.
I saw a post in a clergy forum on social media, from a pastor of a church that disaffiliated but he remained with the UMC. He simply want to say thank you to others who did so as well. He said that while filling in at a church, he had a lay person thank him for remaining UMC. He realized that no one had done that … no denominational leader had done that.
He simply wanted to say "thank you” and wish God's blessings on them in their new ministry setting!
I responded with the following comment.
Yes! I want everyone to know I have gratitude in my heart for all of you who persevered. Thank you for your loyalty to Christ and to the mystical church God gave us.
I realize I am personally fortunate … I serve a local church that chose not to enter a discernment process, and we only lost 10% of our people which was painful but not disruptive to ministry. And I was blessed beyond measure to be in appointment from which I could openly lead our Stay UMC movement in North Alabama.
I admire people like you who held to the faith, who believe what the Bible says about Christ’s prayers for unity and about the DNA of the early church called to live the radical love of Jesus even when it’s uncomfortable. It was hard to hold fast when those around you were falling into the schismatic fear. Yet you did.
Thank you. You chose to remain in communion with me and such a diverse group of other Christians, though you and I may only know each other on social media. We are family, the body of Christ.
It meant the world to me that a bishop at Jurisdictional Conference went out of his way to thank me for standing up as a leader to defend the faith. You all should be thanked as well!
More than that, know that Christ holds you close to his breast. Well done, good and faithful servants.
I recently listened with an open heart to the sermon of a pastor who is one of the separatists who recently left the UMC. He articulated (very well) how their movement falls solidly into the tradition of “holiness” movements. From a historical and theological standpoint, I couldn’t agree more. Even Asbury seminary, which fuels the movement, has always been a Wesleyan holiness seminary and has never been United Methodist.
The only difference this pastor and I have is that he considers this holiness movement as the original Methodism, when I believe it is actually a derivative of early Methodism which appeared about a hundred years later.
Wikipedia describes holiness movements pretty well. See below. I agree they emerged out of the Wesleyan concept of Christian perfection. For the UMC, though, Wesley’s call to perfection has always been holiness in love, not some sort of concept of sinlessness. Striving to be free of sin is, in my theology, a vain effort. I choose to be overwhelmed and formed by the grace of God.
For more on the distinction, this Wikipedia article describes it well. You can read it HERE:
I actually detected the holiness strain when I read through the GMC provisional book of doctrines and disciplines (to knowledgeably refute what they were doing). Specifically, it follows some holiness teacher at Asbury seminary that teaches that there are four (not three) “scripture ways of salvation” … prevenient, justifying, sanctifying, and glorifying grace. That last one is purely an additive, Wesley never said that. Also, I detected in there a call to “entire sanctification”, I can’t remember the reference exactly but it was there.
Yes, the language of glorifying grace does come out of Asbury seminary, as far as I can tell, and is not taught in UMC seminaries or included in the doctrinal section of our Book of Discipline because Wesley did not use the language himself (the matter of Eastern theosis which Wesley found attractive is considered in UMC theology a feature of sanctifying grace, as in the Eastern thought he read and adopted like that of Macarius the Egyptian). I interpret “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” in terms of sanctifying grace. I know this might be kind of “deep in the theological weeds” for some. All that’s to say when I say holiness theology is derived from Wesleyan theology and came later, that’s not a bad thing.
I love 2 Cor 3:18, which speaks of the veil on the face of Moses when in the tabernacle … “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” This is Eastern theosis indeed, which Wesley embraced. We are always being transformed (it is never past tense).
I believe the reason Wesley used the language of the doctrine of sanctification, as did the Eastern fathers, and did not add a separate category of glorification, is because for him sanctification is a continual process and experienced as a gradient, not an instantaneous experience. He did believe entire sanctification was possible, but very unlikely … and he openly said he did not know anyone who had attained it. The belief that there is a “second blessing,” a second regeneration experience that makes you free from sin, was not really Wesley’s theology … though you can certainly find strands of holiness in Wesley that could lend itself to that (he was not a systematic theologian).
