Weapons of our Warfare

by Steve | Apr 17, 2020 | In the News, Perspective E-Newsletter

By Bishop Frank J. Beard –

“… Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”

– II Chronicles 20:21b

Our world is under attack by a ruthless enemy — one that does not come from God. It is the job of every Christian and every church to unify and wage spiritual warfare against this destructive evil until it is defeated.

As I was praying the other morning and lamenting that there was not much we could do against this virus, I sensed in my spirit that as a spiritual leader I was taking the wrong approach. The Lord spoke very plainly to me, “Tell them about the weapons I have provided for them to use.” Like Moses, I argued, but even as I argued seven weapons came to mind.

Our current attack is from a vicious enemy whose primary purpose is death. As Christians we understand that this thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He is a powerful destroyer, but we are not powerless against him or his vices.

God has given every believer an arsenal of weapons for the spiritual battles that we face. The one we serve is the “I AM” God (Exodus 3:14), the one whose very name means, “I will be what you need when you have need.”

The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 that as followers of Christ we do not wage war as the world does. We have spiritual weapons because we are engaged in a spiritual battle. Our weapons are never directed at people. According to Paul, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

Let’s take a brief look at seven weapons used in spiritual warfare.

1. Prayer, Praise, and Worship. In II Chronicles chapter 20, three enemy kings formed an alliance and declared war against King Jehoshaphat. The King turned to the Lord for help and encouraged the nation to fast and pray. The Spirit of the Lord came among them and God gave them this message: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s'” (II Chronicles 20:15).

Jehoshaphat assembled an army, but he did an amazingly unconventional thing. He placed the choir and the praise band out front! The power of prayer, praise, and worship was undeniable as the enemy was routed without the King or his soldiers engaging in any physical fisticuffs.

2. The Word of God. Paul compares the Word to a soldier’s sword: “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:12). The writer of the book of Hebrews compares God’s word to a double-edged sword: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

3. The Name of Jesus. One of our strongest weapons is the name of Jesus. This name, supported by a personal relationship, is a powerful force the enemy recognizes and fears. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

The Bible tells us that, “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are filled with verses that talk about the power in the name of the Lord. “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied'” (I Samuel 17:45).

4. The Blood of Jesus. Because of the shed blood of Jesus, believers are redeemed, sanctified (set apart), cleansed, forgiven, and justified (brought into right relationship) in the presence of God. Christ’s blood grants us entrance into the very throne room of heaven where we are welcomed as children of God.

The blood of Christ provides victory over all our enemies. “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Revelation 12:11).

5. Our Faith. Hebrews 11 highlights God’s hall of fame of men and women who, through their faith, accomplished seemingly impossible tasks.

Paul describes faith as a shield for believers. “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Hebrews 6:16).

The shield of faith protects us from the flaming darts of our enemy. Faith extinguishes the enemy’s fire and turns those sinister plans into blessings. Faith is a spiritual weapon that clears the way for us to receive God’s grace. Faith enables us to triumph over whatever the world throws at us. “… for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (I John 5:4).

6. Our Testimony. One of the last promises Jesus gave to his disciples was that they would receive, from the Holy Spirit, power to be effective witnesses. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Jesus promised that their personal testimony would provide the evidence needed to spread the gospel message throughout the world. This power was promised for individual and corporate witnessing. Each personal testimony of the followers of Christ is a highly charged weapon connecting Christians to God’s grace and each other. Each testimony speaks of God’s presence and of the transforming power that defeats the enemy and inspires hope in the downtrodden.

7. Our Unity in Christ. We don’t often think of unity as a spiritual weapon, but it was one of the great prayers Jesus offered on behalf of his followers (John 17). It was also one of the keys that opened the door for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on the believers in Acts chapter two. As those early believers waited in obedience, and as they prayed together day-by-day, an atmosphere of unity was formed.

This tragic pandemic is an opportunity for the followers of Christ around the globe to unite and engage in spiritual warfare that will defeat and destroy the works of darkness. Each Christian, within their own unique context, will need to decide how God has called them to engage in this spiritual battle. Christian leaders will need to listen for the Lord’s voice (and nudging) to decide how best to rally, equip, and deploy the troops under their direction.

We dare not sit silently and idly by, wringing our hands and thinking that we are powerless against this pandemic. Jesus said about us, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:14-15).

Now is the time to let your light shine for Jesus. People are searching for solutions and seeking answers to this pandemic. Believers are not powerless. We have been given weapons to assist in fighting against this evil. It is our job to stand up, stand out, and proclaim victory even before we see the end of the battle. Let us not shrink back or shy away because we don’t believe we can do anything.

