Musings of a Musical Preacher
Writings and reflections by Steve West
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Charlie is Born!
Friday, September 13, 2024
Anticipation
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
My Twelve Convictions as the UMC Moves Forward
Friday, August 16, 2024
Thank you for remaining UMC!
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.
Monday, July 29, 2024
Holiness or Methodist?
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.
Monday, July 15, 2024
Uganda Mission Trip
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Making My Book Available for Discount
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.