellow Roman Catholics but of anyone concerned about the moral and spiritual confusion of our time. His call for young people to renounce the false paths that our modern world beckons and to commit their lives to Christ and His will struck a responsive chord in the hearts of millions.
"As the world faces the challenges of the new millennium, may Christ's call to repentance and faith be heard with ever greater clarity by each of us."
- The Reverend Billy Graham
Friday, April 22, 2011
Turning Nothing into Something Beautiful
Hello all!
Today is Good Friday, and even though I know why it is called "Good Friday," it is still hard for me to call the day by its name without cringing a bit. Just think about it:
Was it good that Jesus was betrayed for money?
Was it good that Jesus was mocked and ridiculed?
Was it good that Jesus was abandoned?
Was it good that Jesus was whipped, flogged, and scourged?
Was it good that a notorious criminal (Barabbas) was preferred by the people over the Lord of Lords?
Was it good that the same Jesus who was greeted with palms and with shouts of "Hosanna" would hear "Crucify him" by those same people less than a week later?
Was it good that Jesus was convicted to die like a criminal?
Was it good that Jesus was forced to carry a heavy wooden cross through most of Jerusalem and up a mountain?
Was it good that Jesus' hands were nailed to that same cross?
How about his feet?
Was it good that Jesus was still being mocked even while hanging on that cross?
Was it good that Jesus was suffering all this while his Mother watched?
Was it good that Jesus was hanging next to two men who deserved their punishment?
Was it good that Jesus felt forsaken?
Was it good that Jesus' last thought before passing was for us, His church, rather than on His own suffering?
Was it good that Jesus, even after death, had his side pierced by a Roman soldier?
The answer to all of these questions is "yes." Although most of those things sound horrible, for us - it was a Good Friday. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice. He turned Himself in for a punishment that all of us deserve. The only person in the History of Earth who did not deserve all of this is the only person in the History of Earth who endured all of this. It is a "Good" Friday because it is a pre-cursor to the most important day of all: Easter. This weekend, we first reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made. And then, the conquest he made over death and sin. Through Him, we can make that conquest.
I've heard a lot about people taking today off because today is supposedly a day where you are supposed to "do nothing." That is not the case. We are not to do needless work, but there is something we must do. We must reflect. We must pray. We must reconvert ourselves to Jesus.
As St. Augustine once said: "He once was fixed to the Cross in every part of His body for you, may He now be fixed in every part of your soul." He also said: "I meditate upon the price of my redemption."
Let us meditate today. Rather than doing nothing, let us turn that day of "doing nothing" into a day where we do something beautiful.
Love you all.
Today is Good Friday, and even though I know why it is called "Good Friday," it is still hard for me to call the day by its name without cringing a bit. Just think about it:
Was it good that Jesus was betrayed for money?
Was it good that Jesus was mocked and ridiculed?
Was it good that Jesus was abandoned?
Was it good that Jesus was whipped, flogged, and scourged?
Was it good that a notorious criminal (Barabbas) was preferred by the people over the Lord of Lords?
Was it good that the same Jesus who was greeted with palms and with shouts of "Hosanna" would hear "Crucify him" by those same people less than a week later?
Was it good that Jesus was convicted to die like a criminal?
Was it good that Jesus was forced to carry a heavy wooden cross through most of Jerusalem and up a mountain?
Was it good that Jesus' hands were nailed to that same cross?
How about his feet?
Was it good that Jesus was still being mocked even while hanging on that cross?
Was it good that Jesus was suffering all this while his Mother watched?
Was it good that Jesus was hanging next to two men who deserved their punishment?
Was it good that Jesus felt forsaken?
Was it good that Jesus' last thought before passing was for us, His church, rather than on His own suffering?
Was it good that Jesus, even after death, had his side pierced by a Roman soldier?
The answer to all of these questions is "yes." Although most of those things sound horrible, for us - it was a Good Friday. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice. He turned Himself in for a punishment that all of us deserve. The only person in the History of Earth who did not deserve all of this is the only person in the History of Earth who endured all of this. It is a "Good" Friday because it is a pre-cursor to the most important day of all: Easter. This weekend, we first reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made. And then, the conquest he made over death and sin. Through Him, we can make that conquest.
I've heard a lot about people taking today off because today is supposedly a day where you are supposed to "do nothing." That is not the case. We are not to do needless work, but there is something we must do. We must reflect. We must pray. We must reconvert ourselves to Jesus.
As St. Augustine once said: "He once was fixed to the Cross in every part of His body for you, may He now be fixed in every part of your soul." He also said: "I meditate upon the price of my redemption."
Let us meditate today. Rather than doing nothing, let us turn that day of "doing nothing" into a day where we do something beautiful.
Love you all.
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Wisdom of Jason Boyett
Earlier today, my good friend Steven Cates posted a tweet that linked to the following article by blogger Jason Boyett. I have never heard of this gentlemen until Steve posted. Boyett instantly captivated me with his insight into yet another demagogic denominational attack. I believe that this is a fellow "crusader" (I know probably not a good term in a blog about Christians) in the fight for Christian ecumenism, a cause that I hold dear to my heart. The article can be found at the link posted below, or you can just scroll down and read. Enjoy!
http://blog.beliefnet.com/omeoflittlefaith/2011/02/thoughts-rob-bell.html
---------------------
Thoughts About Rob Bell, John Piper, and Justin Taylor - O Me of Little Faith
I'm not sure what Rob Bell was doing on Saturday, but I wonder how long it took for him to realize that he had blown up the Internet. At least, the Christian twitterverse and blogosphere.
Bell, the pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids and the author of Velvet Elvis and Sex God, has a fascinating new book releasing in March -- at least, the title is fascinating. It's called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.
From the publisher's copy about the book:
In Love Wins: Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, Bell addresses one of the most controversial issues of faith--the afterlife--arguing that a loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering. With searing insight, Bell puts hell on trial, and his message is decidedly optimistic--eternal life doesn't start when we die; it starts right now. And ultimately, Love Wins.
Sound controversial? It is. It's supposed to be. And we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but on Saturday influential blogger Justin Taylor (who's also in the publishing business as vice president of editorial at Crossway) decided to judge the book based on its cover description. Citing that and a short video provided by the publisher, Taylor outed Bell as a universalist.
While he admitted that he hadn't read the book yet (!), he felt OK making this statement about Bell:
It is unspeakably sad when those called to be ministers of the Word distort the gospel and deceive the people of God with false doctrine.
And this one, too, in an explanatory follow-up statement:
If Bell is teaching that hell is empty and that you can reject Jesus and still be saved, he is opposing the gospel and the biblical teaching of Jesus Christ. You may think that's judgmental to say that; I think it's being faithful. I would encourage a careful study of 1 Timothy to see what Paul says about false teaching and teachers.
As of this morning, Taylor's post has more than 20,000 Facebook recommendations and 1,000 comments. But that's not all. Highly respected author and pastor John Piper read Taylor's post and recommended it to his Twitter followers with a link and this simple line:
Farewell, Rob Bell.
Piper's tweet got retweeted and passed along and pretty soon, #robbell was in Saturday's top 10 trending topics, which is usually reserved for Middle East unrest, dead celebrities, and Justin Biebers.
{Audible sigh.}
Thoughts:
1. This is why people hate us. There is no meaner, more hateful person on Earth than a Christian who suspects you have gotten your theology wrong. Labeling that mean-ness as "being faithful" to the Gospel doesn't make it less hateful. While Taylor's post was fairly calm, the response to it by his readers was not. Bell got skewered in the comments, on twitter, and in other blog posts.
2. Really, John Piper? Your Reformed followers can be obnoxious at times, but I've always hoped you were above that. Sometimes you say things that make me roll my eyes. Most of the time, though, you're way more gracious than your fans. But "farewell, Rob Bell"? What a disappointingly smug, arrogant tweet. It's worth pointing out what Scot McKnight told Christianity Today about the matter: "The way to disagree with someone of Rob Bell's influence is not a tweet of dismissal but a private letter or a phone call. Flippancy should have no part in judging a Christian leader's theology, character or status."
3. Unlike some, I'm not going to fault Taylor for pre-judging Bell's book. I've ranted about books I haven't read, too. In fact, publishers' copy and marketing materials are designed exactly for that purpose: they are supposed to give you an idea of a book's contents so that you'll be intrigued and buy it.
4. I kind of wish Justin Taylor had gotten a copy of my latest book and called me names in a blog post.
5. But here's where Taylor's and Piper's responses annoy and frustrate me: They are so absolutely certain that they are right. Because Rob Bell seems to be indicating that hell might not be a place of eternal suffering -- or might not exist at all in the way traditional Christianity thinks of it -- then they say he is flat-out wrong. Dangerously wrong. False-doctrine wrong. Opposing-the-Gospel wrong. But you know what? The Bible is really squishy on the subject of hell. The everlasting-torment hell of Dante and Jonathan Edwards doesn't exist at all in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus talks about hell a lot, but sometimes in ways that a reasonable person could interpret metaphorically (like when he calls it Gehenna, after a real-life burning trash heap outside Jerusalem). And for centuries, some Christians have tried to make the case that, when Paul says Christ died for all, he really meant it. Not some. All.
No, universalism isn't an orthodox Christian position. Hell is. But are we not willing to admit that, maybe, over the years, we could have gotten something wrong? Is it so wrong to maybe hope that everyone gets saved? That hell doesn't exist? Because I totally hope that to be the case.
The truth is this: In order to be an everyone-get-saved Universalist, as Taylor claims Bell to be, you have to elevate some biblical passages and ignore (or explain away) others. Because there are definitely some passages that seem to be about eternal punishment in hell.
But...
In order to be a predestination-style, God-saves-the-elect reformed Christian -- like Taylor and Piper -- you have to elevate some biblical passages and ignore (or explain away) others. Because there are definitely some passages that seem to contradict predestination.
But...
In order to be a free-will Arminian Christian, you have to elevate some biblical passages and ignore (or explain away) others. Because there are definitely some passages that seem to confirm predestination.
See where this is going?
In order to be an Evangelical Christian...
In order to be a Roman Catholic Christian...
In order to be a Pentecostal Christian, a cessationist, an End-Times date-setter, a female pastor, a pacifist Christian...
Reading and understanding the Bible involves lots and lots of interpretation. Not just in light of the world and culture around us, but in reference to other parts of the Bible. At best, there are things that are unclear and not easily harmonized from Genesis to Revelation. At worst, there are things that seem to be downright contradictory. That's why I have doubts. That's why theology can be so controversial.
And that's also why theology is best done with humility and a recognition that certainty is very hard to come by. When we become so certain that our theology is ironclad and right, that's when we become smug, arrogant, and dismissive of people who disagree with us. That's when we do things like tweet that a thoughtful, hopeful, influential Christian like Rob Bell is dead to us.
Because that's what "Farewell, Rob Bell" means, isn't it? You're dead to me. What I believe is right. If you oppose it, then I'm done with you.
At least that's how I read it. Please tell me I'm wrong.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/omeoflittlefaith/2011/02/thoughts-rob-bell.html
---------------------
Thoughts About Rob Bell, John Piper, and Justin Taylor - O Me of Little Faith
I'm not sure what Rob Bell was doing on Saturday, but I wonder how long it took for him to realize that he had blown up the Internet. At least, the Christian twitterverse and blogosphere.
Bell, the pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids and the author of Velvet Elvis and Sex God, has a fascinating new book releasing in March -- at least, the title is fascinating. It's called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.
From the publisher's copy about the book:
In Love Wins: Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, Bell addresses one of the most controversial issues of faith--the afterlife--arguing that a loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering. With searing insight, Bell puts hell on trial, and his message is decidedly optimistic--eternal life doesn't start when we die; it starts right now. And ultimately, Love Wins.
Sound controversial? It is. It's supposed to be. And we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but on Saturday influential blogger Justin Taylor (who's also in the publishing business as vice president of editorial at Crossway) decided to judge the book based on its cover description. Citing that and a short video provided by the publisher, Taylor outed Bell as a universalist.
While he admitted that he hadn't read the book yet (!), he felt OK making this statement about Bell:
It is unspeakably sad when those called to be ministers of the Word distort the gospel and deceive the people of God with false doctrine.
And this one, too, in an explanatory follow-up statement:
If Bell is teaching that hell is empty and that you can reject Jesus and still be saved, he is opposing the gospel and the biblical teaching of Jesus Christ. You may think that's judgmental to say that; I think it's being faithful. I would encourage a careful study of 1 Timothy to see what Paul says about false teaching and teachers.
As of this morning, Taylor's post has more than 20,000 Facebook recommendations and 1,000 comments. But that's not all. Highly respected author and pastor John Piper read Taylor's post and recommended it to his Twitter followers with a link and this simple line:
Farewell, Rob Bell.
Piper's tweet got retweeted and passed along and pretty soon, #robbell was in Saturday's top 10 trending topics, which is usually reserved for Middle East unrest, dead celebrities, and Justin Biebers.
{Audible sigh.}
Thoughts:
1. This is why people hate us. There is no meaner, more hateful person on Earth than a Christian who suspects you have gotten your theology wrong. Labeling that mean-ness as "being faithful" to the Gospel doesn't make it less hateful. While Taylor's post was fairly calm, the response to it by his readers was not. Bell got skewered in the comments, on twitter, and in other blog posts.
2. Really, John Piper? Your Reformed followers can be obnoxious at times, but I've always hoped you were above that. Sometimes you say things that make me roll my eyes. Most of the time, though, you're way more gracious than your fans. But "farewell, Rob Bell"? What a disappointingly smug, arrogant tweet. It's worth pointing out what Scot McKnight told Christianity Today about the matter: "The way to disagree with someone of Rob Bell's influence is not a tweet of dismissal but a private letter or a phone call. Flippancy should have no part in judging a Christian leader's theology, character or status."
3. Unlike some, I'm not going to fault Taylor for pre-judging Bell's book. I've ranted about books I haven't read, too. In fact, publishers' copy and marketing materials are designed exactly for that purpose: they are supposed to give you an idea of a book's contents so that you'll be intrigued and buy it.
