A Question of Thanksgiving

This post is a little late, but these questions have been rolling around in my brain for a while.  

What exactly does it mean to “give thanks?”  Just to “give thanks.”  Period.  I keep hearing people say (or sing) that they are thankful for this, that, or the other, but often they don’t say to whom they are thankful.  So . . . can you be “generically” thankful?  Does “I am thankful for. . .” -  whatever – mean anything?  I mean, can an atheist be thankful?  Obviously an atheist or anyone else can be thankful to another person, but can they be thankful for another person?  What does it mean to be thankful for food, home, friends, family, etc. if no one actually gave them to you?  Are you thankful to yourself?  I watched a video from Skepticon where all these atheists were expressing thankfulness for things, people, concepts, etc.  Only two of them noted that they were not thankful for anything, because being thankful for implies that you are thankful to someone.   One of them said, quite sensibly, that saying that he was “thankful” would be anthropomorphizing the universe.  So he just commented on what he “liked.”

And then there are the Christians who express thanks.  We say things like, “I am thankful that I have all of this good food to eat.”  But if we are expressing thanks to God, we had better be careful.  If we acknowledge that God is the source of what we are thankful for, then we are by default acknowledging that all we have is a gift.  And if that is true then the “blessings” that we have are supposed to be used to bless others.  If we are not blessing others, can we truly say that we are thankful?

If true thanksgiving acknowledges the source of the blessings for which we are giving thanks, then we should be prepared to put some muscle behind our thankfulness.  Otherwise our thankfulness can be as empty and meaningless as that of the atheists.  

I think that I am going to need to be more careful in the future with my words of gratitude; instead of saying, “I am thankful for . . .”  generically, I need to say: “I thank my friends for. . .,” or “I thank my family for. . .,” or “I thank my church for . . .,” or  “I thank God for . . .”   And my gratitude really should be expressed in giving to others, not simply in indulging myself.

I have come into contact with a lot of people who do not have enough food, electricity, water, etc.   I pray that more and more God will turn my giving thanks into sharing blessings.

Sigh.  Just when I think I have made a little progress towards being a Jesus-follower, I realize how far I have to go.   I am thankful to my family, my friends, my church, and our God for patience with me!

Why I am putting my name in for GC delegate

I have resisted putting my name on the list of those interested in being a General Conference delegate for a variety of reasons, but since I have now done so, I feel that I need to be clear about what is important to me. On Methodistthinker.com, Steve Wende suggests that we need to look at the beliefs of those going to GC: http://methodistthinker.com/2011/01/28/steve-wende-orthodoxy-deciding-factor-gc-delegates/. The official delegate form for the NTC did not have a place to let people know what doctrinal position one holds. Therefore, I have pointed that form to this blog.

Here is what I think important for a GC delegate:
Committed to the orthodox faith as found in the Apostle’s and Nicene Creed, including the primacy of Christ!
Passionate about making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Passionate about the local church.
Preaches and teaches the orthodox faith and lives explicitly under the reign of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Has a high view of the authority of the bible.
Committed to a life of healthiness and holiness.
Can and does think theologically.
Spirit-filled.

These are the things to which I am committed. There are also certain issues that I think are critically important. I listed some of those on the form, but here is a more complete list:

1. Reduction in the General Boards and Agencies - they are too big and too far removed from the realities of the local church.

2. Guaranteed appointment system - We don't really have a "guarantee" of appointments. The language says that we "shall" be appointed if we are in good standing. Paragraph 334.2 lays out the requirements to remain in good standing. Paragraph 334.3 provides for a process if effectiveness is questioned. Paragraph 334.4 tells what happens if a clergy is found to be ineffective. We do not need new procedures, and we certainly do not need for the Bishops and Cabinet to have even more power - in particular the power to decide without a process that a pastor does not deserve an appointment. We need to follow the procedures that we have, which both protect the pastor from unjust removal and allow the Bishop to remove ineffective pastors.

3. Continued strength of the worldwide church not watered down by a regional system. Many of us look to Africa to provide leadership in the growth of the United Methodist Church. This is an area of the world where the Spirit is moving; putting legislative barriers between the US and other parts of the world is a poor idea.

