by Steve | Jan 7, 2019 | Jan-Feb 2019, Magazine Articles
George and Barbara Bush with their children, George and Robin, at the rodeo grounds in Midland, Texas, October 1950. Courtesy of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
By Steve Beard –
It had been three hard days for George H.W. Bush, the 94-year-old former President of the United States. Lifelong friend James Baker, Mr. Bush’s secretary of state and chief of staff, went to check on his neighbor – a man he called “Jefe,” the Spanish word for “chief.”
“Mr. President, Secretary Baker’s here,” said one of the caregivers. Bush opened his eyes and looked at Baker and said, “Bake, where are we going today?”
“Well, Jefe, we’re going to heaven.”
Bush replied, “Good. That’s where I want to go.” A few hours later, a kinder and gentler man took his last breath.
“Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world; In the Name of God the Father Almighty who created you; In the Name of Jesus Christ who redeemed you; In the Name of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you. May your rest be this day in peace, and your dwelling place in the Paradise of God.”
That is the eloquent appeal from the Book of Common Prayer to be read at the time of death. A lifelong and devoted Episcopalian, Bush would have anticipated those words. He was, after all, raised from childhood on the scriptures and daily readings from the Prayer Book – an incalculable gift to Christendom from King Edward VI and Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer in the 16th century.
“We all knelt around him and placed our hands on him and prayed for him and it was a very graceful, gentle death,” reported the Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, Bush’s pastor at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston. “We were silent for a full long measure as this man who changed all of our lives, who changed our nation, who changed our world, left this life for the next.”
Once again, the Prayer Book intones: “Deliver your servant, George, O Sovereign Lord Christ, from all evil, and set him free from every bond; that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations; where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, forever and ever.”
Bush’s friends in the Oak Ridge Boys sang “Amazing Grace” at his memorable funeral in Houston. Afterward, his body rode 90 miles on a specially commissioned Union Pacific railroad car, pulled by engine #4141, through Texas to his final resting place next to his wife Barbara and their daughter Robin who died at age three of leukemia.
Washington D.C. was my home during the Bush 41 administration and I still recall the stark radicalness of his call for a kinder and gentler way of doing things in our public square. “Abraham Lincoln’s ‘better angels of our nature’ and George H.W. Bush’s ‘thousand points of light’ are companion verses in America’s national hymn,” observed Bush biographer Jon Meacham in his eulogy. “Lincoln and Bush both called on us to choose the right over the convenient, to hope rather than to fear, and to heed not our worst impulses but our best instincts.”
Like many other grateful Americans who admired the grace, kindness, and compassion of the 41st President of the United States, I stood by the railroad tracks to pay my respects. The gorgeous iron horse rolled right past a legendary former saloon and brothel in Old Town Spring, right down the street from a bank rumored to have been robbed by Bonnie and Clyde in the 1930s. Every parking spot within a country mile was taken. American flags and homemade signs were displayed from the backs of pick-up trucks. Veterans saluted the former Commander in Chief and fighter pilot.
“Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington D.C. are not bothered by heavy traffic,” observed former Senator Alan Simpson in eulogizing President Bush. On this rainy day, the sky cleared up and the track was clear.
It was good to be reminded of Bush 41’s inaugural address: “We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood and town better than he found it.
“What do we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there? That we were more driven to succeed than anyone around us, or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better, and stayed a moment, there, to trade a word of friendship.”
In the wake of his death, a list of life’s lessons learned by Bush is worth remembering. 1. Don’t get down when your life takes a bad turn. Out of adversity comes challenge and often success. 2. Don’t blame others for your setbacks. 3. When things go well, always give credit to others. 4. Don’t talk all the time. Listen to your friends and mentors and learn from them. 5. Don’t brag about yourself. Let others point out your virtues, your strong points. 6. Give someone else a hand. When a friend is hurting show that friend you care. 7. Nobody likes an overbearing big shot. 8. As you succeed, be kind to people. Thank those who help you along the way. 9. Don’t be afraid to shed a tear when your heart is broken because a friend is hurting. 10. Say your prayers!
One did not need to share his political leanings to marvel at his magnanimity and genteel demeanor. Those close to him testify to his overwhelming charm, curiosity, and decency.
At a Christmas concert nearly two decades ago, President Bush raised his hand to receive a packet during an appeal to become a personal sponsor for a foreign child in need. “I want one,” said Bush, recalled Wess Stafford, the president emeritus of Compassion International. Two weeks later, Bush began writing to a seven-year-old boy named Timothy in the Philippines.
Stafford knew the sponsorship had to be kept secret. “For his own security, this little boy must not know that his sponsor was the President of the United States,” recalled Stafford in a Facebook post. They used an alias (George Herbert) and carefully censored the letters so no clues were given. The former president encouraged the young boy to love and respect the people around him. Little Timothy and Bush even exchanged hand-drawn pictures.
