The Ultimate Test of Faith

Daniel 3:1-30

Right after King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face (2:46) and worshipped Daniel – he told Daniel “truly your God is God of god’s and Lord of our King’s.” Daniel was then promoted and at Daniel’s request, the King appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego over the affairs of Babylon.

Of course, this is where our story begins, after King Nebuchadnezzar had acknowledged God he decides to make a golden statue 40’ high and 4’ wide – essentially making for himself and the people of the land an idol.

How often do we, like King Nebuchadnezzar worship God maybe even falling on our face in honor and praise of God and then return to our idols - whatever idols you may have in your life.

King Nebuchadnezzar then has all the people of the provinces to come and assemble for the dedication of the statue. The herald then proclaimed ‘You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.’

Someone rats out Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and tells King Nebuchadnezzar that they are in violation of his command to worship the golden statue. King Nebuchadnezzar becomes enraged and demands that the 3 violators be brought before him – and they are. They provide no defense for their violation. They tell King Nebuchadnezzar “If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us.^{* 18}But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”

As Christians, we proclaim our faith and seek God in the midst of our everyday life - or at least that is what we tell others and ourselves. But, when we are faced with adversity do we truly trust God? Do we trust God with our lives? Are we willing to die for our faith? In our lives, we will face test as did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. We will then have a choice to – will we choose a path that pleases God; or one which dishonors and rejects God.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose the path of pleasing God even in the face of death. Even in our world today, there are those among us who choose to honor God and their faith in the face of death. We call these folks modern day martyrs.

“Samuel Masih was a simple street cleaner. One day, while cleaning a garden in Lahore, the twenty-seven-year-old Pakistani Catholic was accused of deliberately piling garbage against the wall of a mosque. He was arrested and thrown in jail, where he was repeatedly tortured for his faith. While being treated for tuberculosis, which he contracted in prison, a police constable decided to earn a place in Janna’ (Paradise) by killing him with a brick-cutting hammer.

Thousands of miles away, on a beautiful mid-August day, thirty-two-year-old Fr. Jesus Adrian Sanchez was giving religious instruction at a school in the rural area of Chaparral (Tolima), Colombia. An armed man burst into the classroom, ordered him outside, and shot him dead.

Deep in the Brazilian rainforest, a seventy-three-year-old Sister of Notre Dame, Dorothy Stang, was use to living among people who wanted her dead. She had long been trying to protect peasant laborers from exploitation by logging firms and ranchers. One day, while walking to a meeting of poor farmers near the town of Anapu in the western Brazilian state of Parà, two armed men intercepted her on the path. She knew what they were there to do. Taking out her Bible, she began reading to them and, for a precious few minutes, they listened before opening fire. Sr. Stang was shot six times in the head, throat, and body.”[1]

Some of us here today, know better than others the face of adversity and have even faced the threat of death – on the streets of Birmingham, in the jungles of Vietnam, and other places. From a personal perspective, I have faced the threat of fire head on – so I truly understand what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were facing when they refused to worship the golden statue.

See, I was a firefighter for several years, prior to moving to Birmingham. I had trained in smoke houses, which are much more than just smoke and have entered into burning buildings. Of course before I ever entered into the smoke house or a burning building I was trained and prepared and I had all the right equipment. I was covered from head to toe in protective equipment. I had to make sure that no skin was showing and that everything was protected.

You to must be covered! For you see, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the golden statue and gave no defense to King Nebuchadnezzar they were covered – covered by their faith in God. Now that is the faith that I want and I’m sure that is the kind of faith that you seek in your lives.

It is often easy for us to verbalize our faith, but are we willing to give up our life for God? Are we willing to die for the Gospel – not figuratively but literally? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced fire and death instead of sacrificing the integrity of their faith.

The decisions you make this week will be governed by one of two things, either inner principle or outer pressure. That is, either by the Word of God or by the world's system. If you allow God's word to dictate your inner principle then you will react to life's fiery furnaces with faith and the result will be deliverance. If you allow the world to dictate your outer pressures then you will react with fear and the result will be bondage. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego lived by inner principle. They got it from the Word of God. Others lived by outer pressure and they had what they tolerated.

We all have fears in our life, but if we are Christians, whom shall we fear. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego teach us that even in the face of death, God is with us – literally!

It actually bothers me when I hear Christians say they are afraid to die or afraid. I just found out a few weeks ago that I will be going on a trip to Israel with my fellow classmates from United Theological Seminary. I was excited to find out about that trip and called my mom to tell here about it. My mom was one who drug be to church as a kid, every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. My mom has never caused me think about her faith – or lack thereof. Though when I called her and told her about my trip, the first question I was asked is “is it safe?” “Should you really go over there, what if something happens?” I wanted to question my mom’s faith at that point, but out of respect and remembering I am her son, not her pastor that I should just let my mom be my mom and let it slide.