4. Seminaries and University Senate. At least one of our seminaries (Claremont School of Theology) is now training clergy/leaders in Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. as well as United Methodist Clergy. They are more interested in meeting "the cultural and religious demands of a world in transition" (from their website) than in lifting up the uniqueness and primacy of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

5. Belief in and teaching of the uniqueness and primacy of Christ - This should be required teaching at all approved United Methodist Seminaries and should be required for United Methodist clergy to remain in good standing.

6. Authority of Scripture. Placing ourselves under the authority of Scripture does not mean taking the bible as "inerrant" or "literal." But we need a more thoroughgoing understanding of the authority of scripture for our theology and our life together as a community of faith. (If you wish to hear if I preach what I espouse, then please see my congregation's website: http://fumcleonard.org/820436)

7. A commitment to a life of holiness. Yes, for me that means celibacy in singleness and faithfulness in marriage. The homosexual agenda has not gone away. I have searched and studied the scriptures, listened to those in the LGBT world and prayed deeply about this issue. I believe that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching and thus while we welcome all persons of whatever sexual orientation as members of our community of faith, that we should not either preside over homosexual unions in the church or allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God and it is incumbent upon those of us who hold these views to do so with great humility and the knowledge that this causes pain to our brothers and sisters of different sexual orientation. I am burdened by the pain, but I cannot, with integrity hold a different point of view.

8. The process of Ordination. I too believe that we need younger clergy in the UMC. However, that will be difficult with the torturous path now required for ordination. As one who spent 16 years in the process, I can assure all that the process is not a good one and that we are greatly confused about the meaning of ordination. We need to completely rethink ordination, how we prepare people for ministry and how we maintain effectiveness in ministry.

9. We need a passion for young people. My heart aches for the young adults who are leaving the church in droves and for those of us who are left bereft of their presence. We absolutely must go to them in love and genuine friendship, since they have decided not to come to us. Our focus on mission and ministry with the poor and our concern with global health might help us connect. But we need to think more critically about how our church structures are helping or hindering our engagement with young adults.

Finally, we must recognize that superficial changes in our structures, while perhaps helpful, will not, in the end, save us. Only a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a revival of our commitment to Christ will do that. If we are not spending the majority of our time preaching good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, then we are not sharing the kingdom. If we are guided more by "best practices" than by the Holy Spirit, then we will be a well-run - and dying - church.

Being a small time pastor at a small United Methodist church, I do not expect to go to General or Jurisdictional Conference as a member of the delegation. However, I will go, one way or another, because I feel it is important to know what the General church is doing.

There are many fine people and leaders who are seeking your vote. Please engage with them and discover what grounds them in the faith and what will ground their decisions at General Conference. May God have mercy upon us as we enter into this time of coming together as the whole United Methodist Church.

Blessings,
Pastor Martha

On Women Preaching

Five or six years ago, I had a young man interview me for his paper on women in preaching. I thought some of you might be interested in the topic. Here are his questions and my answers:

1. What schools have you attended, and what types of degrees do you have?
I have a B.A. degree in Molecular Biology from Vanderbilt University. I have a MTS (Master of Theological Studies) from Perkins School of Theology at SMU and a PhD in Hebrew Bible from SMU



2. What led you into the ministry?
I think that I always was led to do ministry. When I was in 6th grade I was on the Missions Committee at church. I helped teach Sunday School and helped out with Vacation Bible School when I was in youth and I was involved in everything the church did.

What led me to enter seminary was Disciple Bible Study. At the end of this study, each member of the class is asked to reflect on what gifts they have for ministry (in the United Methodist Church we believe that everyone has gifts for ministry, though not everyone has gifts for ordained ministry). I wasn’t really sure at the time what my gifts were, but I thought probably teaching. I volunteered to help with the Disciple class the next year and by the end of that year I had felt a call to professional ministry. At first I thought I would go into Christian education, but I finally accepted the fact that God was calling me into ordained ministry, i.e. preaching.


