Interview with Bishop Will Willimon about Blogging

Methocelebrity Will Willimon was interviewed by Kim Edwards of UM Portal about his experiences as a blogger. Check it out.

Bishop Willimon is coming to preach at chapel at my seminary next week. I'm sure that it'll be a packed chapel, and I'm most eager to hear him in person.

What Outsiders Think About the UMC

Here is an interesting video. It's from the PBS roundtable show Mental Engineering. The panel discusses a recent UMC "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" commercial and what they think the UMC is trying to communicate through it.

[YouTube Link] HT: Gavin Richardson

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

WINNERS:

Will Deuel: Put a smile on, you little punk! You lovin' it yet?

Eric Helms: Ronald forgets his McDeodorant.

Question of the Day

Our QotD comes from Beth Quick, a delegate to the upcoming General Conference. She discusses the various issues that are important for her to raise and debate at GC and asks readers:

What's important to you at this General Conference?

There's a lively discussion in the comment thread.

Announcement

My wife and I are having a baby. The due date is September 25th.

Naturally, we're I'm thinking about naming the child after a famous blog or blogger.

What should we name the child?
	Methoblog
	Instapundit
	Ace of Spades
	Connexions

Of course, there's always the option of "Hyzenthlay".

The Isolation of the Pastorate

Meredith Gudger-Raines has an excellent article in UM Portal about the severe isolation that the pastorate instigates from the non-Christian world. She recounts making new friends at a Starbucks and then trying to find time to spend with them:

But it was Saturday night, and the bulletins needed to be copied. (And let’s be honest: The sermon needed to be written.) I wanted to go, but I knew my place.

Yet the women I was with didn’t seem to stick me in that place. One even said, “Oh, a Friday night out would be better for you. We’ll have to think about that next time.” The other, who said she’s a Buddhist, said, “We accept everyone! Everyone needs more girlfriends.”

I left feeling angry for being isolated in a job where I never meet people like me. But my the time I got home, I was angry with myself for letting myself become so isolated. These women didn’t seem to see a divide between me and them; why did I superimpose one?

We say John Wesley said, “The world is my parish,” but I’ve let the church become my parish. I get nervous about being among the people of God. I don’t want to be separated out. I want to be me, one of God’s children, one of the crowd. Is that possible as a pastor?

I vividly remember, about five years ago, walking away from playing role-playing games so that I could have more time for ministry in my local church. I recognized at the time that it was ironic; I was following a call into the ordained ministry and consequently shutting myself off further from the non-Christian world. And I was not only ceasing to be a Christian presence among the gamer community; I was shutting myself off from my buddies.

I have friends at seminary and even an 'accountability partner'. It's nice to have colleagues, and to grow close to them. But I miss having sheer buddies.

Evangelism vs. Mission as the Primary Purpose of the Church

In our recent discussion about how to improve seminary training, regular commentor Earl responded:

Students would be required to examine the efforts and results of churches within their area as well as high profile churches that are recognized leaders in evangelism. Students would be required to interview area pastors who have demonstrated personal effectiveness in winning adults to Christ. Subsequent to these examinations and interviews students would be required to evaluate and then develop and present in a peer setting their personal understanding of evangelism not simply as a concept but as a central objective for ministry and their proposed plan for implementing an effective plan of evangelism in their local church setting.

Students would be required to demonstrate personal experience in winning adults to faith in Christ. Not a punch list of book read or sitting in classes or taking test but actual personal experience. Not working at a shelter or going on a mission trip but personal involvement in presenting the Gospel to adults in such a way that decisions are made for Christ. Evaluation would be based on the number of times a genuine attempt was made to present the Gospel as well as the number of times such a presentation was successful. Regardless of result, in each case the student would be required to do what would constitute a "after action report," in which he/she would evaluate the actual/possible factors that lead to success or failure in presenting the Gospel. This would be reviewed by fellow students in a small group setting. Regardless of any other accomplishments, success in this regard would be absolutely prerequisite to graduation.

Why this emphasis on evangelism? Because there are few if any task that a minister can do that can not be done with equal quality and integrity by a worker in a social service agency. But there is no social service agency charged with the responsibility of reaching people for Christ. Jesus did not found the Church as a social service agency. He fundamentally tasked the Church to reach, teach, win and develop men and women for Christ. Everything else is entirely related to that central imperative.

Will of Ramblings from a Red Rose has an excellent critique of this view. I enthusiastically agree with all five of Will's points.

