Category: Theology

Spirit is Spirit

Published by mhelbert on July 9, 2019

Listening to the news and current events can be disheartening.

Conflict rages all around the globe.

Corporations fight other corporations and governments in order to guarantee themselves a bigger slice of the economic pie.

Religious groups wage holy war against other religions and even factions within their own religious communities.

Conservatives and liberals line up in battle lines much like our ancestors did. Firing rounds indiscriminately hoping to hit someone on the opposite side.

It’s an understatement to say that we, as fellow inhabitants on this planet, have become polarized.

What is even more disheartening for me is the way in which those of us who chose to follow Christ are divided.

We kick and claw at one another.

“No, you’re wrong!” says one faction.

“How can you say that? The Bible is clear that YOU are in error!” screams another.

“I belong to Apollos!”

“I follow Paul!”

“No, you’re both wrong! Peter has the true way!”

It seems that this thing called the Church is not only vulnerable to all of the forces of human nature, it is also quite fragile.

It breaks and fractures easily.

The broken pieces crash to the floor and scatter every which way.

It’s almost impossible to not become discouraged and lose hope.

So, I did the only thing that I could think of in order to wrap my head around these things.

I prayed.

I asked God to put those of us who follow Christ in the shadow of God’s wings. Not to protect us. But, to empower us.

For what?

I’m glad you asked!

To empower us to be the Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation that the Scriptures claim that we should be. To be harbingers of the Reign of God in this world. Here. Now. Just as Jesus of Nazareth was 2 millennia ago.

Not, however, as so many people who lay claim to christianity do.

Recently, I’ve been studying Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia. In it, Paul had some interesting things to say about the state of affairs in that church. After Paul and his friends had established the young community and moved on to other places, it appears that some other folks came in to stir things up a bit. These others were, according to the text, teachers of the Jewish Law who also followed the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. They claimed that in order to be Real True Christians, the people in Galatia had to conform to Jewish rules that set them apart from other people. These so called works of the Law were male circumcision, dietary restrictions, and observation of the Sabbath and other Jewish Holy days.

The Galatians were confused. But, they listened to their elder brothers in Christ and began to embrace these requirements.

When Paul got wind of what was happening he just about burst a blood vessel. He wrote a rather pointed letter in which he called these later teachers, “Accursed!”

No, he wasn’t happy at all.

He then spent the rest of the letter explaining what the problem with these practices were and why they were so dangerous.

The underlying point to all that he wrote was, “What makes you think that what was started in the Spirit could possibly be completed in the flesh?”

To clarify, Paul’s usage of the term “flesh” in this entire letter refers to conforming to the Jewish rules of purity that those other teachers had insisted be followed.

And, to be equally clear, one of the most egregious results of following those rules is that they erect barriers that separate people from one another. And, in Paul’s argument, they can also separate people from God.

Ok, so what does any of this Paul stuff have to do with why I feel disheartened and in need of God’s empowering?

Because, many in today’s church follow the example of those Jewish teachers way back when. They say that they follow God and God’s Spirit. But, in reality they lay obstacles in the path of people who need God in their lives.

“You can’t follow God if you’re gay!”

“If you don’t stand for the national anthem, you can’t possibly be Christian!”

“Abortionist! Murderer! Not Christian!”

I could go on and on with the works of law that many people require of any Real True Christian.

That’s not what I see Paul saying to the people who were trying there best to follow the Way of Christ.

“What was begun in the Spirit must be completed in the Spirit.”

While that seems a simple statement, it requires the empowerment I wrote about earlier.

It requires people who take the idea of Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation seriously enough to realize that the rules and laws that so many people try to enforce simply have no place in the Kingdom of God.

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Innit Cool?

Published by mhelbert on June 27, 2019

Since June 2 I’ve had the opportunity to lead an adult Bible study at the church I currently attend. The priest here had started a similar study in the weeks before Lent. It was set aside as we all entered into the Easter season. It happened that several people thought that the study should be resurrected, (pun intended). So, Fr. Alex asked me if I would be open to help. So, here we are.

