Listen, I support LGBT equality... in all things. Marriage. Employment. If there's equality to be had in an area of life, I want LGBT folks to have it - just like everyone else.
This gets dicey because I am (most days) a Christian, and our Bible says some things about that. I will admit that I'm unclear about how to reconcile this, which is part of the reason that I took a... break... from church and ministry to wrestle with God. I'm not sure how to convey my firm convictions on this subject to my more conservative religious friends. The easy answer to this quandary would be to stay away from the faith and the church, as I have recently tried to do for a number of reasons (this being one of them): after all, if you don't care what the Bible has to say about something, you're free to formulate your own opinion. But, as simple as it would be, I'm choosing a slightly more difficult path - the path that refuses to abandon a tradition that I've followed for most of my life, regardless of how uncomfortable beliefs and members of this tradition sometimes make me.
The courage of a couple of amazing Christian friends have made me realize that I haven't done enough to articulate my belief, and that I haven't done enough to see my convictions on this issue through. And, before you haters start hatin'(g), I know that a blog post isn't really an important forum in terms of making grand pronouncements... but it's the forum that I have.
I've said this before, but I reaffirm this position at 11:48 p.m. on November 3, 2013. I believe that the LGBT community deserves and is owed the exact rights that heterosexual people take for granted. Now. Right now. Every day that the Federal Government does not act on this, they make an absolute travesty of our democracy. The rights of an entire community of people are being held hostage by a vocal, militant, MINORITY of religious people, in blatant disregard of the separation of church and state. Millions of dollars are being spent to keep the LGBT community out of courthouses, wedding chapels, hospital rooms, funeral homes. This is not a secondary issue. This will not wait.
As for the church: this issue is not going away. These PEOPLE, our brothers and sisters, are not going away. This issue is the sword that the American Evangelical movement is preparing to fall on, and so it's time to ask ourselves: are we willing to die as an institution, in order to hurt and cast out a group of people that society has already hurt and cast out? Is this what we're ready to martyr ourselves as a church for, to lose an entire generation over? I promise you, equality is that important to us.
Now, I'm not worried. I know that something else will rise again when this lumbering giant of the American Protestant Church falls over dead - and that something will be amazing. But, it would be FAR better if we decided to change instead. We don't have to perform weddings (though I think we should look at that issue a little more closely.) We don't have to march in the Pride parades (though we should look at THAT issue more closely as well!) What we should STOP doing, though, is telling a group of people in one breath that we love them, and then telling them in the next that they are unrepentant sinners in danger of hell. That they are sinners simply for loving someone and wanting to be in covenant, communion, partnership with that person. That is not love - it's just putting a nice coat of paint on our prejudices.
I know what the Bible says. I've read the verses, had the verses quoted to me, had them quoted to me again, read commentaries on the verses, commentaries on the commentaries, rebuttals, point/counterpoint... I've been doing my homework on this for the past decade. And, regardless of what I am told I must believe, I refuse to abandon my conviction that the Bible either A) Doesn't say what you think it says or B) Says what you think it says, and it's culturally biased on this subject (among several others, I might add.)
I have some friends who believe strongly that the Bible is an inerrant single volume, fully sufficient for salvation and holiness - they are part of a fairly large group of Christians on that point. But, I dissent from that opinion, respectfully. I cannot abandon my conviction that we are wrong about this issue. I cannot abandon my conviction that, if there is a final Judgement, that we will be judged harshly for how we treated those on the margins of society. We will be held to account: did we bear the cross for those mistreated by the institutions of our time - even the church? Did we invite them in without condition, without hesitation? Did we do what I believe Jesus would do, were He here today?
Or, did we refuse them?
I stand by my conviction on this. The United States will never live up to its ideals as a free and equal society if they do not extend that equality to the LGBT community RIGHT NOW.
And the church needs to get on the side of the marginalized and ostracized, or its fruit will whither on the vine.
Grace and peace.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Double-Vision Jesus
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I've got a thought running around inTside my head, and it's based on a number of conversations that I've had over the past few months. It's less a thought, more of a question:
I've got a thought running around inTside my head, and it's based on a number of conversations that I've had over the past few months. It's less a thought, more of a question:
Who is Jesus... really?
I haven't answered this question all the way. I don't have any special knowledge. I have read much of the Bible, alongside several differing commentaries, but I still don't understand as much as I'd like to.
What I am beginning to understand is that Jesus gets pigeon-holed quite a bit. He gets put into a box. He gets oversimplified. He gets remade into our image... or into whatever image we want to see.
I take comfort in the fact that we are not the first generation of believers to do this (nor will we be the last.) Even His disciples, and the followers of His disciples, had different ideas about who Jesus was and what Jesus meant to the world.
The following are two most common oversimplifications that I see, and the problems that I find with them.
Jesus as William Wallace
"Jesus Christ is 7 feet tall!"
"Aye, so I've heard... kills men by the hundreds. And if He were here, why He'd consume the unbelievers with fireballs from His eyes, and bolts of lightning from His..."
End of Braveheart quote.