It did not take long before Bush fudged the rules. It began, according to Stafford, with a picture of his dog: “This is my dog Millie … she knows many famous people!” Of course, the English Springer Spaniel had become world famous during his tenure at the White House with the Bush family.
Another big hint of his identity was shared with young Timothy when Bush (41) wrote during the administration of his son, President George W. Bush (43): “This year for Christmas we are going to celebrate with my son, at his house … he lives in a big White House!”
Stafford was able to later tell President George W. Bush about his father’s loving antics. The younger Bush teared up, smiled, and said, “Yup, that’s my daddy!”
As leader of the free world, George H.W. Bush knew great triumph. He also knew tremendous heartbreak. He was shot out of the air in war and lost two crew mates in the process, survived the death of a child as a young father, and lost the presidency of the United States. His resilience and faith, however, tethered him to hope. “Be strong,” Bush wrote in his diary after his election defeat. “Be kind, be generous of spirit, be understanding, let people know how grateful you are, don’t get even, comfort the ones I’ve hurt and let down, say your prayers and ask for God’s understanding and strength, finish with a smile and with some gusto, do what’s right and finish strong.”
Fittingly, Bush’s pastor at St. Martin’s, called us to find inspiration in Bush’s virtues. “Some have said in the last few days, ‘this is the end of an era.’ But it doesn’t have to be,” Levenson said. “Perhaps it’s an invitation to fill the hole that has been left behind.”
At his passing, we gratefully return to the Book of Common Prayer: “Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant George. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light.” Amen.
Steve Beard is the editor of Good News.
by Steve | Jan 7, 2019 | Jan-Feb 2019, Magazine Articles
The Rev. Phillip Musharu, Harare West district superintendent, worships with congregants of St. Phillip Church in Kapatamukombe, Zimbabwe. Photo by Taurai Emmanuel Maforo, UMNS.
By the Rev. Tauri Emmanuel Maforo –
John Wesley’s “The world is my parish” is being relived in Muzarabani Circuit as congregants worship under grass-thatched homesteads and pole sheds.
A cappella music and ululating filled the humid atmosphere while rhythmic dance movements, sometimes with an accompaniment of shakers and an African drum, characterized the worship scene. Having no walls around the worshippers seemed far from being an obstacle to the celebrations.
Out of the nine local churches and preaching points in Muzarabani, only one has a built up sanctuary. It’s named after John Wesley. “In spite of the droughts and hardships faced by the region, the church seems to be more inspired by their biblically-inclined names …” said Pastor Desmond Mundondo, who is appointed to the circuit.
The names of the churches are St. Phillip (Kapatamukombe), St. Peter’s (Zone 30), St. Faith (Bwazi), St. Dorcas (Dambakurima), Holy City (Kapembere), King Solomon (Chimoyo), King David (Machaya) and St. Paul (Kairezi).
“Yes, we sometimes have to brave the rainy and windy seasons,” said Edward Shanyurai, who joined The United Methodist Church in 1992 and never turned back, “but, weather conditions are not deterrent for our worship.”
The 80-year-old Shanyurai believes anything important is worth sacrificing for. “We sometimes plough our fields while it rains, so why not do the same for our God?”
“I have now come to realize what John Wesley meant by ‘the world is my parish’ and why the early church braved persecution shut up in their house churches,” said the Rev. Phillip Musharu, the Harare West district superintendent.
Musharu went around nine preaching points on a two-day, face-to-face visit to the circuit. The preaching points are all under one charge and one pastor. The pastor travels up to 140 kilometers (about 87 miles) to the furthest preaching point. The area is not easy to get to by public transport. Total average attendance for the churches ranges from 230 to 270.
The Muzarabani Church was started by the Chinyerere family who moved to the region (which had no historical roots of United Methodism) and began to spread the Christian message from their home. Muzarabani is a district that is relatively flat and situated along the Zimbabwe/Mozambique border in Mashonaland Central province in Zimbabwe.
The villagers of the region in the 1980s struggled with tsetse flies and have perennially been stalked by severe droughts and floods. The plight of the residents is further compounded by the hostile, unpredictable weather conditions.
“But, faith life continues to grow warm in the hearts of the ardent seekers who have become strong United Methodists in spite of their material challenges” Mundondo said.
The Rev. Tauri Emmanuel Maforo is communicator for the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area. Distributed by United Methodist News Service.
by Steve | Jan 7, 2019 | Jan-Feb 2019, Magazine Articles
Church leaders take part in evangelism training at McBride United Methodist Church in Jalingo, Nigeria. Photo by the Rev. Ande Emmanuel, UMNS.
