Letter in Support of God's Children

Some of the clergy in the state of Alabama recently signed a letter, expressing love and care for transgender children and their families.

I signed it, too.

I respect differences of opinion on the issues of our day, and I tend to be a centrist on most of them. I lean left on some and right on others. I affirm diversity of thought in politics and am so happy to serve a diverse local church. I stick to preaching the truths of the gospel on Sundays.

However, these laws appear to target marginalized families, and I am passionate about that because it's not the way of Jesus. I signed it not because of politics but because of my passion for pastoral care. It goes too far when the vulnerable are targeted unnecessarily.

You can read about our letter here. A portion of it reads "Seeing love thrive in spite of all the world’s challenges should be a primary goal of God’s followers, as this is what He sent His son to exemplify for us.

"The Holy Spirit moves in profound ways at separate times in each of us and our brothers and sisters in Christ may see some of God’s children through a different spiritual lens. God calls us not to judge our fellow man for difference because of these differing lenses but calls us to help with discernment and to share our knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ. Love one another, be patient for the Holy Spirit to work, and continue to pray for those who harbor fear in their hearts about that which is not easy or comfortable to understand.  Being inclusive of all of God’s children requires bearing a cross for those with lesser voices while attempting to understand their human experiences.

"The life of a Christian requires each of us to think bigger than oneself and to consider the many facets of human existence and the Creator’s unique design of humanity.  The Holy Spirit comforts and strengthens us and reveals our unique talents that equip us to serve the masses and to bring all into the fullest relationship with God possible."

I agree with my friend and former parishioner Judge Liles Burke's ruling. He blocked part of the law he believes is likely unconstitutional, the part which criminalizes offering medical care. You can read about that here. Burke wrote, "Enjoining the Act upholds and reaffirms the 'enduring American tradition' that parents—not the states or federal courts—play the primary role in nurturing and caring for their children." Bingo. That's why I signed the letter.

Burke wrote “Parent Plaintiffs are substantially likely to show that they have a fundamental right to treat their children with transitioning medications subject to medically accepted standards and that the Act infringes on that right" . . . "The Act prevents Parent Plaintiffs from choosing that course of treatment for their children by criminalizing the use of transitioning medications to treat gender dysphoria in minors, even at the independent recommendation of a licensed pediatrician."

I stand by my decision to sign the letter. But if you'd like to grab a cup of coffee and talk about it, I'm all ears. I'd love to hear your perspective.

What Would Wesley Say About Leaving the UMC?

“There are those who seem to think they will make the church purer and holier by limiting it to a specific set of legislated opinions.”

ST Kimbrough Jr., renowned Wesley scholar from North Alabama (retired Associate General Secretary for Mission Evangelism for the General Board of Global Ministry), asks what Wesley would say about the splintering minority from the UMC going into the GMC (organizing on May 1) or other offshoot denominations.

What a timely release. Read it at www.stayumc.org.

#stayumc

#BeUMC

Paul Chilcote on Staying in the UMC

This is from Paul Chilcote, who I’ve had the privilege of serving with on an Academy for Spiritual Formation. He is a retired professor of historical theology and Wesleyan studies.

I am with Paul. I have been saying openly since February of 2020 that I will not be leaving the UMC. He summarizes my feelings well.

5 Reasons to Stay in The United Methodist Church

My roots are deep in The United Methodist Church. Like most “preachers’ kids,” I went through a period in which I questioned my inherited faith tradition, but I came through that process with a deeper appreciation and love for the UMC and all it represents. “Ten Reasons Why I’ll Join the Global Methodist Church," by Jay Therrell, President of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, Florida Chapter, has recently made a new appearance on Facebook. If you read through that document closely, the portrait of the GMC he paints is congregational in polity (not connectional), creedal in orientation (not oriented around “faith working by love”), and essentially exclusive (not inclusive in vision, despite its “global” title). 

I co-chaired the World Methodist Council/Baptist World Alliance Dialogue, and the ten reasons document “feels” like something my Baptist colleagues may have drafted. I do not mean that pejoratively in any way. I love my Baptist brothers and sisters, but the UMC offers a different vision of Christian faith and practice. What concerns me most about this blog is the way in which it diverges sharply, in my humble opinion, from a genuinely Wesleyan vision. 

As May 1 looms large for many of us who are United Methodists, here are my five reasons to stay in the UMC.

1. The UMC has a wide, gracious, and loving embrace. The church I think most people yearn for is a community of faith that puts love at the very center of its life and vision. This openness to all people as unique brothers and sisters deeply loved by God characterizes the UMC I know. All God’s children are invited to put their gifts to use in the service of God’s reign of reconciliation.

2. The UMC aspires to be Christ-like in practice. Countless surveys over the past decades demonstrate that the majority of people in the United States view the church as judgmental. Jesus gives us a different model of relating to the world and others. The UMC seeks to cultivate disciples of Jesus who are like him – merciful, compassionate, forgiving.

3. The UMC is shaped by a dynamic view of scripture. The UMC is strongly biblical in its orientation. The Bible is the bedrock upon which the faith of United Methodists is built. But its view of the Bible is not simplistic; rather, like Wesley, it embraces a dynamic conception of scripture as the “living Word.” Antithetical to literalistic views of scripture, the United Methodist view offers a rich, robust, but yes scriptural foundation for life in the triune God.

4. The UMC is deeply concerned about growth in grace. Not so much invested in believing the right things, its primary passion is translating God’s love into action in life. It elevates the importance of practices of piety, like prayer, but also advocates acts of mercy – compassion and justice for all. The UMC offers a holistic spirituality that refuses to separate the spiritual from the concrete realities of life. 