This is the image of Jesus that many people of His time - even His disciples - wanted to make Him into. When He said He brought 'freedom for the captives', they thought He meant, "FREEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!"
(Seriously, I'm done now.)
The Messiah was a political savior, and so they wanted Him to kick some Romans in the face. When He talked about the Kingdom of God, they thought He meant a really real Kingdom on Earth.
Immediately, He began confusing them. He talked about the Kingdom belonging to weak people, to poor people, to humble people, to meek people. He called Himself "meek and humble of heart." What kind of a King was this? How was this Messiah going to save them from Rome?
Immediately, He began confusing them. He talked about the Kingdom belonging to weak people, to poor people, to humble people, to meek people. He called Himself "meek and humble of heart." What kind of a King was this? How was this Messiah going to save them from Rome?
Unfortunately, we still make the same mistake today.
I refer everyone to a quote by Mark Driscoll that seriously disturbed me when I read it, and continues to disturb me today.
"There is a strong drift toward the hard theological left. Some
emergent types [want] to recast Jesus as a limp-wrist hippie in a
dress with a lot of product in His hair, who drank decaf and made
pithy Zen statements about life while shopping for the perfect pair
of shoes. In Revelation, Jesus is a prize fighter with a tattoo
down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make
someone bleed. That is a guy I can worship. I cannot worship the
hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can
beat up."
(Blogger's Note: I am not taking on Mark Driscoll's total theology or ministry. In the course of finding the exact wording of this quote, I found many quotes from him that emphasized love and service. Like most of us, I think this man has a mix of great ideas and nutty ideas... I am only talking about this particular quote.)
You actually see two simplifications in the above quote, but the one I focus on is the "prize fighter with a tattoo down His leg..." Just as His original listeners wanted Jesus to kick the teeth out of the Romans' heads, the writer of Revelation (as well as many of its modern readers) really believe that the point of Jesus is that - eventually - He will dispense with the forgiveness and "make someone bleed."
A lot of people who have committed to this image of Jesus don't really want Jesus - they want Zeus. They want William Wallace or John Wayne. They want an action hero, someone who will vindicate their suffering and destroy their enemies. They don't know what to do with a Jesus who went meekly to the cross, who submitted to pain, torture and suffering. They are baffled by a Jesus that cried "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!", as He died - unless it is part of a larger scheme that involves Jesus shooting lightning bolts at the end of time, smiting the ones that He asked forgiveness for, causing a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
They want a Warrior-King, not a Prince of Peace. So, talk of forgiveness will always be colored with the smug knowledge that sinners will "get theirs" when Jesus comes back and really saves us.
(I'm not claiming innocence of this simplification. Just because I hate people who hate others, I'm not excused from hating in the first place.)
Jesus As Philosopher
The opposing simplification is the idea that Jesus of Nazareth was a wonderful moral philosopher, and that His death was very sad. The end.
I find myself in conversations like this a lot. I identify myself as a Christian, and I am immediately branded as intolerant, bigoted, or any number of other unflattering things. After some conversation, if the other person becomes convinced that I am not those unflattering things, the conversation turns into something like this:
"I just don't understand why you can't follow the teachings of Jesus, without all the divinity and miracles and stuff. You can be a good person without the superstition."
That's a paraphrase, but the sentiment is always the same: Jesus is alright, as long as it's all about living a decent, moral life. But, you can keep the "Son of God" stuff. You can stuff the miracles, the resurrection, the claim to be "at one" with God.
Christianity is alright, as long as I don't need to believe anything.
I am, unfortunately, guilty of having lived this simplification. I thought, If I just make this about "following" Jesus, de-emphasize the divinity, more people will be interested.
But, then I decided to dig deep into the Gospels. I tried to look at them as independent documents, how people might have viewed them before they became canon, before they were exposed to the other writings. The result was the same: I was confronted by a Jesus who was not simply a moral philosopher. I was confronted by a Jesus that spoke with the authority of Almighty God, who claimed a relationship with YHWH that was blasphemous to the Jewish Temple...
Unless it was true.
I've found myself at odds with Clive Staples Lewis in the past, but I have to agree with his inestimable intellect when he says this:
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said
would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the
level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil
of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of
God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a
fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us
not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human
teacher. He has not left that open to us."
Jesus As Jesus
"My teaching is not my own.
It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will,
he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I
speak on my own."
—John 7:16
"I came into the world, to
testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to
me."
—John 18:38
"For the Son of Man came to
seek and to save what was lost."
—Luke 19:10
"It is not the healthy who
need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners."
—Mark 2:17
"Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you
and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is
light."
—Matthew 11:28-30
"The Son of Man did not come
to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many."
—Matthew 20:28
"The Father judges no-one,
but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the
Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son
does not honour the Father, who sent him. I tell you the truth,
whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life
and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the
dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will
live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the
Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to
judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a
time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his
voice."
—John
5:21-28
"All authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the
very end of the age."
—Matthew 28:18-20
And there you have Him. A King. A Judge. A Servant. A Savior. Gentle. Humble. Teacher. Healer.
The Christ.