I hope that he will correct me if I am wrong, but I suspect that Earl and I have very different presuppositions about evangelism and possibly even salvation. He appears to be advocating "propositional evangelism", where a Christian verbally confronts a non-Christian with the basic outline of Christian theology and awaits a verbal decision to accept or reject these theological propositions as true or false. Those who accept the propositions as true are now classed as "saved" and those who reject them retain the classification of "unsaved".

The problem for the Church in the West is not that people have not heard the Christian message; it is that the Church lacks credibility. As the Apostle James said:

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Simply 'presenting' the Gospel message is not enough if it amounts to nothing more than empty words, as The Onion deliciously lampooned a while back.

And for this same reason, I reject Earl's distinction between evangelism and 'social service' work. What is more persuasive, a Christian who gives a starving man a tract, or a Christian who gives a starving man a meal? The latter shows out of his/her loving actions that the transformation of God's grace is more than just a switching of invisible soteriological categories; s/he shows his/her love by how s/he lives.

If the Church wishes to spread the Gospel, then it must be credible to a justifiably skeptical world. And if it wishes to be credible, then it must, as the Body of Christ, bring peace where there is conflict, healing where there are wounds, and abundance where there is poverty.*

I also disagree with Earl's position that evangelism is the primary task of the minister, and is not the primary task of other Christians:

Why this emphasis on evangelism? Because there are few if any task that a minister can do that can not be done with equal quality and integrity by a worker in a social service agency. But there is no social service agency charged with the responsibility of reaching people for Christ. Jesus did not found the Church as a social service agency. He fundamentally tasked the Church to reach, teach, win and develop men and women for Christ. Everything else is entirely related to that central imperative.

In his critique, Will notes the common complaint of pastors, "As a minister, I live in the church ghetto. I don’t come across many non-Christians." Ain't it the truth! I have to be very intentional about meeting non-Christians. If it weren't for my gym membership and the blogosphere, on most days, I'd never meet a non-Christian. That's because my workplace is the Church.

Most lay Christians can't claim that. Most are far more enmeshed in the non-Christian world than clergy, and are therefore best able to be a Christian witness to non-Christians.

At any rate, the Great Commission wasn't given to ordained clergy. It was given to the disciples. Evangelism is the job of every believer, not just clergy. But I am interested in understanding how Earl concludes otherwise.

*I would further note that we, the Church, should not do 'social service' work merely as an opening for propositional evangelism. We should not help people who are hurting just because we want them to experience a formal conversion. The Church should alleviate pain and suffering wherever they are found just because it's the right thing to do.

Question of the Day

If you could change anything about the UMC seminary education system, what would it be?

Methodist Blogger Profile: Craig Adams

Craig Adams of Commonplace Holiness

I’ve been in the United Methodist ministry since 1975. At various times I’ve been active in the United Methodist camping ministry, Emmaus, Chrysalis, Conference Youth Council, Lay Speakers training, and various other involvements. My ministry has been well received over the years, in the places where I have served. The things I’ve enjoyed about pastoral ministry are: (1.) The opportunities to preach the Gospel; (2.) The opportunities to teach the Bible and the Christian way of life; (3.) The privilege of being with people in important moments of joy and sorrow in their lives.

I'm one of those evangelical United Methodists that identifies with the goals and purposes of the "Confessing Movement." I believe the United Methodist Church is in need of "doctrinal renewal." I believe that renewal will not come until we learn again from our own evangelical and socially progressive and revivalistic roots. In it's beginnings, Methodism emphasized (a.) justifying faith, (b.) holiness of heart and life, (c.) reform of society, and (d.) having an educated faith (thus: Wesley’s Christian Library, the early “Methodist” commentaries and works of theology, Watson's Theological Institutes, etc.). Over the years, in my opinion, this synthesis fell apart.

Why do you blog?
I started blogging as a means to an end: I was seeking to build a website that would be a resource for people exploring the Wesleyan perspective on the Christian life. I've been involved in Internet discussion for many years, first in the Usenet newsgroups and then also in some Yahoo! groups and in the Bridges Across the Divide discussion board . And, I used to have quite a few articles on the web as part of the website of the Church I formerly served. When I moved to my present appointment I took all that material down. Since that time, I have had some requests to put some of that material back up on the web. In fact, Richard Hall of connexions asked to reprint one of those old articles on his blog. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. I knew I didn't want to build a similar Church web site. I wanted to create something personal, and something different than I'd ever done before. I happened to stumble across Wiccan-turned-Roman-Catholic mystic Carl McColman's The Website of Unknowing and noticed how he was using blogging as a way of building up a website about contemplative prayer. Interesting. At Barnes & Noble I picked up a copy of Podcasting and Blogging with Garage Band and iWeb by Robin Williams & John Tollett. Then I received (as requested) the new edition of iLife software for Christmas, and shortly thereafter got to work on my new website and blog.

