Theology Blog

My wife and I often have spirited discussion as to whether or not the other is an optimist or a pessimist in a given moment and in general. The saying goes that the optimists looks at a glass that is 50% full of water and says that the glass is ‘half full.’ The pessimist looks at the glass and says it is ‘half empty.’ I have added to this that the realist sees that there is water in the glass. The realist never really examines the emotion or trajectory of something. The pessimist sees the negative in everything, the downside, the challenges. The optimist sees the good in everything, the upside, the opportunities. I have often wondered which of these three is the one that we as Christians are called to model. About a year ago, it struck me: none of the above. As Christians we do not look at a glass that contains 50% water and observe that the glass has water, or that it is half empty or even than it is half full. As Christians we recognize that the glass is refillable. That is the nature of hope. Regardless of how we look at a given situation, realistically, optimistically or pessimistically, it is ultimately does not matter, because with God there is more.  With God we recognize that the glass is refillable. We can drink it, pour it out, waste it, give it away or whatever other image with can come up with in this analogy. Each has a different benefit, challenge and outcome, but the truth about the glass and the water is unchangeable. The glass is refillable. Do we look at life with hope? Do we look to pour ourselves out and trust God to fill us once again? The gift of God is that there is always more. Perspective mattes, it can dictate our decisions, words, actions and more. When we live in hope, we know that our current circumstances are temporary, can be used for God and that there is hope. The glass is refillable.

I believe that God has given us free will, the will and ability to choose (or even to choose not to choose).  While I have many friends who do not share this belief, I think even they would have to admit that we have some level of choice.

There are challenges with free will however. Having free will does give us the ability to choose, it gives us great freedom and tremendous opportunity and potential. That said, free will can come at a great cost. Our choices have resulting outcomes, some of which can be painful. Some of our choices lead to painful results, outcomes or consequences. Simply having choice does not mean that we will always make the right or perfect choice. It also does not mean that the choices of others will not impact our otherwise good choices.

God gave us free will, but with the freedom to choose comes the cost of pain, loss and consequences. Its in those moments that I often wish that I did not have free will or that I question God’s decision to give that to me. Yet, the better part of me knows that in the midst of consequences and pain there comes with free will an opportunity for great success, happiness and a positive outcome. With freedom can come great joy. If only it were easy and painless.

As a culture, as the church and as a people we are terrible at celebrating. We celebrate very little when we should celebrate everything, including our failures. The church should be a model of celebration, but it seems as though that it is the last to celebrate at all. I have thought about this on many levels for many years. Its something that I struggle with and need to grow in personally and as a leader.

As I was sitting and thinking the other day, something struck me. Jesus’ ministry starts and ends with a party. Whether we see the start of his ministry as his baptism or the wedding where he performs his first miracle of turning water into wine, both are a party. There is not many celebrations as great as baptism. Weddings certainly also make the lists of great celebrations. Jesus made the party better, turning the water into wine and good wine at that! Jesus knew how to celebrate.

The ministry of Jesus also ends with a celebration. Whether we see the end of Jesus’ ministry as the last supper or the resurrection, both really are celebrations. Certainly they are celebrations rooted in more negative circumstances, but I think that is part of the point. It does not have to be a wonderful or beautiful event in order for us to celebrate. We also recognize that the God who redeems can make good for anything, turning mourning into a celebration. Turning bad news into a sacred party;

We need to celebrate. We have lost sight of it. It is a marker of the abundant life and should be a marker of the church of Jesus Christ. We, the church and the world need it.

Celebrate!

It is the job of the Shepherd (lead Pastor and any Pastors) to ensure that everyone in the congregation is cared for, especially spiritually. While the Pastors are responsible to ensure everyone is cared for, the Pastors are not responsible to do all of that care. In fact, it is not Biblically or theologically sound for them to do so. Additionally, it is not at all practical in any church setting of any size. The care of the congregation belongs to every member of the church as we are all ministers, part of the priesthood of all believers as Martin Luther taught. I have learned over the years that when it comes to the issues we face in the church, we must think about them Biblically, theologically and practically. That said, the order and hierarchy of that is certainly important. The true image of the church, the body of Christ, a community of faith, the local family of God is far different than we often assume. While there is a professional nature to ministry and certainly a calling for Pastors, both the early church and the church today if healthy function in the same way when it comes to the care of those who are a part of the church. In the early church, Pastoral care at the center of the life of the church, but it was not done by the leaders of the church, it was performed by everyone as they did life together. This is an incredibly healthy image. Nothing is more powerful than when someone from your church cares for you in a time of need. That said, many small and dying churches (no coincidence according to any church consultant, expert or leader of a growing church), the assumption and the expectation is that only the professional pastors do the pastoral care. While this would be nice,it is not usually realistic, at least in a healthy way. Even if it were to be realistic, its not Biblical. The truth is that Pastors come and go. While they need to care for the people of their church, they should not do all that care. The community that existed before the pastor came and that will exist after the pastor leaves is best suited to do most of the care for the people in the congregation. The beauty of the church is that it is a community of faith, that we who are a part of a local church are family, we are in this together. We care for each other together.