He does not always make me comfortable. He calls me to be more than I sometimes want to be. He is Lord and King, Comforter and Friend. He loves, forgives, judges and commands. He speaks with authority. He rages against the temple priests, but refuses to condemn the woman caught in adultery. He forgives the ones who mock, torture and kill Him. He forgives sin, and commands us to "go and sin no more."
I am in awe of Him.
I am comforted by His presence.
I believe Him.
I cannot help but follow Him.
What about you?
My Love to You, Wherever You Are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Seventy Times Seven Is Not a Math Problem
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have had occasion to think about forgiveness recently. I think we all have occasion, on most days, but I also think that most of us choose not to think about it.
It is much easier to hold a grudge.
I have plenty of my own history with grudges. I've held grudges for a decade or more: grudges against family, against friends that I've lost, even against God. I held on to all the anger, the bitterness, the blame, the hurt.
It made me powerless.
"Teacher," one of the disciples asked. "How many times should I forgive my brother who has sinned against me? Seven times?"
"Seventy times seven," Jesus said.
Anyone who can do math knows that, literally taken, Jesus told His disciples to forgive someone 490 times. But, it's not really a math problem.
I like to think that Jesus knew a little something about the nature of forgiveness, about the power of forgiveness. I like to think that He knew that people who see forgiveness as a mathematical exercise, as a legal exercise, will never know that power.
Those people will always be able to give up on someone because, "I've done my part."
"I've done enough."
"How much more can be expected of me?"
Seventy times seven is a repeating number.
It's a never-ending problem.
It's a lifestyle.
It's a daily choice.
Anger and bitterness take power away from the offended, and put the power into the hands of the offender.
Forgiveness surrenders the power to the Almighty.
Forgiveness acknowledges that we are the offender as often as we are the offended.
You cannot claim to love God and hate your brother.
You cannot claim to be forgiven, if you are not willing to forgive.
And I think that Jesus knew that when a person lives a life of forgiveness, they cannot stop forgiving.
Anger is about power, but forgiveness is about freedom.
Forgive the distant family member.
Forgive the unfaithful friend.
Forgive the ex-spouse or ex-partner.
Forgive the tyrannical employer.
Forgive the murderer.
The abuser.
The dictator.
The sex fiend.
The drug dealer.
The drug addict.
The alcoholic.
The cheat.
The fraud.
The terrorist.
Forgive.
Forget.
Let go.
Be free.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
I have had occasion to think about forgiveness recently. I think we all have occasion, on most days, but I also think that most of us choose not to think about it.
It is much easier to hold a grudge.
I have plenty of my own history with grudges. I've held grudges for a decade or more: grudges against family, against friends that I've lost, even against God. I held on to all the anger, the bitterness, the blame, the hurt.
It made me powerless.
"Teacher," one of the disciples asked. "How many times should I forgive my brother who has sinned against me? Seven times?"
"Seventy times seven," Jesus said.
Anyone who can do math knows that, literally taken, Jesus told His disciples to forgive someone 490 times. But, it's not really a math problem.
I like to think that Jesus knew a little something about the nature of forgiveness, about the power of forgiveness. I like to think that He knew that people who see forgiveness as a mathematical exercise, as a legal exercise, will never know that power.
Those people will always be able to give up on someone because, "I've done my part."
"I've done enough."
"How much more can be expected of me?"
Seventy times seven is a repeating number.
It's a never-ending problem.
It's a lifestyle.
It's a daily choice.
Anger and bitterness take power away from the offended, and put the power into the hands of the offender.
Forgiveness surrenders the power to the Almighty.
Forgiveness acknowledges that we are the offender as often as we are the offended.
You cannot claim to love God and hate your brother.
You cannot claim to be forgiven, if you are not willing to forgive.
And I think that Jesus knew that when a person lives a life of forgiveness, they cannot stop forgiving.
Anger is about power, but forgiveness is about freedom.
Forgive the distant family member.
Forgive the unfaithful friend.
Forgive the ex-spouse or ex-partner.
Forgive the tyrannical employer.
Forgive the murderer.
The abuser.
The dictator.
The sex fiend.
The drug dealer.
The drug addict.
The alcoholic.
The cheat.
The fraud.
The terrorist.
Forgive.
Forget.
Let go.
Be free.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Not Ashamed
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At some point, you have to get off the fence. I've realized this in the past few months. I've tried to practice my faith in the most non-offensive way possible... and I'm certainly not intending to run around intentionally offending people now. This is not THAT blog post. :)
But, the past few days/weeks have taught me that I cannot have my cake and eat it too. It is a good thing to respect the beliefs and opinions of others, but if you focus so much on not "stepping on toes", you WILL end up tip-toeing around really essential parts of the Christian message. And, so, you have to decide whether your religion is about being a Disciple of Jesus, or being a Crowd-Pleaser.
Today's post is for me, but I hope that someone reading it will gain something from it.
Jesus was not afraid of offending folks. He was kind, He was gentle, He was compassionate... but He was also MIGHTILY pissed off at things that were wrong with the religion and society of the time.