4. I kind of wish Justin Taylor had gotten a copy of my latest book and called me names in a blog post.
5. But here's where Taylor's and Piper's responses annoy and frustrate me: They are so absolutely certain that they are right. Because Rob Bell seems to be indicating that hell might not be a place of eternal suffering -- or might not exist at all in the way traditional Christianity thinks of it -- then they say he is flat-out wrong. Dangerously wrong. False-doctrine wrong. Opposing-the-Gospel wrong. But you know what? The Bible is really squishy on the subject of hell. The everlasting-torment hell of Dante and Jonathan Edwards doesn't exist at all in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus talks about hell a lot, but sometimes in ways that a reasonable person could interpret metaphorically (like when he calls it Gehenna, after a real-life burning trash heap outside Jerusalem). And for centuries, some Christians have tried to make the case that, when Paul says Christ died for all, he really meant it. Not some. All.
No, universalism isn't an orthodox Christian position. Hell is. But are we not willing to admit that, maybe, over the years, we could have gotten something wrong? Is it so wrong to maybe hope that everyone gets saved? That hell doesn't exist? Because I totally hope that to be the case.
The truth is this: In order to be an everyone-get-saved Universalist, as Taylor claims Bell to be, you have to elevate some biblical passages and ignore (or explain away) others. Because there are definitely some passages that seem to be about eternal punishment in hell.
But...
In order to be a predestination-style, God-saves-the-elect reformed Christian -- like Taylor and Piper -- you have to elevate some biblical passages and ignore (or explain away) others. Because there are definitely some passages that seem to contradict predestination.
But...
In order to be a free-will Arminian Christian, you have to elevate some biblical passages and ignore (or explain away) others. Because there are definitely some passages that seem to confirm predestination.
See where this is going?
In order to be an Evangelical Christian...
In order to be a Roman Catholic Christian...
In order to be a Pentecostal Christian, a cessationist, an End-Times date-setter, a female pastor, a pacifist Christian...
Reading and understanding the Bible involves lots and lots of interpretation. Not just in light of the world and culture around us, but in reference to other parts of the Bible. At best, there are things that are unclear and not easily harmonized from Genesis to Revelation. At worst, there are things that seem to be downright contradictory. That's why I have doubts. That's why theology can be so controversial.
And that's also why theology is best done with humility and a recognition that certainty is very hard to come by. When we become so certain that our theology is ironclad and right, that's when we become smug, arrogant, and dismissive of people who disagree with us. That's when we do things like tweet that a thoughtful, hopeful, influential Christian like Rob Bell is dead to us.
Because that's what "Farewell, Rob Bell" means, isn't it? You're dead to me. What I believe is right. If you oppose it, then I'm done with you.
At least that's how I read it. Please tell me I'm wrong.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Why a Frugal Man Gives
For those of you who know me really well, you know that I am a bit stingy with my money. Some people call me a cheapskate. I, however, prefer the term "frugal" or "careful." Anyways, the one area in my life where I don't feel obliged to be careful is with my giving.
Note: I am in NO way trying to flaunt myself and my giving. This blog has a different point which you should get as you read.
Unless religious news (or news in general) is of no interest of you, you may know that the Roman Catholic Church is undergoing various scandals at this point in its history (pedophile priests, the lack of charisma within the faithful, former priests who seem desperate to regain former popularity). Because of these scandals and other reasons, a handful of people have asked me why I continue to give to a church of that is filled with hypocrites and sinners.
Why not? There is no question that I should give. How can I call myself a faithful Christian if I do not give? It is said that your heart is where your treasure is stored. If I spend my money on the latest gadgets, that means I have subjected myself to a Technological God. If I save each and every penny I earn, I make money itself my God. However, if I give my money as an act of worship to God, then I am serving the Lord as my God.
So, that's all fine and dandy, but the question still remains - why give to the Roman Catholic Church? The fact of the matter is, if I wait for a pure, sinless, completely righteous organization or group of people to give to give to, I will be waiting until I end up in the grave. The fact that the Church is full of sin proves that it is the church of Christ. Christ came to call sinners, not the self-righteous. Any church that points fingers to a sister church within Christianity without finding faults within itself has simply proven that it is not a Church of Christians.
As this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity commences, I pray that all the denominations of Christianity can stop pointing fingers and stop pretending to be the sole "temple of truth" if you may. Let us stop the bitter name-calling and the division that we force by resorting to senseless attacks based on external doctrinal details. Instead, let us unite with what we share - faith that Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
Note: I am in NO way trying to flaunt myself and my giving. This blog has a different point which you should get as you read.
Unless religious news (or news in general) is of no interest of you, you may know that the Roman Catholic Church is undergoing various scandals at this point in its history (pedophile priests, the lack of charisma within the faithful, former priests who seem desperate to regain former popularity). Because of these scandals and other reasons, a handful of people have asked me why I continue to give to a church of that is filled with hypocrites and sinners.
Why not? There is no question that I should give. How can I call myself a faithful Christian if I do not give? It is said that your heart is where your treasure is stored. If I spend my money on the latest gadgets, that means I have subjected myself to a Technological God. If I save each and every penny I earn, I make money itself my God. However, if I give my money as an act of worship to God, then I am serving the Lord as my God.
So, that's all fine and dandy, but the question still remains - why give to the Roman Catholic Church? The fact of the matter is, if I wait for a pure, sinless, completely righteous organization or group of people to give to give to, I will be waiting until I end up in the grave. The fact that the Church is full of sin proves that it is the church of Christ. Christ came to call sinners, not the self-righteous. Any church that points fingers to a sister church within Christianity without finding faults within itself has simply proven that it is not a Church of Christians.
As this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity commences, I pray that all the denominations of Christianity can stop pointing fingers and stop pretending to be the sole "temple of truth" if you may. Let us stop the bitter name-calling and the division that we force by resorting to senseless attacks based on external doctrinal details. Instead, let us unite with what we share - faith that Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Catholics and Evangelicals Together: "Conclusion"
The following is the final excerpt of a powerful document (in my opinion). In the early 1990s, Evangelical Protestant and Catholic Christian leaders came together to sign this ecumenical document in order to start the third millennium on the right foot. They believed that the Christian mission to make disciples of all nations could only be accomplished if all Christians, no matter the denomination they belonged to, would put those minor differences aside and unite on the most important doctrine of their faith - that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because of its length, I have broken it down to seven parts. The following is the seventh section of that document:
----------
Nearly two thousand years after it began, and nearly five hundred years after the divisions of the Reformation era, the Christian mission to the world is vibrantly alive and assertive. We do not know, we cannot know, what the Lord of history has in store for the Third Millennium. It may be the springtime of world missions and great Christian expansion. It may be the way of the cross marked by persecution and apparent marginalization. In different places and times, it will likely be both. Or it may be that Our Lord will return tomorrow. We do know that his promise is sure, that we are enlisted for the duration, and that we are in this together. We do know that we must affirm and hope and search and contend and witness together, for we belong not to ourselves but to him who has purchased us by the blood of the cross. We do know that this is a time of opportunity-and, if of opportunity, then of responsibility-for Evangelicals and Catholics to be Christians together in a way that helps prepare the world for the coming of him to whom belongs the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
--------
To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
----------
Nearly two thousand years after it began, and nearly five hundred years after the divisions of the Reformation era, the Christian mission to the world is vibrantly alive and assertive. We do not know, we cannot know, what the Lord of history has in store for the Third Millennium. It may be the springtime of world missions and great Christian expansion. It may be the way of the cross marked by persecution and apparent marginalization. In different places and times, it will likely be both. Or it may be that Our Lord will return tomorrow. We do know that his promise is sure, that we are enlisted for the duration, and that we are in this together. We do know that we must affirm and hope and search and contend and witness together, for we belong not to ourselves but to him who has purchased us by the blood of the cross. We do know that this is a time of opportunity-and, if of opportunity, then of responsibility-for Evangelicals and Catholics to be Christians together in a way that helps prepare the world for the coming of him to whom belongs the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
--------
To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
Friday, January 14, 2011
Catholics and Evangelicals Together: "We Witness Together"
The following is the sixth excerpt of a powerful document (in my opinion). In the early 1990s, Evangelical Protestant and Catholic Christian leaders came together to sign this ecumenical document in order to start the third millennium on the right foot. They believed that the Christian mission to make disciples of all nations could only be accomplished if all Christians, no matter the denomination they belonged to, would put those minor differences aside and unite on the most important doctrine of their faith - that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because of its length, I have broken it down to seven parts. The following is the sixth section of that document:
-------------
The question of Christian witness unavoidably returns us to points of serious tension between Evangelicals and Catholics. Bearing witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ and his will for our lives is an integral part of Christian discipleship. The achievement of good will and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics must not be at the price of the urgency and clarity of Christian witness to the Gospel. At the same time, and as noted earlier, Our Lord has made clear that the evidence of love among his disciples is an integral part of that Christian witness. Today, in this country and elsewhere, Evangelicals and Catholics attempt to win "converts" from one another's folds. In some ways, this is perfectly understandable and perhaps inevitable. In many instances, however, such efforts at recruitment undermine the Christian mission by which we are bound by God's Word and to which we have recommitted ourselves in this statement. It should be clearly understood between Catholics and Evangelicals that Christian witness is of necessity aimed at conversion. Authentic conversion is-in its beginning, in its end, and all along the way-conversion to God in Christ by the power of the Spirit. In this connection, we embrace as our own the explanation of the Baptist-Roman Catholic International Conversation (1988):
Conversion is turning away from all that is opposed to God, contrary to Christ's teaching, and turning to God, to Christ, the Son, through the work of the Holy Spirit. It entails a turning from the self-centeredness of sin to faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. Conversion is a passing from one way of life to another new one, marked with the newness of Christ. It is a continuing process so that the whole life of a Christian should be a passage from death to life, from error to truth, from sin to grace. Our life in Christ demands continual growth in God's grace. Conversion is personal but not private. Individuals respond in faith to God's call but faith comes from hearing the proclamation of the word of God and is to be expressed in the life together in Christ that is the Church.
By preaching, teaching, and life example, Christians witness to Christians and non-Christians alike. We seek and pray for the conversion of others, even as we recognize our own continuing need to be fully converted. As we strive to make Christian faith and life-our own and that of others-ever more intentional rather than nominal, ever more committed rather than apathetic, we also recognize the different forms that authentic discipleship can take. As is evident in the two thousand year history of the church, and in our contemporary experience, there are different ways of being Christian, and some of these ways are distinctively marked by communal patterns of worship, piety, and catechesis. That we are all to be one does not mean that we are all to be identical in our way of following the one Christ. Such distinctive patterns of discipleship, it should be noted, are amply evident within the communion of the Catholic Church as well as within the many worlds of Evangelical Protestantism. It is understandable that Christians who bear witness to the Gospel try to persuade others that their communities and traditions are more fully in accord with the Gospel. There is a necessary distinction between evangelizing and what is today commonly called proselytizing or "sheep stealing." We condemn the practice of recruiting people from another community for purposes of denominational or institutional aggrandizement. At the same time, our commitment to full religious freedom compels us to defend the legal freedom to proselytize even as we call upon Christians to refrain from such activity.
Three observations are in order in connection with proselytizing. First, as much as we might believe one community is more fully in accord with the Gospel than another, we as Evangelicals and Catholics affirm that opportunity and means for growth in Christian discipleship are available in our several communities. Second, the decision of the committed Christian with respect to his communal allegiance and participation must be assiduously respected. Third, in view of the large number of non- Christians in the world and the enormous challenge of our common evangelistic task, it is neither theologically legitimate nor a prudent use of resources for one Christian community to proselytize among active adherents of another Christian community. Christian witness must always be made in a spirit of love and humility. It must not deny but must readily accord to everyone the full freedom to discern and decide what is God's will for his life.
Witness that is in service to the truth is in service to such freedom. Any form of coercion-physical, psychological, legal, economic-corrupts Christian witness and is to be unqualifiedly rejected. Similarly, bearing false witness against other persons and communities, or casting unjust and uncharitable suspicions upon them, is incompatible with the Gospel. Also to be rejected is the practice of comparing the strengths and ideals of one community with the weaknesses and failures of another. In describing the teaching and practices of other Christians, we must strive to do so in a way that they would recognize as fair and accurate. In considering the many corruptions of Christian witness, we, Evangelicals and Catholics, confess that we have sinned against one another and against God. We most earnestly ask the forgiveness of God and one another, and pray for the grace to amend our own lives and that of our communities. Repentance and amendment of life do not dissolve remaining differences between us. In the context of evangelization and "reevangelization," we encounter a major difference in our understanding of the relationship between baptism and the new birth in Christ. For Catholics, all who are validly baptized are born again and are truly, however imperfectly, in communion with Christ. That baptismal grace is to be continuingly reawakened and revivified through conversion. For most Evangelicals, but not all, the experience of conversion is to be followed by baptism as a sign of new birth. For Catholics, all the baptized are already members of the church, however dormant their faith and life; for many Evangelicals, the new birth requires baptismal initiation into the community of the born again. These differing beliefs about the relationship between baptism, new birth, and membership in the church should be honestly presented to the Christian who has undergone conversion. But again, his decision regarding communal allegiance and participation must be assiduously respected.
There are, then, differences between us that cannot be resolved here. But on this we are resolved: All authentic witness must be aimed at conversion to God in Christ by the power of the Spirit. Those converted- whether understood as having received the new birth for the first time or as having experienced the reawakening of the new birth originally bestowed in the sacrament of baptism-must be given full freedom and respect as they discern and decide the community in which they will live their new life in Christ. In such discernment and decision, they are ultimately responsible to God, and we dare not interfere with the exercise of that responsibility. Also in our differences and disagreements, we Evangelicals and Catholics commend one another to God "who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." (Ephesians 3) In this discussion of witnessing together we have touched on difficult and long-standing problems. The difficulties must not be permitted to overshadow the truths on which we are, by the grace of God, in firm agreement. As we grow in mutual understanding and trust, it is our hope that our efforts to evangelize will not jeopardize but will reinforce our devotion to the common tasks to which we have pledged ourselves in this statement.