We are currently following the Revised Common Lectionary reading for each Sunday. Fr. Alex stated that it might be helpful to take a closer look at some of the passages that would be read that morning. So often these are simply read during the service without a great deal of reflection. This Bible study could help to provide tools with which they could reflect more fruitfully.

That all sounds ok.

I’m glad to help out with this. Especially, since I have the training and education to take on this role.

As we started things I knew that at some point Fr. Alex and I would touch on a common text. And, we would have divergent ‘takes’ on that text. I wondered how the folks who sat in on the Bible study and listened to Fr. Alex’s sermon might hear those different views. And, how I might address them.

Well, this past Sunday we did just that. We both spent time on the same passage from the Gospel according to Luke. And, yes, we looked at the passage from two distinct perspectives.

The text was from Luke 8:26-39. It’s the story of a man who was possessed by many demons. He lived among the tombs in the region of the Gerasenes on the eastern end of the Sea of Galilee. The story tells of how he could not be restrained by any means as he ran naked through the tombs. When Jesus and his disciples showed up, the man confronted Jesus and begged Jesus to not torment him. Jesus asked his name. The man said, “Legion,” for many demons dwelt in him.

The story goes on to state how “Legion” begged Jesus to send them into a local herd of pigs, who subsequently ran down a slope into the sea where they drowned.

Now, there’s a whole lot in this passage. People a lot smarter than me have argued about who the man was; where exactly did this happen; why pigs?

Fr. Alex shared from the pulpit how this passage demonstrated a clear political message that would have resonated with the original hearers of the story. He explained how Roman troops, who at the time occupied Israel and the surrounding territories, could be assembled in a group of about 6,000 soldiers called a Legion. Also, around this time a particular legion known as the Legio X Fretensis occupied Jerusalem and had on their banners the image of a boar.

You can begin to see where Fr. Alex was drawing similarities between the story and actual events.

His point was that the people who heard this originally would have understood the references and seen the story of Jesus overcoming the evil forces brought by Rome and “bringing justice into the midst of human suffering.”

He then reminded us of a message he gave on Pentecost Sunday in which he explained how we, as the Body of Christ, are the very hands and feet of Jesus in our world today.

If we are that, then we have the obligation and task to be the bringers of justice and deliverance to the oppressed people that we encounter. He cited the grave humanitarian catastrophe that is currently happening on our southern border. He challenged us to consider how we might each respond to the mounting injustice.

AMEN! Preach it!

But, then…there was my take on the story.

You see Fr. Alex had been inspired to share his liberationist understanding by news articles during the week that exposed what was happening to people. People made in the Image of God. People for whom Jesus gave his life.

I, on the other hand, was inspired by another of our Sunday lections. This one from Is. 65:1-9. The first couple of verses in this text reveal God desperately seeking God’s own people. God cries, “Here I am, here I am,” to people who ignore God. Isaiah wrote that God was sitting at the city gates with arms outstretched. This would have been how a beggar acted.

Certainly not God.

Yet, here we have an image of God revealed as a servant in order to help the people God so loved. I saw God allowing Godself to be seen and known by a people who had no interest.

The bottom line there was that God DESIRED to be seen and found. God was open for business. Come on in!

Similarly, at least to me, in the Gospel text my mind zeroed in on Jesus’ encounter with the possessed man. Jesus said,

“What is your name?”

Wow!

Here was a man who was obviously tormented. He had been chained and tied. He lived among the dead. He was naked and cast out.

And Jesus looked into his eyes and asked, “Who are you?”

Jesus, like God in the Isaiah text, made himself vulnerable to someone who was in desperate need. Someone who was potentially violent. Someone who had been cast aside and rejected.

Someone who was made in the image of God and for whom Jesus was willing to give His life.

Yeah, Fr. Alex and I came at the same text from two very different places and came to two different conclusions.

But, are they really that different?