Remember the story of Jehoshaphat. This battle belongs to the Lord.  Ultimate victory does not excuse us from engaging and utilizing the weapons God has provided for us to use in defeating this pandemic. Perhaps God has strategically placed us “for such a time as this!”

Frank J. Beard is the Bishop of the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. This article is adapted from his blog. 

Regard for the Weak

by Steve | Apr 6, 2020 | In the News, Perspective E-Newsletter

By Tom Lambrecht –

Young woman in a surgical mask.
www.freepik.com

In this time of pandemic and “lockdown,” we are all dealing with new realities that we have never experienced before. As I work from home, I can look out the front window of my house. Half the traffic during the day on our street is delivery trucks (Amazon, FedEx, UPS). Delivery people are our lifeline to the rest of the world!

As many of us isolate ourselves in our homes, we can also isolate ourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We can get focused on our own needs and those of our family, which rightly should come first. We need to do what it takes to stay safe and avoid passing the virus to others, especially those who are vulnerable.

But in our self-quarantine, we need to continue to broaden our focus beyond ourselves and particularly to those who are weak and vulnerable in this time. In that vein, I was struck by several verses of Psalm 41 that I read earlier this week.

“Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;

the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.

The Lord protects and preserves them –

they are counted among the blessed in the land –

he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.

The Lord sustains them on their sickbed

and restores them from their bed of illness.”

(Psalm 41:1-3)

This psalm, along with many other passages in Scripture, links our concern for the weak and vulnerable with God’s blessing. Particularly relevant today are the promises here that God will “deliver us in times of trouble,” that he will “protect and preserve us,” and that he will “sustain us on our sickbed and restore us from our bed of illness.”

These are precisely the blessings that we need right now and are praying for on behalf of not only ourselves, but all whom we know. And these blessings are in some sense conditioned on our care and concern for the weak among us.

I do not read these promises as some kind of contract that God makes with us, that if we do X, then he will automatically do Y. There are plenty of godly and righteous people who are not healed of their sickness or freed from their trouble. (Of course, with an eternal perspective in mind, sometimes death itself is a healing, as the person is released from suffering and from having to deal with sickness and pain. In heaven there is no sickness, nor will there be in our new bodies in the new heaven and new earth that we read about in Revelation 21-22.)

Rather, I think God is saying that care and concern for the weak will not go unnoticed or unrewarded by God. Sometimes that reward comes in the form of earthly blessing. Other times, that reward is something we experience only in eternity.

In addition, when we care for the weak, we are doing what our heavenly Father does. We serve a God who cares for the birds of the air and flowers of the field (Matthew 6:25-34). He sends his sun and rain on good and evil people (Matthew 5:43-48). He accepts religion as pure and faultless to “look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). When we have regard for the weak, we are doing what Christians do, being true to our character as children of our heavenly Father.

I am encouraged by the many stories I read and hear about people who are caring for the vulnerable during this crisis. I heard from one of our Good News board members about a parishioner in her church. The parishioner is an 84-year-old woman who refused to be placed on the list of people needing extra attention during the pandemic. Instead, she insists on being one of their church’s “porch angels,” who is willing to go to the homes of elderly or vulnerable people to deliver supplies or other needed items. Instead of focusing on her own vulnerability, she is reaching out to others in need!

One of the most effective evangelism tools of the early church was their willingness to put their lives on the line to care for their sick neighbors. When plagues came to Rome or other cities, the wealthy fled the city to find safety, sometimes even leaving their own family members. Many Christians stayed to care for the people who were left behind. When people saw how Christians loved in practical and sacrificial ways even strangers who were poor or sick, they were attracted to their God.

As we are able, may we lift our eyes of concern beyond ourselves in these days. Some of us may be able to give practical care for a friend, a neighbor, a homeless person, or someone in our church. Some of us may be blessed with financial resources to keep supporting our church’s ministry, missionaries, and ministries like Good News and others who depend upon us to keep going, especially when others have lost their jobs and can no longer offer that support. All of us can hold up in prayer the weak, the vulnerable, the elderly, and those who are serving others at risk of their own health. Churches are coming up with many creative ways to help those in need. All we need to do is join in.

We remember the encouraging words of Paul, “Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family … Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more”(I Thessalonians 4:9-10).

Keep doing it!

Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergyperson and the vice president of Good News. 

Implications of Postponing General Conference

by Steve | Mar 30, 2020 | In the News, Perspective E-Newsletter

By Thomas Lambrecht –

By now, I am sure you are aware that General Conference has been postponed until sometime in 2021. A date and place for the rescheduled conference has not been announced and may not be for a few weeks.

Beyond question, this was the right decision. With the spreading coronavirus making travel all but impossible, holding General Conference would also be impossible. We need to prioritize the lives and health of all concerned. Right now, our focus needs to be on ministry in our various communities, not addressing internal denominational issues.