What has been your best blogging experience?
I'm still pretty new at this. So, I don't have a lot of experience from which to draw. I've written two very personal posts (see above) that I never expected to write. I realize that the process of writing was helping me to think through my life, and the things that are important to me. So, those posts mean a whole lot more to me than they would to anyone else. One was about the day when I decided to get rid of most of my theological library. The other was about my involvement in Conference Youth Ministry.

What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Figure out why you're doing this and what you've got to say. Hang in there.

If you could only read three blogs a day, what would they be?
But, here goes: (1) Ben Witherington (though my newsreader has been getting script errors over there for quite a long time), (2) Disputed Mutability (an Internet friend who posts on faith, sexuality, & culture - she doesn't post very often, but when she does it's long, thought provoking and well worth reading), (3) Allan R. Bevere (now I'm cheating, he posts a weekly roundup of the Methodist blogs).

Who are your spiritual heroes?
John Wesley, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Wolfhart Panneneberg.

What are you reading at the moment?
The Irrational Atheist: Dissecting the Unholy Trinity of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens by Vox Day. There are also several others I've been slowly working through: Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.T. Wright, The Scripture Way of Salvation: The Heart of John Wesley's Theology by Kenneth J. Collins, Why I Am Not a Calvinist by Jerry L. Walls & Joseph Dongell, But Is It All True?: The Bible and the Question of Truth (Paperback)edited by Alan G. Padgett & Patrick R. Keifert.

What is your favorite hymn and why?
When I was just a young Christian I learned an old Gospel Song called "Higher Ground" whose words have stayed with me all these years. And, what that song talks about is still what I'm seeking.

I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day
Still praying as I'm onward bound
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

CHORUS:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith on heaven's tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind?
I've become a bit more politically liberal over the years, but it's been a slow process. My views on the Bible have changed, as I've come to see more and more value in a critical & historical approach than I once did. I tend to change my mind about things very slowly and incrementally.

What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
I don't know that it's a "philosophical thesis" exactly, but the idea that has always been most important to combat is Legalism. We are saved by grace, and the power of love is what frees us from sin, not more & better rules, better enforced. If I had to choose a second one it would be the notion that faith and science are at odds with one another: they aren't.

If you could effect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
Our policies need to be constructed with the poor and the powerless in mind first of all - not as an afterthought. Insuring that the rich get richer will not benefit society as a whole.

If you could effect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?
We need to recognize and live by our very extensive doctrinal commitments. We need to once again become an organization committed to making true everyday Christians, whose life & witness will impact the society around us.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Follow Christ. There are amazing and unexpected blessings along the way.

What, if anything, do you worry about?
I'm a true worry-wart, but I'm not currently obsessing about anything. When things start to go "wrong" (from my POV) in the local church I'm serving, the worry-thing kicks in big time.'

If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
I would not stay in the United Methodist Church. Many years ago, when I received my third appointment, I knew that I should leave the UMC, but I had a family and we were in debt, and I wasn't willing to take a risk. Guaranteed appointments can be a trap in more ways than one. I really got involved in the Conference & once saw myself as (in a small way) an advocate for the UMC. Right now, all of that seems really stupid. For many years family & friends have told me that I ought to get out of the ministry, but I hung in with it. Now I'm listening.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
I once thought of moving to Arizona, but I'm not sure I would still want to do that. I liked the desert and I liked the different eco-systems, terrains and environments that could be found within that state.

What do you like doing in your spare time?
Reading, gardening, listening to jazz, Internet, video games (a little), tropical fish.

What is your most treasured possession?
Currently it's my iPod. I would have said my Palm hand held computer (or "PDA" just to use that awful term), because I use it constantly, but I'm afraid these are becoming a thing of the past, & at some point I'm going to have to "move up" (or "over" anyway) to a smart phone I like - probably the iPhone at some point. Sad.

What talent would you most like to have?
I'd love to be able to play the piano. I love music, but only as a listener. With the piano you've got both the melody and the harmony. It's a bit easier to comprehend the concept and theory of music.

If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner, who would they be?
I find this a very difficult question because many of the people I admire, past & present, might not really make very good dinner guests. John Wesley wouldn't stay very long. John Coltrane, the great jazz musician wouldn't talk. Neither would Thelonious Monk. Charles G. Finney would be too overbearing. And, as for Fyodor Dostoevsky - well, who knows what he would do! I'm thinking maybe Tolstoy would be a vegetarian, so I wouldn't invite him either.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

WINNERS: Tom Jackson manages to win twice in one caption contest. His first caption:

We ordered it from eBaby.

