tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-358890312024-03-07T10:36:13.878-08:00A Peculiar ProphetThe Blog of Bishop Will Willimon of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist ChurchWilliam H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.comBlogger282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-56029960916455298852012-06-15T11:29:00.004-07:002012-06-15T11:29:55.569-07:00WE ARE MOVING!In a spirit of itineracy, the Bishop's blog is moving to a new web page. You can now find Bishop Willimon's blogs, articles, videos, and podcasts at his own personal site:<br />
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See you there!William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-46988351672195166382012-06-05T09:50:00.003-07:002012-06-05T09:50:40.190-07:00Sent: An Ordination Sermon<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Service of Ordination, 2012</span></strong><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<strong>Matthew 28:5-8, 16-20</strong></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><strong><br /></strong></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">These persons before you, our
newest clergy, tonight pledge their lives to one of the most unusual practices
in historic Methodism – sent ministry. No congregation can hire a United
Methodist pastor; our pastors are sent. Just as your call into the ministry was
God’s notion before you thought of it, so in your sent ministry, your
assignment in the Kingdom is God’s before it’s yours (or the Bishop’s!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Like you, I am here because I was
sent. And, when the time comes, you will leave, as I am leaving, because you
have been sent. A sent ministry is a countercultural challenge. Subordination
of your career, marriage, and family, and even the choice of where to sleep at
night to the mission of the church, is weirdly un-American. We are a people who
have been deeply indoctrinated into the godless ideology that our lives are our
possessions to do with as we please, that my life is the sum of my astute
choices, and that the life I’m living is my own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">There are less demanding ways to
serve Jesus, surely. But forgive me for thinking few more adventuresome than a
life commandeered by Jesus into sent ministry. Meeting awhile back, with a
young woman attempting to help her discern what God wanted to do, whether
Methodism’s sent ministry was for her or not, I concluded the conversation
with, “Though I can’t say for sure that God is calling you into the ministry, I
urge to you to pray really, really hard that God will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">This is a prejudiced comment, but
I think that few things sadder than an unsent life. What a joy, in good times,
but especially in bad, to believe that you are where you are because you have
been put there, and you are doing what you are doing because God means for this
to be so. In a sense, we believe that every follower of Jesus Christ, clergy or
not, is sent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">At ten, I was minding my business
in Miss McDaniel’s sixth grade class, dutifully copying words off the black
board, when I got the call: “Willimon, Mr. Harrelson” (the intimidating,
ancient principal) “says he wants to see you. Go to his office.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Shaking with trepidation, I
trudged toward the principal’s office. Passing an open door, a classmate look
out at me with pity, saying a prayer of thanksgiving that I was summoned to the
Principal and not him. Ascending the gallows I went over in my mind all of the
possible misunderstandings that could have led to this portentous subpoena. (I
was only a distant witness to the rock through the gym window incident; in no
way a perpetrator or even passive conspirator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“Listen clearly. I do not intend
to repeat myself: You, go down Tindal two blocks and turn left, go two more
blocks, number fifteen. I need a message delivered. You tell Jimmy Spain’s
mother if he’s not in school by this afternoon I’m reporting her to the police
for truancy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">So this wasn’t about me. It was
worse. God help me. Jimmy Spain, toughest thug of all the Sixth Grade. Sixth
grader who should have been in the eighth. And what’s “truancy”?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Pondering these somber thoughts,
I journeyed down Tindal, bidding farewell to the safety of the schoolyard, turned
left, walked two more blocks, marveling that the world actually went on about
its business while we were doing time in school. The last two blocks were the
toughest, descending into a not at all nice part of town, terra incognita to
me, what was left of a sad neighborhood hidden behind the school. Number 15 was
a small house, peeling paint, disordered yard -- just the sort of house you’d
expect Jimmy Spain to be holed up in, rough looking, small but sinister. There
was a big blue Buick parked in front. As I fearfully approached the walk, a man
emerged, letting the front door slam, stepped off the porch, and began
adjusting his tie, putting on his coat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">I approached him with, “Are you,
Mr….Spain, sir.” Just then I remembered that everybody at school said that
Jimmy was so mean because he didn’t have a daddy. The man looked down at me,
pulled his tie on tight, and guffawed. “Mr. Spain? Haw, haw, haw.” Laughing, he
left me standing there, got into his car and sped off. (I had to wait until I
was in the eighth grade before someone whispered to me the dirty word for what
Jimmy’s mother did for a living, and until my Boy Scout Court of Honor before I
realized the man I met that day was a member of City Council.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">I stepped up on the rotten porch
and knocked on the soiled screen door. My heart sank when it was opened by none
other than Jimmy Spain whose steely eyes enlarged when he saw me. Before Jimmy
could say anything, the door was pulled open more widely and a woman in a faded
blue, terrycloth bathrobe looked down at me, over Jimmy’s shoulder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“What do you want?” she asked in
a cold, threatening tone as I marveled at the sight of a mother in a bathrobe
even though it was early afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“Ur, I’m from the school. The
principal sent me, to….”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“The principal! What does that
old fool want?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“Ur, he sent me to say that we,
er, that is, that everybody at school misses Jimmy and wishes he were there
today.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“What?” she sneered, pulling
Jimmy toward her just a bit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s like a special day today
and everyone wants Jimmy there. I think that’s what he said”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Jimmy -- the feared thug who
could beat up any kid at Donaldson Elementary, even ninth graders anytime he
wanted, indeed had on multiple occasions -- peered out at me in….wonderment.
Suddenly this tough hood, feared by all, looked small, being clutched by his
mother’s protective arm, his eyes pleading, embarrassed, hanging on my every
stammering word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“Well you tell that old man it’s
none of his business what I do with James. James,” she said, looking down at
him, “you want to go to that old school today or not?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Jimmy looked at me as he
wordlessly nodded assent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“Well, go get your stuff. And
take that dollar off the dresser to buy lunch. I ain’t got nothing here.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">In a flash he was away and back.
His mother stood at the door, and after making the unimaginable gesture of
giving Jimmy a peck on the cheek, stood staring at us as we walked off the
porch, down the walk, and back toward Tindal Avenue. As we walked back toward
the school, we said not a word to one another. I had previously lacked the
courage to speak to Jimmy the Hood, and Jimmy the Tough had never had any
reason, thank the Lord, to speak to me and walking back to school that
afternoon was certainly not the time to begin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">We walked up the steps to the
school, took a right and wordlessly turned toward the Principal’s office. I led
him in, handed him off to the Principal’s secretary who received my ward. For
the first time Jimmy seemed not mean and threatening at all, but very small. As
the secretary led him away, Jimmy turned and looked at me with a look of…, I
don’t know, maybe regret, maybe embarrassment, rescue? But it could have also
been thanks, gratitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">That evening, when I narrated my
day to my mother at supper, she said, “That is the most outrageous thing I’ve
ever heard! Sending a young child out in the middle of the day to fetch a
truant. And on that street! Mr. Harrelson ought to have his head examined.
Don’t you ever allow anyone to put you in that position again. Sending a
child!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">But I knew that my mother was
wrong. That day was the best day of my whole time at Donaldson Elementary,
preparation for the rest of my life, my first experience of a God who thinks
nothing of commandeering ordinary folk and handing them outrageous assignments.
That day, walking down Tindal Avenue was dress rehearsal for a summer night two
decades later, when I knelt before a bishop, and he laid on hands, and
pronounced the words, “You, go down Tindal two blocks and turn left, go two
more blocks, number fifteen. I need a message delivered….”<o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-45882428073941257732012-05-29T08:28:00.004-07:002012-05-29T08:28:47.234-07:00Reaching a New Generation<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">One of our Conference priorities
is empowering and reaching a new generation of United Methodist Christians. A
rising median age of our church indicates that we have much to do to position
ourselves to reach our youth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">A huge step forward has been our
appointment of Clay Farrington, a Deacon, to oversee our Conference work with
youth. Clay is leading us in some exciting ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Clay says that Conference Youth
Ministry exists for two reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">To develop youth ministry leadership – both students and adults<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">To host excellent student events that strengthen the local church<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">To those ends, we're doing a few
things…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="margin-left: 30.0pt;">
August
25: Bread & Butter: Youth Ministry Training<o:p></o:p></h4>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 30.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">A jam packed
one-day youth ministry training event. $20 registration fee!. Last year Duffy
Robbins was our featured speaker with around 20 breakout sessions covering the
gamut of student ministry. This year our featured speaker is Jason Gant from
the Church of the Resurrection. The event will be at Trinity UMC in Homewood.
