The Death of Religion by John Monday

This is the second part of a piece written on our common humanity that was posted on 10/12/13.

Christianity can be distilled into two great unifying concepts.  One is that we are all broken images of God.  God made us in his image, we rejected him and went our own way, and as a result we are the shattered remains of God’s love, with no capacity to save ourselves.  As broken creatures, we are all devoid of the right or ability to judge each other.  As images of God, we can all reflect some broken portion of his grace, mercy, and love into the corner of the world where he has placed us.

The second great unifying concept is that God alone can repair the damage that we have done.  Since the moment we rejected God, we’ve been like petulant children stomping our feet before the throne of the universe, childishly demanding that we don’t need help, that we can do it ourselves.  And like a patient father, God guides us even in our rebellion, teaching us through his gentle love in the midst of our tantrums, protecting us from the sure consequence of our self-destructive choices and behavior, planning and preparing for the day we turn toward him - the only place where we will find peace, redemption, and restoration.

Human history can be viewed as that great span when God allows us to try our own way, to seek our own path, to repair that which we’ve broken, so that we might bear witness to our own inability. The Bible, especially the Old Testament, is filled with stories of God reaching out to people and people believing that they knew better.  Time after time, our primal ancestors altered his plan, added to his plan, or just rejected his plan.  Finally, God gave them, and us, ten simple rules for life and said, “If you can just follow these, everything will be okay.”

Worship God
Don’t put God in a box 
Take your relationship with God seriously
God has set aside time for you
Respect your parents
Don’t murder
Don’t cheat on your spouse
Don’t steal
Don’t lie
Don’t be jealous 

And before God finished communicating his law of love, we had broken them all; yet we still didn’t get it.  God didn’t give us this law so that we could perfect ourselves with it.  He gave it so that we might have a mirror and be humbled by our need. So we continued down our path of self-righteousness, of self-destruction, wielding a new weapon that we created from his law of love.  Religion.

We demanded of others that they keep the law which we could not.  We altered the law, added to the law, divided the law, multiplied the law, interpreted the law, sharpened our spears of persecution with the law, and inflicted the law of religion mercilessly until there was none of God’s love left in it.

And in the fullness of time, while we were still sinners, mired and bogged down in our depravity, caught up in our corruption of his great law, the God of love took on the form of his broken creation that we might see, feel, and be healed by his grace . . . and the second great unifying concept of humanity became flesh. Jesus.

Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves.  He earned the salvation that we could not earn, kept the law that we could not keep, and paid the penalty that we could not pay so that we might be redeemed and reconciled to a holy and loving God and that we might live in community with each other and with the author of creation.  He fixed the relationship that each of us has broken.  

And what must we do to achieve this great reward?

While Jesus was walking with his disciples, he began to inquire of them, “Who do people say that I am?”  They reported that some said he was Elijah, some said John the Baptist, some said another prophet.  Then Jesus asked the most poignant question in all eternity . . .  “Who do you say that I am?”  And Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus then told Peter that this one great truth, this single acknowledgement, the confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, was the single truth upon which eternity would be built.  All we can do is surrender and fall helpless into his arms.

Before Jesus returned to the Father, he prayed for his disciples, and he prayed for you and me.  He prayed that his followers would be united - a prayer that many religionists and all the powers of evil have conspired to thwart for 2000 years.  And their tactics remain the same.  They alter God’s love, add to God’s love, divide God’s love, interpret God’s love, sharpen their spears of persecution, and inflict religion mercilessly until there is none of God’s love left in it.  

They demand that we separate from others who love and profess Jesus if they don’t believe exactly as they do.  They declare that Jesus is good, but we must do something more.  They demand that theirs is the only way, and that God has given them greater knowledge, more 
light. 

But when confronted with such dangerous distortions of God’s love, you’ll know better.  Jesus asks each of us, “Who do you say that I am?”  If your answer is, “You are the Messiah . . . my Messiah . . . the Son of the living God,” then you’re home, one with every believer, and nothing can ever separate you from the love of God. 