In our family lives, if someone in our family is in need, we do not expect only a professional care giver to provide the care they need (whether mental, physical, emotional, or other things), we also care for them as their family in their time of need. That is the case with the church as well. The most powerful ministry moments happen when those who are a part of a church together do life together. That is the gift of God that demonstrates to us the true power that a church community can have in our lives. What the world needs is not a professional church, but an authentic community of faith. Caring for one another is truly one of the greatest gifts of the church!

Trust is our one great act. God does everything else, we simply trust and engage with what God has done, is doing and will do for us. Trust is not easy, it does not come naturally and is filled with complications. Trust means letting go of control to some degree. When it comes to trusting God, we are called to trust God in all things which means we let go completely. This is much easier said that done, but I am not always sure we realize the that very essence, the very definition of faith is trust (not belief). It is safe to say that trust is risky, it brings with it some level of risk. That said, if we think about it in terms of the Scripture, theology and the nature of God, is trusting God really a risk? If we know God is for us, is perfect and is sovereign, is trusting God really a risk? I would argue no. Why then is it so hard to trust God?

When thinking about our posture towards God, it is impossible to find a perfect analogy for everyone in every season, but there is one that in some seasons has been particularly helpful for me. The image is that of a catcher. Our posture towards God is to be like the catcher in a baseball or softball game. We get in position and we wait. There are people on our team, people backing us up to keep us doing what we should. We have input as to what kind of pitch is going to come to us. We have little to no control on the outcome. We simply wait to receive. We do this patiently over and over again until we know it is over for that day, until the next game. What do you think about this analogy? What works and what does not work?

Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God more than any other topic. Over time I have found myself focusing on this fact and this phrase as a follower of Jesus, husband, father, pastor ect. If it was that significant in Jesus words, it should certainly be significant for us. Yet, the concept of the Kingdom is not concrete. Its not entirely understandable or explainable or even tangible. It is, like many things connected to God, filled with mystery.  Yet, I believe we are all called to pursue living out and brining about the Kingdom of God. As I have sought the Kingdom of God, I have noticed that, for me, the three most significant ways it has been borne out and found are in dialogue, relationship and story.

The Kingdom of God unfolds in dialogue. Dialogue with one another, dialogue in community, dialogue with Scripture and most of all dialogue with God. Some of the most powerful moments I have experienced have been simple conversations. It has often taken a willingness to listen and to be looking for what the Holy Spirit might be doing, but dialogue is one way I have learned about, found and experienced a small piece of what Jesus is talking about when he talks about the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is also found in relationship. We were created to be in relationship; with God, with one another and with the world. Relationships are the greatest gift we are given outside of the triune God. It is in my relationships that God has blessed me, challenged me, spoken to me and cared for me in the most profound, powerful and often unexpected ways. The intentional and unintentional as well as the casual and deep relationships I have experienced have been great teachers and indicators of the value, meaning, depth and power of the Kingdom of God. The truth is, I know that I have at best only scratched the surface.

The Kingdom of God is also found in story. Jesus used story to teach, minister and express the values of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not only found in the stories of Jesus and the Bible, but also our stories, the stories of others, the stories unfolding now, the stories of history, the stories of the future. We can catch glimpses of the Kingdom in stories and not just stories of faith. Secular movies, music and other art forms can and have communicated deep truths about the Kingdom of God.

Pursuing the Kingdom of God is an interesting adventure. It is filled with mystery, joy and surprises. It is a journey of learning, humility and meaning. It is the think that Jesus spoke the most about, so outside of Christ himself, I believe the Kingdom of God is the thing that we must pursue with the most passion, energy and vigor.

As I think about this issue and the divide amongst people, particularly in and from the church, I believe there are five core issues that dictate where we fundamentally agree and disagree on this issue. These five core issues, in no particular order are:

-The Value of scripture: How we look at and value Scripture is a big factor in how we look at this issue. The higher and more literal a value someone places on scripture, the more inflexible they are on the issue, with the other end of the spectrum (low and non-literal view) seeing no role for the Scripture in speaking to this issue specifically.