Jesus never pulled any punches about what was right and what was wrong. Granted, there has been a lot of disagreement over the centuries about what He was actually talking ABOUT when He said certain things, but the fact that He acknowledged an Absolute Truth has never been in dispute.
He gave specific instructions to His disciples, a very particular way to live and to share the Good News. He commanded them to go to all the nations, preach and baptize. He commanded them to pray, and even gave specific instructions for prayer. He taught what He taught for a reason, and He taught the WAY that He taught for a reason.
He is quoted as saying, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, except through me." That's uncomfortable, because I really want to believe that "I'm okay, you're okay, we're all okay." It's a great thing to acknowledge the goodness in other people, to appreciate the truth and beauty that exist in other religions, to respect the considered opinions of people who believe differently than I do.
But, no matter how kind the invitation to believe, no matter the compassion, respect and love that you approach the attempt to convince someone with, there are some who will always receive that message as judgement, condemnation, condescension.
You can change the tone of a message. You CANNOT change the message itself.
And I am not ashamed of this message.
I am not ashamed to say, with confidence, that the man who brought sight to the blind, life to the dead, and forgiveness for the sins of all mankind 2,000 years ago is the Savior who promises hope for the hopeless, comfort for those who mourn and love for the unlovable EVEN TODAY.
I am not ashamed to believe - and say with confidence - that, while other prophets of other religions may bring truth and beauty to their followers, only Jesus conquered Death. That singular act - the Divine sacrifice, to bring atonement - makes following Jesus different than any other faith.
I am not ashamed to believe that Jesus did not do this to appease an angry God, but as an act of love for a humanity that suffered (and suffers) greatly under the yoke of their sin, their selfishness, the oppression of unjust political and religious systems. He did it in a specific way, in a specific time, as a very specific and symbolic act. And while the symbolism of the act might be diminished in a time that has no context for the sacrificial atonement system, the POWER of the act, the sacrifice, can never be diminished. It still applies today.
I am not ashamed to believe that my suffering has a purpose, that my suffering is a pathway to peace... but that does not mean that my God has ordained it or even allowed it. It simply means that I am called to embrace my sufferings, as my Savior embraced His, as a way to experience the suffering of the entire world, as a way to humble myself, and as a way to draw me closer to God by drawing me closer to others who suffer the same.
I am not ashamed to believe - and to boldly proclaim - that this is a message of LOVE. It is a message of forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and that my God has all of these things in abundance. He loves His creation - every single member of His creation - and I can serve Him best by sharing that love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion with everyone that I meet.
I am not ashamed of that agape Love, and I do not feel the need to "temper" it with a message of judgement or condemnation. Judgement is for God alone, and His mercy, His love and His compassion have been poured out IN PLACE of His judgement.
I am not ashamed to believe that it is ACCEPTANCE that characterizes my God, as shown through the Son and the Savior, and that REJECTION is the antithesis of my faith.
I am not ashamed to say that sin is present in the world, and that humankind suffers greatly under its yoke, but that it has been CONQUERED by the redeeming love of Jesus.
I am not ashamed to say that true freedom is available to all who want it.
I am not ashamed to believe that there is a battle for the souls of all men and women, and for the collective soul of the entire world. There is an Enemy, an Evil One, who accuses, who tempts, who deceives. His weapons are despair, hopelessness, hunger, poverty, oppression, and his "followers" are the ones who perpetrate these evils, these injustices.
But I believe, and will believe until my dying breath, that LOVE WINS.
Love wins.
Love has already won.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Not Ashamed of the Gospel,
For it is the power of God
For salvation
To everyone that believes.
At some point, you have to get off the fence. I've realized this in the past few months. I've tried to practice my faith in the most non-offensive way possible... and I'm certainly not intending to run around intentionally offending people now. This is not THAT blog post. :)
But, the past few days/weeks have taught me that I cannot have my cake and eat it too. It is a good thing to respect the beliefs and opinions of others, but if you focus so much on not "stepping on toes", you WILL end up tip-toeing around really essential parts of the Christian message. And, so, you have to decide whether your religion is about being a Disciple of Jesus, or being a Crowd-Pleaser.
Today's post is for me, but I hope that someone reading it will gain something from it.
Jesus was not afraid of offending folks. He was kind, He was gentle, He was compassionate... but He was also MIGHTILY pissed off at things that were wrong with the religion and society of the time.
Jesus never pulled any punches about what was right and what was wrong. Granted, there has been a lot of disagreement over the centuries about what He was actually talking ABOUT when He said certain things, but the fact that He acknowledged an Absolute Truth has never been in dispute.
He gave specific instructions to His disciples, a very particular way to live and to share the Good News. He commanded them to go to all the nations, preach and baptize. He commanded them to pray, and even gave specific instructions for prayer. He taught what He taught for a reason, and He taught the WAY that He taught for a reason.
He is quoted as saying, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, except through me." That's uncomfortable, because I really want to believe that "I'm okay, you're okay, we're all okay." It's a great thing to acknowledge the goodness in other people, to appreciate the truth and beauty that exist in other religions, to respect the considered opinions of people who believe differently than I do.