This event is perfect for our smaller congregations who want to get back into
youth ministry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="margin-left: 30.0pt;">
Encounter!<o:p></o:p></h4>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 30.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The cherished
event in Gatlinburg has been reborn. This winter we had more than 500 students
and leaders from throughout the North Alabama Conference present. We gleaned a
huge number of names of young persons who feel called into ministry. Dr. Thomas
Muhomba and the office of Ethnic Ministries partnered with Conference Youth
Ministry to help reach a number of ethnic United Methodist youth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="margin-left: 30.0pt;">
Battle
of the Bands<o:p></o:p></h4>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 30.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">In an ongoing
effort to develop student leadership for ministry, this year we will host a
youth battle of the bands in Munger Auditorium during Annual Conference. The
winning band will lead worship for Bread & Butter and a set during
Encounter 2013. Clay says, “If Annual Conference gets a little boring, come on
over to Munger and see the future of the North Alabama Conference.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="margin-left: 30.0pt;">
Restructuring<o:p></o:p></h4>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 30.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Clay is doing a
remarkable job drawing upon the youth ministry leadership talent we already
have in many of our churches. By this Annual Conference each district will have
a Youth Leadership Team (DYLT) made up of 2-3 of the best youth workers in the
district and 8-12 stand out student leaders (some of whom responded to the call
to ministry at Encounter). The DYLT's will be given a budget from Conference.
Districts have been asked to match funds. And the DYLT's will be charged with
planning and implementing a youth ministry event for their district – student
led as much as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">How well is your congregation
doing in reaching and retaining youth? <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.northalabamaumc.org/site/link/BNHGFDHJIBONFDOMGAEBNFHFIPBOJJBNIMFAICPGIPMDNHHJGMEBIPJFKOIBHKJBFAMCENHJDKLEBK" href="mailto:youth@caleraumc.com?subject=Youth%20Ministry"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
you want to do more, write Clay</span></a>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Will Willimon</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><img border="0" data-cke-saved-src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" /></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></em></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">P.S. Join me in praying that we
will have a productive and invigorating Annual Conference this week. The North
Alabama Annual Conference will meet on the campus of Birmingham-Southern
College May 31-June 2. </span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-62428659199271299802012-05-21T08:42:00.004-07:002012-05-21T08:42:41.267-07:00Fear of God<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">When Jesus rose from the dead the
disciples were told, “Don’t be afraid.” Those who knew Jesus best, and were in
turn known best by him, knew that, while friendship with Jesus is sweet, it is
also demanding, difficult, and, at times, even fearsome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">As the Bible says, “It is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Presumably, it’s not
fearful to fall into the hands of a dead god, an idol who never shocks or
demands anything of you, who is no more than a fake, a godlet, a mere
projection of your fondest desires and silliest wishes. Out in Galilee—a dusty,
drab, out-of-the-way sort of place, just like where most of us live—the
disciples of Jesus were encountered by the living God. That Jesus could not
only give death the slip but also be in Galilee suggests that the risen Christ
could show up anywhere, anytime. And that’s scary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Here is God, not as a
high-sounding principle, a noble ideal, or a set of rock-solid beliefs. Here is
God on the move, moving toward us; God defined by God, God ordering us to be on
the move into the world with God. And that’s a joyful thing—but more than a
little scary too. When it dawns on you that the living God is none other than
Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah we didn’t expect, the Savior we didn’t want, God
in motion—well, fear is a reasonable reaction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The modern world has many ways of
turning us in on ourselves, eventually to worship the dear little god within.
Christianity, the religion evoked by Jesus, is a decidedly fierce means of
wrenching us outward. We are not left alone peacefully to console ourselves
with our sweet bromides, or to snuggle with allegedly beautiful Mother Nature,
or even to close our eyes and hug humanity in general. A God whom we couldn’t
have thought up on our own has turned to us, reached to us, is revealed to be
someone quite other than the God we would have if God were merely a figment of
our imagination—God is a Jew from Nazareth who lived briefly, died violently,
and rose unexpectedly. This God scared us to death but also thrilled us to
life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">- From <em>The Best of Will Willimon</em>,
Abingdon, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.northalabamaumc.org/site/link/BNHGFCHDIBONFDOMGAEBNFHFIPBOJJBNIMFAICPGIPMDNHHJGMEBIPJFKOIBHKJBFAMCENHJDJLIBK"><span style="color: #670001; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><img border="0" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" /></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-51827053157609087292012-05-17T13:19:00.002-07:002012-05-17T13:19:40.840-07:00Jesus’ Family Values<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">On the cross, Jesus gets into it
with his mother. “Woman, behold thy son,” he says to her. Mary, look at the
child you are losing, the son that you are giving over for the sins of the
world. Maternal love is that love that loves in order to give away. In Mary’s
case, it was particularly so. When Jesus was born, old Simeon had predicted, “A
sword will also pierce your heart.” From the first, it was not easy to be the
mother of the Son of God. And now, even from the cross, Jesus is busy ripping
apart families and breaking the hearts of mothers. Because he was obedient to the
will of God, because Jesus did not waver from his God-ordained mission, he is a
great pain to his family. “Woman, behold thy son.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">In that day, in that part of the
world, there were no social attachments as rigid or determinative as that of
the family. Family origin determined your whole life, your complete identity,
your entire future. So one of the most countercultural, revolutionary acts of
Jesus was his sustained attack upon the family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">In a culture like our own,
dominated by “family values,” where we have nothing better to command our
allegiance to than our own blood relatives, this is one of the good things the
church does for many of us. In baptism, we are rescued from our family. Our
families, as good as they are, are too narrow, too restricted. So in baptism we
are adopted into a family large enough to make our lives more interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“A new commandment I give to you
that you love one another as I have loved you,” he said elsewhere (John 13:34).
Watch closely. Jesus is forming the first church, commanding us to live as if
these foreigners were our relatives. Church is where we are thrown together
with a bunch of strangers and are forced to call these people with whom we have
no natural affinity, nothing in common, “brother,” “sister.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">So after this moment, never again
could the world say family without Jesus’ people thinking church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">On campus one evening, debating
the future of our fraternities and sororities, this student says, “One reason
why I love my fraternity is that it has forced me to be with a group of guys,
many of whom I don’t like—guys of a different race and culture from my own—and
call these losers ‘brother.’ That’s made me a better person than if I had been
forced to stay with my own kind.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“I’ve never thought of a frat as
a church,” I said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">That day when they came to Jesus
saying, “Your mother and your brothers are looking for you,” Jesus responded
saying, “Whoever does the will of my Father, he is my brother.” In other words,
Jesus is naming and claiming a new family for himself, that family made up of
disciples. Now anybody who attempts to follow Jesus is one of the Family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">- From </span></strong><em><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The Best of Will Willimon</span></b></em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">, Abingdon, 2012</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" /><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-87020756562227627702012-05-07T12:28:00.000-07:002012-05-07T12:28:11.757-07:00Lost and Found Loving the Lost<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I am sometimes asked why so many
of our Methodists have actively opposed Alabama’s controversial Immigration
Law. Many of our leading educators, law enforcement personnel, and business
persons have criticized Senator Beason’s law. From what I’ve seen, the
motivation of many Christians in opposing the law arise from our own experience
with Christ; we were aliens from the love of God, lost, then we were found.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">One reason that Christians tend
to move toward those on the boundaries, tend to feel responsibility for the
hungry and the dispossessed is because we worship the sort of God who has moved
toward us while we were famished and out on the boundaries. God looks upon us
all, even us fortunate ones, as the hungry and dispossessed who need saving.
This is just the sort of God who commands, “when you give a banquet, invite the
poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed” (Luke
14:13-14). Here is a God who, for some reason known only to the Trinity, loves
to work the margins inhabited by the poor, the orphaned, and the widowed; the
alien and sojourner; the dead and the good as dead in the ditch. It is of the
nature of this God not only to invite the poor and dispossessed but also to be
poor and dispossessed, to come to the margins, thus making the marginalized the
center of his realm. “Truly I tell you, just as you did it unto the least of
these . . . you did it unto me” (Matt 25:40).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The story “I once was lost but
now am found” is the narrative that gives us a peculiar account of lost and
found, a special responsibility to seek and to save the lost. If we want to be
close to Jesus—and that’s a good definition of a Christian, someone who wants
to go where Jesus is—then we’ve got to go where he goes. Christians go to
church in order never to forget that we were strangers and aliens out on the
margins (Eph 2:19).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“You know the heart of an alien,
for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” (Exod 23:9). We were lost and then
found. That continuing memory of the dynamic of our salvation—lost then
found—gives us a special relationship to the lost, the poor, and anybody who
does not know the story of a God who, at great cost, reaches far out in order
to bring to close embrace.<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">- Adapted from <em>The Best of Will Willimon</em>,
Abingdon, 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" /><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-75874148038362018442012-04-30T10:01:00.000-07:002012-04-30T10:01:10.776-07:00Nonviolent Resurrected Jesus<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">On the night a squad of soldiers
arrested him, Jesus mocked them, undaunted, asking if they were armed to the
teeth to arrest him, an unarmed rabbi, as if he were a common thief.
