Methodist Corner

6. What is your understanding of the kingdom of God; the Resurrection; and eternal life?

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…” It is a prayer that has been central to the Christian faith from its inception. But what is it that we envision God’s kingdom to be? It is easy for us to superimpose upon our image of the Kingdom ideas that come from our understanding of earthly kingdoms. The quest for kingdom (little k) in our world has always come with violence; physical, social, economic, etc. In our quest for kingdom, peace has been fleeting at best and at worst merely an illusion. The violence done on the part of one person or group of people in an effort to establish their own vision of kingdom leaves behind nothing but brokenness, even when the intentions are good. The “Good News” is that we have a promise from God that all of our insufficient attempts at kingdom building will be replaced by “a new heaven and a new earth.” Where we will dwell eternally with God and God “will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more.” (Rev 21:4) When we pray, “thy kingdom come,” that is what we pray for. However, we must never forget that Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God had drawn near. That means that we can experience the coming Kingdom of God as a reality now. It is more than just a future hope, but also a present reality. Jesus not only proclaimed the Kingdom had come, but then set out to show us what it looked like to live into that reality. As he went out about dismantling the power structures that had arisen out of our broken attempts at kingdom, he showed us what it meant to live the Kingdom of God. No longer was “power over” an acceptable way of being in relationship with others. It was no longer acceptable to seek positions of power or privilege, but servant hood was the basic component in the new order.

It is the resurrection that verifies for us the veracity of Christ’s claims. Nothing else proves so clearly that God’s Kingdom is our present reality like the resurrection of Christ. The enemy of humanity, death, has been defeated and Christ calls us to participate in the resurrected life. The Apostle Paul stresses the importance of the Resurrection when he says that without the Resurrection, “then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain” (1Cor 15:14). It is the resurrected life of Christ, in which we participate, that is the assurance of our salvation. Paul says, “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life” (Rom 5:10).

5. What is your conception of the activity of the Holy Spirit in personal faith, in the community of believers, and in responsible living in the world?

In the Gospel of John, Jesus talks with the disciples about how the paraclete, an advocate, a comforter, a counselor, an intercessor – the Holy Spirit – would be sent to teach and to remind us of all that Jesus taught and to work within us as the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of all humanity to form within us all a knowledge of who God is and what God requires of us. Jesus told the disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit into the world to “prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-11). The Holy Spirit has convicted everyone of sin whether they recognize it or not. Some may call it conscience, but it is the Spirit that applies the truths of God to the minds of women and men to convince them that they are sinners. In this capacity the Holy Spirit is the agent of God’s prevenient grace convicting men and women of their sins. Responding to that conviction brings us to salvation.
The Spirit takes up residence in our hearts when we are saved, confirming for us our new life in Christ. Jesus said He would send the Spirit to us to be our Helper, Comforter, and Guide. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever” (John 14:16). The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret God’s Word. Jesus told His disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13a). The Holy Spirit reveals to us the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living. The Holy Spirit goes before us, leads the way, and helps us to navigate as we journey through life. A crucial part of the truth the Holy Spirit reveals is that Jesus is who he said he is. “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf” (John 15:26).
The Holy Spirit is also the source of spiritual gifts. First Corinthians 12 describes the spiritual gifts given to believers in order that we may function as the body of Christ. All these gifts, both great and small, are given by the Spirit so that we may be Christ’s ambassadors to the world.

On a personal note, the Holy Spirit is more than just a theological proclamation. The Holy Spirit is that which enables me to “move my feet.” Without the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit of God, operating within my life I could not in any way function as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am by nature an extremely shy person, but the enabling presence of the Holy Spirit gives me the strength and courage necessary to complete the work God has placed before me. For me to serve in the roll of pastor is no less a miracle than Peter, at Christ’s call, walking on water. Just as God enabled Peter to walk upon the waves, so does the Holy Spirit of God enable me to walk above my fears. And like all other humans who struggles with the limitations imposed upon them by the human condition, I rely upon Strength outside myself, to live a life acceptable to God.

4. How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?

The very earliest confession of the Christian church was, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” To those who made this declaration, these words summarized the theology that encompassed all other faith statements. Jesus of Nazareth, the god-man, had transformed our understanding of what it meant to be human and opened for humanity the possibility that God could indeed be, not only important in their lives, but also personal. But, this personal relationship comes with a cost. Borrowing from Bonhoeffer, it may be free, but it’s not cheap. This personal relationship requires us to recognize Jesus as not only friend, savior, redeemer, but also Lord. Lord is an interesting word for us today. We have nothing today that compares to a first century understanding of the word. While we may have nothing that uniquely corresponds to the definition of a first century “lord”, we do have plenty of things that exercise lordship in our lives. We can begin our list with noble things like family, friends, career, religion, politics, etc. We can then add things that are questionable at best, self-interest, self-indulgence, alcohol, drugs, etc. But, no matter how good or evil we perceive these things to be, if they reign in our lives in the place of Jesus, then they have usurped Christ’s rightful place as Lord of our lives.