Our hearts and prayers are with all those who are suffering from Covid-19 and with the people on the front lines of this destructive pandemic. As followers of Christ, we are being called to pray fervently, imagine new ways to remain connected with our local churches under the shadow of “social distancing,” and minister with compassion to those in need.

Dealing with Disappointment

As United Methodists who are concerned about a faithful future for a Wesleyan witness, we must also think through the implications of postponing General Conference.

Probably the greatest reaction to postponing General Conference other than concern for those suffering or threatened by the pandemic is a sense of disappointment. Many were looking forward to resolving the denominational conflict that has somewhat paralyzed the denomination, in order to move forward in a positive direction.

Traditionalists are eager to move into a more spiritually unified, theologically traditional denomination that can reconfigure itself to be more nimble and effective in ministry. Progressives are eager to rid the denomination of what they perceive to be unwarranted discrimination against LGBTQ persons. Both groups were primed and ready to support the Protocol for Amicable Separation. Many others are ready to be done with the conflict, regardless of their personal views. All will have to wait an additional year or more to move toward their preferred future.

The postponement of General Conference does not change the fact that our church is still in an irresolvable conflict. When the pandemic is over, the conflict will remain. In that sense, the momentum toward amicable separation will continue. The only way to end the conflict will still be to allow different groups in the church to go their separate ways.

In light of that fact, it would be inadvisable for local churches and clergy to prematurely separate from the denomination. There may be situations where local churches or clergy in a hostile and intolerant annual conference need to separate now for their own spiritual health and the wellbeing of their ministry. But for most, it will be possible to continue in the current circumstances for another year. I know for some clergy, the pandemic, postponement, and stock market volatility may necessitate a postponement of their plans to retire from active ministry. Where possible, it would be helpful for long-tenured clergy to continue serving their congregations to help them through this time of waiting and transition into a new reality in 18 months.

The delay in General Conference can actually be helpful in some ways. Both a new traditional denomination and a new “liberation”/progressive denomination can use this extra time to continue developing their structure. The fast approach of General Conference this May was forcing both groups to move more quickly than they were perhaps comfortable moving in trying to develop the skeleton of a new denominational structure.

Having the options for whatever new denominations will form more fully fleshed out will benefit all United Methodists as we move toward decisions on alignment after General Conference.

Dealing with the Nuts and Bolts

Apart from resolving our denominational conflict, General Conference is necessary for other reasons. The most pressing demands include passing a budget for the 2021-24 quadrennium and electing certain positions (including Judicial Council, University Senate, and Commission on the General Conference, among others). If General Conference does not meet, these necessary functions cannot be cared for.

In a recent commentary, the Rev. William B. Lawrence proposes that a skeleton General Conference meet sometime before the end of the year, perhaps with regional gatherings linked together by video conference. This skeleton General Conference could enact a budget and elect the persons necessary to meet the requirements of the Discipline, but pledge not to take any other actions.

While this is a common sense proposal, it conflicts with the General Conference rules that require a face-to-face meeting to do the work of the conference. The rules do not currently allow persons linked by video conference to act as one body. The only group that can change the rules of General Conference to allow the use of such technology is General Conference itself. And if General Conference cannot meet to change its rules, it certainly cannot meet via alternative technologies. Of course, any action taken by a skeleton General Conference would be tainted by the fact that all parts of the church would not be fairly represented. Persons elected and money allocated would not reflect the will of the church’s majority, but only those able to participate in the meeting.

With regard to the election of persons to particular positions, the problem might not be as severe as Lawrence imagines. While the Discipline mandates that a certain number of persons be elected to Judicial Council (for example) in certain years, and also mandates the length of term at eight years, it also says that the term expires at the adjournment of General Conference (¶ 2605). Since there is no General Conference in 2020, the terms of current Judicial Council members would not expire.

The requirements for electing members of the University Senate are even less stringent. Members are to be elected by the General Conference for the term of a quadrennium. The usual practice is that members of an elected body serve until their successor is elected. Since General Conference will not meet to elect a successor, the terms of individuals serving on the University Senate would continue. The same provisions apply to election of persons to other agencies and positions.

The most pressing technical requirement of General Conference is to pass a budget for the new quadrennium. The budget also includes a “base rate” or percentage of local church receipts that is the basis for apportionments. If there is no General Conference meeting, the church would technically be operating without a budget and with uncertainty as to the amount of apportionments.

It can be argued that, in the absence of a General Conference, the apportionment amounts would continue the same as in the current quadrennium. The General Council on Finance and Administration and the Connectional Table are empowered to make allocation of apportionments received. So even though there might not be a new budget beginning on January 1, 2021, apportionments could be collected on the same basis as before, with GCFA and the Connectional Table allocating the funds as they have in the past. This is not an insurmountable problem.