Ironically, the soldiers were not the only ones with swords. Peter, the most
impetuous of Jesus’ disciples, the “rock” upon which Jesus promised to build
his church, whipped out a sword and nicked off a bit of an ear—despite Jesus’
clear commandment that his disciples not carry weapons. Jesus cursed Peter:
“Those who take up the sword die by the sword.” That night, Jesus once again
refused to practice violence, even in self-defense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“Those who take up the sword die
by the sword” is one of the truest proverbs of Jesus. Both the victor and the
vanquished must finally submit to the power of the sword. The sword we thought
we were using to secure ourselves becomes our ultimate defeat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">As everybody knows, there is no
way to get anything really important done without swords. That’s why we have
the largest military budget of any nation in the world—to achieve security and
then preemptively to spread peace and freedom everywhere. What war has been
waged except from the very best of motives? To call Jesus a “Prince of Peace”
is an oxymoron. A political leader who doesn’t make war when national security
is threatened is no prince. And peace that is based on anything other than a
balance of military power is inconceivable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Thus, one of the most perennially
confusing qualities of Jesus was his refusal of violence. “If someone slaps you
on the right cheek, offer them your left cheek as well. Some Roman soldier
commands, ‘Jew, carry my backpack a mile,’ take it one mile more. Pray for your
enemies! Bless those who persecute you! Do not resist the evil one!” As if to
underscore that his kingdom was “not from here,” Jesus healed the daughter of a
despised Roman centurion. Was this any way to establish a new kingdom?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">It would have been amazing enough
if Jesus had said, “I always turn the other cheek when someone wrongs me,” or
“I refuse to return violence when violence is done to me.” After all, Jesus is
the Son of God, and we expect him to be nice. Unfortunately, Jesus commanded
his disciples—us, those who presumed to follow him—to behave nonviolently. How
do we get back at our enemies? “Love your enemies!” What are we to do when we
are persecuted for following Jesus? “Pray for those who persecute you.” Thus,
we have many instances in the New Testament of people violating and killing the
followers of Jesus. But we have not one single instance of any of his followers
defending themselves against violence, except for Peter’s inept, rebuked
attempt at sword play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">This consistent, right
to-the-end, to-the-point of-death nonviolence of Jesus has been that which
Jesus’ followers have most attempted to modify. When it comes to violence in
service of a good cause, we deeply wish Jesus had said otherwise. There are many
rationales for the “just war,” or for self-defense, capital punishment,
abortion, national security, or military strength. None of them, you will note,
is able to make reference to Jesus or to the words or deeds of any of his first
followers. You can argue that violence is sometimes effective, or justified by
the circumstances, or a possible means to some better end, or practiced by
every nation on the face of the earth—but you can’t drag Jesus into the
argument with you. This has always been a source of annoyance and has provoked
some fancy intellectual footwork on the part of those who desire to justify
violence. Sorry, Jesus just won’t cooperate.<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" /></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">William H. Willimon </span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
from <em>The Best of Will
Willimon</em>, Abingdon, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-68918771071937302842012-04-23T10:51:00.002-07:002012-04-23T10:51:23.282-07:00My Call To Action<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">“Competent employees crave
accountability; incompetent ones flee it,” writes one of our management
consultants. I’m pleased that the North Alabama Conference, through the
invention and use of our Dashboard, has pioneered a renewed culture of
accountability. The spirit has caught on with the bishops’ Call to Action – a
plan to build in accountability for mission into the life of our connection. Of
course, like any innovation, the plan has its critics, most of whom see no need
for increased accountability in our church</span></strong><strong><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> [1].</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul Nixon has become a very
helpful coach to our pastors and churches who want to improve their mission
engagement. Recently Paul published a piece on how measurement and
accountability, inspired by the Holy Spirit, have motivated his own ministry. </span></strong><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<br />
<strong>- </strong><em>Will Willimon</em></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I was sixteen years old,
traveling with my church youth group in the New Mexico mountains: listening to
an American missionary talk about his work in Korea. Blah, blah, blah the
speaker went on. Calling us to action. It meant nothing to me. But it just so
happened, as I zoned out from whatever he was talking about, that the Spirit of
God started chattering in my soul. I experienced that night what my faith
community confirmed to be a "call to ministry." I had no idea what I
was getting into, but the sense of God's calling that began that night, has
guided and motivated me now for more than 33 years….a Call burning in my soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">So I have benchmarked my work
constantly (and a bit ruthlessly) across the years. I cannot imagine not doing
so! No bishop or DS asked me to do so. I did it because I believed the work
mattered! Because I believed God demanded it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">In my first appointment out of
seminary, as associate pastor to a suburban church, I decided in my first week
on the job (the last week of June) that we needed to double the number of
children's church school classes from 9 to 18. This would entail quadrupling
the number of teachers by August. I convened a group that walked with me
through the church membership roll, discussing each name, in terms of their
potential to teach. I started calling with A, and secured my last teacher
somewhere in the W's in early August. That year our church school attendance
rose from 370 to over 500….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">A few years later I was appointed
to a church that was consistently taking in 200 new members a year. But I
wanted 300. So I began to calculate, and to work a series of strategies that
would kick that number over 300 within a couple years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Some would say I was driven.
Yeah, maybe... But I always took my day off, came home for dinner, played with
my kid, and so forth. I just believed this work was really important - and so I
kept careful score about key metrics that seemed connected to fulfillment of
the mission. I constantly re-arranged my time to make sure that the most
strategic things happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I now coach pastors. And I cannot
count how many times in the past month I have gently but directly asked my
pastors "How are you going to know you are making progress in the next six
months? How will you know that you are on track in your mission?"
Ultimately, they set benchmarks for themselves and I help them reach those
goals. It is a ministry of accountability and encouragement. I believe in
accountability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I have learned over the years
that accountability has very little to do with motivation, and that it rarely
ever motivates a person to work harder. Pastors work hard because they are
passionate about their work. That passion is almost always connected to their
experience of God's call. It grows from within their soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">My denomination is moving into a
season of renewed accountability. Long past due! Some of our bishops now want a
report card from their pastors every week. Maybe overkill, but a little
accountability will not hurt The United Methodist Church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">What might hurt is the
disappointment five years from now…, if we assume that accountability will
produce the motivation now lacking. The motivation that produced the Book of
Acts came from a place higher than the Council of Bishops.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">If the United Methodist Call to
Action yields anything, it may be because the bishops themselves take action to
remove ineffective pastors from vital places of service when those persons
persistently fail to grow their churches or meet reasonable benchmarks in changing
community situations. If the Call to Action yields anything, it could be
because conference leaders do what it takes to help their conferences recruit
women and men passionate and competent for the work of growing the church….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">To my friends in the episcopacy,
thank you for caring about our church enough to call us to action - but now the
church looks to you for action. When we see some $20,000 salary cuts begin to
show up across the connection in response to pastoral ineffectiveness, that is
when we will know you all were serious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Hold us accountable!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Paul Nixon</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br />
The Epicenter Group<br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">[1] For example, see the
compromised <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.northalabamaumc.org/site/link/BMHPFEHDIBONFDOMGAEBNFHFIPBOJJBNIMFAICPGIPMDNHHJGMEBIPJFKOIBHKJBFAMCENHIDOLHCD" href="http://umcplanb.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">UMCPlanB.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-30610771975465864402012-04-16T18:10:00.003-07:002012-04-16T18:10:51.342-07:00Following Jesus After Easter<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">
I am still haunted by a long conversation I had with a man who was a member of one of my early congregations. He told me that one evening, returning from a night of poker with pals, he had a stunning vision of the presence of the risen Christ. Christ appeared to him undeniably, vividly.</div>
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Yet though this event shook him and stirred him deeply, in ten years he had never told anyone about it before he told me, his pastor. I pressed him on his silence. Was he embarrassed? Was he fearful that others would mock him or fail to believe that this had happened to him?</div>
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“No,” he explained, “the reason why I told no one was I was too afraid that it was true. And if it’s true that Jesus was really real, that he had come personally to me, what then? I’d have to change my whole life. I’d have to become some kind of radical or something. And I love my wife and family and was scared I’d have to change, to be somebody else, and destroy my family, if the vision was real.”</div>
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That conversation reminded me that there are all sorts of reasons for disbelieving the resurrection of crucified Jesus, reasons that have nothing to do with our being modern, scientific, critical people.</div>
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Theologian Jurgen Moltmann says that a major reason for disbelieving in the truth of the resurrection is that, if the resurrection is true, then we cannot live as we previously have lived. We must change or be out of step with the way the world really is. If the world is not in the grip of death and death-dealers, how then shall we live?</div>
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<strong><br /></strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">
<strong>William H. Willimon</strong><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">- from </span><em style="font-size: 13px;">The Best of Will Willimon</em><span style="font-size: x-small;">, (Abingdon Press, 2012)</span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-22561079492500596272012-04-10T14:02:00.000-07:002012-04-10T14:02:02.352-07:00Resurrection<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">A student, asked to summarize the
gospel in a few words, responded: in the Bible, it gets dark, then it gets
very, very dark, then Jesus shows up. I’d add to this affirmation, Jesus
doesn’t just show up; he shows up for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">As the psalmist declared:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Where can I go from your spirit?</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
Or where can I flee from your presence?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
If ascend to heaven, you are there;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. (Ps 139:7-8)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<b></b><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><b></b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I was visiting a man as he lay