But, no matter how kind the invitation to believe, no matter the compassion, respect and love that you approach the attempt to convince someone with, there are some who will always receive that message as judgement, condemnation, condescension.
You can change the tone of a message. You CANNOT change the message itself.
And I am not ashamed of this message.
I am not ashamed to say, with confidence, that the man who brought sight to the blind, life to the dead, and forgiveness for the sins of all mankind 2,000 years ago is the Savior who promises hope for the hopeless, comfort for those who mourn and love for the unlovable EVEN TODAY.
I am not ashamed to believe - and say with confidence - that, while other prophets of other religions may bring truth and beauty to their followers, only Jesus conquered Death. That singular act - the Divine sacrifice, to bring atonement - makes following Jesus different than any other faith.
I am not ashamed to believe that Jesus did not do this to appease an angry God, but as an act of love for a humanity that suffered (and suffers) greatly under the yoke of their sin, their selfishness, the oppression of unjust political and religious systems. He did it in a specific way, in a specific time, as a very specific and symbolic act. And while the symbolism of the act might be diminished in a time that has no context for the sacrificial atonement system, the POWER of the act, the sacrifice, can never be diminished. It still applies today.
I am not ashamed to believe that my suffering has a purpose, that my suffering is a pathway to peace... but that does not mean that my God has ordained it or even allowed it. It simply means that I am called to embrace my sufferings, as my Savior embraced His, as a way to experience the suffering of the entire world, as a way to humble myself, and as a way to draw me closer to God by drawing me closer to others who suffer the same.
I am not ashamed to believe - and to boldly proclaim - that this is a message of LOVE. It is a message of forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and that my God has all of these things in abundance. He loves His creation - every single member of His creation - and I can serve Him best by sharing that love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion with everyone that I meet.
I am not ashamed of that agape Love, and I do not feel the need to "temper" it with a message of judgement or condemnation. Judgement is for God alone, and His mercy, His love and His compassion have been poured out IN PLACE of His judgement.
I am not ashamed to believe that it is ACCEPTANCE that characterizes my God, as shown through the Son and the Savior, and that REJECTION is the antithesis of my faith.
I am not ashamed to say that sin is present in the world, and that humankind suffers greatly under its yoke, but that it has been CONQUERED by the redeeming love of Jesus.
I am not ashamed to say that true freedom is available to all who want it.
I am not ashamed to believe that there is a battle for the souls of all men and women, and for the collective soul of the entire world. There is an Enemy, an Evil One, who accuses, who tempts, who deceives. His weapons are despair, hopelessness, hunger, poverty, oppression, and his "followers" are the ones who perpetrate these evils, these injustices.
But I believe, and will believe until my dying breath, that LOVE WINS.
Love wins.
Love has already won.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Not Ashamed of the Gospel,
For it is the power of God
For salvation
To everyone that believes.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Crouching at the Door
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I need to write about Sin today, and it's unpleasant. I don't like talking about Sin, because it seems like we sometimes talk about it in the Church to the exclusion of everything else.
And I feel like we talk about the wrong things when we talk about sin.... not that the things that we list as sin aren't sins. I feel that we more often miss the mark when we talk about sin (see what I did there, Biblical scholars?)
It's important to recognize that we have sin in our lives, that sin is a huge and inextricable part of the individual human condition. It's important that we realize that immoral sexual practices, hateful language, interpersonal violence - all the things that we struggle with in our own lives - are a product of sin.
But the point that we miss when we talk about sin is how BIG it is, how it infects every facet of our lives, every level of our society. It is the lion crouching at the door, waiting to devour us whole - all of us.
I don't want to overstate this, but I also don't think I can understate it. This is a big deal. I don't get down with a lot of traditional "sin doctrine" - I don't think we all suck because the first man and woman ate from the wrong tree. I think we have a much bigger problem, a problem that is much harder to deal with.
We have a problem with Sin, because we have a problem with self.
We are absolutely addicted to ourselves. We will do anything to advance ourselves. We will do anything to defend our rights, our privileges, what we want, what we need. We will do this to the detriment of anyone else, without regard to the feelings, wants, needs, wants, rights and privileges even of those closest to us.
Need evidence for this premise? Turn on the news. Take a cursory glance at history.
This is where it gets real for me, because this is where the self and the society meet. Every single instance of large and small scale tragedy can be traced to an individual - or a group of individuals - exercising this addiction to self, advancing their own interests ahead of the interests of anyone else. Advancing their interests to the detriment of anyone else.
Poverty exists because people are addicted to making themselves wealthier.
Violence exists because people are addicted to making themselves more powerful.
Sexual exploitation exists because people are addicted to giving themselves more pleasure.
We are messed up, because our world is messed up. And our world is messed up, because we are messed up.
We cannot extricate this curse from ourselves, because the cause of the problem is also the solution.
We need less of ourselves and more of other-selves.
But, we can't do this alone. The Good News is, there is Someone who has shown us how.
"Whoever would come after me must take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would keep his own life will lose it. But whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, will find it."
