Is "Mainline" a Dirty Word?

In my review of Scott Kisker's book, "Mainline or Methodist," I shared this observation:

For Scott, the label "mainline" as in mainline denominations like United Methodists, Presbyterians, and Lutherans, means that we have chosen an established path rather than a revolutionary path of living out our faith. For sure, mainline denominations have too often gone down that lazy status-quo path. However, for me, the label of mainline correctly identifies denominations such as the United Methodist Church as Christian communities that are willing to bring together a variety of points of views (left vs. right, democrat vs. republican, Michigan vs. Ohio State, etc.) and through scripture, reason, experience, and tradition, we can listen and help each other to discern God's voice.

The reason I see "mainline" in a positive way is because of something I saw on CNN today regarding a non-mainline pastor who is calling for all Christians to burn a Koran, Muslim's sacred book on September 11. This pastor claims that the Muslim religion is of the devil and should be stopped. OK, I do believe that the Christian faith is a particular faith that believes that Jesus Christ is the particular means by which we receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life, but that doesn't mean that I need to go out and burn books of a different religion in order to show that my religion is the only way. And to have this be done on September 11 when we remember those who died in the terrorist bombings which included Muslims, is appalling to say the least.

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And please read this disclaimer: Not all mainline Christians are tolerant and not all non-mainline Christians are judgemental. However, one of the strengths of mainline Christianity is that it tends to embrace diversity while retaining the historic Christian faith.

Don't get me wrong. I understand the point that Scott Kisker in his book, "Mainline or Methodist" is making. Sometimes we too often use the word, "mainline" to refer to a pro-establishment description of what it means to be a Christian which is not what we find in the Gospels! But what I do like about this term is that it seeks to keep the church from moving into a judgemental, disrespectul, and triumphalist direction that does not honor God and would have us not love our neighbors as ourselves as Jesus taught us to do.

The pastor who wants to burn books on September 11 reminded me what I like the word, "mainline."

The New Testament Word/Phrase of the Week

The New Testament bible scholar, Dr. Tom Wright, has produced a glossary of New Testament words/phrases that is really helpful for the study of scripture. What I like most about his definition of New Testament words is that he helps us to know what a Jewish person from the 1st century would have understood these words/phrases to mean. Too often, we allow our 21st century world view to get in the way of the original meaning.

Here is the New Testament word/phrase of the week: Justification

God's declaration, from his position as judge of all the world, that someone is in the right, despite universal sin. This declaration will be made on the last day on the basis of an entire life (Romans 2:1-16), but is brought forward into the present on the basis of Jesus' achievement, because sin has been dealt with through his cross (Romans 3:21 - 4:25); the means of this present justification is simply faith. This means, particularly, that Jews and Gentiles alike are full members of the family promise by God to Abraham (Galatians 3; Romans 4).

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Post "Christmas in July" Reflections

Here are some of my reflections from the "Christmas in July" worship services which were held yesterday at Lancaster First United Methodist Church in Lancaster, Ohio. The picture with this post is Santa picking up the special Christmas gift from under the tree which ended up being our special offering check to be given toward our conference and district apportionments supporting missions and outreach in our surrounding area and throughout the world.

• Our church needed a positive boost after a difficult winter/spring season in which we have been faced with some significant financial challenges. While not dismissing the severity of those challenges, many people who attended yesterday sensed joy and hope as a result of our "Christmas in July" fun.
• It was wonderful to hear during one of our worship services a young child shout out, "Hi Santa!" as Santa made an appearance to help with our special offering announcement.
• Seeing the church decorated like Christmas and having the large Santa sleigh in the front of the sanctuary was pretty special. It really did feel like Christmas!
• A staff member told me in between two of the services, "What I like about today is you don't have to go through the long Christmas build-up that you do during the month of December." I agreed!
• It was nice to get publicity on our event from the local newspaper. We also made it on a radio station.
• Celebrating "Christmas in July" reminded our congregation that the good news of our faith isn't meant to be confined to one day or season but is meant to be lived out everyday.
• Of course, the announcement of our special offering amount which will go toward our conference and district apportionments made for a nice moment of celebration during each worship service. Pastor Cheryl, with the help of Santa, opened a Christmas wrapped package that contained a check in the amount of $4,200.
• By having this special Sunday, we reached a lot of people who wouldn't normally attend church on the last Sunday of July. This is usually a low attendance time of year and we attracted a lot of people to attend from our community. This was our "bring a friend to church" type of Sunday.
• Partnering with the Lancaster Festival and having their musicians perform in worship was really special.
• It was really fun to see so many people wear Christmas clothing to worship, including gaudy Christmas ties, Christmas sweaters, and Santa hats!
• And last but not least, a member gave me a Christmas gift after the last worship service. Guess what it was? Fruit cake!