John Monday

Getting It So Right . . . And So Wrong by Andy McDonald

My denomination gets it so right sometimes and then sometimes gets it so wrong.

Before we debated the ordination of women or were troubled by people using the term “spiritual formation,” we wrestled with harder issues.  One of those was how a Seventh-day Adventist should relate to military service. 

Our earliest position was voiced by one of our denominational founders, James White.  He wrote, “The fourth precept of that law says ‘Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy’; the sixth says ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ But in the case of drafting, the government assumes the responsibility of the violation of the law of God, and it would be madness to resist. He who would resist until, in the administration of military law, he was shot down, goes too far, we think, in taking the responsibility of suicide.” (Review and Herald, August 2, 1862, vol. 20, page 84). 

Our church leadership was advising those drafted to not worry about what might be required on Sabbath or even taking another person’s life. No worry because the guilt of this “law breaking” would not fall to the soldier, but to the state.

In 1864 some Adventist leaders appealed successfully to the governor of Michigan and received recognition as being conscientiously opposed to bearing arms.  Decades later in 1918, President Woodrow Wilson issued an executive order allowing for religious conscientious objectors to serve in the US Military.

I grew up idolizing heroes like medic Desmond Doss who won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his part in saving over 70 lives while under enemy fire in 1945. I remember admiring the bravery of soldiers who faced severe hardship because they refused certain assignments on Sabbath.

In 1954, our official denominational position was noncombatant, and that is how were registered with the United States Government. When the war in Vietnam came along, a number of young Seventh-day Adventists who had been drafted wished to opt out.  They were not conscientious objectors, but instead identified themselves as pacifists who wished to have nothing to do with any war. Unfortunately, they could not be recognized by the government as pacifist because, as  Seventh-day Adventists, they were part of a denomination which was officially registered as noncombatant.  In 1969, the wording of our official position was voted in Annual Council to be, “the church advocates noncombatancy, but allows members to elect to be pacifists as well.”

Then in 1972, the Annual Council did something amazing. They decided the question was a personal matter of conscience for each member and that the church would support members regardless of the type of service their individual consciences allowed.  So today, even with a volunteer army, we “allow” and “support” the noncombatant, the pacifist, and the full combatant!  Why? Because our denomination believes the choice is a matter of individual conscience!

It is terribly interesting that these three very divergent positions can be held by members who are all equally considered to be members in good and regular standing.  Unfortunately, denominational leadership has a much less accepting stance for those who might wish to “redirect” their tithe, ordain women, or not follow denominational dietary directives.  Do you catch the irony? On an issue as huge as war, resistance, pacifism, and combatant service, the denomination has the foresight and wisdom to recognize and affirm the value of the individual member’s conscience (and these are matters spoken to directly in the Decalogue). However, that trusted individual conscience somehow becomes less trustworthy on those non-life-and-death issues. In ecclesiological organizational matters, it seems only the “official” word can be a safe guide!

I applaud the courage of Local Conference and Union and Division leadership who determined that to continue the blatant discrimination mandated by the organization would be a violation of their conscious. In order for them to be “as true to duty as the needle is to the pole,” it became essential to take the necessary action to ordain women as a matter of standing for truth and against injustice and discrimination.

Our unity as Christians and our unity as Seventh-day Adventists are found in exactly the same place—Jesus Christ.  In Jesus we are one, with no division. We may divide over politics, economics, theological interpretations, and whose soccer team is best, but we are still able to share in complete and total unity that there is no other source for anyone’s salvation than Jesus.  

So I say, have different opinions. Allow, if not encourage, appropriate and different applications of policy and practice that matches various cultures, while continuing to share our unity in Christ.

 Some of you would be fine carrying and using an AK47 in battle.  Some of you would never even consider such, but you would have no problem patching up the gunner so he or she might resume their killing. And some of you can’t believe that any war is just, and you choose to be a pacifist.  And regardless of where you fall in just those three categories, if you are a Seventh-day Adventist, your church has determined it is your choice and our unity isn’t in a shared position, our unity is in Jesus our Savior. 

