Debate as Sacrament

Debate as Sacrament

by | Sep 14, 2019

At one church I visited recently, a long-time member confided that the church was going to have to split because the two pastors had differing views on human sexuality and the Bible.

Why can’t our differences live side by side?  They do in the Bible.

There are two creation stories, two exodus stories, two accountings of how many animals piled into the ark.  Kings and Chronicles have alternate views of history.  The four gospels themselves   tell differing stories to differing audiences.

Why is it that we in the church see difference, debate, and conflict as unholy?

Difference and debate are woven into the biblical story. Abraham dickers with God.  Jacob contends with the Angel throughout a long night. God and Moses have an equally challenging relationship with each other. Jesus is in constant debate with his followers, his community and his opponents.

As uncomfortable as conflict is, it’s in these encounters that sacred truths are revealed, and holy moments are elevated. It’s time to reclaim debate as sacramental.

When it comes to sacraments, debate is messier than spilled grape juice, scattered breadcrumbs, and overflowing baptismal waters.  But not messier than the events that gave rise to these symbols.

Conflict is a natural part of human community. Conflict doesn’t need to split your church.  As long as you know how to talk to each other.  But even more importantly how to listen.  That requires self-regulation, a key element of emotional intelligence.

When in the midst of conflict, remember the word CALM:

C:  Calm down.  Breathe.  Pause.

A:  Assess your automatic thoughts.

L:  Listen to what was actually said instead of how you interpreted it.  Listen with your heart and your head.

M:  Make a new response.

For more leadership tips, click here.

Remember, conflict and debate is natural – remain CALM in the face of conflict.

Don't Compare Apples and Oranges

Don't Compare Apples and Oranges

by | Mar 26, 2019

Satan offered Jesus power over all the kingdoms of the world. Tempting indeed for a person who was here to proclaim the Kingdom. Yet what Jesus meant by “kingdom” and what Satan meant were two entirely different things.   Jesus had to have understood the difference. Otherwise, he would have succumbed to a soul-killing temptation.
Just as Jesus had to be clear about meaning, and to not project his understanding of Kingdom onto Satan’s, so we have to be clear about the meaning we ascribe to words. And to not project our personal definitions onto someone else’s words. Otherwise it’s like comparing apples and oranges and finding oranges wanting because they are lousy apples.
The Traditional Plan and the One Church Plan had different meanings for different General Conference constituents. From what I gather, many delegates who voted for the Traditional Plan were not voting against gays. Rather, they were voting for something else. Likewise, many delegates who voted for the One Church Plan weren’t voting against Biblical authority. Rather, they were voting for something else.
Some people are saying, “The United Methodist Church now rejects gays.” But IS that what happened at General Conference? That depends on who you ask.
I have to admit that as a One Church Plan proponent, I didn’t get why people would vote for the Traditional Plan since it seemed to allow space and grace for theological differences. So, I asked around amongst my friends and colleagues who supported the Traditional Plan. This is what I found:
One friend and colleague believes that the church moves forward only when it is countercultural. John Wesley challenged the culture of his time. Martin Luther challenged the culture of his time. Thus, my friend believes that we must challenge the culture of our time.
Another friend supports the Traditional Plan because she feels it supports a deep reverence for God and the Scriptures.
A third colleague believes that God alone wills human sexuality and that the will of God is delineated through the creation, and union, of Adam and Eve, which was male and female, and thus heterosexual.
When I polled One Church Plan proponents, here is what I found:
One friend supported the One Church Plan because her interpretation of the Bible prioritizes Jesus’ first and second commandments (to love God with our whole being, and our neighbor as ourselves) above any passages related to sexuality.
Another colleague supported it because of his understanding that our United Methodist baptismal covenant welcomes all people —regardless of sexual orientation—into the fullness of the life of Christ, and the fullness of the life of the church.
A third friend and colleague supported the One Church Plan because it would allow United Methodists the freedom to follow their conscience as they minister with the love of Christ in their various settings.
It is tempting to use either Traditional Plan or One Church Plan rationales as justifications to bolster your arguments for why supporters of the plan you didn’t support are wrong. I get it.   I’m quite capable of falling prey to the same temptation.
Here’s the thing, though. Making them wrong victimizes both you and them. Because it’s an “against” position. In the law of emotional triangles, what goes around comes around. Victimizing others because you feel victimized simply reinforces victimization. Jesus put it this way: Judge not lest you be judged. This is a spiritual temptation that will not get us where we want to go, assuming that where we want to go is Christ-like love.
A few caveats: First, to be sure, some folks did vote against gays and some folks did vote against Biblical authority. Second, regardless of why people voted the way they did, votes have unintended consequences which can do great harm. Third, I am not urging anyone to leave the denomination or to stay. That choice is between you and God. What I am doing is encouraging us to expand our powers of emotional intelligence as we traverse this Lenten journey.
Want to act instead of react? Step out of the emotional triangle and self-differentiate. Have the courage and clarity to say what you are for instead of simply reacting against what you oppose. In other words, lead with vision and not from reaction.
Self-differentiation is a key ingredient of emotional intelligence. Jesus shows us how it's done. Click To Tweet Notice that Jesus didn’t fight Satan in the desert, or even quarrel with him. Instead, Jesus simply articulated his own vision again and again. It’s what allowed him to emerge unscathed from his 40-day journey through the desert.
How will your 40-day journey go?