By the Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel –
By the year 2030, The United Methodist Church in Nigeria expects to have more than 2 million professing members. Over the past 10 years, the Nigeria Episcopal Area witnessed a 15 percent increase annually in church membership, and that trend is likely to continue, say United Methodist leaders.
The increase, said the Rev. Samuel Sule, director of evangelism and discipleship, “has brought the total statistics (to) 742,652 professing members and 900 churches of The United Methodist Church in Nigeria.
“With the current population growth in the country and the renewed interest in our board,” he said, “we are envisioning 18 percent annual growth rate in Nigeria between now and 2030.”
At that rate, said the Rev. Denis Obadiah, Taraba West District superintendent, “by 2030, we are going to have 2,079,425 professing members.”
The Nigeria Area Board of Discipleship and Evangelism recently offered evangelism and leadership training to help the church strategize for the next dozen years. From 1984 to 2018, the church maintained a steady membership growth of more than 15 percent annually. During this time, The United Methodist Church in Nigeria expanded from one Muri Provisional Conference to four annual conferences, from 28 to 785 pastors, from 15 districts and 180 charges to 52 districts and 900 charges with about 162 preaching centers, and from 145,000 members to 742,652 professing members.
The episcopal area’s current membership number is considerably higher than what was reported to the General Council on Finance and Administration, the denomination’s finance agency, in 2016. According to the episcopal office, the Northern Nigeria Conference was underreported at that time, and that report included only three of the four annual conferences — the North East Nigeria Conference wasn’t established until 2016.
Situated on the western coast of Africa, Nigeria shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea in the south and borders Lake Chad to the northeast. According to the United Nations, Nigeria’s population exceeds 197 million, with a median age of 17.9 years.
The U.N. forecasts that Nigeria will overtake the United States as the world’s third-most-populous nation by 2050. Nigeria’s fertility rate is 5.13 children per woman, compared with 1.87 per woman in the United States. The most-populous country on the continent, Nigeria is known as “the Giant of Africa.”
“The current population growth in Nigeria is serving as a clarion call for The United Methodist Church … and its international partners to use this opportunity by coming up with plans that will boost the growth of United Methodism in Nigeria by 2030,” said Elizabeth Anthony, youth president of the Taraba Central District, who participated in the evangelism training.
“Nigeria is a country with 36 states, plus the Federal Capital Territory,” noted Rimande Garba, a lay leader in Magami/Jalingo. More than 70 percent of the United Methodists in Nigeria live in the northeast, he said, “making the remaining parts of the country a potential ground for the growth of the church.” Possible international areas of growth, he added, include Chad, Niger, and Cameroon republics.
Rapid population growth, training participants learned, will affect various United Methodist programs such as evangelism and social services. Frequent crises with Boko Haram, Nigeria’s militant Islamist group, and tribal struggles prompt immigration from neighboring countries into Nigeria.
The Rev. Gloria Iliya Dogara, district superintendent of the Jalingo District, said the revived interest of young people in the church is signaling a bright future for United Methodism in Nigeria. “The United Methodist Church in Nigeria is living out its mission: to raise faithful and fruitful disciples of Jesus Christ who are passionate to transform the world through preaching, teaching, and providing services that meet physical and spiritual needs.”
The Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel is a United Methodist clergyperson and communicator for the Nigeria Episcopal Area. Distributed by United Methodist News Service.
by Steve | Jan 7, 2019 | Jan-Feb 2019, Magazine Articles
The special called 2019 General Conference will be held in St. Louis.
By Thomas Lambrecht –
The special called General Conference on February 23-26, 2019, is fast approaching. Over the next several weeks, delegates will be focusing on the proposals with singular and prayerful attention, hoping to find a solution to the 40-year conflict that has led to schism in The United Methodist Church.
The Commission on a Way Forward has submitted three plans to General Conference. The One Church Plan (OCP) would change the definition of marriage to “two adults,” allow pastors to perform same-sex weddings, and allow annual conferences to ordain self-avowed practicing homosexuals as clergy. At the same time, the OCP maintains the validity of both traditional and progressive views toward marriage and sexuality, believing that both perspectives can co-exist in one denomination indefinitely. It contains protections for persons of both persuasions, so that under this plan (for the most part) no one would be forced to act counter to one’s conscience.
The Traditional Plan (TP) maintains the current position of the church that all persons are of sacred worth and loved by God, that sexual relations are to be reserved for marriage between one man and one woman, and that the practice of homosexuality is contrary to Christian teaching. The TP continues the prohibition on pastors performing same-sex weddings and annual conferences ordaining self-avowed practicing homosexuals as clergy. It requires annual conferences and bishops to declare their willingness to uphold and enforce the Book of Discipline in all respects, and institutes other accountability measures in order to gain compliance with the Discipline. At the same time, it provides a gracious exit for annual conferences, local churches, bishops, and clergy who cannot abide by the requirements of the church.