Let’s be patient with one another, forgiving, long suffering.  My denomination gets it so right sometimes and then sometimes gets it so wrong, and still our unity is in Jesus our Savior.

Andy McDonald

Composing a Psalm, Part 2 by Richard Hickam

Listen to this song, and join me on a song-writing journey:

It has been a few weeks since I wrote the lyrics for this Psalm. As I was considering the musical style to accompany the words, I focused in on the word “mystery.” God is beyond my understanding, and his ways are not my ways.  How will things will play out on the final day of Earth’s history?  This seemed like a good musical theme to base this Psalm around. I came up with a “mysterious” acoustic guitar riff that felt like a good fit.

The next phase of songwriting was to try and match the lyrics to the music, both rhythmically and melodically. The particular challenge in this piece is that I intentionally mismatched the number of syllables to create a sense of imbalance. I played through my chords and hummed a melody until I was satisfied. I added just a touch of harmony at the end for effect.

The final step was to play and sing the piece into my computer. I have to admit, it took several attempts on both the vocals and the guitar. I then adjusted the guitar and vocal levels in the mix to balance out the parts. I finally uploaded the file to my Soundcloud account.

I learned many things in my first attempt at writing a Psalm. My first hope is that this Psalm is a fragrant offering to God. Secondly, I would hope that anyone reading this might get out their pen, accordion, paint brush, or computer and put into action that thing that God has put into your heart for his glory. If I can make a first attempt in my mid-40s, you can do it!

Blessings,

Richard Hickam

Choosing a Community to Lean On by Tami Cinquemani

We recently posted a clip of our worship leaders singing the famous Bill Withers song, "Lean on Me."  The song was sung at the end of our church service as the response to a sermon focused on community in Christ.  It began with a single vocalist who was joined, one-by-one, by four other singers arriving on the platform from the congregation.  The message of our need to follow Christ's directive to live in community was powerful, and many who were present—as well as many who later saw it on video—were moved and inspired.  Both the song and the singers were intentionally chosen as a representation of the gender, cultural, generational and spiritual diversity of our church community.

However, not everyone who saw the clip felt the same positive "community of Christ" moment described above.  Some questioned the value of using this popular 70's tune as a means to communicate a Godly message.  While we understand that there are some who place great value on separating the "secular" from the "sacred," we at FHC have leaned much more toward the model of Paul when he said in 1 Corinthians, "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."  

I found one comment particularly interesting (intentionally unedited):

“If this was a non-denominational church(which in all honestly it really is) I wouldn't have as much of a problem with, it would even be expected. But we should be a peculiar people and are held to a different standard. How is this church different from any other non-denom. church. how is this atmosphere going to help people grow spiritually in a world that is were they comforted right into complacency and indifference to spiritual standard that are put in place by the BIBLE! When you don't show respect for something you more then likely are not willing to make a stand for it. That is a hollow and fragile faith that when tested, I have seen in my own life during that period of time(FHC) in my faith broke down and it wasn't till I re-recommitted my life to the LORD and took it serious(respected it) that true change came and I had confidence and faith in the religion that I believe in.”

We always appreciate response to our posts and respect and learn from those with opinions not our own.  Without a doubt, this comment represents a group of people who are more traditional in their view of worship and the purpose of church.  I though it was interesting that the words could resonate with that group but also come across to me as an affirmation of what FHC has been intentionally trying to build for years.

Our goal at FHC has never been to be identified by our denomination.  Our goal is to be identified by Christ alone.  This may be out of the comfort zone for some who believe their uniqueness as a denomination is their special calling from God.  In that case, they probably would not find a church home at FHC. Those seeking “confidence and faith in the religion that [they] believe in,” will understandably choose to worship elsewhere.

FHC feels strongly that the “peculiarity” Christians of all denominations should be known for is the way we love – love each other and the world around us.  This means we will never meet the expectations of those looking for a church that strives to be known by the peculiarity of their twist on religious beliefs.

I’m thankful for the variety of churches that offer each individual a place to explore their faith.  My prayer is that, regardless of which church a person decides to attend, their experience gives them an understanding of Jesus’ love and grace that will make a difference in the world around them.