And then Rick left this caption:

Are those things biodegradable?

To which Tom Jackson responded:

Absolutely.

Oh, you meant the packing peanuts?

OTHER WINNERS:

Ivan Walters: Now darn it, where is that owners manual?!

TrueVyne: While making good on her threat, Jane was pleased to find out the gypsies
could reimburse her with Paypal

Jeff the Baptist: After the storks unionized, God was forced to go with a different subcontractor for baby deliveries.

Choose Your Hobbies Wisely

I'm really curious about the two. But somehow it made me immediately think of Jeff the Baptist.

Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup # 148

...is up.

Mike Huckabee Pokes Fun at Himself on Saturday Night Live

I like a politician who has a sense of humor. Note to Giuliani: wearing a dress in public was going to far.

[YouTube Link]

Talking Elmo Doll Threatens to Kill Toddler

Well, we all figured that he would eventually snap:

The Bowman family, of Lithia, Fla., said an Elmo doll belonging to their 2-year-old son, James, began to spout death threats towards him after they changed its batteries, TBO.com reports.

The Elmo Knows Your Name Doll started saying "Kill James!" in a sing-song voice, the site reports.

HT: Ace

Why We Blog

Via Jollyblogger

lolTheology

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Fight! Fight! Fight!...Or Not

Amy Forbus laments that the most popular discussion threads in the Methoblogosphere are predicated on conflict, not unity:

I've been noticing for a while now that bloggers I follow (read: mostly Methobloggers) tend to have a good amount of fun with each other on lighthearted posts, a great deal of discussion on controversial posts, but very little dialogue on overtly spiritual posts. I've seen some really nasty debate over doctrinal nonessentials in one online community in particular. Yet, when somebody gets serious about matters of faith, comment boxes stay empty, or close to it. Andrew Conard has done a series of thoughtful posts on the Trinity this week, and has received a total of three comments.

David Camphouse responded:

Additionally, I think it points to something far more powerful and possibly even exciting...a sense of "closer-than-you-think". By that I mean, we get so caught up in the "opinion pieces" of the church, that we forget how close we are on the actual "doctrine pieces" of the church. We have done so much bludgeoning of each other with the opinions leaving us empty to really engage in the doctrine. We believe the same things, but tend to feel that they need to be acted out in different ways, and that the way another person acts out the same belief is invalid, because it is not my way. I think the silence tends to show a "closer-than-you-think" mentality that should encourage us to see each other in better light and could be the quiet assent to unity with one another. Maybe this is a great focus point ahead.

I think that David's right: silence implies consent. Which is a pity, perhaps. We should be equally inclined to voice agreement as we are disagreement. But perhaps silence also implies boredom. I mean, explorations of Trinitarian theology are important. And "I saw a tree today and it reminded me of God"-type devotional posts are spiritually formative (for the writer). But anything that reads like a technical manual or like a teenager girl's diary is unlikely to spark interest beyond the writer him/herself.

Earlier this week, I ran a series of posts about the homosexuality debate in the United Methodist Church. But by Wednesday, I knew that all of us had said what we thought and that it was time to move on to posts which unify, rather than divide us. I like to think of humor blogging as a redemptive activity in our connexion. Humor is a very intimate thing; mysterious and emotive. If I can get conservatives and liberals to laugh together, I can contribute to the unique emotional sharing of community laughter across ideological lines.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

WINNERS:

Matt Atkins: I know something you don't know... you see, I've spent the last few years building up an immunity to Jellyfrog Donuts...

psychodougie:
Q: what's worse than finding a frog climbing out of your jam donut?
A: finding half a frog

Cookie Monster Interviewed on NPR

Even though 3 of the 4 pre-set radio stations in my truck are set to NPR, I missed this gem.

[YouTube Link] Via Neatorama

Excuse Me, But I Need a Little Bit of Queen Right Now

[YouTube Link] Ahhhhhhh....

That was very refreshing. Queen always knew how to quench my thirst for good music.

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" On a Ukulele

[Video Link] Masterful performance. HT: Ace

Of course, it's no Goat On a Stick.

Arminian Propaganda Posters

More at Tom In The Box. HT: Thinklings

If They Came At You All At Once, How Many Five Year Olds Could You Take In a Fight?