-------------
To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
-------------
The question of Christian witness unavoidably returns us to points of serious tension between Evangelicals and Catholics. Bearing witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ and his will for our lives is an integral part of Christian discipleship. The achievement of good will and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics must not be at the price of the urgency and clarity of Christian witness to the Gospel. At the same time, and as noted earlier, Our Lord has made clear that the evidence of love among his disciples is an integral part of that Christian witness. Today, in this country and elsewhere, Evangelicals and Catholics attempt to win "converts" from one another's folds. In some ways, this is perfectly understandable and perhaps inevitable. In many instances, however, such efforts at recruitment undermine the Christian mission by which we are bound by God's Word and to which we have recommitted ourselves in this statement. It should be clearly understood between Catholics and Evangelicals that Christian witness is of necessity aimed at conversion. Authentic conversion is-in its beginning, in its end, and all along the way-conversion to God in Christ by the power of the Spirit. In this connection, we embrace as our own the explanation of the Baptist-Roman Catholic International Conversation (1988):
Conversion is turning away from all that is opposed to God, contrary to Christ's teaching, and turning to God, to Christ, the Son, through the work of the Holy Spirit. It entails a turning from the self-centeredness of sin to faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. Conversion is a passing from one way of life to another new one, marked with the newness of Christ. It is a continuing process so that the whole life of a Christian should be a passage from death to life, from error to truth, from sin to grace. Our life in Christ demands continual growth in God's grace. Conversion is personal but not private. Individuals respond in faith to God's call but faith comes from hearing the proclamation of the word of God and is to be expressed in the life together in Christ that is the Church.
By preaching, teaching, and life example, Christians witness to Christians and non-Christians alike. We seek and pray for the conversion of others, even as we recognize our own continuing need to be fully converted. As we strive to make Christian faith and life-our own and that of others-ever more intentional rather than nominal, ever more committed rather than apathetic, we also recognize the different forms that authentic discipleship can take. As is evident in the two thousand year history of the church, and in our contemporary experience, there are different ways of being Christian, and some of these ways are distinctively marked by communal patterns of worship, piety, and catechesis. That we are all to be one does not mean that we are all to be identical in our way of following the one Christ. Such distinctive patterns of discipleship, it should be noted, are amply evident within the communion of the Catholic Church as well as within the many worlds of Evangelical Protestantism. It is understandable that Christians who bear witness to the Gospel try to persuade others that their communities and traditions are more fully in accord with the Gospel. There is a necessary distinction between evangelizing and what is today commonly called proselytizing or "sheep stealing." We condemn the practice of recruiting people from another community for purposes of denominational or institutional aggrandizement. At the same time, our commitment to full religious freedom compels us to defend the legal freedom to proselytize even as we call upon Christians to refrain from such activity.
Three observations are in order in connection with proselytizing. First, as much as we might believe one community is more fully in accord with the Gospel than another, we as Evangelicals and Catholics affirm that opportunity and means for growth in Christian discipleship are available in our several communities. Second, the decision of the committed Christian with respect to his communal allegiance and participation must be assiduously respected. Third, in view of the large number of non- Christians in the world and the enormous challenge of our common evangelistic task, it is neither theologically legitimate nor a prudent use of resources for one Christian community to proselytize among active adherents of another Christian community. Christian witness must always be made in a spirit of love and humility. It must not deny but must readily accord to everyone the full freedom to discern and decide what is God's will for his life.
Witness that is in service to the truth is in service to such freedom. Any form of coercion-physical, psychological, legal, economic-corrupts Christian witness and is to be unqualifiedly rejected. Similarly, bearing false witness against other persons and communities, or casting unjust and uncharitable suspicions upon them, is incompatible with the Gospel. Also to be rejected is the practice of comparing the strengths and ideals of one community with the weaknesses and failures of another. In describing the teaching and practices of other Christians, we must strive to do so in a way that they would recognize as fair and accurate. In considering the many corruptions of Christian witness, we, Evangelicals and Catholics, confess that we have sinned against one another and against God. We most earnestly ask the forgiveness of God and one another, and pray for the grace to amend our own lives and that of our communities. Repentance and amendment of life do not dissolve remaining differences between us. In the context of evangelization and "reevangelization," we encounter a major difference in our understanding of the relationship between baptism and the new birth in Christ. For Catholics, all who are validly baptized are born again and are truly, however imperfectly, in communion with Christ. That baptismal grace is to be continuingly reawakened and revivified through conversion. For most Evangelicals, but not all, the experience of conversion is to be followed by baptism as a sign of new birth. For Catholics, all the baptized are already members of the church, however dormant their faith and life; for many Evangelicals, the new birth requires baptismal initiation into the community of the born again. These differing beliefs about the relationship between baptism, new birth, and membership in the church should be honestly presented to the Christian who has undergone conversion. But again, his decision regarding communal allegiance and participation must be assiduously respected.
There are, then, differences between us that cannot be resolved here. But on this we are resolved: All authentic witness must be aimed at conversion to God in Christ by the power of the Spirit. Those converted- whether understood as having received the new birth for the first time or as having experienced the reawakening of the new birth originally bestowed in the sacrament of baptism-must be given full freedom and respect as they discern and decide the community in which they will live their new life in Christ. In such discernment and decision, they are ultimately responsible to God, and we dare not interfere with the exercise of that responsibility. Also in our differences and disagreements, we Evangelicals and Catholics commend one another to God "who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." (Ephesians 3) In this discussion of witnessing together we have touched on difficult and long-standing problems. The difficulties must not be permitted to overshadow the truths on which we are, by the grace of God, in firm agreement. As we grow in mutual understanding and trust, it is our hope that our efforts to evangelize will not jeopardize but will reinforce our devotion to the common tasks to which we have pledged ourselves in this statement.
-------------
To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Catholics and Evangelicals Together: "We Contend Together"
The following is the fifth excerpt of a powerful document (in my opinion). In the early 1990s, Evangelical Protestant and Catholic Christian leaders came together to sign this ecumenical document in order to start the third millennium on the right foot. They believed that the Christian mission to make disciples of all nations could only be accomplished if all Christians, no matter the denomination they belonged to, would put those minor differences aside and unite on the most important doctrine of their faith - that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because of its length, I have broken it down to seven parts. The following is the fifth section of that document:
-----------
As we are bound together by Christ and his cause, so we are bound together in contending against all that opposes Christ and his cause. We are emboldened not by illusions of easy triumph but by faith in his certain triumph. Our Lord wept over Jerusalem, and he now weeps over a world that does not know the time of its visitation. The raging of the principalities and powers may increase as the End Time nears, but the outcome of the contest is assured. The cause of Christ is the cause and mission of the church, which is, first of all, to proclaim the Good News that "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5) To proclaim this Gospel and to sustain the community of faith, worship, and discipleship that is gathered by this Gospel is the first and chief responsibility of the church. All other tasks and responsibilities of the church are derived from and directed toward the mission of the Gospel. Christians individually and the church corporately also have a responsibility for the right ordering of civil society. We embrace this task soberly; knowing the consequences of human sinfulness, we resist the utopian conceit that it is within our powers to build the Kingdom of God on earth.
We embrace this task hopefully; knowing that God has called us to love our neighbor, we seek to secure for all a greater measure of civil righteousness and justice, confident that he will crown our efforts when he rightly orders all things in the coming of his Kingdom. In the exercise of these public responsibilities there has been in recent years a growing convergence and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics. We thank God for the discovery of one another in contending for a common cause. Much more important, we thank God for the discovery of one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Our cooperation as citizens is animated by our convergence as Christians. We promise one another that we will work to deepen, build upon, and expand this pattern of convergence and cooperation.
Together we contend for the truth that politics, law, and culture must be secured by moral truth. With the Founders of the American experiment, we declare, "We hold these truths." With them, we hold that this constitutional order is composed not just of rules and procedures but is most essentially a moral experiment. With them, we hold that only a virtuous people can be free and just, and that virtue is secured by religion. To propose that securing civil virtue is the purpose of religion is blasphemous. To deny that securing civil virtue is a benefit of religion is blindness. Americans are drifting away from, are often explicitly defying, the constituting truths of this experiment in ordered liberty. Influential sectors of the culture are laid waste by relativism, anti- intellectualism, and nihilism that deny the very idea of truth. Against such influences in both the elite and popular culture, we appeal to reason and religion in contending for the foundational truths of our constitutional order.
More specifically, we contend together for religious freedom. We do so for the sake of religion, but also because religious freedom is the first freedom, the source and shield of all human freedoms. In their relationship to God, persons have a dignity and responsibility that transcends, and thereby limits, the authority of the state and of every other merely human institution. Religious freedom is itself grounded in and is a product of religious faith, as is evident in the history of Baptists and others in this country. Today we rejoice together that the Roman Catholic Church-as affirmed by the Second Vatican Council and boldly exemplified in the ministry of John Paul II-is strongly committed to religious freedom and, consequently, to the defense of all human rights. Where Evangelicals and Catholics are in severe and sometimes violent conflict, such as parts of Latin America, we urge Christians to embrace and act upon the imperative of religious freedom. Religious freedom will not be respected by the state if it is not respected by Christians or, even worse, if Christians attempt to recruit the state in repressing religious freedom. In this country, too, freedom of religion cannot be taken for granted but requires constant attention. We strongly affirm the separation of church and state, and just as strongly protest the distortion of that principle to mean the separation of religion from public life. We are deeply concerned by the courts' narrowing of the protections provided by the "free exercise" provision of the First Amendment and by an obsession with "no establishment" that stifles the necessary role of religion in American life. As a consequence of such distortions, it is increasingly the case that wherever government goes religion must retreat, and government increasingly goes almost everywhere. Religion, which was privileged and foundational in our legal order, has in recent years been penalized and made marginal.
We contend together for a renewal of the constituting vision of the place of religion in the American experiment. Religion and religiously grounded moral conviction is not an alien or threatening force in our public life. For the great majority of Americans, morality is derived, however variously and confusedly, from religion. The argument, increasingly voiced in sectors of our political culture, that religion should be excluded from the public square must be recognized as an assault upon the most elementary principles of democratic governance. That argument needs to be exposed and countered by leaders, religious and other, who care about the integrity of our constitutional order. The pattern of convergence and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics is, in large part, a result of common effort to protect human life, especially the lives of the most vulnerable among us.
With the Founders, we hold that all human beings are endowed by their Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The statement that the unborn child is a human life that-barring natural misfortune or lethal intervention-will become what everyone recognizes as a human baby is not a religious assertion. It is a statement of simple biological fact. That the unborn child has a right to protection, including the protection of law, is a moral statement supported by moral reason and biblical truth. We, therefore, will persist in contending-we will not be discouraged but will multiply every effort-in order to secure the legal protection of the unborn. Our goals are: to secure due process of law for the unborn, to enact the most protective laws and public policies that are politically possible, and to reduce dramatically the incidence of abortion. We warmly commend those who have established thousands of crisis pregnancy and postnatal care centers across the country, and urge that such efforts be multiplied. As the unborn must be protected, so also must women be protected from their current rampant exploitation by the abortion industry and by fathers who refuse to accept responsibility for mothers and children. Abortion on demand, which is the current rule in America, must be recognized as a massive attack on the dignity, rights, and needs of women.
Abortion is the leading edge of an encroaching culture of death. The helpless old, the radically handicapped, and others who cannot effectively assert their rights are increasingly treated as though they have no rights. These are the powerless who are exposed to the will and whim of those who have power over them. We will do all in our power to resist proposals for euthanasia, eugenics, and population control that exploit the vulnerable, corrupt the integrity of medicine, deprave our culture, and betray the moral truths of our constitutional order.
In public education, we contend together for schools that transmit to coming generations our cultural heritage, which is inseparable from the formative influence of religion, especially Judaism and Christianity. Education for responsible citizenship and social behavior is inescapably moral education. Every effort must be made to cultivate the morality of honesty, law observance, work, caring, chastity, mutual respect between the sexes, and readiness for marriage, parenthood, and family. We reject the claim that, in any or all of these areas, "tolerance" requires the promotion of moral equivalence between the normative and the deviant. In a democratic society that recognizes that parents have the primary responsibility for the formation of their children, schools are to assist and support, not oppose and undermine, parents in the exercise of their responsibility.
We contend together for a comprehensive policy of parental choice in education. This is a moral question of simple justice. Parents are the primary educators of their children; the state and other institutions should be supportive of their exercise of that responsibility. We affirm policies that enable parents to effectively exercise their right and responsibility to choose the schooling that they consider best for their children.
We contend together against the widespread pornography in our society, along with the celebration of violence, sexual depravity, and antireligious bigotry in the entertainment media. In resisting such cultural and moral debasement, we recognize the legitimacy of boycotts and other consumer actions, and urge the enforcement of existing laws against obscenity. We reject the self-serving claim of the peddlers of depravity that this constitutes illegitimate censorship. We reject the assertion of the unimaginative that artistic creativity is to be measured by the capacity to shock or outrage. A people incapable of defending decency invites the rule of viciousness, both public and personal.
We contend for a renewed spirit of acceptance, understanding, and cooperation across lines of religion, race, ethnicity, sex, and class. We are all created in the image of God and are accountable to him. That truth is the basis of individual responsibility and equality before the law. The abandonment of that truth has resulted in a society at war with itself, pitting citizens against one another in bitter conflicts of group grievances and claims to entitlement. Justice and social amity require a redirection of public attitudes and policies so that rights are joined to duties and people are rewarded according to their character and competence. We contend for a free society, including a vibrant market economy. A free society requires a careful balancing between economics, politics, and culture. Christianity is not an ideology and therefore does not prescribe precisely how that balance is to be achieved in every circumstance. We affirm the importance of a free economy not only because it is more efficient but because it accords with a Christian understanding of human freedom. Economic freedom, while subject to grave abuse, makes possible the patterns of creativity, cooperation, and accountability that contribute to the common good.
We contend together for a renewed appreciation of Western culture. In its history and missionary reach, Christianity engages all cultures while being captive to none. We are keenly aware of, and grateful for, the role of Christianity in shaping and sustaining the Western culture of which we are part. As with all of history, that culture is marred by human sinfulness. Alone among world cultures, however, the West has cultivated an attitude of self-criticism and of eagerness to learn from other cultures. What is called multiculturalism can mean respectful attention to human differences. More commonly today, however, multiculturalism means affirming all cultures but our own. Welcoming the contributions of other cultures and being ever alert to the limitations of our own, we receive Western culture as our legacy and embrace it as our task in order to transmit it as a gift to future generations.
We contend for public policies that demonstrate renewed respect for the irreplaceable role of mediating structures in society-notably the family, churches, and myriad voluntary associations. The state is not the society, and many of the most important functions of society are best addressed in independence from the state. The role of churches in responding to a wide variety of human needs, especially among the poor and marginal, needs to be protected and strengthened. Moreover, society is not the aggregate of isolated individuals bearing rights but is composed of communities that inculcate responsibility, sustain shared memory, provide mutual aid, and nurture the habits that contribute to both personal well-being and the common good. Most basic among such communities is the community of the family. Laws and social policies should be designed with particular care for the stability and flourishing of families. While the crisis of the family in America is by no means limited to the poor or to the underclass, heightened attention must be paid those who have become, as a result of well-intended but misguided statist policies, virtual wards of the government.