dying, his death only a couple of days away. I asked him there at the end what
he was feeling. Was he fearful?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“Fear? No,” he responded, “I’m
not fearful because of my faith in Jesus.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“We all have hope that our future
is in God’s hands,” I said, somewhat piously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“Well, I’m not hopeful because of
what I believe about the future,” he corrected me, “I’m hopeful because of what
I’ve experienced in the past.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I asked him to say more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“I look back over my life, all
the mistakes I’ve made, all the times I’ve turned away from Jesus, gone my own
way, strayed, and got lost. And time and again, he found a way to get to me,
showed up and got me, looked for me when I wasn’t looking for him. I don’t
think he’ll let something like my dying defeat his love for me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">There was a man who understood
Easter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">To the poor, struggling
Corinthians, failing at being the church, backsliding, wandering, split apart,
faithless, scandalously immoral, Paul preaches Easter. He reminds them that
they are here, ekklesia, gathered and summoned by the return of the risen
Christ. Earlier, God declared, “I will be their God and they will be my
people.” That’s the story that, by the sheer grace of God, continues. That’s
what this risen Savior does. He comes back—again and again—to the very ones
(I’m talking about us!) who so betray and disappoint him. He appears to us,
seeks us, finds, grabs us, embraces, holds on to us, commissions us to do his
work. In returning to his disciples, the risen Christ makes each of us agents
of Easter. “As the Father has sent me,” Jesus says, “so I send you” (John 20:21).<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-cke-saved-src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" style="height: 90px; margin-top: 2px; width: 67px;" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Will Willimon </span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-40775045130657743912012-03-29T07:56:00.001-07:002012-03-29T07:57:54.562-07:00Father, ForgiveDon’t you find it curious that the first word, the very first word that Jesus speaks in agony on the cross, is “Father, forgive”? Such blood, violence, injustice, crushed bone, and ripped sinew, the hands nailed to the wood. With all the possible words of recrimination, condemnation, and accusation, the first thing Jesus says is, “Father, forgive.” Earlier he commanded us to forgive our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. We though the meant that as a metaphor. (I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve uttered a really good prayer for the souls of Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden.) On the cross, Jesus dares to pray for his worst enemies, the main foes of his good news, us.<br>
<br>
How curious of Jesus to unite ignorance and forgiveness. I usually think of ignorance as the enemy of forgiveness. I say, “Forgiveness is fine—as long as the perpetrator first knows and then admits that what he did was wrong.” First, sorrowful, knowledgeable repentance, then secondary, gracious forgiveness. Right?<br>
<br>
Yet here, from the cross, is preemptive forgiveness. We begin with forgiveness. Jesus’ first word is forgiveness. It’s as if, when God the Father began creating the world, the first word was not “Let there be light” but rather “Let there be forgiveness.” There will be no new world, no order out of chaos, no life from death, no new liaison between us and God without forgiveness first. Forgiveness is the first step, the bridge toward us that only God can build. The first word into our darkness is, “Father, forgive.”<br>
<br>
“Father, forgive,” must always be the first word between us and God, because of our sin and because of God’s eternal quest to have us. Forgiveness is what it costs God to be with people like us who, every time God reaches out to us in love, beat God away. Here on the cross, God the Father had two possibilities, the way I see it. One, God could abandon us. God could have said, “All right, that’s enough. I did everything possible to reach toward them, embrace them, save them, bring them toward myself, but when they stooped to killing my Son, that’s it.” God could have abandoned us at this moment. Or, two, God the Father could have abandoned God the Son, handed him over into our sinful hands. God could have left the Son to hang there as the hapless, helpless victim of our evil.<br>
<br>
But these were never real options for God if God were to continue to be the God who is revealed to us in Scripture. God the Father cannot be separated from God the Son. God the Father stays with the Son and in the suffering and horror gets us in the bargain. God the Father stays with us and gets a crucified Son. The unity of the Trinity is maintained—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and in so doing, the Father and the Holy Spirit take on the suffering of the Son. The Father of course could not have abandoned the Son without abandoning who the Father really is. So the Father maintains the life of the Trinity by uniting with us through massive forgiveness, for there is no way for God the Father and God the Holy Spirit to be with God the Son, the Incarnate Word, without being with us murderers of God.<br>
<br>
<br>
Will WillimonWilliam H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-45886184612675781482012-03-20T12:53:00.002-07:002012-03-20T12:53:21.002-07:00The Cross: The Measure of Love<em>Abingdon Press is publishing </em>The Best of Will Willimon <em>this year, a collection of some of my writing from Abingdon. As we move through Lent, season of the cross, I’m sharing some of these selections related to the theme of the cross.</em><br />
<br />
To tell the truth, Lord Jesus, we weren’t that close to your cross when the soldiers nailed you to the wood and hoisted you up over Golgotha. But from where we were standing, at a safe distance, it looked to us like your arms were extended just about as far as they could go. It made us very uncomfortable to see your arms stretched out so very wide.<br />
<br />
Yet you tended to do that, even before you got your cross. Seeing you hanging there, arms in such unnatural embrace, we recalled how troublesome was your reach throughout your ministry, a real pain. First the dirty, common fisherfolk whom you called to abandon their families and follow you, then the tax collectors, the whores, the lepers, the stumbling blind and crawling lame, cruel Roman soldiers, bleeding women, clergy, even corpses, all responding to your touch, all caught within your grasp. A Savior can’t reach that far and not expect to be punished for it. And on Friday, God knows you paid dearly for your barrier-breaking, boundary-bursting reach.<br />
<br />
You overreached.<br />
<br />
How wide is your reach? See, even now, the nails through your hands cannot constrain you. You stoop, strain, bend, and grab, reaching down all the way to hell itself, determined to gather, to reap, to have all us sinners, dead or alive, no matter what the sin, all in your clutch, all in your embrace.<br />
<br />
We gather here, at the foot of your cross as those who have been grabbed, got hold of, by a Lord whose reach knows no bounds. So this day, this fateful Friday, we warn those not yet reached—Hitler, Stalin, the woman sitting next to us today on the bus, the man who yesterday cut us off in traffic and grinned about it, the one who so wronged me that I hate him and wish he were not, the Palestinian who strapped the plastic explosive to herself and pulled the cord hoping to take some Jewish children with her—beware. Take it from us sinners: His reach is without bounds, His embrace wide, determined and irresistible. He will have you, if He has to die trying. Amen.<br />
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<strong>Will Willimon</strong>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-11350082362902997692012-03-12T10:58:00.003-07:002012-03-12T10:58:44.544-07:00The Cross: Our Way to God<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">I’m honored that Abingdon Press
is publishing </span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The Best of Will Willimon <em>this year, a collection of some of my
writing from Abingdon. As we move through Lent, season of the cross, I’m
sharing some of these selections related to the theme of the cross.</em><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><em><br /></em></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Despite our earnest efforts, we
couldn’t climb all the way up to God. So what did God do? In an amazing act of
condescension, on Good Friday, God climbed down to us, became one with us. The
story of divine condescension begins on Christmas and ends on Good Friday. We
thought, if there is to be business between us and God, we must somehow get up
to God. Then God came down, down to the level of the cross, all the way down to
the depths of hell. He who knew not sin took on our sin so that we might be
free of it. God still stoops, in your life and mine, condescends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?” he asked his disciples, before his way up Golgotha. Our
answer is an obvious, “No!” His cup is not only the cup of crucifixion and
death, it is the bloody, bloody cup that one must drink if one is going to get
mixed up in us. Any God who would wander into the human condition, any God who
has this thirst to pursue us, had better not be too put off by pain, for that’s
the way we tend to treat our saviors. Any God who tries to love us had better
be ready to die for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Earlier in this very same gospel,
it wa</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">s said, “The Word, the eternal Logos of God, became flesh and moved in
with us, and we beheld his glory” (AP). Now the Word, the Christ of God, sees where
so reckless a move ends: on a cross. “I thirst, I yearn to feast with you,” he
says, “and behold, if you dare, where it gets me.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">When I was giving some lectures
at a seminary in Sweden some years ago, a seminarian asked, “Do you really
think Jesus Christ is the only way for us to get to God?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">And I thoughtfully replied, “I’ll
just say this, if you were born in South Carolina, and living in America, yes.
There really is no way for somebody like me to get to God, other than a Savior
who doesn’t mind a little blood and gore, a bit of suffering and grizzly shock
and awe, in order to get to me. A nice, balanced Savior couldn’t do much for a
guy like me. I need a fanatic like Jesus. For we have demonstrated that we are
an awfully, fanatically cruel and bloody people when our security is
threatened. We have this history of murdering our saviors. So I just can’t
imagine any other way to God except Jesus.”<br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Will Willimon</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Sounds of Sumatanga is April 21,
and it’s a great day to connect with friends from United Methodist Churches all
over the Conference. The day will be filled with music and food, activities for
kids and more for just a $5 admission. I hope you’re planning to support Camp
Sumatanga by attending. Details are available at <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.soundsofsumatanga.org" href="http://www.northalabamaumc.org/site/link/BMHOFDHIIBONFDOMGAEBNFHFIPBOJJBNIMFAICPGIPMDNHHJGMEBIPJFKOIBHKJBFAMCENHIDGLFBO">www.soundsofsumatanga.org</a>
.</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-36846046747688188562012-03-05T13:56:00.002-08:002012-03-05T13:56:22.824-08:00The Cross and Ministry<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Abingdon Press is publishing </span></em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The Best of Will Willimon </span></strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">this year, a collection of some of my writing from Abingdon,
edited by my friend Dr. Robert Ratcliff. As we move through Lent, season of the
cross, I thought I would share some of these selections related to the theme of
the cross.</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I was having a difficult time in
my previous congregation. A stormy board meeting was followed by a poorly
received sermon, which was then succeeded by a none-too-pleasant public
confrontation with the chair of the church trustees. What had I done to so
badly manage the congregation? I sat in my office, going over the events of the
past week, attempting to take appropriate responsibility for the administrative
mess I was in. Could I have been more discreet? Why had I felt the need to
bring things to a head now? Had I abused the pulpit in last Sunday’s sermon?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Then I returned to my preparation
for next Sunday’s sermon. Year B of the Common Lectionary, Mark. Another story
of Jesus’ teaching and healing. Another story of rejection. Then it hit me. Why
was I so surprised that our congregation was full of conflict? Was the conflict
a sign of my failure to skillfully manage congregational differences, or my
skillful pastoral telling of the truth? I heard Mark ask, “What’s the problem?