Fr. Alex saw the text and gave us an actionable charge. As a pastor, that’s what he’s called to do. He energized us to get involved to help however we can with time, money, prayer.

I came to the text as a contemplative and revealed, I believe, a piece of God’s heart that will also lead to action. Albeit, a different flavor. I desire people to see, feel, touch, and know God intimately. To live and experience God’s deep love for all of the Cosmos. Then, to share that with others. Perhaps, especially with those who are suffering at the hands of a strong oppressor.

So, different takes on the same text. Both speaking God’s Word to those who can hear.

Innit Cool?

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Epiphany & Politics

Published by mhelbert on January 7, 2019

I don’t usually make resolutions at the New Year. They seem to be an exercise in futility that I choose not to waste time or brain cells on. This year is not exception. However, I close to that by deciding to try and limit political statements on my blog.

I know, I know…you’re all disappointed that my wit and wisdom won’t spend a lot of time in the political arena. But, let’s be honest. Today’s political culture is really low-hanging fruit. Plus, it has become far too divisive. That’s one of the main reasons that I decided to leave social media. My heart draws me toward unity, not division.

There are times, though, when there is an overlap.

This is one of those.

Yesterday the Church celebrated Epiphany. That’s commonly the day when we tell the story of the Magi who travelled from Persia to Bethlehem in order worship the new King of Israel. They brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. You know the story.

There is part of the story that doesn’t get so much fanfare. It’s this part of the story that is very political. It’s this part of the story that I want to address.

The Magi saw something in the stars that piqued their interest and imagination. They realized that something big had happened about 1,000 miles to the West. A star had arisen that signified a Royal birth. A King! Now, I don’t know if they saw new stars pop up every time that a king was born somewhere in the world. But, Matthew recorded that this time, there was a star that caught the eyes of these learned people.

The Magi decided that it was time for a road trip. They packed the family caravan, (not Dodge), and headed toward Jerusalem. After all, Jerusalem was the nation’s capital. Where else would you look for a king?

When they got to Jerusalem to pay homage to the new born king, they were met with crickets.

“New born king? Here? Uhhh…we better check with the king. You know. The one that’s currently sitting on the throne.”

So, the folks in the court went to the king, a guy named Herod the Great. He had a healthy ego. And, a healthier case of paranoia. Herod was not a king from any of the possible royal lines of Palestine. He was a puppet king installed by the Roman Senate. It was a reward for his support of Rome in one of their wars. So, when the Magi show up with a story about a king, one who was actually BORN king, and not merely appointed, he got nervous.

He put on his best political face and asked the Magi how they knew about this new king. The Magi told him about the star. So, Herod asked his own experts about it. They explained how the old stories told about how a king would be born in Bethlehem. This king would save his people.

Herod deeply troubled by all of this. And, because Herod had a reputation for being a bit unhinged, violently so, the text states that all of Jerusalem was trouble with him.

Anyway, Herod told the Magi where to find the new king. He also requested that the Magi return to him after they found him. Because, of course, Herod would want to go and bow before the one person on the planet who could take his crown away from him.

This is where the story that winds up on Christmas cards comes in. The Magi get to Bethlehem and find the child. The cards usually show the Magi standing with their gifts around the Jesus lying in a manger. There are shepherds and angels and nice barnyard animals around. Of course, there is a star above with rays that shine down around the scene. Everything is so pretty and nice.

What we don’t talk about, though, is what happened next.

Because the Magi went to Jerusalem and informed Herod the Paranoid, then went back to Persia without swinging back through Jerusalem, Herod lost it. Matthew recorded that Herod sent his Death Squads to Bethlehem with orders to kill every male child under the age of 2 years. Although there is no independent source that tells us about this, what the Church now calls the Slaughter of the Innocents, it is something that would be totally in character for Herod. Herod, about whom Caesar Augustus is reported to have said, “It would be better to be one of Herod’s pigs than one of his sons.”

