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Cheers and Jeers

Blessing Israel
I was disappointed to read Frank Decker's article "The Gospel is Not About Turf" (September/October 2006) in a United Methodist publication. Though Mr. Decker is correct in stating that we should bring the gospel of peace to persons of every nationality without discrimination, his comments about the land of Israel being insignificant are contrary to the Word of God. The Lord covenanted himself with Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21, and there gave him a biblical mandate to possess the Promised Land forever. God has scattered his people throughout the world due to their own rebellion (see Deuteronomy 4:27), yet he has not forgotten his promises and will gather them together again (Ezekiel 36:22-28). "He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac. Then he confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance'" (Psalm 105:8-11, NASB). The New Covenant is one of grace through the blood of Jesus, yet it does not nullify the everlasting covenant God made with the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It's not about politics; it's about His holy name (Ezekiel 36:22). We will be blessed for blessing Israel (Genesis 12:3).

Kelly Edwards
Athens, Georgia


Wesley and Israel
Frank Decker's "The Gospel is Not About Turf" tells about a Palestinian believer who was barred from speaking when it was discovered he was not Jewish. Mr. Decker attributes this regrettable action to "cut and paste Christian Zionism." In understandable concern for the true gospel, our brother discards an important truth which even John Wesley emphasized: God gave the land to Israel.

Holding to the true gospel while honoring God's promises to the Jewish people, Mr. Wesley wrote: "Yea, and he will so have mercy upon all Israel, as to give them all temporal with all spiritual blessings. For this is the promise: 'For the Lord thy God will gather thee from all nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which their fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it'" (General Spread of the Gospel). A cluster of Scriptures on the theme of giving Israel the land of their fathers follows.

This theme of God's promises, which include bringing Israel into the land God gave the Patriarchs, is further emphasized in early Methodist Hymnody. Number 440 (The Works of John Wesley, Vol. 7) leads Methodists to sing such lines as: "O that the chosen band.gathered out of every land. impelled by secret grace, His way to Canaan find.For God hath spoke the word; All Israel shall the Savior own, To their first state restored; Rebuilt by his command, Jerusalem shall rise, Her temple on Moriah stand.from east and west, and south, and north, Let all the wanderers come.Bid every creature help them.."

As the Wesleys show, believing God will keep his promise of giving the land to the Jews neither conflicts with the gospel or is strictly a product of "cut and paste" theology. Neither do Mr. Decker's theological grounds for supporting his assertions logically compel the dismissal of God's promise of the land to Israel. He quotes the Rev. Awad's remarks that Romans 11:28:32 has nothing to do with land; however, the very quotes from Mr. Wesley above were made in reference to precisely the same Romans verses.

Mr. Decker asserts the gospel is not about turf, but he delivers an argument about turf, denying God's promise of land to Israel.

Hank Butler
Bethesda UM Church
Damascus, Maryland


Misunderstanding the Middle East
Thank you for Frank Decker's article "The Gospel is Not About Turf" in the latest issue of Good News. In the past, including the last issue, I have taken issue with some comments made by other writers in the magazine, comments which show a misunderstanding of the total picture of what is happening in Palestine and Israel. The Rev. Alex Awad is a good friend of mine.

Ric Koehn
Grace United Methodist Church
Paynesville, Minnesota


Avoiding meltdown
I am hopeful that the United Methodist Church can avoid the meltdown now occurring in the Episcopal Church. I sang at the Uniting Conference in 1968 as a confirmed Episcopalian and a United Theological seminarian in Dayton, Ohio, pastoring a Methodist congregation. At that moment, I observed the same seeds of pragmatism and inclusive theology that I predicted would eat away at the church that had been my home for 12 years ending after graduation from Asbury College. Dr. Turner presented the result with great clarity.

May God inspire your discipleship and leadership to reverse this creeping tsunami bent on destroying another great branch of the Body of Christ.

Bob Maxwell
Rio Communities, New Mexico


Proclamation
I just read the article by Joan LaBarr, "Methodists must speak out, says World Methodist leader" in the September/October issue. Well said! Yet proclamation is not part of our "vow" in becoming a member of the United Methodist family.

I prayerfully suggest this be our church vow: ".will you do all in your power to strengthen its mission.by your prayers, your presence, (your proclamation), your gifts, and your service" (italics mine).