Finally, we contend for a realistic and responsible understanding of America's part in world affairs. Realism and responsibility require that we avoid both the illusions of unlimited power and righteousness, on the one hand, and the timidity and selfishness of isolationism, on the other. U.S. foreign policy should reflect a concern for the defense of democracy and, wherever prudent and possible, the protection and advancement of human rights, including religious freedom. The above is a partial list of public responsibilities on which we believe there is a pattern of convergence and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics. We reject the notion that this constitutes a partisan "religious agenda" in American politics. Rather, this is a set of directions oriented to the common good and discussable on the basis of public reason. While our sense of civic responsibility is informed and motivated by Christian faith, our intention is to elevate the level of political and moral discourse in a manner that excludes no one and invites the participation of all people of good will. To that end, Evangelicals and Catholics have made an inestimable contribution in the past and, it is our hope, will contribute even more effectively in the future. We are profoundly aware that the American experiment has been, all in all, a blessing to the world and a blessing to us as Evangelical and Catholic Christians. We are determined to assume our full share of responsibility for this "one nation under God," believing it to be a nation under the judgment, mercy, and providential care of the Lord of the nations to whom alone we render unqualified allegiance.
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To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
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As we are bound together by Christ and his cause, so we are bound together in contending against all that opposes Christ and his cause. We are emboldened not by illusions of easy triumph but by faith in his certain triumph. Our Lord wept over Jerusalem, and he now weeps over a world that does not know the time of its visitation. The raging of the principalities and powers may increase as the End Time nears, but the outcome of the contest is assured. The cause of Christ is the cause and mission of the church, which is, first of all, to proclaim the Good News that "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5) To proclaim this Gospel and to sustain the community of faith, worship, and discipleship that is gathered by this Gospel is the first and chief responsibility of the church. All other tasks and responsibilities of the church are derived from and directed toward the mission of the Gospel. Christians individually and the church corporately also have a responsibility for the right ordering of civil society. We embrace this task soberly; knowing the consequences of human sinfulness, we resist the utopian conceit that it is within our powers to build the Kingdom of God on earth.
We embrace this task hopefully; knowing that God has called us to love our neighbor, we seek to secure for all a greater measure of civil righteousness and justice, confident that he will crown our efforts when he rightly orders all things in the coming of his Kingdom. In the exercise of these public responsibilities there has been in recent years a growing convergence and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics. We thank God for the discovery of one another in contending for a common cause. Much more important, we thank God for the discovery of one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Our cooperation as citizens is animated by our convergence as Christians. We promise one another that we will work to deepen, build upon, and expand this pattern of convergence and cooperation.
Together we contend for the truth that politics, law, and culture must be secured by moral truth. With the Founders of the American experiment, we declare, "We hold these truths." With them, we hold that this constitutional order is composed not just of rules and procedures but is most essentially a moral experiment. With them, we hold that only a virtuous people can be free and just, and that virtue is secured by religion. To propose that securing civil virtue is the purpose of religion is blasphemous. To deny that securing civil virtue is a benefit of religion is blindness. Americans are drifting away from, are often explicitly defying, the constituting truths of this experiment in ordered liberty. Influential sectors of the culture are laid waste by relativism, anti- intellectualism, and nihilism that deny the very idea of truth. Against such influences in both the elite and popular culture, we appeal to reason and religion in contending for the foundational truths of our constitutional order.
More specifically, we contend together for religious freedom. We do so for the sake of religion, but also because religious freedom is the first freedom, the source and shield of all human freedoms. In their relationship to God, persons have a dignity and responsibility that transcends, and thereby limits, the authority of the state and of every other merely human institution. Religious freedom is itself grounded in and is a product of religious faith, as is evident in the history of Baptists and others in this country. Today we rejoice together that the Roman Catholic Church-as affirmed by the Second Vatican Council and boldly exemplified in the ministry of John Paul II-is strongly committed to religious freedom and, consequently, to the defense of all human rights. Where Evangelicals and Catholics are in severe and sometimes violent conflict, such as parts of Latin America, we urge Christians to embrace and act upon the imperative of religious freedom. Religious freedom will not be respected by the state if it is not respected by Christians or, even worse, if Christians attempt to recruit the state in repressing religious freedom. In this country, too, freedom of religion cannot be taken for granted but requires constant attention. We strongly affirm the separation of church and state, and just as strongly protest the distortion of that principle to mean the separation of religion from public life. We are deeply concerned by the courts' narrowing of the protections provided by the "free exercise" provision of the First Amendment and by an obsession with "no establishment" that stifles the necessary role of religion in American life. As a consequence of such distortions, it is increasingly the case that wherever government goes religion must retreat, and government increasingly goes almost everywhere. Religion, which was privileged and foundational in our legal order, has in recent years been penalized and made marginal.
We contend together for a renewal of the constituting vision of the place of religion in the American experiment. Religion and religiously grounded moral conviction is not an alien or threatening force in our public life. For the great majority of Americans, morality is derived, however variously and confusedly, from religion. The argument, increasingly voiced in sectors of our political culture, that religion should be excluded from the public square must be recognized as an assault upon the most elementary principles of democratic governance. That argument needs to be exposed and countered by leaders, religious and other, who care about the integrity of our constitutional order. The pattern of convergence and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics is, in large part, a result of common effort to protect human life, especially the lives of the most vulnerable among us.
With the Founders, we hold that all human beings are endowed by their Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The statement that the unborn child is a human life that-barring natural misfortune or lethal intervention-will become what everyone recognizes as a human baby is not a religious assertion. It is a statement of simple biological fact. That the unborn child has a right to protection, including the protection of law, is a moral statement supported by moral reason and biblical truth. We, therefore, will persist in contending-we will not be discouraged but will multiply every effort-in order to secure the legal protection of the unborn. Our goals are: to secure due process of law for the unborn, to enact the most protective laws and public policies that are politically possible, and to reduce dramatically the incidence of abortion. We warmly commend those who have established thousands of crisis pregnancy and postnatal care centers across the country, and urge that such efforts be multiplied. As the unborn must be protected, so also must women be protected from their current rampant exploitation by the abortion industry and by fathers who refuse to accept responsibility for mothers and children. Abortion on demand, which is the current rule in America, must be recognized as a massive attack on the dignity, rights, and needs of women.
Abortion is the leading edge of an encroaching culture of death. The helpless old, the radically handicapped, and others who cannot effectively assert their rights are increasingly treated as though they have no rights. These are the powerless who are exposed to the will and whim of those who have power over them. We will do all in our power to resist proposals for euthanasia, eugenics, and population control that exploit the vulnerable, corrupt the integrity of medicine, deprave our culture, and betray the moral truths of our constitutional order.
In public education, we contend together for schools that transmit to coming generations our cultural heritage, which is inseparable from the formative influence of religion, especially Judaism and Christianity. Education for responsible citizenship and social behavior is inescapably moral education. Every effort must be made to cultivate the morality of honesty, law observance, work, caring, chastity, mutual respect between the sexes, and readiness for marriage, parenthood, and family. We reject the claim that, in any or all of these areas, "tolerance" requires the promotion of moral equivalence between the normative and the deviant. In a democratic society that recognizes that parents have the primary responsibility for the formation of their children, schools are to assist and support, not oppose and undermine, parents in the exercise of their responsibility.
We contend together for a comprehensive policy of parental choice in education. This is a moral question of simple justice. Parents are the primary educators of their children; the state and other institutions should be supportive of their exercise of that responsibility. We affirm policies that enable parents to effectively exercise their right and responsibility to choose the schooling that they consider best for their children.
We contend together against the widespread pornography in our society, along with the celebration of violence, sexual depravity, and antireligious bigotry in the entertainment media. In resisting such cultural and moral debasement, we recognize the legitimacy of boycotts and other consumer actions, and urge the enforcement of existing laws against obscenity. We reject the self-serving claim of the peddlers of depravity that this constitutes illegitimate censorship. We reject the assertion of the unimaginative that artistic creativity is to be measured by the capacity to shock or outrage. A people incapable of defending decency invites the rule of viciousness, both public and personal.
We contend for a renewed spirit of acceptance, understanding, and cooperation across lines of religion, race, ethnicity, sex, and class. We are all created in the image of God and are accountable to him. That truth is the basis of individual responsibility and equality before the law. The abandonment of that truth has resulted in a society at war with itself, pitting citizens against one another in bitter conflicts of group grievances and claims to entitlement. Justice and social amity require a redirection of public attitudes and policies so that rights are joined to duties and people are rewarded according to their character and competence. We contend for a free society, including a vibrant market economy. A free society requires a careful balancing between economics, politics, and culture. Christianity is not an ideology and therefore does not prescribe precisely how that balance is to be achieved in every circumstance. We affirm the importance of a free economy not only because it is more efficient but because it accords with a Christian understanding of human freedom. Economic freedom, while subject to grave abuse, makes possible the patterns of creativity, cooperation, and accountability that contribute to the common good.
We contend together for a renewed appreciation of Western culture. In its history and missionary reach, Christianity engages all cultures while being captive to none. We are keenly aware of, and grateful for, the role of Christianity in shaping and sustaining the Western culture of which we are part. As with all of history, that culture is marred by human sinfulness. Alone among world cultures, however, the West has cultivated an attitude of self-criticism and of eagerness to learn from other cultures. What is called multiculturalism can mean respectful attention to human differences. More commonly today, however, multiculturalism means affirming all cultures but our own. Welcoming the contributions of other cultures and being ever alert to the limitations of our own, we receive Western culture as our legacy and embrace it as our task in order to transmit it as a gift to future generations.
We contend for public policies that demonstrate renewed respect for the irreplaceable role of mediating structures in society-notably the family, churches, and myriad voluntary associations. The state is not the society, and many of the most important functions of society are best addressed in independence from the state. The role of churches in responding to a wide variety of human needs, especially among the poor and marginal, needs to be protected and strengthened. Moreover, society is not the aggregate of isolated individuals bearing rights but is composed of communities that inculcate responsibility, sustain shared memory, provide mutual aid, and nurture the habits that contribute to both personal well-being and the common good. Most basic among such communities is the community of the family. Laws and social policies should be designed with particular care for the stability and flourishing of families. While the crisis of the family in America is by no means limited to the poor or to the underclass, heightened attention must be paid those who have become, as a result of well-intended but misguided statist policies, virtual wards of the government.
Finally, we contend for a realistic and responsible understanding of America's part in world affairs. Realism and responsibility require that we avoid both the illusions of unlimited power and righteousness, on the one hand, and the timidity and selfishness of isolationism, on the other. U.S. foreign policy should reflect a concern for the defense of democracy and, wherever prudent and possible, the protection and advancement of human rights, including religious freedom. The above is a partial list of public responsibilities on which we believe there is a pattern of convergence and cooperation between Evangelicals and Catholics. We reject the notion that this constitutes a partisan "religious agenda" in American politics. Rather, this is a set of directions oriented to the common good and discussable on the basis of public reason. While our sense of civic responsibility is informed and motivated by Christian faith, our intention is to elevate the level of political and moral discourse in a manner that excludes no one and invites the participation of all people of good will. To that end, Evangelicals and Catholics have made an inestimable contribution in the past and, it is our hope, will contribute even more effectively in the future. We are profoundly aware that the American experiment has been, all in all, a blessing to the world and a blessing to us as Evangelical and Catholic Christians. We are determined to assume our full share of responsibility for this "one nation under God," believing it to be a nation under the judgment, mercy, and providential care of the Lord of the nations to whom alone we render unqualified allegiance.
------------
To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Catholics and Evangelicals Together: "We Search Together"
The following is the fourth excerpt of a powerful document (in my opinion). In the early 1990s, Evangelical Protestant and Catholic Christian leaders came together to sign this ecumenical document in order to start the third millennium on the right foot. They believed that the Christian mission to make disciples of all nations could only be accomplished if all Christians, no matter the denomination they belonged to, would put those minor differences aside and unite on the most important doctrine of their faith - that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because of its length, I have broken it down to seven parts. The following is the fourth section of that document:
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Together we search for a fuller and clearer understanding of God's revelation in Christ and his will for his disciples. Because of the limitations of human reason and language, which limitations are compounded by sin, we cannot understand completely the transcendent reality of God and his ways. Only in the End Time will we see face to face and know as we are known. (1 Corinthians 13) We now search together in confident reliance upon God's self-revelation in Jesus Christ, the sure testimony of Holy Scripture, and the promise of the Spirit to his church. In this search to understand the truth more fully and clearly, we need one another. We are both informed and limited by the histories of our communities and by our own experiences. Across the divides of communities and experiences, we need to challenge one another, always speaking the truth in love building up the Body. (Ephesians 4)
We do not presume to suggest that we can resolve the deep and long- standing differences between Evangelicals and Catholics. Indeed these differences may never be resolved short of the Kingdom Come. Nonetheless, we are not permitted simply to resign ourselves to differences that divide us from one another. Not all differences are authentic disagreements, nor need all disagreements divide. Differences and disagreements must be tested in disciplined and sustained conversation. In this connection we warmly commend and encourage the formal theological dialogues of recent years between Roman Catholics and Evangelicals. We note some of the differences and disagreements that must be addressed more fully and candidly in order to strengthen between us a relationship of trust in obedience to truth. Among points of difference in doctrine, worship, practice, and piety that are frequently thought to divide us are these:
The church as an integral part of the Gospel or the church as a communal consequence of the Gospel.
The church as visible communion or invisible fellowship of true believers.
The sole authority of Scripture (sola scriptura) or Scripture as authoritatively interpreted in the church.
The "soul freedom" of the individual Christian or the Magisterium (teaching authority) of the community.
The church as local congregation or universal communion.
Ministry ordered in apostolic succession or the priesthood of all believers.
Sacraments and ordinances as symbols of grace or means of grace.
The Lord's Supper as eucharistic sacrifice or memorial meal.
Remembrance of Mary and the saints or devotion to Mary and the saints.
Baptism as sacrament of regeneration or testimony to regeneration.