The scripture that you’ll never find on any Christmas card tells of this:

“Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.
–Matthew 2:17, 18

Fortunately, Jesus’ dad, Joseph, had a dream and took Jesus and his Mom to Egypt where they lived as refugees.

Ok. So where’s the part about politics?

Let’s use some contemporary terms and see if it doesn’t help clear that up a bit.

The Child, Jesus, was the one who Herod wanted to kill. Only, he didn’t know that for certain. So, he ordered all young boys killed. Brian Zahnd has put his finger on how this might be better understood by those of us in the 21^st century, “modern day kings and kingdoms have sanitized it with the Orwellian term ‘collateral damage’.”

Collateral damage. We’ve all heard of that. You know, when a drone takes out a wedding celebration when they only want to hit one person.

Herod was a frightened tyrant who was the puppet of Roman tyrants. As such, he only understood crushing power. He also knew that if he didn’t act with power, he would likely be eliminated by it. So, he crushed the children of Bethlehem.

Things haven’t really changed since then. There are still cowardly tyrants who care not a whit for anything but their own hold on power. They accept “collateral damage” as the price of doing business.

But, followers of the original “Boy who lived” are not like that. We must choose, as Zahnd wrote, “between the sword and the cross. We have to decide if we’ll pledge our allegiance to the Empire of Power or the Empire of Love, but we can’t do both.”

That, my friends, is why this story is political.

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There is Hope

Published by mhelbert on December 14, 2018

Ok, I’ve been a bit hard on Evangelicalism recently. And, with good reason. The theology that this particular brand of Christianity preaches is toxic. Like I wrote yesterday, Evangelical theology is rotten. The whole root is rotten. It needs to be yanked out of the ground and burned on the garbage heap.

That being said, I really need my readers who are Evangelical to know that I don’t begrudge them their faith. I wrote yesterday that these folks really desire to follow Jesus faithfully. But, I don’t believe that they are being given that chance. They are locked into a system that cannot accept any kind of question or dissent. For Evangelicalism to survive it must enforce a “my way or the highway” mentality.

It’s very clear that many religions deal in binaries. That is, everything is either right or wrong; black or white; good or bad. That’s the primary way in which they determine who is in and who is out. (Another binary.) Perhaps more importantly, these binaries assure ME that I am right. Evangelicalism provides this kind of hope to its adherents. By making a “decision” to “commit my life to Jesus” and be “born again,” I place myself on the “right” side rather than the “wrong” one.

And, this produces a real feeling of security for a person. It allows them to see themselves as part of a large family.

It also places them within a theocratic bubble.

A line is drawn that separates my new family from everyone who is NOT a member of that family.

This is problematic. Mostly because, unlike Paul Simon’s wish to be a Rock or an Island, humans are not isolated like that. We are all members of humanity first and foremost. That, my friends, isn’t wishful thinking. It’s an empirical fact. So, even if Evangelicalism provides a mechanism to divide Us from Them, this is at best a false dichotomy. People become lulled into thinking that all the stuff that those people “out there” are part of or produce is somehow tainted. “We can’t be a part of that!”they say. Or, “Those products are part of that world. We can’t use them! Let’s make our own!”

Walls go up. Divisions become set in stone. Dislike and disdain grow steadily until their natural fruit, “Hatred,” is ripe.

I hope that you can see where I’m going with this. Evangelicals are all good, well-meaning people. But, they have been duped into believing a false narrative that positions them in opposition to EVERYTHING ELSE!

This is not the Way of Christ. Never has been; Never will be.

The Way of Christ is one where the playing field is level. There is not male or female; slave or free; black or white; gay or straight; us or them. There isn’t. There just isn’t.

It’s wrong whenever people build walls to keep the ‘Other’ out.

It’s especially egregious when they use God as the mortar to build those walls.

That is exactly what Evangelicalism does. It is Evangelicalism’s only raison d’être. It’s sole purpose to exist. From the beginning this theology was designed to separate people. It is past time to put a stake in it and move on to a better Way.