My conversation though did make me think about the average church goer. Are they covered? They come and worship each and every Sunday, they partake in the Sacrament’s, they go to Sunday School, and they do all sorts of Church things, but are they covered?

See, God never promises to keep us out of the fiery furnace. John Wesley said this “the God of nature can when he pleases control the powers of nature! The Son of God. Jesus Christ, the Angel of the covenant, did sometimes appear before his incarnation. Those who suffer for Christ, have his gracious presence with them in their sufferings, even in the fiery furnace, even in the valley of the shadow of death, and therefore need fear no evil.”[2]

God did not keep Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the fire. However, Jesus Christ got in the fiery furnace with them. And, the same Jesus Christ will get in with you – whatever fiery furnace you are facing in life. And you, like them, can come out stronger. The Christ of our salvation is the same Christ who loosed their bonds and walked with them in the midst of the flames.

God does not promise you that your life will be easy, or that we will face no adversity. From my perspective, following God’s will, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did, actually makes things harder on us.

What idols do you have in your life that you are willing to turn away from with the risk of being burnt? Worshipping an idol is not worth risking your integrity for and going against God’s will for your life. We all will face times when we are asked to worship an idol and we have to have the fortitude to say no and say as did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego “we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. ¹⁷If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us.^{* 18}But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”

God will deliver us, sometimes through life and sometimes through death. So, do not fear for your life in the face of doing the right thing, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus Christ. For as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know, it is far better to lose your life and maintain your integrity to the one whom you call Lord, than to sacrifice your integrity for an idol and false god.

This ultimate acct of faith is a witness to what a few faithful followers can do. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego served as a seedbed of the Christian Church.

Amen!

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[1]Brinkmann, Susan.The Greatest Story Never Told: Modern Christian Martyrdom December, 5 2008.  http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=30882 Accessed June 6, 2013.

[2] Wesley, John. Explanatory Notes on the Old Testament http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/daniel/daniel-3.html accessed June 7, 2013.

Get off the Sidelines

Matthew 28:19-20

It’s that time again in Alabama. It is football season. High school and college programs across the state and the southeast are sweating it up in the scorching temperatures of August. Most of the guys on these football teams are looking for an opportunity to play football on Friday and Saturdays. They are out there in the heat; day in and day out giving it their all so that they can have an opportunity to play. This game of football is too hard and too demanding for anyone to just want to be on the team and wear the uniform as the sacrifices are too great for anyone to just want to be on the team and stand on the sidelines. Each one of those kids want to play, however; realistically we know not all of them will be able to play they will just be standing on the sidelines watching as their teammates play on the gridiron.

When we look at the game of football how does it relate to today’s scripture beginning with v. 18 where in Jesus’ last words, he indicates that he has been granted all (pas) authority (exousia) in heaven and on earth (28:18). An on this mountain, Jesus gives a command to his disciples to Go! In this climatic ending to the Book of Matthew Jesus is setting fourth what must be done in order to carry own his legacy and his ministry. In v. 20 Jesus reassures his disciples that he would be with them until the end of the age. We all know this passage of scripture as the “Great Commission” and its significance to the call of those disciples at that time to spread the Word and the witness of Jesus Christ to the world. Yet it was not just for those disciples, but for all disciples of Jesus Christ then and now.

It was a hot September day in 1992. I was a starting offensive lineman for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as we opened up the season against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels! The Saturday before, my ankle had started to bother me a little, but it was no big deal. I practiced throughout the week yet my ankle never stopped hurting me, but I preserved. Game day came and my ankle was still bothering me, I was hurting but not injured, at least at that time. I played the first half of the game and the pain in my ankle became increasingly severe. I was hobbling back and fourth to the huddle and off the field, but when the ball snapped I felt no pain. By half time, I was in such severe pain I was hyper ventilating and crying from the pain in the locker room. I was done for the day and later I would learn I was done for the year. When the team returned to the field I was on the sidelines! It was not a place I wanted to be as it pained me to be on the sidelines. I wanted to be in the game, but I was just a spectator and not an active participant.

So from the perspective of the Church, if you allow me to draw some analogies, we can view ourselves as a team. When you come to Church on Sundays or participate in Bible study or Disciple you are at practice. You are being prepared for game day, if you will. What you are being prepared for is the equivalent of the playing field or in Church terminology the mission field.