21
Hat tip: Bits & Pieces

40 Years of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

He was the perfect argument in favor of the Wesleyan doctrine of Christian Perfection. Although, as an ordained Presbyterian minister, he might object to that conclusion

Anyway, Neatorama has a roundup of links about Fred Rogers, including this list of 15 Reasons Why Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever:

Mister Rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he’d often befriend reporters, asking them tons of questions, taking pictures of them, compiling an album for them at the end of their time together, and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families. He wasn’t concerned with himself, and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others. Amazingly, it wasn’t just with reporters. Once, on a fancy trip up to a PBS exec’s house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them (which flustered the host). On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver’s home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life—the house supposedly lit up when Rogers arrived, and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night. Further, like with the reporters, Rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNERS:

Tom Jackson: "How should I know why? All I know is, that's where they said they were taking you. I had no idea you were interested in seeing how glue was made."

Unquenchable Worshipper: So, Mr Gambino's cat has a lot of catnip riding on the Derby.. I would hate for him to be disappointed.. capiche?

Response from Dean Snyder

Dean e-mails with regards to our recent conversations. Posted with his permission:

Dear John

Thanks for emailing me. I hope you and everyone on the blogroll are well. I especially hope seminary is a good experience for you. I miss being part of the Methoblogging community but the demands of life took me to other places.

It is interesting to read your blog and other's comments. Proclaiming my sincerity seems to me futile, since those who doubt it would also be likely to doubt my claims to be sincere. I can say a few words about how we got to this place.

Given my experience in ministry and my biblical and theological understanding, if I were not a United Methodist I would almost surely celebrate or solemnize same-sex unions. But I am a United Methodist. I am a United Methodist for many reasons that I believe to be good reasons. I love our heritage and I love our church. I don't think we are perfect but, thankfully, perfection is not a requirement in order to love or be loved.

I was appointed to my first appointment in 1968. I have lived through a time when official policies of our church were racist ... and not just moderately so but about as blatantly racist as an institution could be racist. I didn’t love our racism but I still loved our church. I’ve lived through our struggles to include women fully in the leadership of the church even when it was hard for some to reconcile some verses of Scripture with this decision. I witnessed some people badly wounded during those times and did not love the attitudes about gender that caused the wounds, but I still found myself loving our church. So it remains today.

More than three years ago a group of Foundry members started to meet to discuss how they felt about the lesbian and gay members of our church who were obviously living in caring and committed relationships, some of whom were traveling to Canada or going to churches of other denominations to have their relationships solemnized. It felt wrong to them that we encourage and support and reinforce commitments between our straight members and not our gay and lesbian members when their relationships also demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit.

At the same time we were uncomfortable with the idea of breaking the covenant that the Book of Discipline is. So the question became: is there a way to not just ignore the commitments of our lesbian and gay members while celebrating the commitments of our straight members? (And we really do celebrate the commitments of our straight members. We have oodles of weddings. We have several pre-Cana weekends annually to help couples prepare for their vows and weddings, and they almost always reach the maximum number of participants we can handle. Weddings are a big deal here. We believe in marriage.)

But it seemed uncharitable to make such a big deal about the commitments of our straight members and do nothing at all to even acknowledge or try to support our gay and lesbian couples in their committed relationships.

So the attempt was to come up with a way that we could at least acknowledge and honor the commitments of our gay and lesbian members without violating our United Methodist covenant. This is what we are trying to do.

Ours is not a very adequate solution. It feels separate and unequal. I feel it does not adequately honor the commitment and caring that our gay and lesbian members demonstrate in their lives. But we decided it was better than nothing.

As a result of the work of the original study group, I asked the congregation to help me figure out what we ought to do in my annual State of the Church sermon in November 2006. There were many discussions. In my State of the Church sermon in November 2007, I read the letter stating my intention to make myself available to lead worship services that recognize and honor the committed relationships of our lesbian and gay members and constituents without conducting, celebrating, or solemnizing same-sex unions. I asked the congregation to have further dialogue with me about this before I took this step.

I did not ask the church to take any official action because matters having to do with worship in the United Methodist Church are the responsibility of the pastor. Foundry’s Council chose to support my decision with a resolution, and I am grateful they did this even though I did not request it. The timing was based on the internal work of our congregation. My personal hope was that no one would much care about this outside our congregation, but I am also aware enough to know that others might be bothered by this decision. I worried about when would be a good time to do this in case it got a negative reaction outside our congregation but finally decided that there really is no way to figure all that out, and we moved when it made sense internally, largely shaped by November being the time when I do my annual State of the Church sermons.

I hope this is helpful to you, John, and to anyone who wants to get a sense of how we have come to this place. Stay well. (And I hope your rabbits are doing okay, too.)

UPDATE: John Meunier has a roundup of responses, as well as his own. Also, Amy Forbus weighs in.

Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup #147

...is up.