5. The UMC is missional in character. The UMC does not live for itself, but for others. It is missional in its design to partner with God in God’s great work of love in the world. Its fundamental orientation is outward, spun out in the life of the world to wage peace, work for justice, and to emulate the “beloved community” God desires for all.

Amazing Quote From the Late Rachel Held Evans

“They said that if I questioned a 6,000-year-old earth, I would question whether other parts of Scripture should be read scientifically and historically. 

They were right.  I did. 

They said that if I entertained the hope that those without access to the gospel might still be loved and saved by God, I would fall prey to the dangerous idea that God loves everyone,  that there is nothing God won’t do to reconcile all things to Himself. 

They were right. I have.  

They said that if I looked for Jesus beyond the party line, I could end up voting for liberals. 

They were right. I do (sometimes).  

They said that if I listened to my gay and lesbian neighbors, if I made room for them in my church and in my life, I could let grace get out of hand. 

They were right.  It has. 

They told me that this slippery slope would lead me away from God, that it would bring a swift end to my faith journey, that I’d be lost forever.

But with that one, they were wrong. 

Yes, the slippery slope brought doubts. Yes, the slippery slope brought change. Yes, the slippery slope brought danger and risk and unknowns. I am indeed more exposed to the elements out here, and at times it is hard to find my footing.  

But when I decided I wanted to follow Jesus as myself, with both my head and heart intact, the slippery slope was the only place I could find him, the only place I could engage my faith honestly. 

So down I went. 

It was easier before, when the path was wide and straight. 

But, truth be told, I was faking it.  I was pretending that things that didn’t make sense made sense, that things that didn’t feel right felt right.  To others, I appeared confident and in control, but faith felt as far away as friend who has grown distant and cold.

Now, every day is a risk. 

Now, I have no choice but to cling to faith and hope and love for dear life. 

Now, I have to keep a very close eye on Jesus, as he leads me through deep valleys and precarious peaks.  

But the view is better, and, for the first time in a long time, I am fully engaged in my faith. 

I am alive. 

I am dependent.

I am following Jesus as me—heart and head intact.  

And they were right.  All it took was a question or two to bring me here.”

- Rachel Held Evans 

(June 8, 1981 - May 4, 2019)

Prayer at the Alabama State Legislature

Because of the kind invitation of a member of our church family who serves as an Alabama State Representative, I did something this week I’ve never done. I went to the state capital in Montgomery to lead prayer for the legislative session.

It was a whole new pastoral experience for me. The most humbling part of it is that I forgot my sports coat. Leave it to me! I had on my tie and my carefully printed prayer folded in my freshly ironed pocket, but when I decided to change out of my sweater (think “Mr. Rogers”), it was nowhere to be found in my car.

Thankfully, this has happened before and capital security knew what to do. A blue blazer appeared, and it was just my size. In a sense, by the time I got to the microphone, I was already humbled. But nothing is more humbling than knowing I had precisely two minutes to do something I would probably never have the opportunity to do again. What do I say?

It was an honor and I did not take it lightly. I love my home state and sincerely pray for our leaders, who face volatile and difficult times. I had no idea how long it would take me to write that two minute prayer.

So I thought I’d share it with you here. Please join me in praying for our leaders in Montgomery.

Steve

—

Let us pray, God of all creation, since the very founding of our nation, countless legislatures have begun public sessions with prayer. We continue that tradition today, not just for history’s sake but because of incredibly high stakes. The matters that come before us are of vital importance, and the women and men of this esteemed house do not take our duties lightly.

So we pause, and we pray, and we acknowledge the Sovereign One who is above all things and imbued in all things.

We confess, oh Lord, our propensity in politics to work against each other instead of with one other, to speak our minds without engaging our hearts. Forgive us, we pray. May we set aside needless ideology for the common good, knowing that only in the sharing of differing voices can we tease out the truth. This is the very principle our government is founded on, that no one corners the market on what’s right. What we do is represent the people of every corner of this great state. May we represent them faithfully and diligently today.

We ask that you “grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the living of these days.” The state of Alabama has come a long way, but like any state, we still have a long way to go. Not far from this legislative gathering is both the pulpit of Martin Luther King’s preaching and the step of Jefferson Davis’s inauguration. Their proximity is a visceral reminder of the confluence of wheat and tare in our history. May we nurture the fine wheat and trust you for the tare.

May we serve Alabama the beautiful, and with our whole hearts sing, “we will aye be true to thee.”

And now, with deep respect for diverse faiths that might be represented here, I offer this prayer in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Podcast on “Come to me … ALL”

It was a joy to prepare and record the “Read Together” podcast this week. The introduction written by Lyn Cosby at the Conference Center says:

Rev. Steve West finds a recurring theme of inclusiveness in this week's reading list—prompting us to remind ourselves, all means all.

You can listen to it here.

Bishops Speak Out for Staying UMC

Recently, the United Methodist bishops released a thoughtful narrative on what it will look like in the United Methodist Church after the Global Methodist Church splits away and we move forward in history. We have an exciting and hopeful future. We will continue to be a diverse church of traditional, centrist, and progressive Christians, bound together by the love of Christ. We will value healthy diversity about the issues of our day and give people space to practice their faith in different contexts.

It is simply a false narrative that the UMC will be “progressive” and the GMC will be “traditional.” This binary way of thinking is being promoted by those who want to entice others to leave our denomination with them.

You may read the bishop’s narrative of our future yourself here. It speaks to the heart of why I wish to stay in the UMC.