The Connectional Conference Plan (CCP) replaces our current five geographical jurisdictions in the U.S. with three theological connectional conferences – Progressive, Traditional, and Unity. All three branches would continue to share some general church agencies, such as pensions, Publishing House, UMCOR, and missions. Other agencies would serve only those connectional conferences that desire to participate in them. Each connectional conference would have its own rules for clergy conduct and standards for ordination. Conferences outside the U.S. would be their own connectional conference or could join one of the three U.S. conferences. Bishops and clergy would serve only within their chosen connectional conference under that conference’s rules.
In addition to these three plans, individuals have submitted eight other plans for General Conference consideration. All but two of the plans are a variation of the One Church Plan. Most of them are not as well thought-out as the Commission’s work and will probably not gain much traction.
Because the Connectional Conference Plan requires constitutional amendments, meaning it needs a two-thirds vote at General Conference and a two-thirds vote of all the annual conference members to ratify it, most delegates are not considering the CCP as their first choice. The plan’s complexity and four-year implementation schedule are also drawbacks to that plan.
So we are left with primarily the Traditional Plan (with a few modifications proposed by the Renewal and Reform Coalition) and the One Church Plan as the primary options under consideration. What are the most important factors in choosing which direction the church should take?
Scripture. For evangelicals, the Bible has to be the first consideration in determining a faithful way forward for the church. The OCP elevates unity and the teaching of John 17 as the primary scriptural value to pursue. The TP focuses instead on faithfulness to Scripture’s teaching on the theological meaning of marriage and holiness in sexual relationships.
Because of the deep chasm between the two perspectives over which scriptures take precedence and how they are to be interpreted, there is no agreed-upon foundation for making a biblically faithful decision. Lost in all of the back and forth is the bare fact that there is no credible interpretive framework that explains the biblical teaching on marriage and sexuality in a way that allows the church to approve the practice of homosexuality. Progressive biblical scholars do not agree on any one approach, and many of them have a vested interest in a non-traditional interpretation because they have a loved one who has come out as gay.
Evangelicals regard faithfulness to Scripture as the beginning point and often the endpoint of discussion. The TP is the only plan that remains faithful to the scriptural teaching on marriage and sexuality. Most of the other plans adopt a position that contradicts Scripture.
Conflict. The motivation for appointing the Commission on a Way Forward was to find a way to resolve the conflict that is disrupting the ministry of the denomination, sapping time and energy that could be more fruitfully spent on leading people to Christ and serving the poor and needy.
Unfortunately, neither the TP nor the OCP is likely to bring a quick end to the conflict. Under the TP, bishops and annual conferences would be required to declare whether or not they would uphold and enforce the Book of Discipline, including on matters of marriage and sexuality. If not, they could be disciplined by the church and would be encouraged to withdraw and form a more progressive denomination that would operate according to their beliefs and values. If those not willing to abide by the Discipline act with integrity and withdraw from a denomination that they cannot support, the conflict would largely end. Many progressives, however, have stated that they will not voluntarily leave the denomination and would insist that the church “kick them out.” While the TP has enhanced accountability measures that should make discipline more certain, progressive insistence on continuing the fight will likely mean that some accountability actions will continue for some time.
While the OCP insists there is room in the church for a variety of beliefs and practices around marriage and sexuality, its adoption promises to multiply the conflict, rather than end it. Every annual conference would have to decide whether to ordain self-avowed practicing homosexuals. Those that choose not to would face increasing pressure from both culture and the progressive wing of the church to capitulate. This would entail annual battles at recalcitrant conferences until they finally vote “the right way.” Local churches, too, would face increased conflict. Whenever a church member or friend would ask for their same-sex wedding to be performed in the church sanctuary, there would have to be a congregational meeting to vote whether or not to allow it. Instead of deciding based on principle alone, the local church would now need to consider the personalities requesting the same-sex wedding, making the decision that much more emotionally laden.
Central Conferences. More than 40 percent of United Methodism’s members exist in what we call “central conferences” outside the United States. How would the plans affect them?
The vast majority of the central conference members favor a traditional understanding of marriage and human sexuality. Many have told us that they strongly support the Traditional Plan. It would enable them to continue as part of a global denomination guided by a common identity and shared theology and ethics.
The One Church Plan would pose great challenges to the central conferences, particularly in Africa and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. In many of those areas, the practice of homosexuality is strongly opposed and in some cases illegal. Being part of a global church where the practice of homosexuality is affirmed would place these central conference churches at a great disadvantage, and in some cases could even be life-threatening, particularly in Muslim areas of Africa. Although the central conferences could continue to operate according to traditional standards, they would be in active partnership with bishops and clergy from the U.S. who may be openly homosexual, which could jeopardize the partnership or the mission of the church in that area. Many central conference leaders have told us that they could not remain part of a global UM Church under a One Church Plan.