Sunday Worship Preview - August 1

August 1 - (8:15 A.M. & 11:00 A.M. Traditional Services & 9:45 A.M. Praise Service) & Wednesday, August 4 (6:30 P.M. Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "Martiarchs & Patriarchs - Jacob"

Features - 10th Sunday After Pentecost; Missionary Greetings from Rev. Kristin Markay, Milan Italy; & Holy Communion by Intinction

Scripture - Genesis 25:19-34 & 32:22-31 & John 4:7-15

Theme - Today, we begin a six part sermon sermons on five matriarchs and patriarchs from the Old Testament. We will focus on Jacob, Deborah, David, Jeremiah, Ruth, and Abraham. The bible is like a large family album and by reviewing this album we will be able to see how God was able to use imperfect people to accomplish his purposes. We begin the series by focusing on Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, who needed a powerful dream, a taste of his own medicine, and a wrestling match with God before he finally realized who he was created to be.

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"Christmas in July" Prayer - July 25

This Sunday, July 25, Lancaster First United Methodist Church in Lancaster, Ohio will be celebrating "Christmas in July" for our worship services. The purpose of celebrating Christmas in the middle of the summer is to remind ourselves of the good news of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world and to receive a generous special offering which will go toward local and global outreach ministries. Whenever the church celebrates a "Feast Day" such as Christmas, I like to post the corresponding collect (worship prayer.)

While it feels strange for me to do this, here's the Christmas prayer as we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth this Sunday.

Prayer - Christmas
Eternal God, by the birth of Jesus Christ you gave yourself to the world. Grant that, being born in our hearts, he may save us from all our sins, and restore within us the image and likeness of our Creator, to whom be everlasting praise and glory, world without end. Amen.
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The All Important Approach to the Study of Scripture

Scot McKnight has a recent blog article on the topic of the Wesleyan quadrilateral, the Anglican/Wesleyan approach of interpreting and understanding the scriptures. His article reminded me of how important it is for us to utilize this study of scripture approach. Any other approach that doesn't take scripture/tradition/reason/experience seriously can easily lead us into an ill informed interpretation of scripture. But a note of caution here: this approach to the study of scripture requires effort and time, unlike the simplistic approach of "The bible says it, I believe it, that settles it!"

Of the four parts of the quadrilateral, tradition is perhaps the most difficult one to utilize because it requires a well rounded understanding and knowledge base of 2,000 years of how the church has interpreted various scripture passages and theological topics. Or we may cut ourselves short by focusing on only one era of church history such as the Reformation period while neglecting how the church has intepreted the scriptures from other historical periods.

The United Methodist Church offers this definition of the Wesleyan quadrilateral as John Wesley understood it.

Wesleyan Quadrilateral
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The phrase which has relatively recently come into use to describe the principal factors that John Wesley believed illuminate the core of the Christian faith for the believer. Wesley did not formulate the succinct statement now commonly referred to as the Wesley Quadrilateral. Building on the Anglican theological tradition, Wesley added a fourth emphasis, experience. The resulting four components or "sides" of the quadrilateral are (1) Scripture, (2) tradition, (3) reason, and (4) experience. For United Methodists, Scripture is considered the primary source and standard for Christian doctrine. Tradition is experience and the witness of development and growth of the faith through the past centuries and in many nations and cultures. Experience is the individual's understanding and appropriating of the faith in the light of his or her own life. Through reason the individual Christian brings to bear on the Christian faith discerning and cogent thought. These four elements taken together bring the individual Christian to a mature and fulfilling understanding of the Christian faith and the required response of worship and service.

Source: A Dictionary for United Methodists, Alan K. Waltz, Copyright 1991, Abingdon Press.

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The New Testament Word/Phrase of the Week

The New Testament bible scholar, Dr. Tom Wright, has produced a glossary of New Testament words/phrases that is really helpful for the study of scripture. What I like most about his definition of New Testament words is that he helps us to know what a Jewish person from the 1st century would have understood these words/phrases to mean. Too often, we allow our 21st century world view to get in the way of the original meaning.

Here is the New Testament word/phrase of the week: Resurrection

In most biblical thought, human bodies matter and are not merely disposable prisons for the soul. When ancient Israelites wrestled with the goodness and justice of YHWH, the creator, they ultimately came to insist that he must raise the dead (Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2-3) - a suggestion firmly resisted by classical pagan thought. The longed-for return from exile was also spoken of in terms of YHWH raising drying bones to new life (Ezekiel 37:1-14). These ideas were developed in the second-Temple period, not least at times of martyrdom (e.g. II Maccabees 7). Resurrection was not just 'life after death', but a newly embodied life after 'life after death'; those at present dead were either 'asleep', or seen as 'souls', 'angels' or 'spirits', awaiting new embodiment.

The early Christian belief that Jesus had been raised form the dead was not that he had 'gone to heaven', or that he had been 'exalted', or was 'divine'; they believed all those as well, but each could have been expressed without mention of resurrection. Only the bodily resurrection of Jesus explains the rise of the early church, particularly its belief in Jesus' messiahship (which his crucifixion would have called into question). The early Christians believed that they themselves would be raised to a new, transformed bodily life at the time of the Lord's return or parousia (e.g. Philippians 3:20f.).