You think that you are a better preacher than Jesus?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">“If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For
those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life
for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">At that moment I recalled that
just about 99 percent of Mark’s Gospel encompasses the preparation to crucify
Jesus, Jesus’ crucifixion, or the aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion. The cross,
it appears, is not optional equipment for a faithful ministry. The cross, the
self-giving, emptying of God in the crucified Jesus—God’s great victory over
sin and death through divine suffering—is the primary ethical trajectory of the
New Testament.<br />
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<b style="font-size: 9pt;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" style="float: left; height: 90px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 2px; width: 67px;" /></b><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Will Willimon</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-2099692225592136172012-02-27T11:39:00.004-08:002012-02-27T11:39:50.852-08:00Cross<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">I’m honored that Abingdon Press
is publishing </span></em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The Best of Will Willimon </span></strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">this year, a collection of some of my writing from Abingdon. As we
move through Lent, season of the cross, I thought I would share some of these
selections related to the theme of the cross.</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Really now, Lord Jesus, is our
sin so serious as to necessitate the sort of ugly drama we are forced to behold
this day? Why should the noon sky turn toward midnight and the earth heave and
the heavens be rent for our mere peccadilloes? To be sure, we’ve made our
mistakes. Things didn’t turn out as we intended. There were unforeseen
complications, factors beyond our control. But we meant well. We didn’t intend
for anyone to get hurt. We’re only human, and is that so wrong?<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Really now, Lamb of God who takes
away the sins of the world, we may not be the very best people who ever lived,
but surely we are not the worst. Others have committed more serious wrong.
Ought we to be held responsible for the ignorance of our grandparents? They,
like we, were doing the best they could, within the parameters of their time
and place. We've always been forced to work with limited information. There’s
always been a huge gap between our intentions and our results.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Please, Lord Jesus, die for
someone else, someone whose sin is more spectacular, more deserving of such
supreme sacrifice. We don’t want the responsibility. Really, Lord, is our
unrighteousness so very serious? Are we such sinners that you should need to
die for us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br />Really, if you look at the larger
picture, our sin, at least my sin, is so inconsequential. You are making too big
a deal out of such meager rebellion. We don’t want your blood on our hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We don’t want our lives in any
way to bear the burden of your death. Really. Amen.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://northalabama.s3.amazonaws.com/mGalleries/9/191/PMD_7659_sm.jpg" style="float: left; height: 90px; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 2px; width: 67px;" /></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Will Willimon</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-87223674628224402882012-02-21T15:35:00.000-08:002012-02-21T15:35:04.563-08:00Raising Up a New Generation of Leaders<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">One of our church's great
challenges is finding qualified pastoral leaders for our churches in the
future. As you know, United Methodism historically has some of the highest
educaitonal and character standards for our new pastors of any church. Our
rigorous educaitonal requirements are expensive to maintain. But we think our
congregations are worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">You may also know that we have
the lowest percentage of young clergy (only about 4.5% under 35) of at any time
in our history. Each year, when I ordain new clergy, I ordain close to a
million dollars in educational debt along with them -- money they have had to
borrow to prepare for our ministry. It grieves me that most of our precious
conference resources go into financing yesterday's church -- clergy pensions
for older clergy, subsidies for maintaining congregations and institutions that
trived in the past but not now. Ought we be surprised that we have trouble
obtaining a future for our church when so much is expended on our past?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Patsy and I have therefore
established clergy scholarship funds at two of our seminaries (Emory and Duke)
and I have pled for more assistance for our newest clergy. I am therefore so
excited about a recent gift that we received from two dedicated laypeople, Jim
and Betty Tucker, who are members of Central UMC in Decatur. A generous series
of gifts by the Tuckers will enable grants to be made to seminarians who are
serving in the Northwest District. It will provide aid to students with
expenses incurred while going to seminary. Jim Tucker has seen first hand how
even generous scholarships are not enough for seminarians, particularly those
who are serving student appointments while in seminary. Mike Stonbraker, Jim's
District Superintendent, has been a great leader in cultivating new, young
leadership for our church. (Mike also wants me to tell you that Jim is a
Marine, Mike forbidding me to say "retired Marine.")<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Jim Tucker has been a successful
business person in Decatur and is not only a loyal member of Central, but is
also grateful for the high quaility pastoral leadership who has served Central
over the years. He knows that fine pastoral leaders like Gary Formby, his
current pastor, required quality seminary training. We are so grateful to Betty
and Jim for leading the way with their generous gift.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">God means for us to have a bright
and vital future, I'm sure of that. But we must do our part. As I've often
said, with Jesus Christ, we have more tomorrows than yesterdays, for we serve a
living, resurrected God who leads us into the future. Let's go with him!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Will Willimon</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-11425657813964179942012-02-14T19:42:00.001-08:002012-02-14T19:52:54.396-08:00A New World, and Its DetractorsOne of the most exciting things I’ve witnessed, in the Council of Bishops, is the bishops’ “Call to Action.” The bishops have heard the plea of the UMC for leadership to do throughout our connection that which has already been done in all of our vital congregations – simplify and focus our structure and realign our resources, so that more emphasis is placed upon mission and upon fruit.<br />
<br />
Our Council President, Bishop Greg Palmer (a student of mine at Duke and someone who spoke at our SBC21 meeting last year) states what we hope to achieve through these measures: <b>“To redirect the flow of attention, energy, and resources to an intense concentration on fostering and sustaining an increase in the number of vital congregations effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” </b><br />
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All of the proposals – a long overdue restructuring of general boards and agencies, shared accountability for ministry by sharing of results from the Conferences (using the North Alabama Dashboard as the model!), a set-aside bishop to coordinate the work of the bishops, and cost cutting measures – have one goal: vital congregations.<br />
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I wondered if the Bishops’ proposals went far enough, if were being appropriately rigorous in our focus on mission, but when I read fellow South Carolinian, Tim McClendon’s attack on the bishops’ plans, I realized that we were on the right track.[1] Tim dismisses our dreams as a mere “business model” that “is a smoke screen to hand more power over to the Council of Bishops,” praising our church as organized like the Federal Government![2] Our church is now imperiled, says Tim, by an insidious power grab by the bishops. We’re afflicted with a power-hungry episcopacy who wants a set-aside bishop, a “quasi-pope,” says Tim.
<br />
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Tim has no proposals for church revitalization other than to require bishops to work more in their annual conferences (failing to note that the Discipline makes us superintendents of the whole church). He shouts that bishops ought “to be set-aside in their annual conferences!” saying, “We all know how little time bishops actually spend in their annual Conferences.”<br />
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I’m sorry that Tim thinks his conference has an absentee bishop, but I don’t think anybody would say that in North Alabama. Tim’s prescription for better leadership by the bishops is for us to spend more time staying in the homes of our people and “making personal connections” -- which Tim thinks is the chief requirement for effective leadership.<br />
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Note that Tim has little concern for the whole point of the Call to Action: vital congregations. His unfocused, rather predictable plea for the status quo, his unconcern that most of our congregations are in decline, and his disinterest in accountability for fruitfulness is the same sort of resistance we encountered a few years ago in North Alabama. Thank goodness that our conference had people who, unlike Tim, resonated with the bishops’ call to “Make Disciples for Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World,” or we wouldn’t have gone anywhere. I’m so thankful that when I said that we could do better, that we were going to remove impediments to growth and fidelity, no one trembled in fear at a power-grabbing bishop!<br />
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In my eight years as bishop, I’ve heard no one anywhere complain, “Bishops are too powerful.” The complaints, from those who care about our church’s future is, “Bishops have got to step up and lead,” and “Someone must take responsibility for giving our church a different future than the one to which we are doomed through our present way of doing business.”<br />
<br />
I am confident that there enough frustrated United Methodists -- who have languished at unproductive board meetings, who have watched helplessly as one congregation after another quietly slips into death, have prayed that someone would cast a vision and move forward – that the Call to Action and its proposals by the bishops will be gratefully received by General Conference. If we listen to those who ignore our plight and protect their status quo, we deserve the bleak future we’ll get.<br />
<br />
Of course, I might think like Tim if I had not been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to be in ministry in North Alabama. I urge Tim to see first hand what a conference looks like that takes more seriously Jesus’ mandate to make disciples than it attempts to plod along doing ministry as usual. There’s a reason why our conference was at the top in the percentage of Vital Congregations – the Holy Spirit has helped us to let go of some old ways of doing things, to hold ourselves rigorously, publicly accountable for the actual results of our ministry, and to focus our financial resources on vital congregations rather than on defense of unproductive structures, pastors, and congregations.<br />
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We’ve got a long way to go, but at least we are on the way. All that the Council of Bishops asks of the church is permission to go forward, to bless the general church with some of the practices and values that we have pioneered in North Alabama, and to give us what we need to be faithful to your call for us to lead the church.