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Desiderius Erasmus

Published by mhelbert on December 13, 2018

When I was in seminary at Ashland Theological Seminary working toward an M. Div., I wrote a paper for Church History on Erasmus. Before then, I had never heard of the man. But, at that time there were a lot of things I didn’t know. (That’s not to say that I know much of anything now.)

For me, Erasmus became a hero of sorts. He was the first person at the time to show the importance of studying the original Greek texts of the Scripture. He was a true ‘Humanist’ at that time. That word meant something much different than it does today. In the 16th century, a humanist was a person who sought to get back to roots. So, for Erasmus, that meant a return to the teachings of the Church Fathers and original texts.

I remember sitting in a church service and the person who was speaking bad-rapped Erasmus. He was an ignorant twit who had never met Erasmus. But, I digress. Enjoy this post be Brian Zahnd and,

Meet my friend, Desiderius Erasmus!

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Into the Hands of a Loving God – Pt. 2

Published by mhelbert on December 13, 2018

Here is an excerpt from a book by Brian Zahnd. Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God. I have not read the book. Zahnd did share one chapter that I have read. It follows on what I shared here yesterday and today. The God I follow is not the judgemental, hateful god of fundamentalist evangelicals, (fundagelicals for short). The God I have committed to follow is One Whose name is Love. Period.

“Insisting that Abraham Joshua Heschel, Anne Frank, Albert Einstein, and all other Jews are condemned to hell is an arrogant and malevolent doctrine that is responsible for the creation of countless atheists. I am sympathetic with the atheist who cannot believe in a god who is so petty and cruel that he defends his so-called honor by torturing billions of souls for eternity. I don’t believe in that god either. But I’m no atheist. I believe in the God who is the Father of Jesus and who relates to sinners in the very same way that Jesus did. I believe in the God revealed in Christ, the heaven-sent Savior who harrows hell to rescue sinners…sinners like me.”

Here is a link to Zahnd’s post, “Hell…and How to Get There”.

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Into the Hands of a Hateful Church

Published by mhelbert on December 13, 2018

Yesterday I wrote a piece about how Evangelicals embrace something called Penal Substitution. They believe that this is foundational for the Real True Gospel, (RTG). I also said that along the way people who really don’t care about religion or theology would be able to take from it. After all,who really does care what a bunch of religious folks think? As long as it doesn’t affect me, let them believe whatever nonsense they want.

Ok, fair enough.

In 2016 a person was elected president of the U.S.This person is at best unqualified for the office. At worst, he’s a danger to the Republic. How did this happen? Social scientists, anthropologists, news pundits…everyone has a theory. And, they all make sense.

One thing, though, that sometimes gets overlooked is that 81% of White Evangelical Christians voted for this person.

Eighty-one Percent!!!

And, some recent polls indicate that support has remained at or near that level throughout the last two years.

How is that possible? Seriously. How can an entire demographic that has historically touted its moral superiority over the immorality of “the world” support a known liar, adulterer, womanizer, misogynist, thrice married, ignorant buffoon? It boggles the mind.

Unless…unless you understand the Evangelical mindset.

The simple answer is a single issue.

Abortion.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Evangelical position swung from being OK with abortion to one of vicious opposition. That one issue became the rallying cry for all who followed the likes of Pat Robertson and,especially, Jerry Falwell, Sr. So loud was the cry that the Christian Right made it the litmus test for any political candidate. If a candidate’s platform included the words, “anti-abortion,” then they were a good choice.

The Republican Party sensed that and made abortion a part of the party platform. Now, when Evangelicals went to the polls their decision was made easy. Vote Republican! Easy-peasy!

So, when the current president embraced the Republican platform, including the anti-abortion plank, Evangelicals saw their savior.

Ok, that’s the simple answer.

But, it’s not the only or even best answer.

To find that we need to look deeper into the heart of Evangelicalism.

Yesterday I wrote that many in the Evangelical camp sincerely believe that God is so Just that it’s impossible for God to be in the same room as sin. (Whatever that is.) In fact, God hates sin, and by extension, those who practice sin. Hate, hate, hate! Over time this has been hardwired into the hearts of the faithful.