An "Anything Goes" Polity

In our recent discussion about Foundry UMC's decision to hold gay weddings, contrary to the Discipline, Jonathan Marlowe commented:

John, I do not agree with what Dean is doing at Foundry, and I think his actions violate the spirit of the Discipline. However, they do not violate the letter of the Discipline. I therefore think your headline, "Foundry UMC Plans Gay Weddings" is misleading. They are not planning weddings. I know that you would say in response, "wink, wink, nudge, nudge, etc..." but I think we ought to take Dean at his word when he says he does not understand these services as weddings.

So chargeable offenses should be left to the deliberate misinterpretation of the individual elder? Let's look at the ramifications of following this approach.

¶ 2702.1b provides that a pastor may be tried when charged with "practices declared by The United Methodist Church to be incompatible with Christian teachings, including but not limited to: being a self-avowed practicing homosexual; or conducting ceremonies which celebrate homosexual union; or performing same-sex wedding ceremonies...."

Emphasis added. Now, Dean is proposing that what he is doing is not actually in violation of this statute, and Jonathan is proposing that we take him at his word. Let's apply that another chargeable offense, namely ¶ 2702.1a, which forbids "immorality including but not limited to, not being celibate in singleness or not faithful in a heterosexual marriage."

Do we really want to leave it up to the individual pastor to interpret how s/he will uphold this standard? If we buy into Dean's argument, than another pastor can just as easily argue "What you saw me doing with the church secretary wasn't adultery because I choose not to define it as adultery."

Do we want that?

Now, Dean and Jonathan were already red-lining my BS detector when Andy Bryan came along and blew the gauge apart (although admittedly, it was quite worn-out by this point). Thanks a lot, Andy. I had plans for this afternoon, but now I have to drive into Gainesville and find a replacement. Andy writes:

Can this story really be contrary to a Book of Discipline that allows for the "testing, renewal, elaboration, and application of our doctrinal perspective" (para. 104)? Isn't that what's happening here?

In the context of ¶ 104, um, no. If this were true, it would not be improper for a UMC pastor to set up idols to Baal in his/her sanctuary and start cultic prostitution in the fellowship hall -- all in the interest of "testing, renewal, elaboration, and application of our doctrinal perspective."

Come on, guys. You know better than this. I can respect honest disagreement about theology and ethics. But I can't respect conscious, deliberate falsification of the Discipline.

And we certainly can't function as a community of faith if everyone can make up their own rules as they go along.

Do you disagree? Please state specifically how Dean's argument can be true but the hypothetical adulterous pastor's argument cannot be true.

Also: John Battern shares his thoughts.

Foundry UMC Plans Gay Weddings

Former Methoblogger Dean Snyder made the news by announcing that his church, Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C. will henceforth offer homosexual weddings. In a pastoral letter, Dean states that although he can't actually offiate at a wedding or union because that would violate the Discipline, he can and will:

...lead services which recognize and honor lesbian and gay committed relationships. These will not be "ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions," but will instead be worship services which recognize and honor committed relationships of lesbian and gay members and constituents.

Uh, huh. Nudge, nudge; wink, wink. As I said before, it depends on what your definition of the word 'is' is.

UPDATE: Related thoughts from Beth Quick and Gavin Richardson.

The Interrogator

[YouTube Link] A short film about a case of mistaken identity. 4 minutes long.

An Experiment in Homelessness

Here's an interesting premise for an upcoming book:

In a test of the American Dream, Adam Shepard started life from scratch with the clothes on his back and twenty-five dollars. Ten months later, he had an apartment, a car, and a small savings.

It is an intriguing experiment in the domains of charity, captialism, and attitude. It is, however, possible to read far too much into it. Although choices that people make contribute greatly to homelessness, in my experience, depression and despair (two factors that would not impact Shepard) help keep the homeless impoverished from climbing out of the abyss.

HT: Instapundit

Worst Worship Innovations

• Liturgical poledancing


• Communion buffet


• Gym rope-climb to Heaven


• Grand Theft Auto III: Jerusalem Stories


• Blessing of the Sharks service


• Rant stations

Add your own in the comments.

Question of the Day

Our QotD is by Stephen Fife, who asks about the appropriateness of imprecatory prayers. Should Christians pray that God smite their enemies? Go over to Stephen's blog and share your thoughts.

Caption Contest

Picture via Cute Overload

Previous contest winner

WINNER: Rick:

Having no luck with bunnymatch.com, Thumper starts looking for mail order brides.

Methoblogosphere: The Motion Picture

We've previously discussed who should play John Wesley in a biopic movie.

When Hollywood finally makes a soaring epic about the rise and fall of the Methoblogosphere, who should play the role of, your truly, 'John the Methodist'?