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<br />
<b>Will Willimon</b>
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[1] “Restructuring proposal is bad medicine for UMC,” Tim McClendon, United Methodist Reporter, Nov 8, 2011.<br />
[2] “Our polity is based on the separation of powers,” an a-theological view of our polity indeedWilliam H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-36292193068615106322012-02-08T14:16:00.000-08:002012-02-08T14:16:13.598-08:00Storm Recovery Thank You from the Willimons<a href="http://vimeo.com/36387546">Click here to watch a video from Bishop Willimon and his wife.</a>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-71109662430560987362012-02-07T11:25:00.000-08:002012-02-07T11:25:00.759-08:00Our Spanish Speaking Churches in the Aftermath of HB56<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The fastest growing ethnic group
in United Methodism are Spanish-speaking Methodists. North Alabama Methodists
have invested huge resources in establishing nearly a dozen new congregations
in the past few years. These new churches have become spiritual dynamos of our
conference, leading our conference in baptisms and professions of faith – until
HB56, our state’s notorious immigration law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Though almost all of our
fledgling United Methodist Christians were documented, in just two months we
saw our congregations decimated and all of our prayerful work destroyed. Not
only did nearly all Spanish-speaking Methodists have an undocumented person in
their home or nearby but also the law -- designed (in the words of one of its
authors) to tell undocumented people to get out of Alabama -- created a climate
of fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">In a discussion between me and
Sen. Scott Beason on the ultra-conservative “Laura Ingraham Show,” even Ms.
Ingraham called this law a heinous attack upon the free exercise of religion,
and an “embarrassment,” and chided Beason. (Fortunately, District Judge
Blackburn struck down the part of the law that caused so many in the church
immediate concern.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The Reverend Dr. Thomas Muhomba
(himself a thoroughly documented immigrant to our country, along with six other
leading North Alabama pastors), who heads our ethnic ministries, has given us a
frightening report of the effects of HB56. Rev. Bart Tau tells us that on the
first of September, there was a mass exodus of children out of schools in his
area. While many of the children were citizens, their parents were not. One
family, whose daughter is an honor student at a Methodist college in Florida,
cannot come home because she is undocumented and fears traveling in Alabama.
Bart says that many parents have left Alabama fearing deportation that would
require them to abandon their children, making them wards of the state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Rev. Tau says, “Our churches need
to remind our Hispanic brothers and sisters of our Lord’s love and care for
them as His children in this very scary time. For those that decide they must
leave, we can help them to deal with the details of a move and transition. We
can pick them up and bring them to church, so they don’t have to drive and risk
arrest. We can help them afford legal counsel when they need it, and we can
help them by taking care of their kids if they are detained. A simple Power of
Attorney can give a legal resident or citizen the ability to manage the affairs
of a person who is separated from their family and their possessions. We need
to show our love and support by standing beside our Latino families in a very
tangible way.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">At Riverchase, an established
congregation that has led the way in birthing and partnering with an Hispanic
congregation, Rev. Fernando Del Castillo (who despite our expensive legal
efforts was deported a few years ago, my first experience with difficult
immigration laws) states that HB56 fostered anxiety, fear, and panic among his
people . “Four of our families have already moved to different states, leaving
behind businesses, jobs, houses, and dreams.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">In Huntsville at Iglesia de la
Communidad, Rev. Roblero Macedonio’s church reports that his congregation lost
ten families who had to move to other states. Macedonio says that though his
congregation has all but disappeared, he vows to “continue preaching the word
and growing more disciples for the transformation of the world.” <br />
<br />
By the way, nearly everyone I spoke to asked us to pray for the law enforcement
officials who have been forced by our government to attempt to enforce the law.
They are hopeful that the lawmakers will listen to the pleas of the business
groups, school leaders, and police and sheriffs who have pled for revisions in
the law.<br />
<br />
And that’s just what we pray for too. Our Governor and legislators have
admitted that the law needs change and they have promised that they would make
changes in the law this legislative season that begins this week. We fully
understand that when the law was devised, not all of them could know the
nefarious implications of the law upon our businesses and schools.<br />
<br />
I hope that by pointing to the effect of this law <em>upon our churches</em>, the lawmakers will
consider the well-being of all of our people, particularly those who are
attempting to practice the Christian faith in Alabama.<br />
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<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Will Willimon</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-8115490503318981942012-02-06T11:24:00.000-08:002012-02-06T11:24:16.482-08:00Highest Rate of Connectional Giving in Two Decades<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I am happy to report to the North
Alabama Conference that we received <strong>82.86%</strong>
of the 2011 Conference budget through connectional giving this past year. This
is our highest collection rate over the last 19 years (from 1993 – 2011)!
Personally I am thrilled that my last year as bishop I got to witness this
wonderful result. This rate of giving is particularly noteworthy considering
our huge response to the Easter week storms of 2011. (By my conservative
estimate, our churches gave about two million dollars in relief for victims of
the storms, which makes our nearly 83% participation remarkable.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Congratulations to the <strong>Southeast District </strong>for
the highest collection rate of <strong>89.54%</strong>.
The Northwest District finished with 89.39% and the Northeast District finished
with 88.07%. (These were three of the most storm-devastated districts.) The
vast majority our congregations participate fully in Connectional Giving, a
testimony to their pastoral leadership and our attempts to contain Conference
costs, particularly administrative costs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Connectional giving accounts for
only about 11% of a congregation’s income. If fewer than twenty of our larger
churches that failed to participate in mission giving had participated, we
would have received nearly a million dollars more. Any church that does not
participate in connectional giving at 100% invariably shows a deficit in its
spiritual life and clerical leadership. We will continue to work with these
pastors and churches in the coming year, reminding them of the mandate under
which we work – a vital church participates in Christ’s mission in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">A pastor’s leadership is the key
to connectional giving, so as I mention our faithful congregations, I want to
note their faithful pastors. Peter Hawker and Minnie Stovall are leading a
dramatic turnaround at Anniston First, putting them at 100% for the first time
in years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Some of our churches that were
heavily damaged by the storms like Canaan (Ted Bryson), Lakeview (John
Purifoy), Hackleburg (George Gravitte) were, despite their loss, full
participants in connectional giving!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">There are many pastors and
churches who deserve to be recognized but I’ll highlight a few of the many that
made remarkable progress over previous years’ giving: Wesley Memorial (Sherry
Harris), Edgemont (Chris Montgomery), Morgan (Eddie Bolen), Christ (Paul
Lawler), St. James (James Fields), Camp Branch (Frankie Jones), Hoover First
(Rachael Gonia), Cullman First (Mitchell Williams), and Spring Hill (Clauzell
Williams).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Obviously, there were many more
who deserve accolades for this great year in connectional giving. Alabama,
according to surveys, has some of the most generous givers in the nation. We
have been determined to improve our Conference’s rate of participation in
connectional giving and, with the hard work of our pastors and churches, we
have!<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></i></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">William H. Willimon</span></i></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-3647428940138474592012-02-06T11:21:00.000-08:002012-02-06T11:21:35.903-08:00We Believe in Social Righteousness<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">John Wesley preached “practical
Christianity.” Few United Methodist practices illustrate our practical
Christianity more vividly than our Social Principles(which have their roots in
the “social creed” of our church which dates from the early Twentieth Century).
<em>The Discipline </em>defines
these principles as <strong><i>our
most recent official summary of stated convictions that seek to apply the Christian
vision of righteousness to social, economic, and political issues</i></strong>.