There’s a book I found related to this topic called Church is a Team Sport by Author and Pastor Jim Putnam who says that “Coaches speak from the heart with words and with passion. Coaches teach from experience with knowledge and with precision. Coaches lead from the start with integrity and with inspiration, but without a team behind them there’re just preachers.” You, the church are the team.

You can view your pastor as the head coach for our team. The associate pastors are the assistant coaches. Each one of us has different gifts and talents for which God has blessed us with. The question is what are we doing with those gifts and talents as it relates to our faith? Scripture tells us in Ephesians 4:11 "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

When you come to church and here the Word of God read to you and the Word proclaimed it is to equip you and to prepare you as it is analogous to learning football plays and being prepared to run those plays on the field. Being a Christian is far more than just coming to Church it is about getting off the sidelines and doing something. Do you really just want to be on the team or do you want to get your uniform dirty and have battle scars on your helmets. Yes, the mission field can be messy and sacrifices must be made, but are they not worth it for the sake of the Gospel. Is it not a small thing we do to demonstrate our faith for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who bore the burden of our sins? Can we not do as he commands and “Go and make disciples?”


In James 2:14 we read “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” If you have faith in Jesus Christ and you have fully committed yourself to him, can you sit on the sidelines when there is so many in this world, we live in, that need to hear the Good News? The Gospel of Jesus Christ!


Missions are a result of true faith in Jesus Christ which produces good works! Thus we learn in James 2:14 that belief becomes faith only when it produces action. Thus the writer is conveying to us that it is sincere belief which is accompanied and validated by good works.

Mission is not just a church mission, it is an action in which the Holy Spirit does new things through those whose faith is demonstrated in works. You may be sitting there right now and thinking what can I do? My answer is to be in mission and fulfill the Great Commission.

I am learning more about missions and have learned more about missions over the past couple of years than any other period in my life. I like some of you, heard pastors preaching from the pulpit about missions. I always figured as long as I paid my tithes and offerings that those financial contributions were my duty to missions. It was only the missionaries who did the actual work in the field. If you are like I was, then we were both wrong. Now don’t misunderstand me, we do need your tithes and your offerings for missions and other projects, but God wants your time and your talents as well.

One of my favorite songs is If We are The Body” by Casting Crowns. The chorus goes like this:
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way
Jesus is the way

In Romans 12: 4-8 “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.”

John Wesley once stated that it does a persons soul good to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked within the God given ability that you have. Thus by performing these acts of mission we can awaken “those that sleep in death; to bring those who are awakened to the atoning blood, and to provoke those who have peace with God to abound more in love and in good works.”

Mission is in and of itself Trinitarian in nature. God sent Christ to redeem the world, and then God and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. So as the church is the body of Christ it should be in mission outside the church walls so that no one would not know the Gospel, the Good News, that Jesus Christ is risen and he is our Lord! He is our Savior!

I am going to give you a word picture to demonstrate the importance of missions to the church! “The Church exists by missions as a fire exists by burning. No burning no fire! No mission no church!” How powerful a word picture is that? Without missions there is no church. Many churches miss that concept in this modern day what’s in it for me culture. If you “take mission out of church what do you have left? Potentially, a social club, which; is unfortunately true in some American churches.

As we consider the importance of missions and the mission field which lay outside the walls of this church, I want to ask you a question which I have borrowed, from the former President John F. Kennedy, and altered it to fit our topic of missions this morning.

Ask not what God can do for you, but what can you do for the Kingdom of God?
When we consider the importance of missions does it pain you to be on the sidelines? Do you want to be in the game? You have to remember Church is a team sport requiring your participation it is not a spectator sport. I am asking you this morning to get off the sidelines and step out of your comfort zone in the name of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is calling us to Go! Will you Go?
Amen.

Act of Random Kindness-Sermon Preached on Sunday July 11, 2010

Luke 10:25-37

The story of the Good Samaritan is one that most of us have heard whether we grew up in church or are new to the church setting. It is a story that provokes thought about human nature, but today I want to talk about its purpose. Now this may seem strange if you have heard this story as many times as I have and you may be setting there thinking David, this story is about compassion and helping someone in need. I will not deny that yes, that is part of the lesson to be learned here, but there is more!

What I want us to see here is that through this one act one man began to change the world. I am sure at certain times in our life many of us could relate to some of the people in this story, whether it was as the priest or Levite who passed by the man in need or the Samaritan who came to the man in need. Some of us may have actually been the person in need of help and thought that no one would show up to help us when through the grace of God, someone does show up.