Unity. Much has been made about the need to maintain the structural unity of the denomination. It must be acknowledged, however, that maintaining such unity in a denomination already riven by schism is an impossible task. The deeply felt convictions of progressives and evangelicals are incompatible with each other, however much we wish it were different.
Because the Commission on a Way Forward was never allowed to consider an equitable plan of separation, we are left with two plans that would each bring about a somewhat unfair separation.
The OCP would change the church’s position to affirm same-sex relationships and affirm the ordination of self-avowed practicing homosexuals in annual conferences that do not adopt a traditional position. For many evangelicals, that change in the church’s position is an unacceptable violation of our consciences. We have heard from hundreds of individual lay members and dozens of congregations that they would seek to leave The United Methodist Church if the OCP passes. And those are just the ones we have heard about. In a poll this year in North Georgia, fully one-fourth of the annual conference members said that they would leave the church if the OCP is adopted. I estimate that the U.S. part of our church could lose anywhere from ten to twenty-five percent of its membership in this scenario, and it is possible that up to a half-dozen annual conferences might seek to withdraw.
On the other hand, the TP is straightforward about the fact that those who cannot live by the rules established by our denomination ought to withdraw and form a new church more in line with their beliefs and desired practices. The same North Georgia poll indicated about five percent of the annual conference members said they would leave the church if the TP were adopted. As many as a dozen annual conferences might seek to withdraw, and they represent about ten percent of the U.S. membership. Not all congregations in those conferences would want to leave, but some congregations in other annual conferences would want to join a more progressive church, meaning that the U.S. church might lose as much as ten percent of its membership. The TP believes that those who want to change the church’s historic teaching ought to be the ones to depart, not those who want to maintain it.
At least the TP provides a gracious exit path for annual conferences, congregations, bishops, and clergy. The OCP as it stands provides no such exit path, although one could be added from the five different exit paths proposed by various individuals.
What is unity? This brings up the question of how we should define unity. Can we have unity as a denomination when we have different moral standards and different qualifications for ordained ministry?
The OCP stems from the belief that we can have unity around a common relationship with Jesus Christ, and that everything else can be up for negotiation. However, it is really only in this one area of sexuality that the compatibilists want to push for allowing different practices. No compatibilist that I know of is promoting that we should allow pastors to practice only believer’s baptism, that we should allow annual conferences not to ordain women, or that local churches could choose not to pay apportionments. In all these areas and many more, compatibilists expect everyone to have the same practice. And rightly so! These are the decisions we make as a denomination that fulfill our identity as United Methodists. This is the ethos or way of doing things that is uniquely United Methodist. So it is somewhat hypocritical of compatibilists to insist that only in this one area, where the church is in great danger of being influenced by our surrounding culture, we should allow variations of practice.
The TP believes that we should have a much stronger unity around a common belief system and shared practices to which we all subscribe. This does not mean uniformity in every circumstance, but it means that there is conformity on those practices that the denomination determines are central to our identity. One cannot believably make the case that moral standards regarding sexuality and qualifications for ordained ministry are less central than whom we baptize or how we share in ministry through apportionments. And if we agree on a common mandatory standard for ordaining women, how can we turn around and say we can have conflicting standards on ordaining LGBTQ persons?
The OCP “local option” approach makes no coherent sense theologically. It would weaken our connectionalism, another essential element of our United Methodist identity. And it would create a climate of congregationalism that would further dilute what it means to be United Methodist. These do not appear to be a recipe for greater unity, but rather for gradual centrifugal disintegration of the church.
Where the OCP would lean toward a “least common denominator” form of unity, the TP would seek a more robust unity around shared doctrine and discipline. Those who could not conscientiously agree to that shared doctrine and discipline would be allowed to graciously exit the church. This kind of unity gives a sense of shared values, shared purpose and mission, and a shared way of doing things that can powerfully focus the passion, time, and resources of the church on making disciples of Jesus Christ. Instead of fighting each other over foundational matters of theology and ethics, we would be able to direct attention outward in evangelism and service. Resources now devoted to intra-church conflict could instead be channeled into ministry. Congregations now uncertain of who we are as United Methodists would gain a new sense of shared identity that could energize them toward health and vitality. No longer would there be confusion about what it means to be United Methodist. Each local church would be preaching the same gospel according to the same standards, with the freedom to do so in the most culturally appropriate way for that congregation.
The Traditional Plan holds the greatest potential for unifying the church. It holds the greatest potential for ultimately resolving the conflict within our denomination, setting us free to focus on ministry and mission. The TP would open the door for further reforms that are needed to bring our mostly ineffective general church structure in line with a 21st century reality.