God Hates!

This has enabled those who embrace this picture of God to also hate. They, by Divine example, now have a binary that they can follow. They can know in their knowers that they are righteous and oh so good with confidence. There is a line. On one side the righteous followers of God; on the other is Everyone Else. There is no gray.Everything is black and white. They can even go to their Holy Book and find all sorts of texts to prove just how righteous they are and how worthy of their hate everyone else is.

This is where the danger lies for us and for the world. By dividing everything and everyone into Us and Them they can in all good faith destroy what they don’t like or agree with and tell themselves, “Well, it’s what God wants us to do.”

Are you reading this starting to see the picture form?

Evangelicals in the U.S.have and agenda. And, it’s not simply a religious agenda. It is entirely political. Falwell and friends decided that there could be a political solution to a very Spiritual issue. Their Evangelical followers then sold their collective soul to the devil in order to see their twisted and misguided theology become a physical reality.

The U.S.,to them, was a Christian nation that they could reclaim and, through political means, force their idea of God and righteousness on everyone. (This is the main reason that I think that Mike Pence is more dangerous than our current president.)

Now, I admit that this is an oversimplification of a very complex issue. Evangelicals are not monolithic. There are sincerely faithful people who hold to the tenets of historical Evangelicalism. I know many personally. They are good people who really want to follow Jesus faithfully.

But, the truth of the matter seems to be that the root of Evangelicalism that has been passed along from the First Great Awakening until now is rotten. It has grown into a macabre caricature of the Church that started as a result of Jesus Christ’s life.

It is dangerous.

It is foul.

It must be resisted at every front vigorously.

Hopefully, this is something that you can take home with you.

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Into the Hands of a Loving God

Published by mhelbert on December 12, 2018

There are a lot of people who grew up in Evangelical churches that followed a kind of Calvinist path. They now call themselves ex-vangelicals. Or, Exvies for short. While their stories are varied, they allshare certain similarities. They speak of authoritarianism, patriarchy, and the abuses that go with those. Purity culture and sexuality are mentioned a lot.Especially, those who are LGBT people. And, they share how difficult it was for them to leave the Evangelical bubble. (I would add that it’s just as difficult to remain within that bubble.) One thing that underlies their concerns, however, is the toxic theology that props these Neo-Calvinists up. What is it about Evangelical theology that is so toxic?

I’m glad you asked that question.

Most Evangelicals, at least in the U.S., grow out of the rich soil of what historians call, The First Great Awakening. This was a religious phenomena that swept the New England colonies in the early to mid 18th century, (1730-1755). One of the leaders of that movement was a man named Jonathan Edwards. He was basically a Puritan who held to a kind of Reformed, or Calvinist, theology. Now, I know that this doesn’t mean a lot to any of you who don’t study these kinds of things. But, stick with me here. I promise that you will find something to take home with you.

Anyway, Edwards and others preached a message that people must be born again in order to receive God’s salvation. That meant that each individual person must make a personal commitment to ‘receive’ Jesus into their heart as personal Savior. They were called the ‘New Lights’ of the Church. And,what they said resonated with people who lived in the Colonies. Life was hard. Things were changing at an unheard of pace as the world rushed through the Enlightenment. To many, the world looked as though it was spiraling out of control…going to hell in a hand basket.

Enter Edwards and friends. They preached a message that condemned the world. All things that were not explicitly FOR God were necessarily Against God. These would all burn in hell. That “all things”included people. They taught that any person who did not choose to follow God THEIR way was already the object of God’s wrath. God was portrayed as a great Judge who was prepared to slam the Divine gavel down and pronounce sentence…eternal,physical torment in the unquenchable flames of hell. Edwards preached a sermon in 1741 that still influences Evangelicals today. It was entitled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. I’m not going to link to it because I believe that the sermon is false and, by the estimation of some, heretical.