This account of differences is by no means complete. Nor is the disparity between positions always so sharp as to warrant the "or" in the above formulations. Moreover, among those recognized as Evangelical Protestants there are significant differences between, for example, Baptists, Pentecostals, and Calvinists on these questions. But the differences mentioned above reflect disputes that are deep and long standing. In at least some instances, they reflect authentic disagreements that have been in the past and are at present barriers to full communion between Christians. On these questions, and other questions implied by them, Evangelicals hold that the Catholic Church has gone beyond Scripture, adding teachings and practices that detract from or compromise the Gospel of God's saving grace in Christ. Catholics, in turn, hold that such teachings and practices are grounded in Scripture and belong to the fullness of God's revelation. Their rejection, Catholics say, results in a truncated and reduced understanding of the Christian reality.
Again, we cannot resolve these disputes here. We can and do affirm together that the entirety of Christian faith, life, and mission finds its source, center, and end in the crucified and risen Lord. We can and do pledge that we will continue to search together-through study, discussion, and prayer-for a better understanding of one another's convictions and a more adequate comprehension of the truth of God in Christ. We can testify now that in our searching together we have discovered what we can affirm together and what we can hope together and, therefore, how we can contend together.
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To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
-----------
Together we search for a fuller and clearer understanding of God's revelation in Christ and his will for his disciples. Because of the limitations of human reason and language, which limitations are compounded by sin, we cannot understand completely the transcendent reality of God and his ways. Only in the End Time will we see face to face and know as we are known. (1 Corinthians 13) We now search together in confident reliance upon God's self-revelation in Jesus Christ, the sure testimony of Holy Scripture, and the promise of the Spirit to his church. In this search to understand the truth more fully and clearly, we need one another. We are both informed and limited by the histories of our communities and by our own experiences. Across the divides of communities and experiences, we need to challenge one another, always speaking the truth in love building up the Body. (Ephesians 4)
We do not presume to suggest that we can resolve the deep and long- standing differences between Evangelicals and Catholics. Indeed these differences may never be resolved short of the Kingdom Come. Nonetheless, we are not permitted simply to resign ourselves to differences that divide us from one another. Not all differences are authentic disagreements, nor need all disagreements divide. Differences and disagreements must be tested in disciplined and sustained conversation. In this connection we warmly commend and encourage the formal theological dialogues of recent years between Roman Catholics and Evangelicals. We note some of the differences and disagreements that must be addressed more fully and candidly in order to strengthen between us a relationship of trust in obedience to truth. Among points of difference in doctrine, worship, practice, and piety that are frequently thought to divide us are these:
The church as an integral part of the Gospel or the church as a communal consequence of the Gospel.
The church as visible communion or invisible fellowship of true believers.
The sole authority of Scripture (sola scriptura) or Scripture as authoritatively interpreted in the church.
The "soul freedom" of the individual Christian or the Magisterium (teaching authority) of the community.
The church as local congregation or universal communion.
Ministry ordered in apostolic succession or the priesthood of all believers.
Sacraments and ordinances as symbols of grace or means of grace.
The Lord's Supper as eucharistic sacrifice or memorial meal.
Remembrance of Mary and the saints or devotion to Mary and the saints.
Baptism as sacrament of regeneration or testimony to regeneration.
This account of differences is by no means complete. Nor is the disparity between positions always so sharp as to warrant the "or" in the above formulations. Moreover, among those recognized as Evangelical Protestants there are significant differences between, for example, Baptists, Pentecostals, and Calvinists on these questions. But the differences mentioned above reflect disputes that are deep and long standing. In at least some instances, they reflect authentic disagreements that have been in the past and are at present barriers to full communion between Christians. On these questions, and other questions implied by them, Evangelicals hold that the Catholic Church has gone beyond Scripture, adding teachings and practices that detract from or compromise the Gospel of God's saving grace in Christ. Catholics, in turn, hold that such teachings and practices are grounded in Scripture and belong to the fullness of God's revelation. Their rejection, Catholics say, results in a truncated and reduced understanding of the Christian reality.
Again, we cannot resolve these disputes here. We can and do affirm together that the entirety of Christian faith, life, and mission finds its source, center, and end in the crucified and risen Lord. We can and do pledge that we will continue to search together-through study, discussion, and prayer-for a better understanding of one another's convictions and a more adequate comprehension of the truth of God in Christ. We can testify now that in our searching together we have discovered what we can affirm together and what we can hope together and, therefore, how we can contend together.
--------
To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Catholics and Evangelicals Together: "We Hope Together"
The following is the third excerpt of a powerful document (in my opinion). In the early 1990s, Evangelical Protestant and Catholic Christian leaders came together to sign this ecumenical document in order to start the third millennium on the right foot. They believed that the Christian mission to make disciples of all nations could only be accomplished if all Christians, no matter the denomination they belonged to, would put those minor differences aside and unite on the most important doctrine of their faith - that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because of its length, I have broken it down to seven parts. The following is the third section of that document:
-----------
We hope together that all people will come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This hope makes necessary the church's missionary zeal. "But how are they to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10) The church is by nature, in all places and at all times, in mission. Our missionary hope is inspired by the revealed desire of God that "all should be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2) The church lives by and for the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28) Unity and love among Christians is an integral part of our missionary witness to the Lord whom we serve. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13) If we do not love one another, we disobey his command and contradict the Gospel we declare. As Evangelicals and Catholics, we pray that our unity in the love of Christ will become ever more evident as a sign to the world of God's reconciling power. Our communal and ecclesial separations are deep and long standing. We acknowledge that we do not know the schedule nor do we know the way to the greater visible unity for which we hope. We do know that existing patterns of distrustful polemic and conflict are not the way. We do know that God who has brought us into communion with himself through Christ intends that we also be in communion with one another. We do know that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14) and as we are drawn closer to him-walking in that way, obeying that truth, living that life-we are drawn closer to one another. Whatever may be the future form of the relationship between our communities, we can, we must, and we will begin now the work required to remedy what we know to be wrong in that relationship. Such work requires trust and understanding, and trust and understanding require an assiduous attention to truth. We do not deny but clearly assert that there are disagreements between us. Misunderstandings, misrepresentations, and caricatures of one another, however, are not disagreements. These distortions must be cleared away if we are to search through our honest differences in a manner consistent with what we affirm and hope together on the basis of God's Word.
-------
To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
-----------
We hope together that all people will come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This hope makes necessary the church's missionary zeal. "But how are they to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10) The church is by nature, in all places and at all times, in mission. Our missionary hope is inspired by the revealed desire of God that "all should be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2) The church lives by and for the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28) Unity and love among Christians is an integral part of our missionary witness to the Lord whom we serve. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13) If we do not love one another, we disobey his command and contradict the Gospel we declare. As Evangelicals and Catholics, we pray that our unity in the love of Christ will become ever more evident as a sign to the world of God's reconciling power. Our communal and ecclesial separations are deep and long standing. We acknowledge that we do not know the schedule nor do we know the way to the greater visible unity for which we hope. We do know that existing patterns of distrustful polemic and conflict are not the way. We do know that God who has brought us into communion with himself through Christ intends that we also be in communion with one another. We do know that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14) and as we are drawn closer to him-walking in that way, obeying that truth, living that life-we are drawn closer to one another. Whatever may be the future form of the relationship between our communities, we can, we must, and we will begin now the work required to remedy what we know to be wrong in that relationship. Such work requires trust and understanding, and trust and understanding require an assiduous attention to truth. We do not deny but clearly assert that there are disagreements between us. Misunderstandings, misrepresentations, and caricatures of one another, however, are not disagreements. These distortions must be cleared away if we are to search through our honest differences in a manner consistent with what we affirm and hope together on the basis of God's Word.
-------
To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
Monday, January 10, 2011
Catholics and Evangelicals Together: "We Affirm Together"
The following is the second excerpt of a powerful document (in my opinion). In the early 1990s, Evangelical Protestant and Catholic Christian leaders came together to sign this ecumenical document in order to start the third millennium on the right foot. They believed that the Christian mission to make disciples of all nations could only be accomplished if all Christians, no matter the denomination they belonged to, would put those minor differences aside and unite on the most important doctrine of their faith - that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because of its length, I have broken it down to seven parts. The following is the second section of that document:
-----------
Jesus Christ is Lord. That is the first and final affirmation that Christians make about all of reality. He is the One sent by God to be Lord and Savior of all: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4) Christians are people ahead of time, those who proclaim now what will one day be acknowledged by all, that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Philippians 2) We affirm together that we are justified by grace through faith because of Christ. Living faith is active in love that is nothing less than the love of Christ, for we together say with Paul: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2)
All who accept Christ as Lord and Savior are brothers and sisters in Christ. Evangelicals and Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ. We have not chosen one another, just as we have not chosen Christ. He has chosen us, and he has chosen us to be his together. (John 15) However imperfect our communion with one another, however deep our disagreements with one another, we recognize that there is but one church of Christ. There is one church because there is one Christ and the church is his body. However difficult the way, we recognize that we are called by God to a fuller realization of our unity in the body of Christ.
The only unity to which we would give expression is unity in the truth, and the truth is this: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4) We affirm together that Christians are to teach and live in obedience to the divinely inspired Scriptures, which are the infallible Word of God. We further affirm together that Christ has promised to his church the gift of the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth in discerning and declaring the teaching of Scripture. (John 16) We recognize together that the Holy Spirit has so guided his church in the past. In, for instance, the formation of the canon of the Scriptures, and in the orthodox response to the great Christological and Trinitarian controversies of the early centuries, we confidently acknowledge the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In faithful response to the Spirit's leading, the church formulated the Apostles Creed, which we can and hereby do affirm together as an accurate statement of scriptural truth:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
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To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
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Jesus Christ is Lord. That is the first and final affirmation that Christians make about all of reality. He is the One sent by God to be Lord and Savior of all: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4) Christians are people ahead of time, those who proclaim now what will one day be acknowledged by all, that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Philippians 2) We affirm together that we are justified by grace through faith because of Christ. Living faith is active in love that is nothing less than the love of Christ, for we together say with Paul: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2)
All who accept Christ as Lord and Savior are brothers and sisters in Christ. Evangelicals and Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ. We have not chosen one another, just as we have not chosen Christ. He has chosen us, and he has chosen us to be his together. (John 15) However imperfect our communion with one another, however deep our disagreements with one another, we recognize that there is but one church of Christ. There is one church because there is one Christ and the church is his body. However difficult the way, we recognize that we are called by God to a fuller realization of our unity in the body of Christ.
The only unity to which we would give expression is unity in the truth, and the truth is this: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4) We affirm together that Christians are to teach and live in obedience to the divinely inspired Scriptures, which are the infallible Word of God. We further affirm together that Christ has promised to his church the gift of the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth in discerning and declaring the teaching of Scripture. (John 16) We recognize together that the Holy Spirit has so guided his church in the past. In, for instance, the formation of the canon of the Scriptures, and in the orthodox response to the great Christological and Trinitarian controversies of the early centuries, we confidently acknowledge the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In faithful response to the Spirit's leading, the church formulated the Apostles Creed, which we can and hereby do affirm together as an accurate statement of scriptural truth:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
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To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Evangelicals & Catholic Together: Introduction
The following is the first excerpt of a powerful document (in my opinion). In the early 1990s, Evangelical Protestant and Catholic Christian leaders came together to sign this ecumenical document in order to start the third millennium on the right foot. They believed that the Christian mission to make disciples of all nations could only be accomplished if all Christians, no matter the denomination they belonged to, would put those minor differences aside and unite on the most important doctrine of their faith - that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because of its length, I have broken it down to seven parts. The following is the introduction to that document:
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We are Evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics who have been led through prayer, study, and discussion to common convictions about Christian faith and mission. This statement cannot speak officially for our communities. It does intend to speak responsibly from our communities and to our communities. In this statement we address what we have discovered both about our unity and about our differences. We are aware that our experience reflects the distinctive circumstances and opportunities of Evangelicals and Catholics living together in North America. At the same time, we believe that what we have discovered and resolved is pertinent to the relationship between Evangelicals and Catholics in other parts of the world. We therefore commend this statement to their prayerful consideration.
As the Second Millennium draws to a close, the Christian mission in world history faces a moment of daunting opportunity and responsibility. If in the merciful and mysterious ways of God the Second Coming is delayed, we enter upon a Third Millennium that could be, in the words of John Paul II, "a springtime of world missions." (Redemptoris Missio) As Christ is one, so the Christian mission is one. That one mission can be and should be advanced in diverse ways. Legitimate diversity, however, should not be confused with existing divisions between Christians that obscure the one Christ and hinder the one mission. There is a necessary connection between the visible unity of Christians and the mission of the one Christ. We together pray for the fulfillment of the prayer of Our Lord: "May they all be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, so also may they be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me." (John 17) We together, Evangelicals and Catholics, confess our sins against the unity that Christ intends for all his disciples. The one Christ and one mission includes many other Christians, notably the Eastern Orthodox and those Protestants not commonly identified as Evangelical. All Christians are encompassed in the prayer, "May they all be one." Our present statement attends to the specific problems and opportunities in the relationship between Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants. As we near the Third Millennium, there are approximately 1.7 billion Christians in the world. About a billion of these are Catholics and more than 300 million are Evangelical Protestants. The century now drawing to a close has been the greatest century of missionary expansion in Christian history. We pray and we believe that this expansion has prepared the way for yet greater missionary endeavor in the first century of the Third Millennium.
The two communities in world Christianity that are most evangelistically assertive and most rapidly growing are Evangelicals and Catholics. In many parts of the world, the relationship between these communities is marked more by conflict than by cooperation, more by animosity than by love, more by suspicion than by trust, more by propaganda and ignorance than by respect for the truth. This is alarmingly the case in Latin America, increasingly the case in Eastern Europe, and too often the case in our own country. Without ignoring conflicts between and within other Christian communities, we address ourselves to the relationship between Evangelicals and Catholics, who constitute the growing edge of missionary expansion at present and, most likely, in the century ahead. In doing so, we hope that what we have discovered and resolved may be of help in other situations of conflict, such as that among Orthodox, Evangelicals, and Catholics in Eastern Europe. While we are gratefully aware of ongoing efforts to address tensions among these communities, the shameful reality is that, in many places around the world, the scandal of conflict between Christians obscures the scandal of the cross, thus crippling the one mission of the one Christ.