If the word additive seems too strong, perhaps derivative is a better word. The doctrine of glorification is a holiness derivative of Wesley’s theology. Not only does he never say it, in my studies I don’t think he believed it, at least not in the sense of arriving in that state due to a second regeneration experience. The Christian perfection he longed for was perfection in love, the love of God and neighbor. We strive but never arrive. That love was his definition of holiness.
The GMC has embraced the doctrine of glorification that is from holiness tradition, or arguably from reformed tradition outside of Wesley, as stated in their online material. The pastor I heard is correct. One can argue that it’s derived from Wesley’s theology, sure. But I maintain that it’s not language actually from Wesley’s writings, and it’s not part of UMC doctrine or taught in any UMC seminary. Our language is here:
https://www.umc.org/en/content/distinctive-wesleyan-emphases
I want everybody to know as we wade through these theological weeds that I do not think the separatists split off BECAUSE they believe in holiness theology.
But I do believe it makes sense that they would more fully embrace holiness theology, as movements in the past which have split off from the main body have done. This is more sociological than theological. While the symptomatic issue was culture wars over the latest thing, as it always has been in the past (slavery, temperance, evolution, racial segregation, etc.), holiness theology tends to be a more convenient fit of separatist views.
All that is to say the holiness tradition is a beautiful theological tradition. There is nothing wrong with it and many United Methodists believe some aspects of it, though it is a derivative of Wesley’s original language.
To celebrate a historic General Conference and uplifting Annual Conference, I’ve made my book available for a discount. Amazon and Wipf & Stock have it for $21. I’ll send you a copy for only $15 (with free shipping).
Just EMAIL ME or PRIVATE MESSAGE ME on Facebook with your address! I’ll send it with an invoice and you can pay me later.
If you really want to know why I was active in creating the “Stay UMC” movement, this book is about why.
Adam Ployd, professor and theologian at Wesley House in Cambridge, said, “This book is not so much a work of pure scholarship—though the author has clearly done his homework on the topic of Wesley and communion—as it is an exhortative reflection on the ways in which a robust Wesleyan vision of communion should shape the future of United Methodism. West sees a central problem at the heart of the crisis facing The United Methodist Church: it is being divided by political culture wars that threaten the integrity of the Body of Christ and the radical community it is called to be. The sacrament of Holy Communion, he believes, holds the theological and practical key to renewing the Body and cultivating community in a way that can allow the church to move forward in pious, charitable unity …
“Although West is writing for a popular audience— educated laity and clergy alike—this is an erudite book. West incorporates historical voices, from the earliest generations of Christians to the English Nonjurors and, of course, the Wesleys themselves, in order to educate his reader in some fairly nuanced theological ideas. He does so nimbly, demonstrating both his knowledge of the subject matter and his ability to communicate that knowledge with unusual clarity. Indeed, this is a book to be recommended to all United Methodists struggling with the current crisis who desire a rich, reliable theological resource for thinking about things in a way that transcends the surface-level issues.”
See the link Something Happens Here for more information.
To have a listen, click ONE THREE NINE.
I was excited that Psalm 139 came up in the lectionary. During the early days of the pandemic, I fell in love with the jazz of Aubrey Logan. She does trombone and vocals with a rhythmic fusion of jazz, pop, and rock, and sometimes her music has religious overtones (in addition to generally wholesome themes). I suspect she has a United Methodist background, because she has a number of times quoted things found in our hymnal. This selection is a good example.
I presented Aubrey Logan's "One Three Nine" in worship in June of 2024. I share it here in hopes that it helps you get in touch with the inescapable love of God through the words of Psalm 139.
Notice that she quotes "Oh, How I Love Jesus" at the beginning and the end. She didn't just do that because it's a pretty tune, she did it because it's a theological statement. She wraps the love of our Creator, who searches and knows us intricately, together with Christ in the last verse, in fact.
To have a listen, click ONE THREE NINE.
Here’s a statement from the Nigerian United Methodist Church on why they are STAYING UMC!
“Our church has obeyed the prayer of Jesus in John 17:6-19 to be one. We have chosen love over hatred, peace over rancor, and unity over division.”
See the full statement outlining their support for regionalization and moving forward in unity here:
One of the endorsers of my new book, Steve Harper, wrote this heartfelt "goodbye" to the GMC a couple of years ago. Somehow I missed this until now.