Please continue praying for our General Conference delegates and for the work of the Renewal and Reform Coalition, as we seek to birth a new future direction for our church.
Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergy person and vice president of Good News. He is a member of the Commission on a Way Forward.
by Steve | Jan 7, 2019 | Jan-Feb 2019, Magazine Articles
“Adelyn, Ash Wednesday in New Orleans.” Photo by Alec Soth.
By Dennis W. Derr –
Ash Wednesday is a most unusual day. It begins the season of Lent, a 40 day period before Easter Sunday (excluding Sundays). It is a religious season of fasting and prayer arising from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The lection from Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 reaches back to that tradition. Ashes are placed on the forehead in the sign of the cross – a symbol of grief, grief that we have sinned and caused a separation of ourselves from God. Ash Wednesday opens Lent. But neither Lent nor Ash Wednesday is mentioned in the Bible. So why observe this most unusual day in a United Methodist Church?
I remember as a child, going to school on Ash Wednesday (just another day for us Protestants); and the Catholic kids would show up with an ashen cross on their foreheads. They’d been to early mass – it was a Catholic thing. In that era, no Protestant church in my community kept the observance. Many years later, after 10 years serving as a United Methodist pastor, I was in an area where the only other churches were a Lutheran and Catholic Church. There I participated in my first Ash Wednesday service with the imposition of ashes, thanks to my Lutheran colleague. It was a strange and foreign thing to me.
After 42 years in ministry, Ash Wednesday is still strange and foreign. A few years after participating in my first service with the imposition of ashes, I was in a community that was largely Catholic. My five United Methodist colleagues thought that during our annual joint United Methodist Lenten services – which always began on Ash Wednesday (with no ashes; but rather holy communion) – we should offer the imposition of ashes. They asked if anyone had any experience with ashes. I was the only one – thanks to my Lutheran neighbor years before. And so it was that I became the designated “imposer” for the 16 years I served in that community.
I’ll never forget the first time ashes were offered. As people came forward to receive holy communion at either side of the chancel, those desiring the mark of the cross, came to the center where I marked their forehead with the ashen cross, saying, “Remember that you are dust; and to dust you shall return.” We pastors thought a few people might decide to receive the mark of the cross before receiving holy communion. Oh we of little faith. We were all surprised. Nearly every person in attendance, more than one hundred, came to be marked. Tears were streaming down the faces of worshippers and pastors alike as the meaning of Ash Wednesday took root in our souls. It was not a Catholic thing; it was a faithful remembrance of God’s grace.
After those evening Ash Wednesday services, it was not uncommon to find many of the United Methodist worshippers at the nearby Giant grocery store with the mark of the cross upon their foreheads. Some of us commented about our childhood days in school when we’d mock the Catholic kids with dirty foreheads. Sometimes the Catholic kids made comments that made us Protestant kids think we were going to Hell because we didn’t have an ashen cross on our forehead. Sometimes we all have ways of degrading others with our religious beliefs.
Too often our religion gets in the way. And all the while, God, like a good parent, is patiently coaxing the childish ways out of us. More than 20 years ago, God began coaxing the childish thoughts and ways regarding Ash Wednesday out of six United Methodist pastors in Central Pennsylvania. God showed us the foolishness of our childish ways and our overdue need for repentance. We began to talk about moving our Ash Wednesday service earlier in the day so that we had the opportunity to bear the mark of the cross and be a witness to the grace of God throughout our work day.
In my last appointment, I added a noon time service to our Ash Wednesday schedule; and many folks who did not like to drive after dark came for the imposition of ashes. In the world in which we live, churches that want to make an impact upon lives for Christ will find ways to make the strange and foreign practices of faith meaningful. We must provide these opportunities for connecting the bruised and broken spirits of people in our communities to the God who loves them, who forgives sin, and heals all brokenness. We must provide alternate options and locations for the holy to break in upon the busy world around us.
However, there is a serious warning, which our Lord Jesus gives in his teaching known as the Sermon on the Mount. This is the second lection from the Gospel of Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21. It is a warning about not letting any spiritual discipline become a source of spiritual pride. Of course, no religious ritual can make our heart right with God. Some who receive that ashen mark, may be tempted to wear it proudly. Some may feel a profound and silent connection with others they see who have also received ashes this day. I have found that embracing this ritual, too often forgotten in most Protestant traditions, has added to my keeping of a faithful Lent. For me, the ashen cross is not a badge of pride or honor. It is a mark of love, grace, and forgiveness; a reminder of my impending mortality and death; and the hope of resurrection and new life.