What I get out of this scripture this morning is something that we really can compare to our current time. We hear so many stories of people in need and no one comes to their aid and in worst case scenarios people are left for dead as people literally walk by them and gawk or peer with interest but never take action. A recent story by Good morning America captures a good Samaritan as he tried to stop a man from attacking a women as she walked down a Queens NY city Sidewalk. The Good Samaritan is then stabbed by the woman’s attacker and then try’s to pursue the attacker, but collapses on the side walk. As he lay there dying; more than 20 people walk by and do nothing. One person does stop by to take a photo with their cell phone and then moves on. What has our country come to that no one values human life enough to stop and check on someone who appears to be in need.

A similar story occurred in Hartford CT a few years ago when an elderly man is hit by a car crossing the street and the driver of the car keeps on going. More than 10 cars pass by and no one stops to help a man lying in the middle of the street. How can this be! What have we as a people succumbed to?

As Christians we are called to be doers of the word, as read in James 1:22. As well as in James 2:20 we read that faith apart from works is barren. We are called to action and fortunately for us our local church, as well as the Methodist church as a whole, is one that has been and is mission focused, but I believe we can do more. We can be doers of the word though living out our faith and helping those in need.

In order for us to do this, it takes two things in addition to our faith and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The first is we have to be willing to take risk and the second is we must have courage. This of course comes as a result of our faith through prayer and opportunity. I will come back to this.

This past Monday as I was eating breakfast and drinking coffee, I was flipping channels on TV. I typically do not watch much TV, but as I was flipping the channels came across the movie Evan Almighty, just as it was coming on. Now I told myself, you cannot watch this movie; you have to prepare a sermon today and time is precious. But I got sucked into the film and began to think was this by chance or was it a God thing. Because of this movie, I had to rewrite my sermon and I even borrowed the name of this sermon from the movie. A.R.K. (Acts of Random Kindness). What does that mean to you? If you look at performing Acts of Random Kindness from a faith perspective what are you doing? As God, told Evan in this movie, you are changing the world one person at a time and just maybe you may have the opportunity to share your faith with someone.

So, back to risk and courage! In this movie do you think Evan had to take a risk? He was recently elected to congress and as a freshman congressman he was given the opportunity to co sponsor a bill. But during this time, God also appeared to Evan and ask him to build an ark. What a crazy idea! What would you do if God appeared to you in some form or fashion and ask you to do something crazy like build an ark? Would you have the courage to do it? Would you being willing to risk everything for God! Or for that matter, what are you willing to risk for God’s sake?

Jim Seale had such an opportunity one evening to risk everything for the sake of the Gospel and living out his faith. As he and several people were leaving an Emmaus meeting one evening, a gentleman was outside and needed $10 for gas. This gentleman even offered to sell his car jack to Jim for $10.00. Instead, he offers the guy a ride and takes him to gas station and pays for $10.00 worth of gas. Later several of the Emmaus community he had been with told him he was crazy for doing that and that he could have been killed or robbed. Jim, through his faith, took a risk and demonstrated courage in providing to this gentleman an Act of Random Kindness to those in need so we can change the world one person at a time.

Some of us may have had opportunities to help people in need, but when the opportunity presented itself you turned it away. Now I understand that we live in a society where we have to be careful. I am not asking you to do something that will put yourself in harms way, but to do what God is calling you to do. To live out your faith, by taking risk and having courage and by showing that Act of Random Kindness

And when that person you just shared an Act of Random Kindness ask you why did you do that, you can reply because of Jesus Christ! It is in our sinful human nature to be selfish and to not necessarily go out of our way to help others, but that is what we are called to do as Christians. We are called to help others or scripturally speaking to “Love our Neighbors.” That is sometimes hard and difficult. To love our neighbors requires us to take risk and be courageous. Are you ready for that!

As God told Evan, going back to the movie, when you pray for something such as patience or courage it is not just given to you, but you are given an opportunity to show patience or to show courage. As I child, I remember my mom telling me that she prayed for patience often when I was young. I apparently tested her patience daily and continued to through most of my childhood and probably even in to my late teens. So if you want to know about praying for something and being given that opportunity just ask my mom! I was her opportunity to learn patience. It must have worked, because nothing my sisters ever did rattled her cage like I could.

So, I digress. What I would ask you to do today is to pray. Pray for the opportunity to help someone in need. Pray for the opportunity to show someone an Act of Random Kindness. If you are not demonstrating your faith through action by doing the word of God then what are you doing? John Wesley denied that religion consist in “forms of worship or rites and ceremonies.” He says that “true religion consists in a heart right toward God and neighbor, and it implies nothing less than happiness as well as holiness.” If your heart today is not filled with the love of God and love for your neighbor, know that it can be. But, know that it is not something you can do but it is what God does in you when you say not my will God, but yours.