-The Nature of sin: there is a lot of debate on what is sin, and what is not sin, especially as it relates to this issue. The core problem in my mind, however, is that many like to point out the sin of others while ignoring their own sin. Regardless of what view one holds of scripture, its clear that the Bible sees all sin as equal. Is the homosexual nature sinful, or is it just the action? Is it both? Is it neither?

-The Relationship of Church and culture: there are many views on the role and relationship between the church and culture. There has been much written on this issue as well. Does one support the separation of church and state? Should morality be legislated? Should the church decide what the government should do, vice versa or neither? The problem here is that Christians are often selective and inconsistent in which approach they would like to apply.

-Value of People: How do we value people? Are we broken mistakes that need to be fixed, or imperfect, but beautiful, unique people created in the image of God? How we view humanity as a whole has a significant impact on how we view this issue.

-Choice or not?: Is homosexuality a choice or not? Nature or nurture? Science, psychology and opinion take all sides on this issue. Is it both (a choice for some and not a choice for others)? How we look at this question also impacts how we view this issue.

A big part of this issue involves the role of the church and the government. I have long been an advocate and supporter of the separation of church and state. I grow very frustrated that many within North American Christianity want to apply this selectively, however. The founding fathers were smart and were correct about this issue. Beyond that, almost every historical example of the church and state ‘getting in bed together’ has ended badly; the institutionalization of the church through the government, the crusades, the holocaust, just to name a few. As a pastor and someone who loves the church, I do not want to be forced by the government to do or believe anything that is contrary to my theology or faith as a pastor or a church. I understand, respect and accept the cases around taxes and non-profit status, because the church is asking for a benefit to be tax free so they must honor the rules for that if they want to keep that status. In this sense, I do not support the idea that denominations, churches or pastors should be forced to do something that is against their beliefs and theology regarding marriage by the government. I do not think it will ever come to that, but its worth noting. That said, I do not think we can or should have it both ways. We cannot expect the government to stay out of defining marriage for us, but then force them to accept our definition (heck, we do not even agree on it anyway!). I do not believe in legislating faith. As a follower of Jesus, I should be passionate about human rights and equal rights for all. In that sense, I should support some sort of same-sex marriage by the government. In honesty, I think it would be easier to call it something else, like civil union, but that is not my call. I believe we need to either stay silent about what the government should do on this issue or support the rights of all people, including those of a homosexual orientation. Let the church issue be the church’s issue and decision and let the issue of fairness, rights and equality be an issue of the government and a decision of the government.

I have decided to do some theological writing and reflecting on the same-sex marriage debate. While I cannot decide if this is a brave, stupid, unnecessary or necessary decision, there is no question that in the Christian church in the United States today, this is the most divisive and painful issue we face. I have seen families, churches, denominations, friendships and more torn apart as a result of this debate.

As I reflect on this issue from a Biblical and theological perspective, I have come to discover that while there are multiple perspectives on this issue, and that sexuality itself is probably more of a spectrum than a series of definitive categories, I have found that three views are most prevalent amongst Christians.

First View: Both the nature and the action are sinful.

To be gay (homosexual), to have that nature, tendency or attraction itself is sinful. Simply put, the feeling or desire itself is sinful. Additionally, the action is sinful, that is to participate in a homosexual action or activity itself ins also sinful, much in the way adultery is sinful (though we seem to be less concerned with adultery than we are homosexuality). The passages of Scripture and Christian tradition itself condemn both the nature and action in this view. For this particular camp, the Scripture does not make a distinction between nature and action.

Second View: Neither the nature or the action is sinful.

In this view, Christian tradition and the Scripture do not make a specific, clear case that homosexual orientation (attraction/desire) or action (engaging in homosexual activity) are sinful. For this particular camp, the passages in the Scripture and Christian tradition can explained away and are entirely cultural.

Third View: The nature is not sinful, but the action is sinful.

In this view, Christian tradition and Scripture draw a clear distinction between sinful nature and action. This view assumes that homosexual activity (or action) in of itself is sinful, but to have the desire, nature or attraction is not. This view takes into account a high value of Scripture as well as context.

Oftentimes, homosexuality is compared to alcoholism. This comparison is completely inaccurate, as we know alcoholism can be a disease, where sexual identity/nature is not a disease. The first and the second require more work to defend in terms of how most scholars and the church historically treat and view the Scripture both specifically and as a whole. The truth is that Jesus did not speak specifically on homosexuality and this in of itself speaks volumes as its clear that it existed during that time historically. For many, this truth complicates this issue as many faithful Christians seek to discern the Biblical and theological truth on this issue. Regardless of what one believes as it relates to this issue, we are called to be gracious, understanding and loving in the midst of our differences.