Every lay person has a witness. It has been my experience as a clergy person that our laity takes their church vows very seriously-prayers, presence, gifts, and service. But what's missing here? Is there any doubt why the Rev. Freeman's challenge is needed? We should petition General Conference to update our commitment to kingdom building by adding "proclamation" to the vow to make sure the voice of Methodism is heard.

Sid Spiller
First UM Church
Mathis, Texas


Our slogan
Since first hearing our slogan- Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.-I've liked it, yet recognized its potential for abuse and misuse. Through the years I have seen it being misused and abused by those who, above all others, should be demonstrating its application in the true context of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like the word "inclusive," some UM leaders take unworthy pride in being so inclusive they allow decidedly unchristian attitudes into the church without thought of the need to make disciples of those we welcome into our churches. Many, I fear, are failing to engage in "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" and that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations."

The first words of John the Baptist and then of Jesus in presenting the good news were, "Repent...bring forth fruits in evidence of your repentance" and our Lord's personal command, "Ye must be born again." This message must be understood as essential actions of faith in Christ for any and all seekers who accept our open hearts, minds, and doors invitation to attend our churches. Our slogan must be accepted as no more than an invitation to attend our churches-not an open license to become an active, full-connection member without first being made a disciple of Christ who has repented and been born again.

It has been said, "Christ accepts us as we are, but he will not let us stay that way." United Methodists must begin to emphasize and be faithful to the truth of that statement. It is a failure of our calling from God to accept people as they are without the follow-through of making them to be disciples of Christ by leading them to repentance, being born again, being baptized in the name of Christ, and turned into servants of God. We are a failure for those souls when we allow them to become members of our churches without first leading them to become members of God's kingdom!

May our hearts remain open in Christian love to evangelize the lost. May our minds be open to hear their need and offer understanding for their circumstance. May our doors be open to all who seek Christ so that they may come into our churches, learn of him, then give Jesus their hearts and lives in repentance and be born again. May we have enough spiritual intelligence and integrity to know when to close our minds to sin while opening our hearts and doors to repentant sinners.

As we worry and fret over the more than 80,000 former members now lost to the UM church in one year alone, let us remember these words of Jesus, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you" and "If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Me."

We must stop trying to gain numbers and start trying to win souls. We must put seeking the kingdom of God first and put the reforming of society secondary. Simply put, we must be about our Father's business-and not be about our own agendas as self righteous do-gooders.

Thank you, Good News, for being faithful to our Lord and our church. Keep our voice strong and loud.

Steve Tillman
Bassfield, Mississippi


Line of reasoning
Thank you for the article "Open Membership Forgets Our Wesleyan Heritage" by John Lomperis (September/October 2006). To follow Lomperis' line of reasoning, however, we need to exclude from membership those who believe in capital punishment, especially any who, as governors or legislators, have authorized the use of the death penalty.

We should also exclude those who support war as the principle means of settling disputes among nations, those who favor tax cuts for the wealthy while abandoning the poor, those who oppose access to health care for all, those who shun the poor in favor of the rich. The list could go on, but you get the idea.

In fact, these concerns are not only Wesleyan; they come down to us from Jesus. The point is this: whenever we choose to make lists as to whom we may or may not exclude, we need to be very careful. The list may include each one of us.

Walter H. Everett
St. John's UM Church
Sunbury, Pennsylvania


Impeachment
Isn't it nice that our United Methodist brother Jim Winkler can get on the stump and cry: "Impeach President Bush" ("UM lobbyist calls for impeachment of Bush," July/August 2006), while his countrymen and women spill their blood to protect his right to free speech.

This is another example of "Christians" taking the mainline denominations down the road to less and less relevance in the Christian community. By claiming the high ground on what they consider moral issues, they forfeit the high ground on spiritual issues. My question is: On which side will our church come down?

Another recent example is that of First UM Church of Tacoma, Washington, where the church council voted to open its doors to First Lt. Ehren Watada who declared he wouldn't go to Iraq because he believes the war is illegal. The congregation said that those "who are unable to deploy to combat areas for reason of conscience" can find protection behind its doors.

I had about enough of these people and I am now questioning my allegiance to the United Methodist Church. One man is on a crusade to impeach our president; the other, an officer, decides which war is right for him. My question is: If war is so repugnant to him, why did he join the military in the first place?

H. K. Rahlfs
Fredericksburg, Texas



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