Going back to our movie, Evan experiences a similar scene with God when God is telling Evan what he wants him to do and Evan replies, that is not in my plans. God’s will is not our will and we have to allow ourselves to be lead by him. Remember this Christian faith is not a destination, but it is a journey. It is a journey like riding on a river. Sometimes the torrents of the river scare us to death; we do not know what lies before us around the next bend. It could be deep calm waters, or it just might be someone in need of our help.

The river of life awaits you it is like that road to Jericho. God is calling you to action for he still has lost sheep; they are in need of our help. Our streets are filled with homeless who are Hungary, we have orphans without a home, and many around us are in need. Are you going to set there today and say there is nothing I can do, I am too old, and I am too young? I do not have the time to do that. If not you, then who?

A man was robbed and beaten and left for dead on a road leading from Jerusalem to Jericho. Two men, a priest and a Levite, both at separate times walked by the half dead man in need yet did nothing. A third person, a Samaritan, actually came to his aid and provided an Act of Random of Kindness. He did not just show compassion for the man, he took action. He bandaged his wounds; he poured wine and oil on the wounds and carried him to an inn where he gave the innkeeper enough money for the poor man to stay there for two months.

I ask you today, who of the three men who came upon this man in need was his neighbor? Will you be a neighbor to someone in need? Will you take risk, will you be courageous and help someone like the Good Samaritan did? If not you, then who will be the one that will offer that Act of Random Kindness to the one whom God created? As the Good Samaritan did and as Jesus commands, “Go and do likewise!”

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Review of Justo L Gonzalez, Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes

David Lowe. Review of Justo L Gonzalez, Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996).



In review of this book, I believe the main point is that it is important for the reader to be able to understand biblical texts based on their own context and perspective. Context and perspective play an important role in understanding the Bible and engaging it in relation to discipleship and spiritual growth. Seeing the Bible through Hispanic eyes allows the read to see the Bible from another dimension enabling the reader to understand Scripture in a new light.

In the opening of the book, Gonzalez begins with a story about a question posed to him regarding the inerrancy of the Bible. He responded that yes the Bible is inerrant, however; “same cannot be said for any interpretation of the Bible” (12). Gonzalez informs the reader that “to read the bible is to enter into a dialogue with it” (14). Furthermore, he adds that “texts do not err” but that instead it is “writers and readers who err” (14). So with this in mind Gonzalez attempts to help the reader understand that questions of biblical inerrancy are not so much about inerrancy as much as it is authority (14).

As previously stated, the main point of the entire book is for the reader to be able to understand the biblical texts based on their own context and perspective. That is still true, but to further clarify the aim of the book is to delve deeper into Hispanic hermeneutics. Specifically, the author discusses five varying themes of Hispanic hermeneutics of which are Marginality, Poverty, Mestizaje and Mulatez, Exiles and Aliens, and Solidarity (32).

As the author notes in his text, the Hispanic culture cannot be confined to one particular people or segment of the Hispanic population. Gonzalez says:
“some of us are descendents of the original inhabitants of these lands, who were here long before the arrival of the first Europeans. Some of us are descendents of African slaves brought to work for Spanish masters. Some of us are descendents of the Spanish conquistadors and colonizers. Most of us are mixture of these and other strains. In background, some of us are Mexican, other Puerto Rican, other Cuban, or Dominican, or Central American. Some can claim more than one of these various backgrounds. Some of us were born in the United States. Others came as political exiles. Still others came for economic and other reasons. Many of us are not even quite sure why we are here. Some call ourselves “Latino/as,” others “Hispanics,” or “Hispanic Americans.” Some prefer more concrete identifications: “Chicano,” “Puerto Rican,” “Cuban American,” “Mexican –American,” “Salvadoran,” and so on” (32).

The importance of understanding or aim of Santa Biblia: The Bible through Hispanic Eyes is that Hispanic culture is diverse and in that diversity a wide variety of views can be discerned from the reading of the biblical text. None of these views are wrong, as much as they are all contextual and based on an individuals perception. Perception, for the reader, becomes reality so the perception of a person’s reading of the biblical text becomes the reality of the text for that individual.
The central argument of this book is to understand the ways in which an individual can understand and interpret Scripture given one’s background and cultural context. Our Hispanic bothers and sisters offer us unique ways in which we as fellow Christians can read, interpret, understand and act upon Scripture. The following few paragraphs offer a glimpse into the themes of the book and some of the ways the author goes about arguing how one can understand and interpret Scripture given the reader’s background and cultural context.