3. What led you to become a pastor?
In the United Methodist Church, we have to go through a long process of discernment to determine just what our call is. At the same time that I entered seminary I also began the Ministry Inquiry process. I did Bible study with a Mentor pastor, interviewed four or five pastors in different kinds of ministries (large churches, small churches, hospital chaplains, etc.). I went before our District committee on ordained ministry and interviewed with them. I went before my home church and they had to vote to recommend me for the process. In other words, a long process.

I didn’t like a lot of the process at the time, but it did help me understand and articulate my call and helped me understand that I am definitely called to pastoral ministry and not to a specialized ministry such as teaching or chaplaincy.

Basically I am a pastor because I feel called to share the Word of God in preaching and teaching. I feel called to administer the Sacraments. (The sacraments have always been very important to me; I memorized the communion service when I was twelve just because I wanted to be able to remember it.) I also feel called to provide leadership for the church.

I tried to ignore my call for a number of years because I was very shy and did not like to speak in front of people, but God was very persistent!

4. How do you feel about the controversy of women in the pulpit?

I understand and respect those who are opposed to women in the pulpit, but I think that they are ignoring important parts of the Bible. For instance in the Old Testament one of the judges of early Israel was Deborah. In fact she is the only judge about whom the Bible says that she actually made judgments for the people (Judges 4:5). Then there was Huldah, a prophetess to whom King Josiah sent the manuscripts found in the temple. She is the one who proclaimed them authentic and warned the King to obey what they said. Since she was called a prophetess, by definition she spoke the word of God. (2 Kings 22:14-20)

In the New Testament, several women around Jesus clearly did preach. For example in the Gospel of John, where Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well, after the conversation, the woman goes back to the village and witnesses to the villagers who then come to Christ (John 4:28). This seems to me the definition of preaching – sharing the Good news in public so that people come to know Jesus.

Also the first person in the Gospel of John to whom Jesus speaks is Mary Magdalene. Peter and John have been at the tomb, but Jesus chooses to speak to the woman and says to her “Go and tell,” thereby commanding her to preach to the other disciples of his resurrection (John 20:17).

Paul has often been thought to deny women the opportunity to speak and certainly some texts do seem to indicate that, specifically 1 Timothy 2:10-12. However, a number of scholars dispute that this is truly written by Paul (for reasons that are too complex to explain here). Regardless of whether or not Paul wrote this, it is in the scriptures, so has to be taken seriously. I believe that this text is referring to a specific situation in a specific church where women speaking would have offended people in the surrounding culture.

One reason I don’t believe that this was Paul’s general attitude is because in other cases Paul clearly regards women as fellow workers; for instance Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2) and Priscilla (Romans 16:3, see also Acts 18:26 where she helps to instruct Apollos). And certainly Paul never distinguishes between gifts for women and gifts for men in his lists of gifts of the Holy Spirit.

In summary, there is some evidence in the Bible that argues against women being preachers, but I think the weight of evidence is in favor of women being called as well as men.


5. Does any of the controversy directly affect you, and how do you handle it?

Very little of the controversy directly affects me. Occasionally in my early ministry I would encounter folks who were not happy about having a woman pastor (these were very small churches in rural areas), but after hearing me preach for a while and experience my pastoral care, they usually came around. Since my name is on the sign outside the church, most people know when they come to Oak Grove that a woman is the Pastor and if they don’t like that they just don’t visit. I have had a number of people who come to weddings and funerals here say that they were not sure what to expect, but that they realized after they heard me that women can preach about Jesus just like men do! I think that when people realize that I am not a rabid feminist and that I just want to be a faithful and competent pastor, they get over the “woman pastor” thing.

I never try to argue with those who think I shouldn’t be preaching (other than simply laying out my point of view as I have done here). I don’t think such arguments further the cause of the kingdom. I know that I am called and that people are coming to Christ through my ministry and that is all I care about . I cannot control the judgments of others; I answer to God.


I know this is long. I hope that is sufficiently answers your questions. Good luck on your paper.

Blessings,
Pastor Martha