As in times past, so also today and in the future, the Christian mission, which is directed to the entire human community, must be advanced against formidable opposition. In some cultures, that mission encounters resurgent spiritualities and religions that are explicitly hostile to the claims of the Christ. Islam, which in many instances denies the freedom to witness to the Gospel, must be of increasing concern to those who care about religious freedom and the Christian mission. Mutually respectful conversation between Muslims and Christians should be encouraged in the hope that more of the world will, in the oft-repeated words of John Paul II, "open the door to Christ." At the same time, in our so-called developed societies, a widespread secularization increasingly descends into a moral, intellectual, and spiritual nihilism that denies not only the One who is the Truth but the very idea of truth itself. We enter the twenty-first century without illusions. With Paul and the Christians of the first century, we know that "we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6)
As Evangelicals and Catholics, we dare not by needless and loveless conflict between ourselves give aid and comfort to the enemies of the cause of Christ. The love of Christ compels us and we are therefore resolved to avoid such conflict between our communities and, where such conflict exists, to do what we can to reduce and eliminate it. Beyond that, we are called and we are therefore resolved to explore patterns of working and witnessing together in order to advance the one mission of Christ. Our common resolve is not based merely on a desire for harmony. We reject any appearance of harmony that is purchased at the price of truth. Our common resolve is made imperative by obedience to the truth of God revealed in the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, and by trust in the promise of the Holy Spirit's guidance until Our Lord returns in glory to judge the living and the dead. The mission that we embrace together is the necessary consequence of the faith that we affirm together.
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To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
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We are Evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics who have been led through prayer, study, and discussion to common convictions about Christian faith and mission. This statement cannot speak officially for our communities. It does intend to speak responsibly from our communities and to our communities. In this statement we address what we have discovered both about our unity and about our differences. We are aware that our experience reflects the distinctive circumstances and opportunities of Evangelicals and Catholics living together in North America. At the same time, we believe that what we have discovered and resolved is pertinent to the relationship between Evangelicals and Catholics in other parts of the world. We therefore commend this statement to their prayerful consideration.
As the Second Millennium draws to a close, the Christian mission in world history faces a moment of daunting opportunity and responsibility. If in the merciful and mysterious ways of God the Second Coming is delayed, we enter upon a Third Millennium that could be, in the words of John Paul II, "a springtime of world missions." (Redemptoris Missio) As Christ is one, so the Christian mission is one. That one mission can be and should be advanced in diverse ways. Legitimate diversity, however, should not be confused with existing divisions between Christians that obscure the one Christ and hinder the one mission. There is a necessary connection between the visible unity of Christians and the mission of the one Christ. We together pray for the fulfillment of the prayer of Our Lord: "May they all be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, so also may they be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me." (John 17) We together, Evangelicals and Catholics, confess our sins against the unity that Christ intends for all his disciples. The one Christ and one mission includes many other Christians, notably the Eastern Orthodox and those Protestants not commonly identified as Evangelical. All Christians are encompassed in the prayer, "May they all be one." Our present statement attends to the specific problems and opportunities in the relationship between Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants. As we near the Third Millennium, there are approximately 1.7 billion Christians in the world. About a billion of these are Catholics and more than 300 million are Evangelical Protestants. The century now drawing to a close has been the greatest century of missionary expansion in Christian history. We pray and we believe that this expansion has prepared the way for yet greater missionary endeavor in the first century of the Third Millennium.
The two communities in world Christianity that are most evangelistically assertive and most rapidly growing are Evangelicals and Catholics. In many parts of the world, the relationship between these communities is marked more by conflict than by cooperation, more by animosity than by love, more by suspicion than by trust, more by propaganda and ignorance than by respect for the truth. This is alarmingly the case in Latin America, increasingly the case in Eastern Europe, and too often the case in our own country. Without ignoring conflicts between and within other Christian communities, we address ourselves to the relationship between Evangelicals and Catholics, who constitute the growing edge of missionary expansion at present and, most likely, in the century ahead. In doing so, we hope that what we have discovered and resolved may be of help in other situations of conflict, such as that among Orthodox, Evangelicals, and Catholics in Eastern Europe. While we are gratefully aware of ongoing efforts to address tensions among these communities, the shameful reality is that, in many places around the world, the scandal of conflict between Christians obscures the scandal of the cross, thus crippling the one mission of the one Christ.
As in times past, so also today and in the future, the Christian mission, which is directed to the entire human community, must be advanced against formidable opposition. In some cultures, that mission encounters resurgent spiritualities and religions that are explicitly hostile to the claims of the Christ. Islam, which in many instances denies the freedom to witness to the Gospel, must be of increasing concern to those who care about religious freedom and the Christian mission. Mutually respectful conversation between Muslims and Christians should be encouraged in the hope that more of the world will, in the oft-repeated words of John Paul II, "open the door to Christ." At the same time, in our so-called developed societies, a widespread secularization increasingly descends into a moral, intellectual, and spiritual nihilism that denies not only the One who is the Truth but the very idea of truth itself. We enter the twenty-first century without illusions. With Paul and the Christians of the first century, we know that "we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6)
As Evangelicals and Catholics, we dare not by needless and loveless conflict between ourselves give aid and comfort to the enemies of the cause of Christ. The love of Christ compels us and we are therefore resolved to avoid such conflict between our communities and, where such conflict exists, to do what we can to reduce and eliminate it. Beyond that, we are called and we are therefore resolved to explore patterns of working and witnessing together in order to advance the one mission of Christ. Our common resolve is not based merely on a desire for harmony. We reject any appearance of harmony that is purchased at the price of truth. Our common resolve is made imperative by obedience to the truth of God revealed in the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, and by trust in the promise of the Holy Spirit's guidance until Our Lord returns in glory to judge the living and the dead. The mission that we embrace together is the necessary consequence of the faith that we affirm together.
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To read the entire document, you may visit this site: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
CH-CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!!!!
As 2010 draws to a close, I have started reflecting over the past year - the strides I've made and the mistakes I've made - and also began to wonder what this new year will bring. Every year for the last three, there has been a major theme that enveloped it:
2008: My brother was married to his fiance (now wife) Janet. If it wasn't for that event, however, this year would have definitely been labeled as my dark age. I was surrounded by death on many occasions as a handful of my friends and family members passed away.
2009: I graduated FIU with my B.A. in History and minor in Education. Alexandra and I also made it to our five year anniversary (which come October 2011 will be obsolete since a new anniversary will be established ;).
As for 2010, it has probably been the most exciting year in my life.
First off, there were many changed made on the job front. I was hired a local, private Catholic school to teach my favorite subjects - Government and History (including one AP United States History course and two AP United States Government courses).
Secondly, my then-girlfriend Alexandra, not only started her second internship program at a news station, but started her career in the profession that she has grown to love the last few years: broadcast journalism.
Perhaps the most important thing that occurred this year happened on November 4th. My then-girlfriend of 6 & 3/4 years accepted my proposal for marriage. This is an exciting step in my life, and while it will take personal sacrifices by both of us, she is worth the sacrifice.
2011 will be another year of change (our wedding is set for October 30th). And with that, there are a few resolutions I hope to keep. Yes, a few of them are typical:
I resolve to lose weight/get healthy/work out more.
I resolve to procrastinate less.
I resolve to be more patient.
But the resolution that I will be trying my hardest to keep is to take steps in developing my relationship with God further. At this point in time in my life, I am closer to God than I have ever been, but there is still much more to do. I am of the opinion that one cannot say he is set with God. There is always something one can improve to further develop his/her relationship with the Lord or to do his/her part in the building of God's kingdom here on earth.
So, last but not least.....
I resolve to find ways to get closer to my Lord and Savior.
2008: My brother was married to his fiance (now wife) Janet. If it wasn't for that event, however, this year would have definitely been labeled as my dark age. I was surrounded by death on many occasions as a handful of my friends and family members passed away.
2009: I graduated FIU with my B.A. in History and minor in Education. Alexandra and I also made it to our five year anniversary (which come October 2011 will be obsolete since a new anniversary will be established ;).
As for 2010, it has probably been the most exciting year in my life.
First off, there were many changed made on the job front. I was hired a local, private Catholic school to teach my favorite subjects - Government and History (including one AP United States History course and two AP United States Government courses).
Secondly, my then-girlfriend Alexandra, not only started her second internship program at a news station, but started her career in the profession that she has grown to love the last few years: broadcast journalism.
Perhaps the most important thing that occurred this year happened on November 4th. My then-girlfriend of 6 & 3/4 years accepted my proposal for marriage. This is an exciting step in my life, and while it will take personal sacrifices by both of us, she is worth the sacrifice.
2011 will be another year of change (our wedding is set for October 30th). And with that, there are a few resolutions I hope to keep. Yes, a few of them are typical:
I resolve to lose weight/get healthy/work out more.
I resolve to procrastinate less.
I resolve to be more patient.
But the resolution that I will be trying my hardest to keep is to take steps in developing my relationship with God further. At this point in time in my life, I am closer to God than I have ever been, but there is still much more to do. I am of the opinion that one cannot say he is set with God. There is always something one can improve to further develop his/her relationship with the Lord or to do his/her part in the building of God's kingdom here on earth.
So, last but not least.....
I resolve to find ways to get closer to my Lord and Savior.
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Times Are a'Changin
I'm baaaaaaack! I'm sorry for my neglectful ways, my friends. I can't believe it has been 6 months since I last posted. I'm hoping that in the coming year, I can be a bit more active in the blog front.
Bob Dylan once wrote that "The Times They Are a-Changin'." That particular line has been so true over these past six months, but seeing as I am not a big fan of way-too-long blog posts myself, I'll see if I can briefly explain to you what has been going on.
June 2010: I accepted a position at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School as a Social Studies teacher. This was a huge step in my life for many reasons:
1) Education is the profession I have wanted to be in since the middle of my
collegiate career. This is the first opportunity I have to teach an
entire schedule of classes on my own and get paid for it.
2) I am teaching AP United States History along with 12th Grade American
Government. I am also teaching one class of World History. These are the
subjects that I have been passionate about since my late elementary
school years. Now, I get to share that passion with the youth of
Southwest Miami-Dade County.
3) I am teaching at a Catholic school, and unlike other schools that I have
visited, this particular school is very committed to enhancing a faith-
based learning environment. Its motto - "First the Kingdom of God" -
explains what its mission is centered on - Christ.
I will save the details on my experience at the school for a later blog, but so far, my time there has been absolutely wonderful. Busy, hectic, and time-consuming? Yes. But wonderful nonetheless.
In August, I began work at the school and have successfully survived half the year. Not an easy task with seniors who are already coping with premature senioritis.
Now, comes the bigger change in my life. On November 4th, I proposed to my high school sweetheart Alexandra. It was a long-time coming, and I will post details about that day soon (I hope).
Times are certainly changing for me; in my opinion, they are changing for the better. Does this mean I am getting older? Certainly. However, I have never felt more fulfilled in my life.
I am marrying the woman I love and working in a career that I love, all the while serving the One whom I love and trust above all. All of these things remind me of that verse from Scripture (and being that it is Advent, I find it most appropriate):
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
Bob Dylan once wrote that "The Times They Are a-Changin'." That particular line has been so true over these past six months, but seeing as I am not a big fan of way-too-long blog posts myself, I'll see if I can briefly explain to you what has been going on.
June 2010: I accepted a position at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School as a Social Studies teacher. This was a huge step in my life for many reasons:
1) Education is the profession I have wanted to be in since the middle of my
collegiate career. This is the first opportunity I have to teach an
entire schedule of classes on my own and get paid for it.
2) I am teaching AP United States History along with 12th Grade American
Government. I am also teaching one class of World History. These are the
subjects that I have been passionate about since my late elementary
school years. Now, I get to share that passion with the youth of
Southwest Miami-Dade County.
3) I am teaching at a Catholic school, and unlike other schools that I have
visited, this particular school is very committed to enhancing a faith-
based learning environment. Its motto - "First the Kingdom of God" -
explains what its mission is centered on - Christ.
I will save the details on my experience at the school for a later blog, but so far, my time there has been absolutely wonderful. Busy, hectic, and time-consuming? Yes. But wonderful nonetheless.
In August, I began work at the school and have successfully survived half the year. Not an easy task with seniors who are already coping with premature senioritis.
Now, comes the bigger change in my life. On November 4th, I proposed to my high school sweetheart Alexandra. It was a long-time coming, and I will post details about that day soon (I hope).
Times are certainly changing for me; in my opinion, they are changing for the better. Does this mean I am getting older? Certainly. However, I have never felt more fulfilled in my life.
I am marrying the woman I love and working in a career that I love, all the while serving the One whom I love and trust above all. All of these things remind me of that verse from Scripture (and being that it is Advent, I find it most appropriate):
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Wenski Era
Well, June 1st has now arrived, and with that comes the hurricane season. But enough about that routine. Today also marks the beginning of (hopefully) a new era in the Archdiocese of Miami. If you have followed my blog in the past, you would know that I have not been a big fan of outgoing Archbishop John Favalora. Yes, I know it is not a very popular thing to say in public to the Catholic community of South Florida. However, I am not a big fan of how he handled situation regarding the now Episcopalian Reverend Alberto Cutie a year ago. I am also not a big fan of his rigorous adherence to Catholic orthodoxy.
Not that it's bad to staunchly follow the beliefs of your church if you truly believe them. Ever since I converted to Roman Catholicism from the Southern Baptist Conference a few years ago, I too can be considered to be a staunch follower of the Catholic Christian belief system.
The problem is the narrow-mindedness, or the apparent narrow-mindedness that shuts the door off to other Christians. I remember all too well how Archbishop Favalora blasted the local Episcopalian leader for accepting Fr. Cutie into their church. Wouldn't us Catholics do the same? If a popular non-Catholic preacher, be he an evangelical Southern Baptist, or a liturgical Episcopalian, wanted to leave his church, wouldn't our Church welcome him with open arms? Wouldn't we want to tell him, "our house is yours too"?
Anyways, enough about Favalora. While we can learn from history, we need to worry about what happens in the future. Thomas Wenski is the new face for that future, at least locally. I am very excited about what this installment means for our South Florida Christian community. That's right. Not just the Catholic community, but for all Christians.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I have a strong indication of what purpose God has created me for. That purpose is for ecumenism. All the life experiences I've endured, the people who I am surrounded by in an almost weekly basis, and the circumstances that I have found myself in recent years points to that one conclusion. If that changes in the future, I'm sure there will be signs for me to look out for. With Wenski's installment to replace John Favalora, the Catholic Church in Miami has a new leader who has a history of being very open to intra-Christian ecumenism. Check out this column he wrote as Bishop of the Archdiocese of Orlando.