Tami Cinquemani

Goin' on a Guilt Trip by Todd Chobotar

According to my wife, I have a Master’s Degree in giving guilt trips.  Most of the time I do it for fun–just to see what reaction I’ll get.  But on occasion, I admit, I’ve used it to try and get my own way.

What is a guilt trip?  It’s simply making someone feel guilty to get them to do what you want. Sound like fun?  It’s really quite easy once you get the hang of it.  Here’s how it works.

Let’s say a friend tells you about a wonderful day at the beach they enjoyed over the weekend.  You can usually start them on a little guilt trip by saying something like, “That’s sounds fun.  I wish I had friends that invited me to go to the beach with them.”  In theory, this will make your friend feel bad for failing to ask you to join them.  Bingo!  They’re on a guilt trip.

Need another example?  Let’s say you come home from work one day with tired feet. You casually mention out loud how good a foot massage would feel.  But your spouse tries to put you off with some statement such as, “Honey, I can’t tonight. I’m busy preparing for the big charity event tomorrow raising money for widows, orphans and abandoned kittens.”  Your guilt trip response could be something like, “No problem, Dear. I understand. If you need me for anything, I’ll just be lying on the couch writhing in pain and agony until the aspirin kicks in and hopefully brings some relief.”  (Note: the more cheerful your voice sounds, the better the guilt trip works.)

A co-worker once told me with a sly smile, “My mother is a travel agent for guilt trips. And my father? He’s an experienced guilt trip tour guide.” They sound like a great team! Do you know anyone like that? A friend, a sibling, a grandparent, who knows how to send you on a first class guilt trip?

Though it’s sometimes fun to joke about guilt trips, the fact is, for many of us the subject of guilt is no laughing matter.  Guilt can be a heavy burden to bear.  A weight on the heart that is hard to lift off.

Have you ever experienced true guilt? Real remorse? Perhaps it happened as a result of harsh words, broken promises, dishonest dealings, a lost temper, or neglected duties?  If you’ve ever done something you wish undone, said something you wish unsaid, then guilt has likely visited you.  That uncomfortable tugging of your conscience letting you know you’ve failed.  When confronted with guilt, many people push it down, wave it away, or just ignore it altogether. Why? It’s uncomfortable, sorrowful, or painful.

King David, the ancient Psalm-writer, understood the pain of guilt that comes from doing great wrong.  After committing adultery with the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers, David gave the order to have the man killed hoping to cover his own crime.  But David’s deeds were discovered and guilt hung heavy on his heart.  But unlike so many who experience guilt from their mistakes, David didn’t push the feelings away.  Instead, he poured out his heart to God. The record of his prayer is found in Psalm 51.  Here are a few phrases from David’s confession to God:

Have mercy on me, O God,
     Because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
     Blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt,
     Purify me from my sin…
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
     Renew a right spirit within me.
(Psalm 51:1-2, 10 NLT)

David was willing to come honestly before God and confess his wrongdoing.  As a result, God offered him forgiveness and lifted his burden of guilt. The record of David’s story reveals that God not only forgave David, but even called David a man after his own heart.

If you are experiencing guilt right now, why not pick up a few tips from David’s experience.  Don’t keep yourself stuck on a guilt trip when God is willing to lift your heavy burden through forgiveness.  Here are the steps David took that you and I can take as well:

1)    He honestly confessed his wrongs to God.
2)    He asked for God’s forgiveness.
3)    He was willing to make his wrongs right wherever possible.
4)    He asked God not just for a change of heart, but for a new, clean, pure heart.

Why cling to guilt that weighs your heart down when God’s grace can lift the weight off?  There is no offense you’ve committed too great for God to forgive.  The truth is, nothing from your past can keep God from your future if you embrace him in the present.

“Guilt is banished through love and truth.” Proverbs 16:6 MSG

Fun Question: What’s the best trip anyone has tried to send you on?
Thoughtful Question: Why do you think guilt exists? And is it a good thing or a bad thing?
(Share your thoughts in the comments)

Guest Blogger and Member of FHC, Todd Chobotar

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