As Christians, we should be able to appreciate the themes and experiences of our Hispanic brothers and sisters in Christ. We can do that through the five varying, aforementioned; themes discussed in this book. As non-Hispanic Christians, we too experience some of these themes in varying scenarios and situations. For example, the author states that “the value of marginality is crucial, not only for reading the Scripture, but also for reading the history of the church, and even for reading our task as a church today” (45). One such task is meeting the needs of those on the margins, by being Jesus to them.
In marginality, we as a church have opportunity to reach out to those on the margins and to welcome them into our churches. The author states “a reading from a perspective and experience of marginality tells the church that bringing the marginalized to the very center of God’s love and community is essential part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ-so essential, that the doubt arises: In a society and a world in which so many are marginalized, is it legitimate for a church to call itself at the same time both “mainline” and “Christian”? (55).

In review of the theme of poverty, Gonzalez makes it clear “in general, the Latino experience in the United States is one of poverty” (57). As Christians, we are called to be in “partnership” and to share our resources in order to meet the needs of those in our community (70). Gonzalez points to this sharing of resources when he references Deuteronomy 15:4-5 which says “there will, however; be no need among you…if only you will obey the Lord your God”? (74). In the world of most Hispanic communities, this sharing concept comes naturally versus the average American who is selfish and often finds this concept hard to grasp to share what they have worked so hard for with those, whom may be perceived in a different light.

The Hispanic culture can find its origin in a mixed background as the result of Spanish conquest of those in Mexico or the mixing of Spanish and those of African backgrounds. Gonzalez says “We read much of the Bible from a perspective of ethnic and cultural purity” (80). Hispanics find solace in understanding that Christ himself was the product and came from a lineage of women who were not of Jewish descent. The author notes that “Mestizaje, both genetic and cultural, is part of the biblical reality, even though the deuteronomist historian may have tried to suppress it” (90).

Hispanics in many contexts, especially those in the United States can relate to the biblical stories of Exiles and Aliens for they themselves have lived this life or are still living it. Gonzalez informs the reader that those “who were born here and those whose ancestors have lived in this country for generations, have little or no desire to move toward the center, for they fear that the cost will be a loss of identity” (93). This philosophy and outlook on their situation thus impacts their perception and interpretation of Scripture and life.

The last major theme in the text in review is that of solidarity. This solidarity in one aspect is one of family connection and relationship and extensions within not just the nucleolus of the family, but the extended family itself. The author states “the present notion of the nuclear family is a relatively recent phenomenon, mostly the result of the industrial evolution and of developments that took place since then (105). The concept of extended family is important and for Christians we serve as an extended family and we have a responsibility to welcome those into our family who are without a family. “Our churches must be a welcoming home for those who have no home and a family for all those who have no functional family” (105).

In review of the content of the book, I now want to critically review, in my opinion, the intent of the book and whether the author was able to accomplish his goal. I will do this through the asking of a few questions related to the text.

Early in the introduction Gonzalez stated that “reading is always a dialogue between the text and the reader” or the understating of the text from an individual perspective (13). Did Gonzalez make clear in his text the truth of this statement? I do believe Gonzalez was able to demonstrate that in his analysis and commentary that the perspective of the individual is important in the understanding of the Bible in the context of the reader. For example, in chapter 3, we gain perspective through Hispanic eyes in the story of Jesus lineage. For the average reader of the Bile Jesus lineage is purely Jesus, yet we know the other side of the story now.

Does the Bible speak to us where we are or can we even relate to a text which is centuries old? As I reviewed the themes, poverty came to mind in answering this question. For a large segment of the Hispanic population in the United States are on the margins or considered poor. From their eyes though, we learn of the concept of community and how from a scriptural standpoint we can learn to share in our abundant resources. Through this theme Gonzalez clearly establishes for us a way of understanding the Bible through the Hispanic context and perspective.

Through the reading of Santa Biblia: The Bible through Hispanic Eyes, I ask how I have been shaped through this book and its aim. Clearly at this point in the review, I see Gonzalez’s aim and of understanding the Bible through one’s own context and perspective. When a reader engages the biblical text in dialogue their context and perspective plays a major role in the understanding of the scripture and its life application. By understanding this, we can appreciate differences and learn in an ecumenical environment.

In closing, my thoughts regarding this book are that context is important when we read or interpret the Bible. From a New Testament perspective, it is critical to understand how Jesus speaks to us in varying ways. Viewing the Bible through Hispanic eyes allows one to see how the Bible is able to speak to each one of us where we are and bring meaning and purpose to us in that stage in our Christian journey. The reading of this book has enlightened me and opened my own eyes up to the possibility of seeing more than just meets the eye in Scripture. As the Holy Spirit, in my own context and perspective leads me, I will be open to new possibilities within God’s Word.

St Patrick: By Dr. Michael Matlock Professor at Asbury Theological Seminary

Patrick ... what can we learn from this man of God?