The lordship of Jesus extends beyond just our personal sphere, but to a corporate sphere as well. He is the Lord of the Church, the Lord of our social structures, the Lord of our culture, the Lord of our politics, and the Lord of all creation. There is no area of our life, either seen or unseen, where Christ is not the rightful Lord. The problem of course is submitting ourselves to the lordship of someone other than ourselves. It is the problem as old as humanity – we think we know best. We think that control is more that just an illusion, but something that we can obtain. Ultimately, our pride becomes the source of all assaults on the lordship of Jesus. True peace and joy can only be found by allowing Jesus to take his rightful place as Lord of lords, King of kings, and Lord of our lives.

3. What is your understanding of humanity and the human need for divine grace?

One of the most troubling passages in the Bible for me comes from Romans 7 where Paul contrasts who he is with who he wants to be. He makes the very human statement that, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (v. 15). Maybe this is so troubling because it so encapsulates the human condition. We know what we should do, but we just can’t do it. We know what we shouldn’t do, but we just can’t help ourselves. It is the problem that has plagued humanity since the fall. Article VIII of the Articles of Religion states that this condition of humanity renders us unable to “turn and prepare [ourselves,] by [our] own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God.” Left to our own devices we have neither the power nor the inclination to do good works acceptable to God. Without the intervention of God’s divine grace we would be hopelessly lost.

Wesley, of course, teaches that there are three types of grace; prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying. These are sometimes referred to as preparing, accepting, and sustaining grace. Prevenient grace, the grace that goes before, is that grace that is with us and acting in our lives even before we knew we needed it. From the moment we are created, we are recipients of God’s prevenient/preparing grace – calling us, wooing us, convincing us, preparing us to receive God’s free gift of salvation. It is that little bit of “something” that God places within each of us that allows us to accept God’s solution to the problem that plagues our existence – separation from God.

Our separation from God, caused by our own free choices, can only be healed by God’s justifying/accepting grace. Article IX of the Confession of Faith begins by stating, “We believe we are never accounted righteous before God through our works or merit, but that penitent sinners are justified or accounted righteous before God only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” When we choose to experience God’s justifying grace, we are “born again” or “born from above” (John 3:3). Having been born from above, we are now able to participate in the abundant life that Christ offers.
Being a “new creature” in Christ does not end with justification, but is only the beginning of a life-long process of “going on to perfection.” This growing as Christians is a result of God’s sanctifying/sustaining grace shaping our lives, transforming us into the people that God would have us be. It is by God’s sanctifying grace that we are moved from lives bound by sin and death to lives lived in the light of Jesus Christ, constantly learning, continually growing, ever pressing toward the mark, and taking upon ourselves the very mind of Christ.

2. What is your understanding of evil as it exists in the world?

One of the most difficult questions we face as humans deals with the existence of evil. The existence of evil, I think, is beyond question. Very few would argue in the face of the unspeakable suffering in the world that evil does not exist. We may argue about “why” evil exists or how to solve problems that result from evil, but I think we can be certain that evil exists. This creates a significant dilemma for those of us who would claim to speak for God. How do we explain evil in the world if God is good? Many would dismiss this question with a statement like, “You shouldn’t question God. That shows a lack of faith.” I would contend that a response like that shows a lack of understanding of the human condition. Evil results in and/or causes suffering; and suffering causes us to question God. It is our responsibility as Christian ministers to help those who suffer because of evil to frame their questions in ways that can bring them to a deeper understanding of who God is and who God wants us to be, admitting that we sometimes struggle to find answers to those same questions.

Article VII of the Confession of Faith begins – “We believe [humanity] is fallen from righteousness and, apart from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, is destitute of holiness and inclined to evil.” We proclaim that, because of our own free-will choices, evil is part and parcel of the human condition. One cannot be immune from evil and still be human. It is within God’s redemptive plan that we suffer because of evil and are brought, sometimes weeping, to the conclusion that God alone has the remedy to the problem of evil in our world.

I wish that I had better answers to this question, but it is my experience that any answer we offer falls far short when faced with the practical implications of this question. What do you say to a grieving widow or a child who has just lost their mother? There are no answers that suffice. Maybe the simplest answer holds the most truth. How can we possibly know what “good” is if we have not experienced evil? How can we appreciate light without darkness? How can we yearn for peace without having witnessed the ravages of war? Of course this does little to comfort the victims of evil, which we all are. Maybe what is important is that we learn to journey with each other through the “valley of the shadow of death”, weep with one another, comfort one another, and rejoice together as God’s peace vanquishes our fears.