It is good for us to repent of our sin; but that is something we should do each day, not just on Ash Wednesday. It is good to clearly identify as a Christian, but again this should be an everyday identification. In a world marked by division, discord, and racial and religious hatred where Christian values and individuals are often targeted, now is the time to stand up and clearly identify ourselves as “Cross People!” It is time to live boldly for Jesus Christ! We belong to God. When on Ash Wednesday we voluntarily receive the mark of the cross, we identify ourselves publicly as Christians. God has marked us as God’s own. The liturgical words heard in many churches on this day are: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These words remind us of the brevity of our life, and the weight our relationship with God carries. Yes, we are all dust. But we are more than that. Our life matters!
Too many people give in to the burdens of stress, depression, and feelings of inadequacy. Rather people should cling to the hope that those things don’t really matter. All our human worries will, at the end of our days, seem like specks of dust in the vast expanse of infinite time and space. The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to understand this line of thinking, asserting, “Everything is hevel.” “Everything is meaningless,” as some English translations say it. A more accurate translation is vapor, vanity, or dust. “All we are is dust in the wind,” as the song by the group Kansas says. Kerry Livgren, the songwriter, is a Christian.
But we are also the crown of creation. Grace Slick (to my knowledge not a Christian) of the Jefferson Airplane, sang “You are the crown of creation.” And she was right. We humans are the crown of God’s creation. God has given us dominion over all the earth. And we have fouled it up. A brief channel surfing of the evening news starkly lets us know how badly we humans have fouled things up.
Ash Wednesday calls us to repent for the way we have treated ourselves, our fellow human beings, and our fellow creation. St. Francis and other theologians did not view Nature as “Mother Earth,” but as our “sister” – not a goddess to be worshipped, but a “sister” to be admired and protected.
As God said to Abraham, “Look at the stars…” When you look at the stars, what are you that God should care for you? You are dust. Ah, but you are also the crown of creation. Look at the stars, how vast the universe is, and how small even our whole galaxy is in comparison to all of space. If the Milky Way is but a speck, how small Earth is, and how much smaller is our aching heart. Truly we are dust.
And yet, in the midst of that existential realization, know that God still cares for you! Our God cares about sparrows and lilies. They matter to God. And people matter even more. All that God created matters. God created people from the dust of the earth and breathed into us the breath of life.
No matter how small a speck of dust you are, God loves you. You matter to God. You are the crown of creation. Oh, we are blessed to be dust – the dust from which God created us in his image, the dust to which God gave dominion for the earth, the dust to whom God offers life eternal, the dust which God loved so much to redeem through his only Beloved Son.
And that is what Ash Wednesday is about. This strange and foreign religious ritual is a mark of faith in God. You are dust, and yes you will someday die physically; but you shall live eternally. You are loved. You are special. You are the crown of God’s creation. Oh, you are dust now, and to dust you will return; but even so, you are more precious than gold. You are a beloved child of God!
Dennis W. Derr is a retired elder in the Susquehanna Conference. He resides in coastal Delaware and serves as a Director of Travel Ministry with Educational Opportunities.
by Steve | Jan 7, 2019 | Jan-Feb 2019, Magazine Articles
Bishop Scott J. Jones (right) speaks to those preparing to receive communion at the Wesleyan Covenant Association gathering in Mariotta, Georgia. Also on stage was Bishop Kasap Owan (center) and the Rev. Willy Banza. Photo by Steve Beard.
By Kathy L. Gilbert and Thomas Kim –
The Wesleyan Covenant Association began working on a contingency plan for a Methodist movement within or outside of The United Methodist Church — a plan that depends on the decisions coming from the 2019 General Conference.
The group held its first global legislative assembly on November 2 and passed four resolutions, including one that said adoption of the One Church Plan would be “untenable and would force us to leave.” The One Church Plan is one of several proposals that will be considered by the General Conference when it meets in February.
After the legislative gathering for delegates, more than 2,500 WCA members gathered for a celebration that included presentations from bishops, a medical doctor, pastors, and theological professors. The November 3 gathering at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in Marietta, Georgia, was simulcast at 105 sites hosted by the association, which represents 125,000 people in 1,500 churches.
At the legislative assembly, the Rev. Carolyn Moore preached to the delegates before voting started. She led the assembly in praying on their knees for God to provide a “fresh dose of faith,” a “supernatural ability to love,” and a spirit of perseverance in staying engaged in every conversation as long as God tells them to stay in it.
The delegates endorsed a modified Traditional Plan and voted on Empowering Preparations for Next Steps, doctrinal standards, features and principles of a new denomination, and a statement offering radical hospitality and genuine community to all persons.
Ethan Oltremari, a delegate from Mississippi, introduced the radical hospitality statement that says in part, “We long for and are working for a church that offers radical hospitality and genuine community to all persons.” Oltremari told United Methodist News Service the Mississippi delegation wanted to let people who are struggling with their sexual identity know that the church still wants them. “Even though we do not affirm their lifestyle, we still want them to know they are welcome to worship with us,” he said.