In a nutshell, I am excited about what God has in store for our city. With all of these pieces coming together, it is so evident to me, if not to you, that God is working wonders in South Florida. All these events make it evident that the words of Chris Tomlin's popular worship song is ringing truer than ever in South Florida. Indeed "Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city..."
Let the Wenski Era begin.
Not that it's bad to staunchly follow the beliefs of your church if you truly believe them. Ever since I converted to Roman Catholicism from the Southern Baptist Conference a few years ago, I too can be considered to be a staunch follower of the Catholic Christian belief system.
The problem is the narrow-mindedness, or the apparent narrow-mindedness that shuts the door off to other Christians. I remember all too well how Archbishop Favalora blasted the local Episcopalian leader for accepting Fr. Cutie into their church. Wouldn't us Catholics do the same? If a popular non-Catholic preacher, be he an evangelical Southern Baptist, or a liturgical Episcopalian, wanted to leave his church, wouldn't our Church welcome him with open arms? Wouldn't we want to tell him, "our house is yours too"?
Anyways, enough about Favalora. While we can learn from history, we need to worry about what happens in the future. Thomas Wenski is the new face for that future, at least locally. I am very excited about what this installment means for our South Florida Christian community. That's right. Not just the Catholic community, but for all Christians.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I have a strong indication of what purpose God has created me for. That purpose is for ecumenism. All the life experiences I've endured, the people who I am surrounded by in an almost weekly basis, and the circumstances that I have found myself in recent years points to that one conclusion. If that changes in the future, I'm sure there will be signs for me to look out for. With Wenski's installment to replace John Favalora, the Catholic Church in Miami has a new leader who has a history of being very open to intra-Christian ecumenism. Check out this column he wrote as Bishop of the Archdiocese of Orlando.
In a nutshell, I am excited about what God has in store for our city. With all of these pieces coming together, it is so evident to me, if not to you, that God is working wonders in South Florida. All these events make it evident that the words of Chris Tomlin's popular worship song is ringing truer than ever in South Florida. Indeed "Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city..."
Let the Wenski Era begin.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Pastors, Sin, Confession, and the Catholics
This is an article I stumbled upon while playing around with Google. I thought it was very interesting (and I hope it is a bridge out of many to cross when it comes to interdenominational understanding).
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Pastors, Sin, Confession, and the Catholics
by Ron Forseth
General Manager, SermonCentral.com
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
(James 5:16, NIV)
One of the defining moments of my spiritual life happened in the midst of great temptation. I had struggled with a sin for quite a while, dabbled in it here and there, toying with my own spiritual life and ministry. My love for Christ was giving way to the allure of sin’s pleasure. I felt myself slipping down a slope that was far more powerful than all the strength within me. I had the keen sense that absolutely everything was at risk at that moment, my job, my marriage, my family. The point of no return seemed immediately in front of me. It was then that God in his blessed grace whispered in my ear, “Make the call.” The face of a friend and brother in the Lord was in my mind’s eye. I respected him greatly—and he respected me. I didn’t want to be vulnerable to him, to confess my struggle. But it was either pick up the phone or fall off the cliff. Thank God I made the call. It was painfully humbling—and tremendously freeing. He was so Christlike, full of grace, strength, and humility. Something happened in me that day, something very deep and powerful. Somehow, I accessed the power of God through another person like I couldn’t have done in the solitude of my own soul. It seems that’s just how God has designed things to be. He’s configured our dependence on him to be intertwined with dependence on others.
Last week, 500 church leaders graciously gave us input about their own struggles with sin. The results are valuable for all in ministry to ponder and respond to. In light of my own experience and the survey results, I felt burdened to dedicate this article to addressing pastors in their struggle with sin. (Click here to view the full results.)
Here are the summary results:
35% of the church leader respondents identified lust as the sin they struggled with most.
36% of church leaders said lust was something they often or constantly struggled with.
68% either did not have anyone they felt they could confess to, or if they did they rarely or never confessed to them.
66% expressed that discussing their struggles with sin from the pulpit would put their ministry at risk or they were unsure if it would put their ministry at risk.
Considering that a mishandling of sin puts our ministries, families, and own spiritual state at risk, how we respond to these issues may be as important as any decision we face in the ministry. There is much we can say about this subject and subsequent articles by church leaders in this newsletter will say more. But here I want to focus on one critical observation: Pastors are at far greater risk because they either do not have an outlet for confession or they rarely utilize the outlets available to them.
In addressing the topic of sin I want to exercise the greatest carefulness. I don’t wish to imply that sin is just another subject to be tossed around in a recreational manner. Sin is as serious as anything we can imagine. It is a powerful, dark force that kills and destroys, threatening our very lives; it calls for the utmost sobriety and prayerful consideration. In all the universe I know of but one power for appropriately handling sin: That power is the blood of Jesus Christ. It is sufficient to break the power of sin—and without it there isn’t a trace of hope for spiritual victory. That having been said, taking hold of Christ’s power over sin hinges on a proper exercise of faith as revealed in Scripture. When we sin, God has provided a way of tapping Christ’s power, and that way is the way of confession.
In light of the 68% of church leaders that indicated they rarely or never confess their sins to another, we get a glimpse of the unique dilemma pastors face. Even as they must confess their sins, pastors don’t feel they can confess their sins because of the risks it brings to their ministries. So, the perceived catch is this: We can’t win.
·If we do confess, we may well lose it all.
· If we don’t confess, Scripture says it’s just a matter of time that our sins will be revealed. (1 Timothy 5:24; Luke 12:2)
The trap that says, “we can’t win either way,” stems from bad thinking. The “don’t confess” option must be eliminated from the list—it’s a path guaranteed to bring greater travesty. (Our dear brother Ted Haggard has paid a great price to demonstrate that to us.)
We are left with but one compelling choice: By all means, we must confess! So the question is no longer “if” we must confess, but “how.” Here are guidelines I’d offer for “effective confessing.”
We must stand in grace. I don’t mean to presume upon grace, to flippantly claim it as our own—but we may cast ourselves upon the mercy of God knowing that he invites us to boldly approach him, confident in his grace (Hebrews 4:16). Take up the sword of the Spirit in the middle of confession’s battle and realize that it is Jesus himself that is our defender to stand before the accusations of the devil. We can enter confession believing God when he says “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Connecting to our defender equips us to overcome the inevitable fears that arise in the process of confession.
We must confess to the appropriate circle. Never does the Bible say that we must confess all sins to all people. True, our struggles and failures may become broadly known. But we’re not commanded to broadcast them. In the pastorate, handling our own sin calls for a balance between authenticity and prudence. To give the impression that we are somehow above sin is to create a false understanding among those we lead. But to specifically reveal to our whole congregation the details of every sin we commit is also impractical and unwise. Who is the appropriate circle? Here is the irreducible minimum: Confess to ourselves, to God, and to another believer you trust. Beyond that, the circle is to be widened under the leadership of the Spirit and might necessarily include those we have sinned against. There is no formula here but only a commitment to obey God as he leads us in the process of confession.
It’s important that we not skirt past the first: Confessing to ourselves. If a besetting sin has a grip on us, the faster we can escape denial and admit we’ve got a problem the better.
As obvious as it may sound, it’s important that we not forget the second: We need to explicitly and consciously name our sins to God as he guides us by his Spirit and brings to mind those things he wishes us to be free of. It’s indeed a sweet thing to have these transactions with the Lord. That said, in confession we can’t stop there.
Finally, we must speak out our sins to another person, a human, preferably a believer who understands God’s requirements and provisions. God is specific about this:
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other...” (James 5:16)— it’s in sharing with another human being that we complete the circle of confession and escape the trap of denial. Frankly, Protestants can take a cue from their Roman Catholic compatriots. Catholics often demonstrate a greater understanding of the value of regularly confessing to another person. And while some might not agree with the institutional confessional form, they can certainly learn from the example of valuing confession. (I think some are jealous of the Catholics because they have such a ready outlet for confession!)
Besides ourselves, God, and another person we trust, confessing to anyone we’ve sinned against might also be a necessity for their need to overcome the wrong. Love may require it. Or love may require we NOT confess to the harmed person in the likelihood of greater harm. (On this point, I’d agree with those in the Recovery Movement: When confessing to someone will cause them greater harm, better to leave well enough alone. The challenge is to escape from our own excuses for not doing what should be done—an exercise in discernment and discipline.)
This brings us full circle to the 68% of those surveyed who rarely or never take the risk of confessing to another. Would you allow me to be so bold as to challenge you with something? Tenaciously determine to find that person or persons who you can regularly lay your heart before and confess your failings to. Pray confidently for this—because you know God wants you to have such a person or persons. Make sure you have regular, open contact with that person. For pastors who believe that person is not someone in their own congregation (at least presently), I advise them to look for another pastor to confess to. Who might you approach about this?
Why not pick up the phone and make the call right now? It could be one of the best decisions you ever made. It certainly was for me.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pastors, Sin, Confession, and the Catholics
by Ron Forseth
General Manager, SermonCentral.com
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
(James 5:16, NIV)
One of the defining moments of my spiritual life happened in the midst of great temptation. I had struggled with a sin for quite a while, dabbled in it here and there, toying with my own spiritual life and ministry. My love for Christ was giving way to the allure of sin’s pleasure. I felt myself slipping down a slope that was far more powerful than all the strength within me. I had the keen sense that absolutely everything was at risk at that moment, my job, my marriage, my family. The point of no return seemed immediately in front of me. It was then that God in his blessed grace whispered in my ear, “Make the call.” The face of a friend and brother in the Lord was in my mind’s eye. I respected him greatly—and he respected me. I didn’t want to be vulnerable to him, to confess my struggle. But it was either pick up the phone or fall off the cliff. Thank God I made the call. It was painfully humbling—and tremendously freeing. He was so Christlike, full of grace, strength, and humility. Something happened in me that day, something very deep and powerful. Somehow, I accessed the power of God through another person like I couldn’t have done in the solitude of my own soul. It seems that’s just how God has designed things to be. He’s configured our dependence on him to be intertwined with dependence on others.
Last week, 500 church leaders graciously gave us input about their own struggles with sin. The results are valuable for all in ministry to ponder and respond to. In light of my own experience and the survey results, I felt burdened to dedicate this article to addressing pastors in their struggle with sin. (Click here to view the full results.)
Here are the summary results:
35% of the church leader respondents identified lust as the sin they struggled with most.
36% of church leaders said lust was something they often or constantly struggled with.
68% either did not have anyone they felt they could confess to, or if they did they rarely or never confessed to them.
66% expressed that discussing their struggles with sin from the pulpit would put their ministry at risk or they were unsure if it would put their ministry at risk.
Considering that a mishandling of sin puts our ministries, families, and own spiritual state at risk, how we respond to these issues may be as important as any decision we face in the ministry. There is much we can say about this subject and subsequent articles by church leaders in this newsletter will say more. But here I want to focus on one critical observation: Pastors are at far greater risk because they either do not have an outlet for confession or they rarely utilize the outlets available to them.
In addressing the topic of sin I want to exercise the greatest carefulness. I don’t wish to imply that sin is just another subject to be tossed around in a recreational manner. Sin is as serious as anything we can imagine. It is a powerful, dark force that kills and destroys, threatening our very lives; it calls for the utmost sobriety and prayerful consideration. In all the universe I know of but one power for appropriately handling sin: That power is the blood of Jesus Christ. It is sufficient to break the power of sin—and without it there isn’t a trace of hope for spiritual victory. That having been said, taking hold of Christ’s power over sin hinges on a proper exercise of faith as revealed in Scripture. When we sin, God has provided a way of tapping Christ’s power, and that way is the way of confession.
In light of the 68% of church leaders that indicated they rarely or never confess their sins to another, we get a glimpse of the unique dilemma pastors face. Even as they must confess their sins, pastors don’t feel they can confess their sins because of the risks it brings to their ministries. So, the perceived catch is this: We can’t win.
·If we do confess, we may well lose it all.
· If we don’t confess, Scripture says it’s just a matter of time that our sins will be revealed. (1 Timothy 5:24; Luke 12:2)
The trap that says, “we can’t win either way,” stems from bad thinking. The “don’t confess” option must be eliminated from the list—it’s a path guaranteed to bring greater travesty. (Our dear brother Ted Haggard has paid a great price to demonstrate that to us.)
We are left with but one compelling choice: By all means, we must confess! So the question is no longer “if” we must confess, but “how.” Here are guidelines I’d offer for “effective confessing.”
We must stand in grace. I don’t mean to presume upon grace, to flippantly claim it as our own—but we may cast ourselves upon the mercy of God knowing that he invites us to boldly approach him, confident in his grace (Hebrews 4:16). Take up the sword of the Spirit in the middle of confession’s battle and realize that it is Jesus himself that is our defender to stand before the accusations of the devil. We can enter confession believing God when he says “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Connecting to our defender equips us to overcome the inevitable fears that arise in the process of confession.
We must confess to the appropriate circle. Never does the Bible say that we must confess all sins to all people. True, our struggles and failures may become broadly known. But we’re not commanded to broadcast them. In the pastorate, handling our own sin calls for a balance between authenticity and prudence. To give the impression that we are somehow above sin is to create a false understanding among those we lead. But to specifically reveal to our whole congregation the details of every sin we commit is also impractical and unwise. Who is the appropriate circle? Here is the irreducible minimum: Confess to ourselves, to God, and to another believer you trust. Beyond that, the circle is to be widened under the leadership of the Spirit and might necessarily include those we have sinned against. There is no formula here but only a commitment to obey God as he leads us in the process of confession.
It’s important that we not skirt past the first: Confessing to ourselves. If a besetting sin has a grip on us, the faster we can escape denial and admit we’ve got a problem the better.
As obvious as it may sound, it’s important that we not forget the second: We need to explicitly and consciously name our sins to God as he guides us by his Spirit and brings to mind those things he wishes us to be free of. It’s indeed a sweet thing to have these transactions with the Lord. That said, in confession we can’t stop there.
Finally, we must speak out our sins to another person, a human, preferably a believer who understands God’s requirements and provisions. God is specific about this:
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other...” (James 5:16)— it’s in sharing with another human being that we complete the circle of confession and escape the trap of denial. Frankly, Protestants can take a cue from their Roman Catholic compatriots. Catholics often demonstrate a greater understanding of the value of regularly confessing to another person. And while some might not agree with the institutional confessional form, they can certainly learn from the example of valuing confession. (I think some are jealous of the Catholics because they have such a ready outlet for confession!)