The God whom United Methodists worship combines love with justice, is not only
gracious but also demanding, not only died for you and me but for the whole
world. There is for us no personal gospel <strong><i>that fails to express itself in relevant social concerns;
we proclaim no social gospel that does not include personal transformation of
sinners.</i></strong><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The Social Principles are a
thoughtful effort on the part of a succession of General Conferences to speak
to the pressing human issues in the contemporary world from a Wesleyan biblical
and theological foundation. They are intended to be instructive, to teach
contemporary United Methodists the best thought and practice on selected
subjects, and they are also meant to be persuasive, urging the church on to
higher righteousness. The Social Principles call all members of The United
Methodist Church to a prayerful, studied examination of our life together and
our personal lives in the light of the gospel.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></i></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Our struggles for human
dignity and social reform have been a response to God’s demand for love, mercy,
and justice in the light of the Kingdom. We proclaim no personal gospel that
fails to express itself in relevant social concerns; we proclaim no social gospel
that does not include the personal transformation of sinners.</span></i></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The Social Principles begin by
addressing issues in “The Natural World” – ecological concerns, energy
resources, technology and space exploration, next “The Nurturing Community,”
beginning with the family, moving to marriage (we’re in favor of it), divorce
(we’re against it but recognize that it sometimes is a “regrettable alternative
in the midst of brokenness”). There is a discussion of homosexuality (an
argument that has consumed much time and attention in recent meetings of the
General Conference), as well as a long paragraph on abortion (I suspect that
this paragraph is trying to please everybody by saying next to nothing). There
are also extensive discussions on “The Economic Community,” “The Political
Community” (the person who said that the church ought to “stick to saving souls
and stay out of politics” wasn’t a United Methodist!), and the “World
Community.” We have churchly opinions on just about everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Frankly, some of these sections
show the challenge of asserting the primacy of Scripture and at the same time
attempting to speak on many topics for which Scripture has no apparent concern.
The theological underpinnings of our social teachings are not always clear.
Even though these principles are our collective wisdom on social, public,
political matters, the Discipline’s scant attention to personal, individual
sin, when compared with this extensive and detailed treatment of social sin is
odd. Wesley certainly held the personal and the social together. But we live in
a curious age in which, if we think of sin at all, we focus more on the sins of
Congress or the corporate board room than sins committed by individuals in a
bedroom. Sometimes it’s safer to love a whole neighborhood than to love our
individual neighbors. It’s always sad when we United Methodists show our
conformity to the world rather than God’s calls to help transform the world. In
the great Wesleyan tradition, there is no clear demarcating between the
personal and the corporate, the social and the individual. The light of Christ
penetrates every somber corner of our lives, personal and corporate, and we are
under obligation, as followers of Christ, to let that light shine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Religion that is pure and
undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for the orphans and widows
in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:27)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Today United Methodists have over
80 hospitals, 64 extensive child care networks, and 214 retirement communities
and nursing homes for the elderly. We have over a hundred colleges and
universities in the United States and about the same number elsewhere. United
Methodist agencies like UMCOR are first on the scene of disaster and calamity
with emergency aid and relief. I don’t see how our Conference would have made
it after the terrible spring storms last year without the millions of dollars
of aid through our fellow UM’s and UMCOR.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">All of this is the institutional
result of our Wesleyan theological commitments to faith and good works. (John
Wesley not only dispensed theology but also claims to have dispensed medicine
to over 500 persons in London each week.) The term “organized religion” is not
to us an insult. We believe that love is less than fully incarnational when it
fails to organize and institutionalize.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">In Mark’s gospel Jesus is
confronted by a rich young man who asks a theological question (Mk. 10:17-22)
about the inheritance of “eternal life.” Jesus responds to the man’s question
by urging him to obey “the commandments.” When the young man says that he has
obeyed all the commandments, Jesus adds yet another, telling him to “go, sell
what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”
Maybe it would take a Wesleyan to notice, but did you note that Jesus responds
to a rather theoretical, theological question with ethics? Jesus somehow
connects “eternal life” with obedience – “go…sell…give to the poor”?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></strong><br />
It
is our conviction that the good news of the Kingdom must judge, redeem, and
reform the sinful social structures of our time.</span></i></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><br />
<br /><br />
Adapted from William H. Willimon, <em>United
Methodist Beliefs: An Introduction</em>, Westminster/John Knox Press,
2006.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-16661384746218106922012-01-26T08:41:00.000-08:002012-01-26T08:41:01.959-08:00We Believe in Discipleship in Action<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><i>This week, I return to the
series of messages focusing on some of our distinctive Wesleyan beliefs
from my book on that subject.</i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">No motif in the Wesleyan
tradition has been more consistent than the link between Christian doctrine and
Christian living. Methodists have always been strictly enjoined to maintain the
unity of faith and good works, through the means of grace… The coherence of
faith with ministries of love forms the discipline of Wesleyan spirituality and
Christian discipleship…. Discipline was not church law; it was a way of
discipleship.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> (<em>The United Methodist Book of Discipline</em>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Any truly Wesleyan vision of the
Christian life includes direct, personal, sacrificial encounter with suffering
persons – simply collecting money for someone else to work with the poor is not
enough. Also, John Wesley stressed a need for understanding of the root causes
of poverty. He avoided the typical moral explanations for poverty that were in
vogue in his day (and our day too). Wesley also didn’t mind urging governmental
officials to do their part in response to human need. Why does the United
Methodist General Board of Church and Society lobby Congress? Not simply from a
desire for a better functioning society but rather from our theological vision
of God whose presence and love among us is always “good news to the poor” and
our passionate desire to walk with this God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Here is the summation of one of
Wesley’s diatribes against wealth:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><i>Heathen custom is nothing to us.
We follow no men any farther than they are followers of Christ. Hear ye him.
Yea, today, while it is called today, hear and obey his voice. At this hour and
from this hour do his will; fulfill his word in this and in all things. I
entreat you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, act up to the dignity of your
calling. No more sloth! Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with your
might. No more waste! Cut off every expense which fashion, caprice, or flesh
and blood demand. No more covetousness! But employ whatever God has entrusted
you with in doing good, all possible good, in every possible kind and degree,
to the household of faith, to all men.</i> </span><span style="color: grey; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">[1]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Wesley’s 1739 decision to go out
and preach in the fields to the masses and engage in the innovative practice of
“field preaching” in the open air was his dramatic attempt to take the gospel
to England’s new urban poor, just as he had worked among the poor at Oxford for
a decade before. He defined the gospel as “good news to the poor” (Luke 4).
Right up to the very end of his life, John Wesley worked to set right what was
wrong with the world, supporting the Strangers’ Friend Society to help
newcomers to England’s great cities. He worked to end the scourge of slavery,
as in his famous last letter to William Wilberforce in 1791. Just four years
before his death he welcomed Sarah Mallet as a preacher; the first officially
sanctioned female preacher of Methodism. He gave away all that he made from his
books and writings, dying a pauper. Six poor men bore Wesley’s body to its
grave. <br />
<br /><span style="font-size: 9pt;">
-- Adapted from William H. Willimon, </span><em style="font-size: 9pt;">United
Methodist Beliefs: An Introduction</em><span style="font-size: 9pt;">, Westminster/John Knox Press,
2006.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[1]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> <em>Works</em>, 2:279.<o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-54828022403650719782012-01-16T20:54:00.001-08:002012-01-16T20:54:45.768-08:00Disturber of the Peace<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
Our Lord Jesus preached peace, but “not as the world gives.” Peaceful Jesus was from the first a disturber of the status quo. Alas, too often Jesus’ followers have been on the side of peace at any cost, peace as the world gives in opposition to Jesus.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
A remarkable moment in church history occurred right here in Alabama in the ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
As you know, Dr. King was discovered here in Alabama while he was a Baptist pastor in Montgomery where the church called him to the ministry of Disturber of the Peace, the “peace” wrought by people like George Wallace and Bull Connor.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
I’ve got a copy of, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” in which Martin Luther King, Jr. justifies why he has organized marches and sit-ins that “disturbed the peace.”</div>
<blockquote style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
<em>Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation . . . Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.</em></blockquote>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
King explains that while he opposes violent tension, he believes there is “a type of constructive, nonviolent tension… the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
The purpose of King’s protests was “to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.”<span style="color: grey;">[1] </span>The liberal recipients of King’s letter (one of whom was our bishop) hoped that Birmingham would desegregate without a fight. King eloquently told them they were wrong.<span style="color: grey;">[2]</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
<span style="color: grey;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
The peace that King disturbed was no peace, but instead Birmingham’s police state, constructed by powerful people in order to oppress and terrorize black citizens. No transformation without disruption.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
In my experience, churches always hope that it is possible to be faithful to the mandates of Jesus Christ without the pain of disruption and dislocation. We pastors tend to be reconcilers and peacemakers who are uncomfortable with disruptions.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
This day let’s remember that Jesus Christ was unable to work our redemption without a disruption of the status quo that eventually led to his crucifixion in a vain attempt to silence him.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
Let’s remember, as we go about our attempts to be faithful to Jesus, that few good works meet no resistance, and few transformations occur without disruption. As I’ve studied pastors who transform congregations I’ve noted that these pastors expect there to be resistance and this disruption and they learn to creatively use this dislocation as leverage in their leadership of change.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
It’s good to be reminded, by recalling our history, that change is never painless, particularly if we are changing something that is sinful. One of the great blessings of being in the North Alabama Conference is that a few of our elders engaged in social activism and various forms of civil disobedience back in the Sixties and they are still around to tell us about it. Whenever I encounter institutional resistance, whether it be in our church at large or in an individual congregation, I recall the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was told to ease up on Alabama. In his sermon, “Our God is Marching On,” King vowed, “No, we will not allow Alabama to return to normal.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">
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Of course for us Christians, the most striking example of disruption, dislocation, and painful challenge to our status quo is Jesus Christ. Since Jesus appeared among us, we’ve never been able to “return to normal.” And one of the ways Jesus continues to disrupt us in order to save us is through faithful disrupters like one-time-Alabama- pastor, Martin Luther King, Jr.</div>
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<strong>Will Willimon</strong></div>
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<br /></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-81538855059717028752012-01-09T14:14:00.001-08:002012-01-09T14:14:03.037-08:00<br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">For the next few weeks I’ll be
focusing on some of our distinctive Wesleyan beliefs from my book on that
subject.</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 align="center" style="text-align: center;">
We Believe that Faith Is Known by Its Fruits<o:p></o:p></h2>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The communal forms of faith
in the Wesleyan tradition not only promote personal growth, they also equip and
mobilize us for mission and service to the world.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> (<em>The United
Methodist Book of Discipline</em>)<br />
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Fully a fourth of John Wesley’s Sermons focus on the Sermon on the Mount.