The Rev. Jeff Greenway, WCA council chairman, read a statement by the council that said the adoption of the One
Church Plan, with its “changing of the definition of marriage and the changing of ordination standards,” would force WCA members to leave The United Methodist Church.
The One Church Plan would leave decisions to allow same-gender weddings up to churches and gay ordination up to annual conferences. It would also eliminate the statement from the United Methodist Book of Discipline that the practice of homosexuality “is incompatible with Christian teaching.” A majority of the United Methodist Council of Bishops recommend the One Church Plan.
The Rev. Kelly Brumbeloe of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in Marietta, Georgia, was the co-host of the WCA Global Gathering. Photo by Steve Beard.
The Wesleyan Covenant Association endorsed the Traditional Plan with modifications. The modified Traditional Plan would maintain the denomination’s current stands on homosexuality and marriage, while mandating stricter enforcement in the case of violations.
The denomination’s Judicial Council, meeting in October, ruled that several parts of the Traditional Plan violated the church’s constitution. However, the Rev. Keith Boyette, the association’s president, said the plan will be brought into conformity with Judicial Council Decision 1366.
The association also supported a proposed gracious exit that would allow congregations and institutions wanting to leave the denomination to leave with all their property and assets following the adjournment of the February 23-26 called General Conference.
Delegates voted to form a working group to prepare a plan for a new “revitalized Methodist movement within or, if necessary, outside the UM Church.” The group will meet monthly beginning in December and submit its proposals to the association by February 20. The Wesleyan Covenant Association Council will decide whether to convene a special conference of the association to be held within 60 days of the adjournment of the 2019 General Conference.
Boyette said WCA chapters are being incorporated in every annual conference, and international chapters are being formed in the central conferences. “This is a grassroots movement. This is not something that’s happening from the top down,” he said.
At the general gathering, called “Unashamed” after 2 Timothy 1:8, speaker after speaker proclaimed, “I am not ashamed of Jesus Christ and the Bible.” They emphasized the need to be faithful to Scripture and to transform the culture rather than to accommodate it.
The Rev. Keith Boyette, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association.
“Make no mistake, friends; make no mistake at all: The days of casual Christianity are over,” said Bishop J. Michael Lowry, who leads the Central Texas Conference.
The Rev. Madeline Carassco-Henners said the DNA of the Wesleyan movement encompassed the “charismatic nature of revival that even shocked Wesley.” Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, was a fervent defender of the faith, who preached in the fields and saw the power of the Holy Spirit fall and lives changed, she said.
In the church today, she said clergy who don’t teach the basics of the Christian faith are not being held accountable, and she echoed other speakers who called for the denomination’s bishops to enforce accountability.
South Congo Area Bishop Kasap Owan, speaking in French with an English interpreter, brought resounding applause when he preached at the closing worship. “Africa is the fruit of mission work,” he said. “Africa will not walk away from Christ. If you bring us another teaching on marriage, our churches will be empty. But if you are faithful to the word of God, the church will grow.
“Jesus was protected in Africa. Africa will remain the place to protect the Gospel.”
David Richards from the Memphis Conference, said the day was uplifting. “It is uplifting to know there are still clergy and laity that stand for the truth of Christ and are not going to be compromised by what the world says. But in the same light they do it in a way that is graceful and loving and not judgmental.”
Bishop Kasap Owan (below left) and the Rev. Willy Banza, translator for Bishop Kasap. Photos by Steve Beard.
The Korean United Methodist Association came to the gathering as observers, and had a private meeting with Bishops Scott Jones, Texas; Lowry, Central Texas; Mark Webb, Upper New York; Gary E. Mueller, Arkansas; and Eduard Khegay, Moscow Area in the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference.
“If the One Church Plan is passed, it will not be possible to continue as a global church in Russia,” Khegay said. “They (the government) will use local media to attack The United Methodist Church as influenced by western ideas and thoughts. I hope we continue to do mission together.”
The Rev. Noko Kellum, Japanese American clergywoman from Florida, said her main concern was losing the biblical teachings of a marriage. “I still trust in God, and my hope for the future comes from God,” said Kellum.
Manirakiza Godelieve, Burundi, said she was excited to be at the conference. “We want to keep The United Methodist Church united; we want to stick with Wesleyan doctrine and stay with the faith. It was a good opportunity to see and hear people talk about their beliefs. We have hope the church will remain united and stick with the good news of the gospel.”
Gilbert is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Kim is director of Korean and Asian news at United Methodist Communications. Tim Tanton, chief news officer for United Methodist Communications, contributed to this report.