I'm thinking about maybe Jay Cutler. 'Course, he would have to take acting lessons.

Christian Responses to Transgenderism

Christianity Today has a lengthy story about how Christians have responded to people with Gender Identity Disorder. My own thoughts are here.

Methodist Blogs Weekly Roundup #146

...is up.

Question of the Day

¶ 337.1 of The Book of Discipline 2004 reads (in part):

All elders in full connection who are in good standing in an annual conference shall be continued under appointment by the bishop....

Should the United Methodist Church continue the practice of "guaranteed appointment"?

Archbishop Rowan Williams and Sharia in the UK

You may have heard by now of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams' remarks about the future place of sharia in the British legal system. Williams has been roundly accused of dhimmitude and there have been calls for his resignation.

Richard Hall has been blogging about this issue almost non-stop for a week and repeatedly urging people to listen to the actual interview.

I really should have done this before commenting on the subject, but didn't. One could say that for me, "The narrative was right but the facts were wrong." I failed to properly fact-check my assertions.

So I listened to the interview and concluded Williams' remarks have been wildly overblown.

The Archbishop asserts that sharia already has a place in the UK in the sense that private courts of marital arbitration already exist as a statement of factual reality. He specifically warns that many elements of sharia are primitive and have little place for modern concepts of human rights, particularly for women. And he also says that any private courts must have means to protect women from signing over their rights as human beings.

I am far more skeptical than Williams about the future of Islam in the UK or the West, or the realistic possibility of a "constructive accomodation" (a phrase that he uses in a far less Neville Chamberlain-like way than it initially appeared) with sharia. But to suggest that Rowan Williams is ready to surrender Britain to Islamofascism is a severe exaggeration of his remarks.

If you're trying to find signs of dhimmitude in Williams' remarks, you can probably find it, but I'm not at all convinced that that was his intention. Unless he has a well-established history of dhimmitude, this is a punch that just isn't connecting.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winners

WINNER: Rick:

After it was discovered that the highway did not appear on the offical state roadmap, in light of the recent budget cuts the state haighway department decided to deal with the problem in the least costly manner.

Who Should Play John Wesley in a Movie?

A couple of weeks ago, Deathwish was playing on AMC. In reflection of Charles Bronson's work and persona in this movie, Chato's Land, The Mechanic, and other films, I was struck by an obvious fact: if they ever make another biopic of John Wesley, Charles Bronson should play the lead role.

Of course, Bronson died years ago. But still, if he were alive, he strikes me as an obvious choice.

And it goes without saying that Quentin Tarantino should direct.

Settling for Mr./Miss Good Enough

Lori Gottlieb has a fascinating article in The Atlantic about how dreamy romanticism has encouraged many women to delay marriage until they can find the mythical Perfect Man. She writes:

I don’t mean to say that settling is ideal. I’m simply saying that it might have gotten an undeservedly bad rap...They, like me, would rather feel alone in a marriage than actually be alone, because they, like me, realize that marriage ultimately isn’t about cosmic connection—it’s about how having a teammate, even if he’s not the love of your life, is better than not having one at all.

HT: Glenn Reynolds

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNERS:

Scotte Hodel: "The force is strong in this one."

Ed Kross: Use the force . . . and some Glade

Brett Royal: You went in that thing? You're braver than I thought.

John Wilks: "... and I thought they smelled bad on the outside!"

The Servant and Two Masters: God and Country

In a recent post, I shared the ethical, political, and theological struggle that I feel about immigration policy. Dan Trabue and Rich Holton commented repeatedly about the importance of placing God before country and not compromising my loyalty to Christ by national self-interest.

It is a praiseworthy attitude. If only more Christian leaders of Nazi Germany had heeded this call instead of serving as tools of the Nazi regime, some or much or even all of the horror of the Third Reich might have been avoided.

But America is not Nazi Germany. Despite our failings and sins, America has done more good for the world than any other nation on earth. And so I am a little hesitant to pull the trigger on that country.

Further thoughts by Rich Holton, Richard Heyduck and Andy Bryan.

I Will Replace the Pews in My Sanctuary With These Chairs

[YouTube Link] Lest you think that this is a parody (as I initially concluded), it's real. Unsettlingly real.

HT: Radley Balko

The Muppet Presidential Candidates

[YouTube Link] A slideshow lining up the Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates with their respective Muppets. Set to the tune of The Muppet Show theme music. 1 minutes, 5 seconds long.

HT: Ironic Catholic

How To Organize Your Paperwork

By Dave Walker.

Hat tip: Richard Hall

Pastor Sells Church on eBay

BIG TIMBER, Mont. — Without their consent or knowledge, a pastor in rural Montana has sold his church and congregation on eBay for $3 million.