The gist of the sermon, and Edwards’ theology, is that the wicked are under God’s just wrath here and now. If they don’t ‘repent’ and accept Jesus, the God will have No Choice but to send them to their rightly deserved judgment in hell. God, in Edward’s opinion, was oh so pissed with humanity because of sin. One in particular. Yeah, that one that the first humans, Adam and Eve, committed. Because they ate the forbidden fruit, all humanity lived under God’s curse. Because of their disobedience, all humanity was disobedient. And, as a result God’s righteous anger was kindled.

Scary stuff!

What’s scarier is that this is what modern evangelicals still think and believe. In the church that I was a part of for about 30 years, Edwards and others like him, Billy Graham, Tim Keller, et al. were held up as formidable spokesmen for the Real True Gospel, (RTG). Some of the leaders ofthis church would speak about Edwards wistfully. “If only I could preach the RTG like Edwards. Ahhhh….” They thought it was a good thing that when people heard Edwards read that sermon originally they were grabbing onto the church’s pillars and crying out in fear, “What must we do to be saved?” These people were deathly afraid that the ground beneath them was about to open up and swallow them at the very moment! Yeah, this is the kind of response that many, including the leadership of my old church, wish they could garner.

One of the associate pastors there has a stock phrase tha the pulls out of his gospel holster regularly.

He states, “God hates your guts!”

Please. Let that sink in a bit.

God.

The Father of Jesus Christ.

Hates your guts.

In fact, if it wasn’t for Jesus stepping up to the plate and sacrificing himself to appease this God, we’d all be on our way to eternity in a burning garbage dump.

To him, and all of the other Evangelical people who hold to this belief I have but one thing to say…

I’m sorry. But, you are mistaken.

Now, I could take a lot of time to explain my position. And, really, who cares outside of a small circle of friends?

And, so what? Who cares what these Evangelicals think anyway? I mean, let them blow steam all they want. It doesn’t affect me at all.

Well, maybe it actually does. But, that’s a topic for another post.

Below is a link to a short video by Brad Jersak. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything he says in it, for the most part I believe he is spot on. I encourage you to take a few minutes and take a look/listen to what he says.

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Advent Credo – Daniel Berrigan

Published by mhelbert on December 10, 2018

The following poem was written by Fr.Daniel Berrigan (born May 9, 1921- died April 30, 2016).

Advent Credo

It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss—
This is true: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life;

It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction—
This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.

It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever—
This is true: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful councilor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.

It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world—
This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and lo I am with you, even until the end of the world.

It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church before we can be peacemakers—
This is true: I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions and your old men shall have dreams.

It is not true that our hopes for liberation of humankind, of justice, of human dignity of peace are not meant for this earth and for this history—
This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that the true worshipers shall worship God in spirit and in truth.

So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice. Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ—the life of the world.

*All emphases are mine.

From Testimony: The Word Made Flesh, by Daniel Berrigan, S.J. Orbis Books, 2004.

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Is There Truly Only “One Way”?

Published by mhelbert on December 10, 2018

If you have known me long enough, then you know that I question pretty much everything. Yesterday at church the Priest stated that he was a “good little rule follower.” As I sat in the pew I thought, “Oh, you poor, poor man.” You see, I’ve never met a rule that didn’t really, really want someone to come along and push against it. I know, it’s a tough job. But, someone’s gotta do it.

So, it’s know surprise when I push back against theologies that claim to be “the only, true way.” To be honest, most religious sects do make those claims. But, I’m only really familiar with neo-Calvinism. I was well-steeped in a theology that made/makes truth claims that, well, simply cannot be sustained. There are other ways to look at “Truth.” I have provided a link to a podcast with Pete Enns. Pete is a kindred spirit and someone whom I respect as a scholar. Pete’s guest in this episode is someone who came out o neo-Calvinism and landed in Eastern Orthodoxy. I’d encourage you to take 42 minutes to give this a listen.

Here is the link to “The Bible and Orthodox Faith”

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