Fairness and Consideration

The bottom line in all of this is that the church can proceed to function in these extraordinary times without having a skeleton General Conference to meet in 2020. Leaders can plan and implement a meeting in 2021, allowing everyone to participate. It would be manifestly and embarrassingly unfair to have a full-fledged global denomination meet with only those able to attend a meeting in the United States. It would make a mockery of our connectionalism.

Our perseverance and patience are again being tested by the circumstances surrounding Covid-19 and the postponement of General Conference. By God’s grace, we will prayerfully meet that challenge, remaining faithful to Christ and the ministry he has called us to. As we pray for one another and minister to our world, may the light of Christ shine through us.

Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergyperson and the vice president of Good News. 

The Impact of Social Distancing

by Steve | Mar 20, 2020 | In the News, Perspective E-Newsletter

By Tom Lambrecht –

We have a new phrase in our vocabulary: “social distancing.” In this time of the novel coronavirus, keeping a distance from other people can help stop the spread of the disease.

It is ironic to me that this virus has caused an extreme form of what our society has already been doing. In 2000, sociologist Robert D. Putnam wrote the book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Based on over 500,000 interviews, Putnam demonstrated that “we sign fewer petitions, belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors less, meet with friends less frequently, and even socialize with our families less often.”

Our society has become less socially engaged. I think the supreme example for me was watching a young couple eat dinner at a restaurant, each one buried in his or her own smart phone and not talking with each other. Even the things we do together, we no longer do “together.” It has been said that, in order to communicate with a teenager, you do not talk to them or call them on their phone, you text them (or is it message them on Facebook, or contact through Instagram, or …).

Now we are being forced into even greater “social distancing” from each other due to the coronavirus. Sporting events, school classes, and even church services are being cancelled across the country. We are no longer supposed to be in any gathering of ten or more people. And some parts of the country are telling their residents to “shelter in place” — that is, stay home except for essential errands.

Joni Mitchell captured what I am feeling with her 1969 song, “Big Yellow Taxi.” The refrain contains the line, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?” We often don’t appreciate something we have until we don’t have it anymore.

I wonder if one way God might use the current crisis is to help us refocus on the value of human connection. The coronavirus is taking us to the extreme of what we have been doing as a society — distancing ourselves from each other. By taking away for a time all the opportunities for fellowship in person, perhaps we will become aware of what we are missing in our lives. Humans are made for personal connection. Some thrive on more connection, while others on less, but we all need it.

Maybe when this crisis is over, we will seek to rekindle the human connections that we have been missing. Worshiping together will be important. If we have to miss worship for a month, it may remind us how important corporate worship is for us, and we may be less inclined to “take a Sunday off.”

Prior to the virus outbreak, traditionalist Methodists had been brainstorming about the kind of characteristics that they were looking for in an emerging new denomination. One essential element is that we go deep in our connectional life, looking for ways to connect with others about what God is doing in our spiritual lives. John Wesley’s “class meetings” formed the basis of Methodism for over 100 years. It was where people talked about “how it is with your soul.” (When was the last time you had that kind of conversation?) Where people shared their struggles and triumphs, receiving the support, encouragement, and prayers of the others in the group.

This kind of “social engagement” is life-giving. It is essential to our spiritual growth in maturity. It is what Wesley meant by “social holiness.” There is no such thing as a “solitary Christian.”

Of course, there is another kind of “engagement” that can be prompted by this unique time in our lives. Not only are humans made for personal connection with each other, we are also made for connection with God. God himself is a “social connection” — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in eternal fellowship with each other. But God made us in his image, to be relational with each other and most importantly with him.

Now that there is no football, basketball, or baseball (or maybe even golf!) to watch on TV, perhaps we can take this opportunity to refocus on our connection with God. Maybe we can slow our lives down enough to spend more time with the creator of our lives, the one who brought us into this world and is preparing us for the next.

Thomas Paine began his 1776 essay “The Crisis” with the famous words, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Times of adversity and challenge are a test. They test what we are made of, what we really believe, and what our life is built upon. These times are an opportunity to refocus on what is most important, to recheck and strengthen our foundation. What will these times demonstrate about our lives?

I worked with a youth leader who used to say, “These are the times when good testimonies are made.” What will be our testimony that comes out of this time of trial? Will we testify to the faithfulness of our loving Father, to a closer walk with our Savior? Will we testify to a rekindled desire to connect with others, to build deeper relationships with family and friends, to a renewed desire to go deeper in the faith with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Will “social distancing” become the new normal, or will we rebound to a deeper “social engagement?” Time will tell.

Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergyperson and the vice president of Good News.