"I finally got good and sick of them," says Tad Marshall, pastor for 15 years who completed the secret sale last week. "This serves them right. All of them."

But many in the church are stunned by the Marshall family’s sudden departure.

"We had such a good relationship," says Winifred Barnes. "Whenever I called him in the middle of the night to pray for my psoriasis, he was happy to help. I’m surprised he would treat us this way."

Others expressed similar feelings.

"We would stop by for surprise visits every time he had a day off, and his wife was always quick to put a pot of coffee on," says Fred Souther. "We’d sit there and chat for hours. Those were wonderful times."

One woman recalls how Pastor Marshall responded to her plea to visit her ailing mother every day during her prolonged illness at a hospital 78 miles away.

"I don’t think he did it because we threatened to quit the church. I think he was genuinely concerned for Mother even though she was in a coma," she says. "We would sit with her for hours singing hymns to her. I could tell he was blessed by it."

Another longtime member recalls the day a group of women surprised the pastor’s wife with an impromptu shopping trip.

"It was clear she was unable to afford modest clothing, so we charged right in and threw away everything in her closet," she says. "Then we bought her new ankle-length dresses with long sleeves. She cried tears of joy that day. She kept saying, ‘I can’t believe you’re doing this.’ It was a bonding moment for all of us."

Story Link

It's a Good Thing That Gavin Richardson Has Already Graduated from Middle School

It'd be a shame for him to get any bad marks on his permanent record.

HT: Glenn Reynolds

Do Not Oppress the Alien

Exodus 22:21-24:

Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

Over the years, debating immigration policy in a Christian context with Dan Trabue and Andy Bryan, I've noticed recurring reminders of passages from the OT law in which the ancient Israelites were to treat "foreigners".

On several occasions, Dan and Andy have suggested that strict immigration policy or mass deportations of illegal immigrants would be in conflict with Christian values as a result of these OT commands.

My question is to whom the OT refers to as "foreigners". Three possibilities come to mind:

1. Foreigners present in Israel with Israelite consent (assuming that immigration policy is a transferable concept).

2. All foreigners regardless of how they arrived in Israel.

3. The native Canaanites already present in Israel at the time of the conquest (comparable to Native Americans in the U.S.)

Although I would like to assert that it is option 1 or 3 because they would support my policy positions, I must admit that major exegetical research must be done to discern which of these options (if any) is correct. At this point, I just don't know.

I really struggle with this issue. As a pastor, I know that I must not turn in any illegal immigrant that I met in a pastoral context to authorities merely because s/he is an illegal immigrant. To the contrary, I must help everyone who needs the care of the Body of Christ.

So I guess that I'm advocating a position as a citizen that I must abhorr as a pastor.

One seminary professor challenged me to change my public policy positions to keep in accordance with my religious convictions. But I would find it very hard to advocate a position that I know will lead to the dismemberment of my country.

I know -- I'm not making any sense. As I said, I really struggle with this issue.

Caption Contest

Previous contest winner

WINNER: DannyG:

That's two big Mac's, one quarter pounder, 3 large fries, and one order of McOats. Please pull foreward.

The Entertainment-Driven Church

C. Michael Patton visited a glitzy megachurch and wrote about church growth techniques that focus on seducing people with consumer products and entertainment:

The biggest fear that I have is that this is representative of so many well meaning people who start churches. I imagine the person who started this particular church grew up in a very boring church and set it as his primary goal to someday have a church that was fun. That is nice, but, more often than not, totally destructive. The pews are filled with people who are weak and totally unestablished in the faith. Most really don’t know what the Christian message is outside of “Jesus loves you and wants you to have a wonderful life.” Many claim Jesus, serve Him, and lift up their hands in praise, but what happens when someone or something challenges their faith? Where are they going to turn? To the shallowness of the entertaining commercials or out of context self-help lessons? Where will they go when the foundations are destroyed?

A faith that prepares us only to receive good things in life and not the cross is not even contemplating spiritual maturity. Michael Spencer reflected on Patton's post and fortold:

The is “the end” of evangelicalism, and it’s not dying with a whimper. Oh no. It’s going out with party hats and noise-makers. And Bratz dolls. And Barbie. And video games. And an elf. And the Word-faith message. And Starbucks.

The end of evangelicalism isn’t the deep vacuum of space. It’s the Borg ship. With pizza, a band and great commercials.

Is this Christianity? If you realize you answer no longer has any basis in reality, consider just being honest: No, it’s not.

Are the living dead in a George Romero movie “people?”

HT: Thinklings