Most of my thoughts come from a colleague in this area, a pastor of a church in the Anglican tradition.

St. Patrick was the wealthy son of a clergy person who lived in Roman Britain during the fifth century. As a young man, he rejected the faith of his family and lived a wild life with his wealthy friends. When he was a teenager, raiders from Ireland kidnapped Patrick, took him to Ireland and sold him into slavery. For six years, he faced hunger, privation and nakedness as he served his master as a shepherd.



During his servitude, Patrick returned to the faith of his family. While he was alone in the fields, he turned to God and found solace through faith in Jesus Christ. After a number of years, Patrick received a vision from God that called him to escape and return to his home. By God’s protection, he returned home. In time, he sensed a calling to be a priest in the Church. During his preparation for this vocation, Patrick again heard God’s call. This time it was a call to return to the Irish and bring to them the message of God’s extravagant love revealed in Jesus Christ.




Patrick obeyed this heavenly voice and returned to Ireland as a Bishop to make disciples of Jesus Christ and organize communities of Christians throughout the land. Within Patrick’s lifetime, a multitude of faith communities was founded and within a few generations, the Irish people were converted from paganism to Christianity. The Irish or Celtic Church then sent missionaries all over Scotland , England and Northern Europe.




The Celtic Church was marked by a number of features that made it flourish:


•A focus on founding deep communities of faith for outreach and service to the Irish people.

•Intensive, intentional disciple-making through the liturgy, practical spiritual instruction and deep friendships.

•A holistic faith that embraced all of creation as a means to understand and draw closer to God

•An emphasis on mission and self-giving to the surrounding culture as central to the Christian life.

•A wedding of the historic Christian faith with the forms of Irish culture.


In our increasingly post-Christian and post-modern culture, many women and men are fully disconnected from Christianity. We look to Patrick, and the story of God’s work through him, as an inspiration and model for us as a faith community.

By Dr. Michael Matlock Professor at Asbury Theological Seminary March 18 Asbury Virtual Campus http://virtual.asburyseminary.edu/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=135494

The Future Chruch

I am going to share this with you. Keep in mind this was a class assignment where I had to pretend to be the Pope,(Pope is really another word for Bishop, so keep that in mind when reading this as I am not arrogant enough to think myself a Pope or Bishop). The assignment was to write a paper about the future of the chruch. I hope you like it and please make comments.
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The foundation of the Church is Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, and Peter for whom Christ said he would build his Church (MT 6:8). We know who founded the church and from whom the church was built; thus we also know that the Church is the Bride of Christ “Not only is the universal church described as the bride of Christ, but so is the local church” (Devenish, p.41) So, what is the future of the church? It is a tradition which has, for over 2000 years, grown and faced challenges of it own as it strives to do the will of God, through the Son and with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Church was created so that the people of God could join with him in his redemptive mission of the world (McNeal, p.15) Will we be able to continue that mission in the future as we examine what the church of the future will be like? If we are, what ever the future holds for the Church it must be Christ centered.

The Future of the Church will need to focus on three key areas for its future, with a simple policy of growth and sustainment of growth, with three focal areas; other than being Christ centered, which are leadership development, spiritual formation (discipleship) and mission. These three focal areas for sustainment of growth will have more impact on the future of the church than any other areas of consideration and I will ensure these three concepts backed by policies and church governance to support the growth plan.

Effective leaders are long term planners and look well into the future to ensure that what they do today positively influences their church for future generations. In 2004, Bishop Joseph Pennel of Franklin TN said that "every congregation deserves spiritual leaders," and; "…we need leaders today who are concerned about more than institutional maintenance. We need leaders who are more concerned about faith than maintaining the status quo. We need leaders today who are nailed to the historic faith, which brought the United Methodist Church into being."

If the Church is to have a future then leadership will be a key aspect of the future of the Church. Bishop Pennel further stated that "leadership determines the path and pathos of an institution and organization" of which the church is applicable. I recently heard a sermon by Adam Hamilton, a UMC pastor at the Church of the Resurrection in Leewood Kansas. Adam mentioned that it seems as if God had stopped calling young people into ministry within the UMC and that he was calling second career pastors at a more rapid pace. I can relate to that and maybe there is a reason for that. Maybe the church is at a point where the business world experiences of someone such as my self can be of critical importance in the future of the church or is it that with the noise of the world and the call of the secular world young people, analogous to the call of Samuel, need someone to help them hear the call. (1 Samuel 3:1-10)