Besides ourselves, God, and another person we trust, confessing to anyone we’ve sinned against might also be a necessity for their need to overcome the wrong. Love may require it. Or love may require we NOT confess to the harmed person in the likelihood of greater harm. (On this point, I’d agree with those in the Recovery Movement: When confessing to someone will cause them greater harm, better to leave well enough alone. The challenge is to escape from our own excuses for not doing what should be done—an exercise in discernment and discipline.)
This brings us full circle to the 68% of those surveyed who rarely or never take the risk of confessing to another. Would you allow me to be so bold as to challenge you with something? Tenaciously determine to find that person or persons who you can regularly lay your heart before and confess your failings to. Pray confidently for this—because you know God wants you to have such a person or persons. Make sure you have regular, open contact with that person. For pastors who believe that person is not someone in their own congregation (at least presently), I advise them to look for another pastor to confess to. Who might you approach about this?
Why not pick up the phone and make the call right now? It could be one of the best decisions you ever made. It certainly was for me.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Another Attack Against Ecumenism
It's funny how things work out sometimes. I wrote a blog on Saturday about my mission for ecumenism and The Miami Herald releases this disturbing story this week. It is events such as these that will continue to deflect better evangelism. My readers, if you believe that church unity is of utmost importance, I ask that you continue to pray for me as I continue down this mission. Posted below is the article from the Miami Herald that I refered to.
As unity unravels, a battle for Haitian souls is stirring
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES AND TRENTON DANIEL
jcharles@MiamiHerald.com
At first Haitians of all faiths turned inward, transforming their bedsheet camps into all-night religious revivals as they clung to faith and resilience, crying and praising Jezi.
But in the three months after the earthquake, the relationship among faiths has evolved from one of rare unity to a fight for the Haitian soul. All hope to increase followers even as they assign blame for the quake.
In the makeshift camps, along rubble-filled streets, Protestant preachers are battling Catholics as well as followers of Vodou, hoping to lure more congregants.
``When I hear some of the Protestant churches in the neighborhoods, you have the impression that only Catholics lost people in the earthquake,'' said William Smarth, a theology professor and diocese priest who was part of the liberation theology movement that helped oust former dictator Jean-Claude ``Baby Doc'' Duvalier.
``They say, `We [Catholics] don't believe in God, we don't believe in Jesus Christ.' ''
And both Catholics and Protestants clash with the followers of Vodou -- blaming the ancestral religion of Haiti's slaves-turned-freedom fighters -- for the monstrous quake. They lay blame on a centuries-old covenant taken on the eve of the Haitian revolution for the disastrous earthquake.
Fighting back, some Vodouists say it's not the curse of freedom that caused the quake, but the price for failing to properly bury one of Haiti's leading freedom fighters, Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
The tensions have only mounted as Evangelical and other religious groups from the United States fly en masse to a ravaged Haiti to feed and preach the Gospel.
Last month, Mario Joseph, a Haitian human rights lawyer, went before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights seeking an investigation of attacks against Vodouists after several were stoned by Evangelical pastors in the Cité Soleil slum.
``In other zones of the country,'' he told the commission, ``particularly in the commune of Verrettes in the Artibonite, literal witch hunts have been launched against priests and practitioners of this religion.''
ROBERTSON'S STATEMENT
Sitting in the courtyard of his cracked home on Good Friday, Smarth said the Catholic Church, which has lost more than 60 parishes and 100 nuns and priests in the disaster, has turned to science to explain the earthquake, and to counter myths fueled by conservative religious figures in the United States like Pat Robertson. A day after the quake, Robertson told his Christian Broadcasting Network audience that Haiti's pact with Satan is to blame.
``After the earthquake, we tried to give some light to the Haitian people about the meaning of what happened,'' Smarth said. ``We asked people to understand how the world works and to understand the laws of physics.''
But some religious leaders have sought to take advantage of the quake to preach a theology of doom, turning the radio airwaves into pulpits to espouse fear and recruit believers. The quake, they preach, is punishment for Haitians' sin and belief in Vodou.
``There is not an emphasis on the mercy of God; that is where the contradiction between Protestants and Catholics lie,'' said the Rev. Reginald Jean-Mary, a Catholic priest from Miami's Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church, who listened to the debate on the radio during a visit. ``Our God is a God of mercy. He is not a God who punishes his children. And God does not inflict harm on his children.''
On a recent Thursday, as Haitians attempted to go about their lives, Guilbert Valcin stood above a cliff in the suburb of Pétionville, his lips to a megaphone.
A gray wall of concrete homes before him, and multicolored tents in a ravine below, he delivered a message to his audience. ``Everywhere you go, you need Jesus,'' said Valcin, 24, clad in a dress shirt and tie. ``Jesus has all the power.''
The roadside perch was one stop of many for the Protestant street preacher -- a self-described ``Evangelist for the people'' -- who sought to spread the Word.
``Vodou can't take you to heaven -- only God can,'' he said, in between sermons. ``Jesus, when he comes one day, he won't come to save the Vodouisants. He will save only those who serve God.''
CATHOLIC MAJORITY
Officially, more than half of Haitians are Catholic and roughly half practice Vodou. The small but growing Protestant movement here began with the U.S. Occupation, from 1915 to 1934.
In the painful search for understanding of Haiti's wretched luck, many in this deeply Catholic country have long turned to their tormented history for answers.
There is the religious ceremony in 1791 held in Bwa Kayiman, regarded as the catalyst for the Haitian revolution. Schoolchildren are taught that Jamaican-born Vodou priest Dutty Boukman presided over a ceremony where an animal was sacrificed and an oath -- considered by some to be the price Haitians now pay for their freedom -- was taken to ``live free or die.''
While Christians have blamed the covenant, some Vodouists say the father of an independent Haiti, Dessalines, never received a proper burial for his mangled body after he was assassinated.
Vodou doesn't believe in death, but worshipers believe that the dead must receive a proper farewell.
That is what they were attempting to do, they say, on behalf of the more than 200,000 quake victims on Feb. 27 in Cité Soleil when they were attacked by Protestant pastors.
Max Beauvoir, Haiti's Supreme Leader of Vodou, condemns the act and remains appalled at the lack of condemnation by Haitian authorities.
``What is mostly needed in Haiti is what? Unity,'' he said. ``I don't think Haitians are any more devilish than anyone else. We are all the same.''
Beauvoir said Vodouists were already treated as outsiders -- though many secretly practice or recognize certain aspects of the faith even as they profess to be nonbelievers -- before the quake. Since Jan. 12, their position has become even more weakened.
It's as if Haitians have been hit collectively on the back with a crow bar and they are lying on the ground, not able to stand up, Beauvoir said.
``Our justice has been weak. That's why those Evangelists people have been able to take advantage,'' he said, calling the fight for Haitian souls ``nonsense.'' ``They want to establish themselves here as if they were the sole owners of the land.''
Last month, Vodouists finally had their ceremony -- guarded by police. They held it near the bay in downtown Port-au-Prince. Wearing white, several hundred followers pounded drums, sang chants and summoned the spirits to bid farewell to those lost in the earthquake.
The rare, public ceremony -- gatherings are often held in temples -- was a stark reminder that Vodou plays a central role in Haitian culture even as the Catholic church loses ground to the growing Protestant movement.
`ANOTHER INJUSTICE'
Ever since, there has been a constant battle for the Haitian soul.
Jean-Mary calls the current fight another example of exploitation.
``This is another injustice, another lack of respect for people at this crucial moment. When you need to preach a theology of hope or rehabilitation, you are trying to make people feel worse by portraying yourself as perfect and the people who are victims did something wrong,'' he said. ``The reason why you are alive is not because you deserved it, or because you were better than others. The reason why you were not killed in the earthquake is because it's not your time.''
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/12/v-print/1576546/as-unity-unravels-a-battle-for.html#ixzz0kzXf8wcl
As unity unravels, a battle for Haitian souls is stirring
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES AND TRENTON DANIEL
jcharles@MiamiHerald.com
At first Haitians of all faiths turned inward, transforming their bedsheet camps into all-night religious revivals as they clung to faith and resilience, crying and praising Jezi.
But in the three months after the earthquake, the relationship among faiths has evolved from one of rare unity to a fight for the Haitian soul. All hope to increase followers even as they assign blame for the quake.
In the makeshift camps, along rubble-filled streets, Protestant preachers are battling Catholics as well as followers of Vodou, hoping to lure more congregants.
``When I hear some of the Protestant churches in the neighborhoods, you have the impression that only Catholics lost people in the earthquake,'' said William Smarth, a theology professor and diocese priest who was part of the liberation theology movement that helped oust former dictator Jean-Claude ``Baby Doc'' Duvalier.
``They say, `We [Catholics] don't believe in God, we don't believe in Jesus Christ.' ''
And both Catholics and Protestants clash with the followers of Vodou -- blaming the ancestral religion of Haiti's slaves-turned-freedom fighters -- for the monstrous quake. They lay blame on a centuries-old covenant taken on the eve of the Haitian revolution for the disastrous earthquake.
Fighting back, some Vodouists say it's not the curse of freedom that caused the quake, but the price for failing to properly bury one of Haiti's leading freedom fighters, Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
The tensions have only mounted as Evangelical and other religious groups from the United States fly en masse to a ravaged Haiti to feed and preach the Gospel.
Last month, Mario Joseph, a Haitian human rights lawyer, went before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights seeking an investigation of attacks against Vodouists after several were stoned by Evangelical pastors in the Cité Soleil slum.
``In other zones of the country,'' he told the commission, ``particularly in the commune of Verrettes in the Artibonite, literal witch hunts have been launched against priests and practitioners of this religion.''
ROBERTSON'S STATEMENT
Sitting in the courtyard of his cracked home on Good Friday, Smarth said the Catholic Church, which has lost more than 60 parishes and 100 nuns and priests in the disaster, has turned to science to explain the earthquake, and to counter myths fueled by conservative religious figures in the United States like Pat Robertson. A day after the quake, Robertson told his Christian Broadcasting Network audience that Haiti's pact with Satan is to blame.
``After the earthquake, we tried to give some light to the Haitian people about the meaning of what happened,'' Smarth said. ``We asked people to understand how the world works and to understand the laws of physics.''
But some religious leaders have sought to take advantage of the quake to preach a theology of doom, turning the radio airwaves into pulpits to espouse fear and recruit believers. The quake, they preach, is punishment for Haitians' sin and belief in Vodou.
``There is not an emphasis on the mercy of God; that is where the contradiction between Protestants and Catholics lie,'' said the Rev. Reginald Jean-Mary, a Catholic priest from Miami's Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church, who listened to the debate on the radio during a visit. ``Our God is a God of mercy. He is not a God who punishes his children. And God does not inflict harm on his children.''
On a recent Thursday, as Haitians attempted to go about their lives, Guilbert Valcin stood above a cliff in the suburb of Pétionville, his lips to a megaphone.
A gray wall of concrete homes before him, and multicolored tents in a ravine below, he delivered a message to his audience. ``Everywhere you go, you need Jesus,'' said Valcin, 24, clad in a dress shirt and tie. ``Jesus has all the power.''
The roadside perch was one stop of many for the Protestant street preacher -- a self-described ``Evangelist for the people'' -- who sought to spread the Word.
``Vodou can't take you to heaven -- only God can,'' he said, in between sermons. ``Jesus, when he comes one day, he won't come to save the Vodouisants. He will save only those who serve God.''
CATHOLIC MAJORITY
Officially, more than half of Haitians are Catholic and roughly half practice Vodou. The small but growing Protestant movement here began with the U.S. Occupation, from 1915 to 1934.
In the painful search for understanding of Haiti's wretched luck, many in this deeply Catholic country have long turned to their tormented history for answers.
There is the religious ceremony in 1791 held in Bwa Kayiman, regarded as the catalyst for the Haitian revolution. Schoolchildren are taught that Jamaican-born Vodou priest Dutty Boukman presided over a ceremony where an animal was sacrificed and an oath -- considered by some to be the price Haitians now pay for their freedom -- was taken to ``live free or die.''
While Christians have blamed the covenant, some Vodouists say the father of an independent Haiti, Dessalines, never received a proper burial for his mangled body after he was assassinated.
Vodou doesn't believe in death, but worshipers believe that the dead must receive a proper farewell.
That is what they were attempting to do, they say, on behalf of the more than 200,000 quake victims on Feb. 27 in Cité Soleil when they were attacked by Protestant pastors.
Max Beauvoir, Haiti's Supreme Leader of Vodou, condemns the act and remains appalled at the lack of condemnation by Haitian authorities.
``What is mostly needed in Haiti is what? Unity,'' he said. ``I don't think Haitians are any more devilish than anyone else. We are all the same.''
Beauvoir said Vodouists were already treated as outsiders -- though many secretly practice or recognize certain aspects of the faith even as they profess to be nonbelievers -- before the quake. Since Jan. 12, their position has become even more weakened.
It's as if Haitians have been hit collectively on the back with a crow bar and they are lying on the ground, not able to stand up, Beauvoir said.
``Our justice has been weak. That's why those Evangelists people have been able to take advantage,'' he said, calling the fight for Haitian souls ``nonsense.'' ``They want to establish themselves here as if they were the sole owners of the land.''
Last month, Vodouists finally had their ceremony -- guarded by police. They held it near the bay in downtown Port-au-Prince. Wearing white, several hundred followers pounded drums, sang chants and summoned the spirits to bid farewell to those lost in the earthquake.
The rare, public ceremony -- gatherings are often held in temples -- was a stark reminder that Vodou plays a central role in Haitian culture even as the Catholic church loses ground to the growing Protestant movement.
`ANOTHER INJUSTICE'
Ever since, there has been a constant battle for the Haitian soul.
Jean-Mary calls the current fight another example of exploitation.
``This is another injustice, another lack of respect for people at this crucial moment. When you need to preach a theology of hope or rehabilitation, you are trying to make people feel worse by portraying yourself as perfect and the people who are victims did something wrong,'' he said. ``The reason why you are alive is not because you deserved it, or because you were better than others. The reason why you were not killed in the earthquake is because it's not your time.''
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/12/v-print/1576546/as-unity-unravels-a-battle-for.html#ixzz0kzXf8wcl
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