We need to turn away from our sin, and turn towards the One who has promised to free us. We need to give up our addiction to Self, and rely on the One who has promised both an end to Self and the gift of a greater Self - a Self that is part of a whole, a Self that can never be extricated from the Other. In Jesus, ourself becomes otherself.
In Jesus, Self gets nailed to a cross. Other-self rises again.
The Sin of Self can only beget more selfishness, more Sin. The Other-Self that comes in Christ can only beget more Christ.
And I believe that we need more Christ and less Self in the world today.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Dead in Sin
Alive in Christ
I need to write about Sin today, and it's unpleasant. I don't like talking about Sin, because it seems like we sometimes talk about it in the Church to the exclusion of everything else.
And I feel like we talk about the wrong things when we talk about sin.... not that the things that we list as sin aren't sins. I feel that we more often miss the mark when we talk about sin (see what I did there, Biblical scholars?)
It's important to recognize that we have sin in our lives, that sin is a huge and inextricable part of the individual human condition. It's important that we realize that immoral sexual practices, hateful language, interpersonal violence - all the things that we struggle with in our own lives - are a product of sin.
But the point that we miss when we talk about sin is how BIG it is, how it infects every facet of our lives, every level of our society. It is the lion crouching at the door, waiting to devour us whole - all of us.
I don't want to overstate this, but I also don't think I can understate it. This is a big deal. I don't get down with a lot of traditional "sin doctrine" - I don't think we all suck because the first man and woman ate from the wrong tree. I think we have a much bigger problem, a problem that is much harder to deal with.
We have a problem with Sin, because we have a problem with self.
We are absolutely addicted to ourselves. We will do anything to advance ourselves. We will do anything to defend our rights, our privileges, what we want, what we need. We will do this to the detriment of anyone else, without regard to the feelings, wants, needs, wants, rights and privileges even of those closest to us.
Need evidence for this premise? Turn on the news. Take a cursory glance at history.
This is where it gets real for me, because this is where the self and the society meet. Every single instance of large and small scale tragedy can be traced to an individual - or a group of individuals - exercising this addiction to self, advancing their own interests ahead of the interests of anyone else. Advancing their interests to the detriment of anyone else.
Poverty exists because people are addicted to making themselves wealthier.
Violence exists because people are addicted to making themselves more powerful.
Sexual exploitation exists because people are addicted to giving themselves more pleasure.
We are messed up, because our world is messed up. And our world is messed up, because we are messed up.
We cannot extricate this curse from ourselves, because the cause of the problem is also the solution.
We need less of ourselves and more of other-selves.
But, we can't do this alone. The Good News is, there is Someone who has shown us how.
"Whoever would come after me must take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would keep his own life will lose it. But whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, will find it."
We need to turn away from our sin, and turn towards the One who has promised to free us. We need to give up our addiction to Self, and rely on the One who has promised both an end to Self and the gift of a greater Self - a Self that is part of a whole, a Self that can never be extricated from the Other. In Jesus, ourself becomes otherself.
In Jesus, Self gets nailed to a cross. Other-self rises again.
The Sin of Self can only beget more selfishness, more Sin. The Other-Self that comes in Christ can only beget more Christ.
And I believe that we need more Christ and less Self in the world today.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Dead in Sin
Alive in Christ
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Our Persecution Complex
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I read an article recently about a young woman who, while working at a college event, was asked to remove a very conspicuous cross necklace. She was representing the school, it was explained, and the supervisor was concerned that such a blatant religious symbol would "turn people off" from the school.
Lawyers were immediately called. The fact that this story has happened in the same week as the Supreme Court's ruling on DOMA and California's Prop. 8 has only heightened the cries of "Persecution!" from certain segments of the Church.
My views on this are mixed, and I'm determined to not become overly-political with this blog. Jesus is the point, and I don't want to obscure Him by causing unnecessary argument. With that said, this is a conversation that needs to be had within our faith - and Jesus Himself promised that He brought division.
Are we being persecuted in America?
Not nearly as much as we should be.
I don't have any television channels in my home, but every time I log onto the Internet, I see a new story of how the Church is trying to become the majority voice in our country. But, it's only a certain section of the church, and the voice always says the same thing: DON'T.
Don't allow homosexuals to marry.
Don't allow women to have abortions.
Don't allow atheists to hold public office.
Don't allow high school students to be taught safe sexual practices.
Don't allow underprivileged women access to low-cost birth control.
Don't allow any other voices in the conversation.
I'm not denying the importance of some of these issues. I certainly see the value of protecting the unborn... but where are the majority of Christians demanding better access to birth control? Where are the Christians speaking in support of adoption programs, government - or church - assistance for low-income women who find themselves pregnant with no way to support their child?
The "Christian majority" has a great deal of concern with the goings-on of homosexuals in our country... but where are the voices speaking out against real sexual deviance in our nation? Where are the voices raised in outrage against sex trafficking, pederasty in the Church, unchecked promiscuity in our youth due to a culture of despair and low self-esteem?
Why are we even talking about cross necklaces, public Nativity scenes, Ten Commandment displays - when there are children all around the world who are naked, and are not clothed; who are hungry, and are not fed?