No matter the reason, we need to mentor and encourage the young people of the church to hear God’s call. They are our future leaders and it is essential that we develop young leaders within the church. “The number of clergy (UMC) under 35 fell from 3,219 in 1985 to 876 in 2007, but it increased in 2008, according to the study. The consistent decline in under-35 elders as a percentage of all elders seemed to hit its low point in 2005, when it sank to 4.69 percent, the study noted. In 2006 and 2007, the percentage increased to 4.89 percent and 4.92 percent, respectively.” (Green)

Can the foundation of the Church, which is Jesus Christ, withstand what the future brings and can we as a Church grow outward and into the world for which Christ came to save; for at its core the Church is established to make disciples so that no one will be lost. The Church over the years, in some context, has become more of an institution where people come to hear a message and then they depart until the same time next week. From an outsider’s perspective, some churches could be construed as social clubs in some aspects. The average church goer today is self seeking in one sense instead of seeking to grow in the spirit in order to go fourth into the world to fulfill the great commission. “In a Christian age we needed a pastoral church. In the largely pagan age of today, we need a missionary church and that is profoundly different” (Devenish, p.127) In other words, the church is a place to develop Christians to go fourth into the world, the place outside the church walls, to seek the lost and bring them to know Christ.

How do we ensure the future of the church and do what it is God calls us to do? First of all “Our understanding of church needs to large enough to embrace all the bible has to say about what it means to be His people, and what it means to be in the world” (Peterson, p.171). Being in the world is one aspect of the future church. “It seems that Jesus regards his Church as a people sent into the world-in other words, he calls us for mission!” (Devenish, p.20) So a vital part of the future church is that of mission so it is essential that I as the Pope help the Body of Christ “recapture the mission of the church” (McNeal, p. 12).

In most churches today there are a few in missions or interested in mission. Many people just show up to church to be served instead of learning to serve or even desiring to serve. As Pope, I will ensure that the Elders are encouraging and making the Church about mission from the pulpit. In this modern day era where some churches preach a form of self help and prosperity preaching little is said about helping or serving the least of those in society as a result of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Of course by saying missions are important and preaching on missions from the pulpit is important are not enough. Christians must consider the work of missions as vital to their own spiritual formation and spiritual health. Unfortunately for the church, “we have made following Jesus all about being a good church member” (McNeal, p. 72) We have not done a good job of teaching or preaching about spiritual formation and growing in both personal and social holiness. In addition to that “we have assumed that if people come to church often enough they will grow” (McNeal, p. 80). That is not of course necessarily true. Church is about worship and learning, but it is a place to prepare Christians to go fourth into the world in Christian service, that is missions.

Though in spiritual formation we teach and encourage and allow the Holy Spirit to work in people and as they grow in faith then their faith will result in works of love and kindness to those in the world who are in need such as the homeless, the poor, the windows and the lost. “The spiritual formation process is important for the community of faith and should be an environment where the number one pursuit is the development of human beings created in the image of God and redeemed into this family through Jesus” (McNeal, p. 91)

We cannot as Christians hide behind the walls of the church for “The whole essence of the church is that it exists for mission” ((Devenish, p.21). If our lives as God’s people are to be lived out in full view of the world, we need to take conscious, deliberate steps to be sure this is happening” (Peterson, p.173). By developing spiritually formed Christians who understand their duties as well as Gods plan for their lives as a Christian; they can fulfill their call as it relates to personal and social holiness in order that we may transform the future church. This requires us to challenge people with the Word of God and their understanding of the Trinity. Christians must understand that “the Trinity is missional. The father sent the son. Father and son send the Holy Spirit (29) “So in the Church, Jesus forms a community that reflects these qualities of the Trinity” (Devenish, p.29)

The future of the Church will require us to maintain laser focus on the 3 key areas noted in this paper. Through a Christ centered approach to leadership development within the church we will have leaders who can teach and disciple to the people of the church (spiritual formation) who then are ready and prepared to go fourth in mission. The first two focal points are parts of the whole but necessary in order to fulfill the ultimate call of the church which is to be in mission.





Bibliography




Anderson, Leith. A Church for the 21st Century 1992 Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Devenish, David. What On Earth Is The Church For? A blueprint for the future for church based mission and social action. 2005, Authentic Media Waynesboro,GA.

Green, Linda. Young clergy numbers rise, bucking leadership trend January 6, 2009 http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=4862911&content_id=%7BB6902198-9170-4477-9FE0-1082BB1EB5F3%7D¬oc=1 Accessed November 7, 2009


McNeal, Reggie The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church Jossey Bass 2003 San Francisco CA

Pennell, Joseph. Church’s future depends on developing leaders. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=2&mid=5830 accessed November 7, 2009


Peterson, Jim. Church without Wall: Moving Beyond Traditional Boundaries 1992. Navpress, Colorado Springs Colorado.