I thought it might be beneficial to link to it here on my blog.
"My witness to those who will remain in the UMC is that you have not compromised or diminished your faith by commending acceptance, inclusion, and the common good. You have, in fact, decided to personify Micah’s exhortation to 'do justice' (Micah 6:8), and doing so in ways that a 'pure church' mentality does not do."
You can find the full blog post HERE.
This is a report given by a pagan official, Aristides, to Emperor Hadrian who was seeking justification to outlaw Christianity. It is from the early 2nd century.
“Christians love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If someone has something, they give freely to the one who has nothing. If they see a stranger, Christians take them home and are happy, as though he were a real brother or sister. They don’t consider themselves siblings in the usual sense, but instead through the Spirit of God. And if they hear that one of them is in jail, or persecuted for professing the name of their redeemer, they give that person what they need. If it is possible, they bail them out. If one of them is poor and there isn’t enough food to go around, they fast several days to give them the food they need. This is really a new kind of person. There is something divine in them.”
First Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”)
Gospel Reading: Mark 9:2-8 (the transfiguration)
—
Sometimes I identify with Peter, not so much when he is doing well but when he is doing poorly. He starts his little speech with “It is good for us to be here,” which is what I catch myself saying when I have no idea how to start. It does say in Mark, “he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.”
So instead, let me start by telling you a story about my mother. She was an amazing person of faith. She was the daughter, sister, niece, wife, mother, and mother-in-law of Methodist pastors (the last one is because I married one). But SHE was the spiritual leader of our family.
I was one of four boys, and one of my early memories is of how she took my brothers to school, then she sat in a particular rocking chair in the kitchen with her morning coffee for about 45 minutes. She called it her “quiet time.” We were not to bother her during her quiet time! I vividly remember sitting on the couch, listening to her coffee cup click and click on the saucer, wondering when she was going to be finished.
I didn’t know it yet, but she was instilling a longing for God in me.
She was also the kind of person who planned for anything, and that’s where my story comes in. She had a funny habit; when staying at a hotel, the first thing she would do was make sure she knew where fire escape was. Know the type?
One time she and Dad went overseas, and they checked into a hotel. She couldn’t figure out where the fire escape was (there were unfamiliar markings in another language), so she started checking doors. She walked in on a fellow who was in a small restroom. “Oh, I’m sorry, I was just looking for the fire escape.” She quickly closed the door and kept looking.
A minute later, here came that fellow running down the hall, hurriedly pulling his pants up. He was yelling, “Where’s the fire? Where’s the fire?!”
Over the last few years, I’ve been asking myself that same question. Where’s the fire?
After a long Covid shutdown followed by an anti-science blowback, I was left asking, “where’s the fire?” After an uptick of racial tensions followed by extremist insurrection against our capital, and then after a rancor-filled season of division in my denomination, so many things have left me asking “Where’s the fire?”
I didn’t have to ask “where’s the dumpster fire?” We’ve seen plenty of those.
Where’s the fire that burns in the heart, the fire that changes the world?
I had no idea Dwight would teach us about Teilhard de Chardin saying, “Someday … we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, [humanity] will have discovered fire.”
THERE’S the fire. THAT’S the fire my soul longs for.
The word for the day is ENCOUNTERING. I want to introduce you to my friend here. These are icons of Macarius the Egyptian. These particular versions of the Macarius icon look less like Lew than the one I brought here a few years ago … these have more hair! But I chose these particular versions because of a common motif in Macarius icons … his HANDS are held up in the GLOW of God who is all light, all flame, and who illumines the soul.
Macarius was a 4th century monk, one of John Wesley’s favorite spiritual ancestors. We know this because Macarius’ book of fifty sermons were required reading for Wesley’s class leaders, and Wesley himself quoted him in his sermon “The Way of Salvation” when he describes “sanctifying grace.”
I read the sermons of Macarius. It changed my life.
This is partly because I discovered Macarius was the original source of Wesley’s theology of how grace comingles with our free will, and of what BOTH of them called Christian perfection (not flawlessness, but a journey of being perfected by the holiness of love).