Why are we not speaking and praying about the hundreds of thousands of dead innocents as a result of our nation's wars?
Why are we not concerned with the thousands dead by gun violence every year?
Why do we not speak in support of nuclear disarmament?
Why are we not visiting the thousands of prisoners who are held captive each year?
Why are we appealing to Caesar to legitimize our faith, when we should be calling on God to heal the broken world - and being His hands and feet, doing His work?
Our litmus test for persecution is broken. When we begin to speak with authority against the Powers of the Earth, against the unjust social systems that have made hunger, poverty and despair a way of life in our world, then we will start to see the persecution. And it will be the kind of persecution that we can rejoice in.
I can't rejoice in someone taking away my nativity scene or my cross necklace. But I can and will rejoice when I speak the Truth to Power, when I demand the release of the captives of oppressive governments and social systems, and I am put in prison, or beaten, or arrested, or killed. Because I'm speaking about something that matters. I'm speaking about something that has the power to change hearts and lives, not laws or public opinion. And, whether there is an eternal reward or not, I can rejoice in my persecution - because I have spent my life advancing the Kingdom into darkness.
"I say it truly, whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me."
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Saved by Grace
Walking in Faith
I read an article recently about a young woman who, while working at a college event, was asked to remove a very conspicuous cross necklace. She was representing the school, it was explained, and the supervisor was concerned that such a blatant religious symbol would "turn people off" from the school.
Lawyers were immediately called. The fact that this story has happened in the same week as the Supreme Court's ruling on DOMA and California's Prop. 8 has only heightened the cries of "Persecution!" from certain segments of the Church.
My views on this are mixed, and I'm determined to not become overly-political with this blog. Jesus is the point, and I don't want to obscure Him by causing unnecessary argument. With that said, this is a conversation that needs to be had within our faith - and Jesus Himself promised that He brought division.
Are we being persecuted in America?
Not nearly as much as we should be.
I don't have any television channels in my home, but every time I log onto the Internet, I see a new story of how the Church is trying to become the majority voice in our country. But, it's only a certain section of the church, and the voice always says the same thing: DON'T.
Don't allow homosexuals to marry.
Don't allow women to have abortions.
Don't allow atheists to hold public office.
Don't allow high school students to be taught safe sexual practices.
Don't allow underprivileged women access to low-cost birth control.
Don't allow any other voices in the conversation.
I'm not denying the importance of some of these issues. I certainly see the value of protecting the unborn... but where are the majority of Christians demanding better access to birth control? Where are the Christians speaking in support of adoption programs, government - or church - assistance for low-income women who find themselves pregnant with no way to support their child?
The "Christian majority" has a great deal of concern with the goings-on of homosexuals in our country... but where are the voices speaking out against real sexual deviance in our nation? Where are the voices raised in outrage against sex trafficking, pederasty in the Church, unchecked promiscuity in our youth due to a culture of despair and low self-esteem?
Why are we even talking about cross necklaces, public Nativity scenes, Ten Commandment displays - when there are children all around the world who are naked, and are not clothed; who are hungry, and are not fed?
Why are we not speaking and praying about the hundreds of thousands of dead innocents as a result of our nation's wars?
Why are we not concerned with the thousands dead by gun violence every year?
Why do we not speak in support of nuclear disarmament?
Why are we not visiting the thousands of prisoners who are held captive each year?
Why are we appealing to Caesar to legitimize our faith, when we should be calling on God to heal the broken world - and being His hands and feet, doing His work?
Our litmus test for persecution is broken. When we begin to speak with authority against the Powers of the Earth, against the unjust social systems that have made hunger, poverty and despair a way of life in our world, then we will start to see the persecution. And it will be the kind of persecution that we can rejoice in.
I can't rejoice in someone taking away my nativity scene or my cross necklace. But I can and will rejoice when I speak the Truth to Power, when I demand the release of the captives of oppressive governments and social systems, and I am put in prison, or beaten, or arrested, or killed. Because I'm speaking about something that matters. I'm speaking about something that has the power to change hearts and lives, not laws or public opinion. And, whether there is an eternal reward or not, I can rejoice in my persecution - because I have spent my life advancing the Kingdom into darkness.
"I say it truly, whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me."
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Saved by Grace
Walking in Faith
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Being Jesus (In the non-delusional way)
Dear Brothers and Sisters (there are no more In-Betweens),
You can see pictures of Jesus in a lot of places. Sometimes He's a light-skinned, bearded guy with a brilliant aura in the background. Sometimes He's a dark-skinned guy... not that often, but I've seen it. Sometimes, He's Jim Caviezel covered in blood.
Sometimes, He's pictured walking on the water, sometimes on the cross, sometimes in front of the empty tomb. Sometimes He's healing a blind man, or a leper, or He's feeding the 5,000.
I don't know what Jesus looked like. Having spent a lot of time amongst Middle-Eastern men, I can form a vague image in my mind. But, it's vague. I'm pretty sure that He was bearded, fairly dark-skinned and dark-haired. He was probably pretty short. As the son of a carpenter (or stone mason, depending on what you've read), I imagine that His hands were calloused, and His arms, shoulders and back were well-muscled. I don't know if He was handsome or unpleasant looking. I don't know what kind of clothes He wore.