Wesley took with great seriousness the Sermon on the Mount as a practical guide
to how to live the Christian life. That’s curious because most of us today
think of Jesus’ exhortations in the Sermon on the Mount – turning the other
cheek, not remarrying after divorce, enemy love -- to be utterly impossible
ideals. Wesley gave thanks that Jesus so simply, directly gave us practical
guidance for everyday discipleship. He said that the Beatitudes were a picture
of God drawn by God’s own hand.</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[1]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> These commands are not meant to forever frustrate us by their
impossibility, said Wesley, but are meant to be actually practiced with the
help of God. When faced with some seemingly impossible demand of Christ – such
as forgiveness of our enemies -- we are to change the church and ourselves,
rather than attempt to scale down the command.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">In our church’s recent debate on
the U.S. interventions in Iraq and elsewhere, I was impressed how infrequently
anyone referred to Jesus. And when someone mentioned Jesus, most disputants
seem to agree that Jesus is irrelevant to a contemporary conflict like the “War
on Terror.” We had made Jesus’ command to enemy love into an impossible ideal.
This is distressingly “unmethodist.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">We Wesleyans once assumed that
Jesus himself combined personal righteousness with social holiness, that his
ethic is not to be relegated to the personal and the subjective, the ideal and
the unrealistic, but is meant to go public and be put into practice. Jesus came
to teach us about the “real world” and we are called to follow him there out of
the fake world where the poor are oppressed, and the strong lord over the weak,
and well, you get the point. Our United Methodist Social Principles are an
attempt to render the real world in the light of the love of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Early Methodists contended that
the urge to holiness in thought and life can be perverted when holiness is not
linked to love. Love is not sentimental syrup that we pour over everything to
make our problems easier to swallow. Love is the complex, multifaceted force
that drives us to engage in the world’s needs in the name of Christ. Love is
the divine gift that enables true moral transformation. How sad when
contemporary United Methodists attempt to scale down the dominical demand for love
to the secular political possibility of justice. It is also sad to see
contemporary United Methodists choosing up sides on the political left or the
right and slugging it out in political squabbles that Wesley would surely
dismiss as debates about mere “opinions.” Too many of us are confident that
being on the “right side” of some social or political issue is more important
than being there in love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">It is a constant challenge for us
to think and to live on the basis of our theological convictions. Wesley cared
as much for our being and our believing as for our doing. Christians are meant
to serve the needs of others, in love. The notion of “Christian perfection” can
be an ugly thing if not always answerable to love. And the practice of
politically engaged social Christianity degenerates into just another worldly
power play when it is loveless. Jesus didn’t call us simply to improve our
neighbors but to love them as he has loved us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Note that we use that word <strong>discipline</strong> when we
talk of social ethics. United Methodists use “discipline” as both a verb and a
noun. Discipline in the sense of a <em>Book
of Discipline </em>is constitutive of church governance. For us,
discipleship and discipline go together. In a sermon “The Late Work of God in
North America,” Wesley said that the great limitation of the evangelistic
ministry of George Whitefield was lack of discipline:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">[I]t was a true saying, which was
common in the ancient church, ‘The soul and the body make a man, and the spirit
and discipline make a Christian.’ But those who were more or less affected by
Mr. Whitefield’s preaching had no discipline at all. They had no shadow of
discipline; nothing of the kind. They were formed into no societies. They had
no Christian connection with each other, nor were ever taught to watch over
each others’ souls. So that if any fell into lukewarmness, or even into sin, he
had none to lift him up….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Holiness and discipline go
together:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Prepare your
minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that
Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not
be conformed to the desires that you formerly had ignorance. Instead, as he who
called you is holy, be holy yourselves, in all your conduct; for it is written,
“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-25)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The Social Principles, along with
our General Rules, are testimony to the continuing role of disciplined holiness
– personal and social holiness – in the United Methodist way of being
Christian. Our church attempts to be more than simply an expression of the
religious yearnings of its members. In these principles, guides and rules, the
church seeks to conform us, to change us, and discipline us to the nature of
Christ. As Wesley summarized the message that he expected his traveling preachers
to proclaim: “Christ dying for us” and “Christ reigning in us."</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[2] </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
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<br />
-- Adapted from William H. Willimon, <em>United
Methodist Beliefs: An Introduction</em>, Westminster/John Knox Press,
2006.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[1] </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Sermon 23,
“Sermon on the Mount III, “ §IV, Works, 1:533. Wesley described the Sermon on
the Mount as “the noblest compendium of religion which is to be found even in
the oracles of God,” in <em>Journal</em>
(17 Oct. 1771), Works, 22:293.<br />
</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[2] </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Letter to Charles Wesley 1928
Dec. 1774), <em>Letters</em>
(Telford), 6:134.<o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-623112431035717012012-01-05T08:45:00.000-08:002012-01-05T08:45:29.958-08:00We Believe in Faith and Good Works<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">For the next few weeks I’ll be
focusing on some of our distinctive Wesleyan beliefs from my book on that
subject.</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">We see God’s grace and human
activity working together in the relationship of faith and good works. God’s
grace calls forth human response and discipline.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> (<em>United
Methodist Book of Discipline</em>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">As Wesley encountered resistance
to his revival, he issued an “Earnest Appeal” to his critics, attempting to
explain Methodism:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">This is the religion we long to
see established in the world, a religion of love and joy and peace, having its
seat in the heart, in the inmost soul, but ever showing itself by its fruits,
continually springing forth, not only in all innocence…but likewise in every
kind of beneficence, in spreading virtue and happiness all around it</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">.[1]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Note that Wesley refuses to
commend his revival exclusively on the basis of an experience that it engenders
in its adherents. Nor does he take pride in the birth of a new institution or
in his movement’s conformity to the orthodox faith. He urges measurement of
Methodism “by its fruits,” by the “beneficence” it produces in the spread of
“virtue and happiness all around it.” Faith in Jesus engenders good works for
Jesus. United Methodists join Wesley in joyfully linking the mercy of God with
the holiness of God, what we believe with what we do, who we are, with how we
act, praying that our doing will be a public testimony to the fidelity of our
believing, and “to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Wesley’s orientation toward
the practical is evident in his focus upon the “scripture way of salvation.” He
considered doctrinal matters primarily in terms of their significance for
Christian discipleship.</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">In Wesley’s “Address to the
Clergy,” in which he outlined his expectations for the performance of his
traveling preachers, he stressed (of course) grace – they should show response
to God’s work in their lives, gifts – they must show both God-given talents and
acquired skills for ministry, and fruit – visible, measurable evidence of God’s
blessing upon their ministry.</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[2]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> In countless ways, Jesus did more than ask us to “think this” or
“feel this” but also to “do this.” Faith is meant to be fruitful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Whenever Wesley cited the
deleterious results of teaching the doctrine of predestination, his main fear
was that predestination fostered dreaded “quietism” and hindered the
transformative work of God in the individual soul.</span><span style="color: #666699; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[3]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> Wesley sneered that if people
really believed in predestination, then “The elect shall be saved, do what they
will: The reprobate shall be damned, do what they can.</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[4]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> The Christian life, initiated and sustained
by grace, is known by its holy fruits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">The Discipline</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> reminds us that <strong>Methodism
did not arise in response to a specific dispute, but rather to support people
to experience the justifying and sanctifying grace of God and encourage people
to grow in the knowledge and love of God through the personal and corporate
disciplines of the Christian life</strong>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Note that knowing precedes doing,
experience of God leads to the service of God, and ethics arise out of
doctrine. On the other hand, our knowledge of God is enriched and deepened in
our service of God, our attempts to put the faith into practice encourage us to
intellectually explore our faith. We do no good work in the world that is not
subsequent to, responsive to the work that a creative God is already doing.
It’s God’s world and God intends to have it back and one way God uses to get
back the world is ordinary United Methodists through whom God does some
extraordinary work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">-- Adapted from William H.
Willimon, <em>United Methodist
Beliefs: An Introduction</em>, Westminster/John Knox Press, 2006.<br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[1]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> Earnest
Appeal, para. 4.<br />
</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[2] </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Address to the Clergy (1756), in
Works (Jackson) 10:480-500.<br />
</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[3]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> Sermon 110, “Free Grace,” §10-18, (see §11),
Works, 3:547-50. <br />
</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;">[4]</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Works (Jackson), 14:190-8.<o:p></o:p></span></div>William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.com0