Reading his sermons also changed my life because while Wesley used very exacting language (like “prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace”), Macarius used the most wonderful metaphorical language I ever heard, like our SOUL is a ship, or a moving throne, or a chariot with Christ as the charioteer, or a castle (yes, Teresa of Avila picked this up from Macarius and ran with it 12 centuries later).
Do you know what Macarius said about spiritual formation? We are all gathered around a FIRE. I invite you to hold your HANDS UP like Macarius, and hear his words:
“As many lights and burning lamps are lighted from fire, but the lamps and lights are lighted and shine from one nature, so also Christians are enkindled and shine from one nature, the divine fire, the Son of God, and they have their lamps burning in their hearts.”
Do you know what else he said about that lamp burning in each of our hearts, lit from the one fire? He said our SOUL is like a BRONZE vessel you put burning fuel under so the INSIDES are made warm. He adds, “So also grace, the heavenly fire, is also within you.”
The FIRE of the Holy Spirit burning under us becomes a heavenly fire that burns WITHIN us.
So … “where’s the fire?”
The word of the day is “encountering” and part of us LONGS for that kind of encounter with God - an encounter like Peter, James, and John on the mountain, or like Moses whose face was glowing from a personal encounter with GLOW of the great fire.
Let me tell you a personal story about finding that fire.
After a grueling few years of defending my annual conference from harm (some of you know my journey with the “Stay UMC” movement), one day I got out my Grandpa’s Bible.
I didn’t bring it today (it’s too fragile and priceless) but I keep in on my shelf. If I had time, I would tell you a story of Grandpa Hamby (he led a revival in the 1920’s, and brought pistols to the pulpit to defend the church against bootleggers who were trying to shut it down). It’s a colorful story … after all, I am from Alabama.
So I have his preaching Bible. (My uncle gave it to me when I was ordained). One day recently I got it out, and something dawned on me after all the pain of the last few years. I realized it was probably the SAME Bible that sat on that pulpit between those two pistols. But I had never gone through his sermon notes that were folded within its pages.
Well, a few weeks ago, I did. I found a particular one … it was entitled “Why I Love the Church.” Grandpa wrote:
“With all its admitted frailties and human weaknesses, we dare to join with David. Why did David so love the house of God? …
He shared a few thoughts, followed by this: “We love the Church because of what it cost. The Church is a costly institution. Its history is a story of divine and human sacrifice. Divine. Human. (He underlined these two words)
“Last of all, we love the Church because of its future. We are not manning a sinking ship. We are not fighting a losing battle.”
I then had one of those mystical experiences when I wondered if that was the very sermon he was preaching that day with two pistols on his pulpit to protect his church from getting shut down by those bootleggers. Was it his sermon on “why I love the church?”
What do you know. I would never take guns to church, but maybe it’s part of my spiritual DNA to “stick to my guns.”
What you also need to know is my Granny’s poem is in front of that Bible, written to my uncle on the eve of HIS ordination. I brought a picture so you can see. It’s entitled “Don’t Forget the Glow.”
This poem has always been dear to me, but now it’s taking on new life:
“I stood beside him proudly,
So much he’d learned to know.
And yet I dared to whisper,
‘Son, don’t forget the glow’.”
“The glow that feeds the hunger
In restless human breasts,
The glow that gives the answer
To life’s long, ceaseless quests.
“The glow that’s so rewarding,
When through the preach’d word
They breathe a prayer of ‘thanks, Sir’
For the wondrous things they’ve heard.
“Always put it in your message.
Hungry hearts, of God’s lost sheep,
Reaching out for strength and courage,
Need soul-food to climb the steep.
“The glow by which your father
Led countless souls to see
The ‘glow-ry’ of the gospel
As it’s surely meant to be.
“A diamond studded highway
Whose end is sure reward.
So keep it bright and shining,
The glory of his Word.”
Are you asking yourself “where’s the fire?” Are you longing for an ENCOUNTER with God?
There’s already a FIRE that burns beneath your “bronze vessel.” It’s the fire of God’s love. Our part is to fuel it with spiritual practices.
We didn’t START the fire. But if we keep the fuel coming, the holy fire grows hot. After simmering a while, we may find that the heat starts coming from within, too.
And when it does, well, don’t forget the glow.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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Let's all come back to the table in order to move forward.