I think He probably had a pretty good laugh, and an infectious smile. I think He had a look that, when He gave it to you, you knew that you were in the presence of someone who loved you.
I think about this sometimes, because I don't just think that I've been called to follow Jesus in my every day life. I think that I've been called to BE Jesus to the people that I encounter, because no one really knows what He looked like.
A thousand Christian denominations try to define Him, and ten thousand Christian churches and pastors will try to paint a picture of Him week after week. I'm not writing this to argue with any particular denomination, church or pastor. I'm writing this, because I've been called to be Jesus to the people around me. I've been entrusted with presenting His face to the world, along with every other person who has accepted the call to discipleship, and so I'm taking some time to think and write about what that means to me.
Being Jesus means that I feed the hungry.
Being Jesus means that I pray for and minister to the sick.
Being Jesus means that I touch the ones that society - and sometimes the church - have declared "untouchable."
Being Jesus means that I eat in the homes of the most despised of society.
Being Jesus means that I sometimes have to stand in the presence of powerful and dangerous men, and speak with authority about their misuse of power.
Being Jesus means that I might have to flip the tables of the money-changers, and crack a whip at them, to keep them from misusing the poor and dispossessed.
Being Jesus means that I kneel in the dirt next to a person who has been condemned and cast out, and show her forgiveness and acceptance and freedom.
Being Jesus means that I sometimes have to stand at the grave of a friend and weep.
Being Jesus means that I sometimes have to stand at the edge of a city, and weep for the brokenheartedness of its inhabitants.
Being Jesus means that I must welcome the "least of these" into the Kingdom.
It means that I honor the servant, not the master.
It means that I stand at the side of the oppressed, not the oppressor.
It means that I cry out to God in my own Gethsemane, standing in the gap for my friends while they fall asleep.
It means that I reject my sense of self so strongly, that I allow it to get nailed to a cross.
It means that I live in New Life, and it means that I can show others the Way to New Life.
What does being Jesus mean to you? Is it a belief system, or is it New Life?
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Standing in the gap for you
You can see pictures of Jesus in a lot of places. Sometimes He's a light-skinned, bearded guy with a brilliant aura in the background. Sometimes He's a dark-skinned guy... not that often, but I've seen it. Sometimes, He's Jim Caviezel covered in blood.
Sometimes, He's pictured walking on the water, sometimes on the cross, sometimes in front of the empty tomb. Sometimes He's healing a blind man, or a leper, or He's feeding the 5,000.
I don't know what Jesus looked like. Having spent a lot of time amongst Middle-Eastern men, I can form a vague image in my mind. But, it's vague. I'm pretty sure that He was bearded, fairly dark-skinned and dark-haired. He was probably pretty short. As the son of a carpenter (or stone mason, depending on what you've read), I imagine that His hands were calloused, and His arms, shoulders and back were well-muscled. I don't know if He was handsome or unpleasant looking. I don't know what kind of clothes He wore.
I think He probably had a pretty good laugh, and an infectious smile. I think He had a look that, when He gave it to you, you knew that you were in the presence of someone who loved you.
I think about this sometimes, because I don't just think that I've been called to follow Jesus in my every day life. I think that I've been called to BE Jesus to the people that I encounter, because no one really knows what He looked like.
A thousand Christian denominations try to define Him, and ten thousand Christian churches and pastors will try to paint a picture of Him week after week. I'm not writing this to argue with any particular denomination, church or pastor. I'm writing this, because I've been called to be Jesus to the people around me. I've been entrusted with presenting His face to the world, along with every other person who has accepted the call to discipleship, and so I'm taking some time to think and write about what that means to me.
Being Jesus means that I feed the hungry.
Being Jesus means that I pray for and minister to the sick.
Being Jesus means that I touch the ones that society - and sometimes the church - have declared "untouchable."
Being Jesus means that I eat in the homes of the most despised of society.
Being Jesus means that I sometimes have to stand in the presence of powerful and dangerous men, and speak with authority about their misuse of power.
Being Jesus means that I might have to flip the tables of the money-changers, and crack a whip at them, to keep them from misusing the poor and dispossessed.
Being Jesus means that I kneel in the dirt next to a person who has been condemned and cast out, and show her forgiveness and acceptance and freedom.
Being Jesus means that I sometimes have to stand at the grave of a friend and weep.
Being Jesus means that I sometimes have to stand at the edge of a city, and weep for the brokenheartedness of its inhabitants.
Being Jesus means that I must welcome the "least of these" into the Kingdom.
It means that I honor the servant, not the master.
It means that I stand at the side of the oppressed, not the oppressor.
It means that I cry out to God in my own Gethsemane, standing in the gap for my friends while they fall asleep.
It means that I reject my sense of self so strongly, that I allow it to get nailed to a cross.
It means that I live in New Life, and it means that I can show others the Way to New Life.
What does being Jesus mean to you? Is it a belief system, or is it New Life?
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Standing in the gap for you
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