The Sabbath Effect

by | Sep 29, 2010

Jonathan Ormes, retired NASA scientist, and I made plans to meet while I was on my way to lead a women’s retreat on the topic of sabbath and the environment. I wanted to talk with him about my theory that practicing sabbath is an environmentally friendly discipline.
“Absolutely,” he said. “In fact, we can tell from space where and when people are observing the sabbath all around the world.” “Really?” I asked, “from space?” This was better than I thought.
He said, “We can see that levels of nitrous oxides—byproducts of fossil-fuel combustion, among other things—fluctuate during the week. They go down on Friday in Islamic countries; down on Saturday in Israel; and down on Sunday in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Those levels don’t go down at all in China; the numbers stay pretty steady throughout the week.  This lowering of nitrous oxide levels is called the sabbath effect or the weekend effect.” In other words, the less people drive and the less industry produces, the cleaner the air.
Listening to Dr. Ormes, I marveled at the convergence of science and spirituality. The Scriptures call us to be stewards of the creation; science lets us know how we are doing at it.  According to Dr. Ormes, not too well. For the elevated presence of nitrous oxides during the week is connected to ozone smog and acid rain, which are dramatically changing the atmospheric composition.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that the intended outcome of sabbath observance––being refreshed (Exodus 23:12; 31:17)––can also be translated as “paused-for-breath.” Childhood asthma is on the increase, as are other respiratory difficulties. All are linked to the quality of our air.  Sabbath rest literally clears the air and gives us breathing room. In fact, sabbath reveals itself as the first environmentally friendly biblical covenant. Sabbath is good for people and the earth. It is not a stretch to say that faith grounded in the Bible is “green.” Sustainability is built into the very fabric of creation.
Which day should you observe sabbath? Some Christians are adopting the practice of the early church by honoring the creation on the seventh day of the week, Saturday, and the Lord’s resurrection on the first day of the week, Sunday. Others reclaim the dual emphases of creation and Christ together on Sunday. Another option is to carve out mini-sabbaths at another time during the week. It may not matter as much which day you set apart as how you start to synchronize your life with the rhythms of creation so that healing may begin.
Sabbath is important for reducing our stress and our impact on the planet, but do not make it impossible to experience sabbath. If you cannot start with a day of rest, how about an hour? Then month by month expand that hour until you have reached a full day of rest. I invite you to try it. You just might like it. I will be right alongside you.
This blogpost is excerpted from Green Church:  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rejoice! by Rebekah Simon-Peter and published by Abingdon Press, 2010.  Buy your copy here:http://www.amazon.com/Green-Church-Reduce-Recycle-Rejoice/dp/1426702922/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285765665&sr=1-1-spell