Palm 86:11

Since I have "given up" Facebook during the Lenten season, I am hoping that I will invest a bit more time in my blog.  -  One of my frequent Facebook practices has been to pen quotes from Scripture or hymns that have impacted me during Morning or Evening Prayer, or, perhaps, a quote from a book that I happen to be reading.  I have usually not included such brief quotes on my blog, but . . . having given up Facebook . . . I may begin including such during Lent.

Here is one from today's Psalm (unless otherwise specified, biblical quotes will be from the NRSV):

Teach me you way, O LORD,

that I may walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart to

revere your name.

Reading the Church Fathers During Lent

The folks at churchyear.net has a great idea!  They are encouraging Christians to read the Church Fathers during the Lenten season.  In fact, they have gone to the trouble of providing a reading guide for the Lenten season.

I would commend this plan to you as a valuable Lenten devotion!

The reading plan can be found, here.  -  Check it out!

Begun, The Lenten Journey Has

Yes, it's true.  I'm not just a "liturgy nerd."  I'm also a "sci-fi nerd!"  So, obviously, the title to this post is a take off of Yoda's "Begun, the clone war has."  -  Ya' gotta' love Yoda! (And then I had to add a pic of Mace Windu, because he uses a purple lightsaber, and it is Lent . . .)

 

 In any case, today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the forty day (not counting Sundays) season of Lent. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The season is a preparation for celebrating the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time for penance by all Christians.

Most churches that observe the season of lent will mark their worship space with somber colors such as purple (cf., Mace Windu's lightsaber!) or ash gray and rough-textured cloth as most appropriate symbols.

Ash Wednesday provides us with the opportunity to confront our own mortality and to confess our sin before God within the community of faith. The form and content of the Ash Wednesday Service focuses on the themes of sin and death, but it does so within the context of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ.

The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship, and the Imposition of Ashes can be a powerful and tangible way of participating in the call to repentance and reconciliation.

During the season of Lent, many Christians engage in specific efforts at prayer and fasting and various forms of abstinence.  Sometimes these special efforts are viewed as a kind of legalism imposed by certain denominations.  (Some Roman Catholics view it this way, though that is not the intent of the Roman Catholic Church.)  Others see this as a way of simply "proving they can do it."  And there are those who see Lent as a time to jump-start their diets.  (Though the loss of weight may be a favorable side effect, that is not the purpose of fasting!)

There are others, however, who recognize that fasting and the various forms of abstinence are truly spiritual disciplines with the intent of opening us up to God's presence and grace in preparation for the great celebration of Easter. 

Coming from a branch of Methodism that has thoroughly embraced the Camp Meeting and Revivalism, I have always told our people that Lent is revival preparation!  -  When we would schedule a revival with an evangelist, we would do more than schedule the revival.  We would set aside specific times for prayer and fasting, seeking God's face for the revival services, the evangelist, the lost in our community, the Church, and ourselves.  "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)  -  That, very much, is what happens during Lent.

Additionally, in the congregations where I have served, I have made it a practice of distributing to everyone a "World Methodist Call to Prayer and Fasting and to Faith-Sharing" bookmark on the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday.  This book mark, produced by World Methodist Evangelism, calls our people to participate in the "Wesley fast."

The WME website says this about the bookmarks:

The 2001 World Methodist Conference in England called upon Methodists around the world to "follow the Wesleyan Pattern of Prayer and Fasting, focusing on spreading the gospel of Christ Jesus through word, deed and sign" by participating in the same weekly fast which John Wesley observed most of his life. Because of this commitment, Methodists in 130 countries go without solid food after their evening meal each Thursday until mid-afternoon each Friday.

This time of fasting is focused in prayer for the vision of World Evangelism -- to see the Methodist movement alive, vibrant, growing and yearning to spread the good news of Christ Jesus in a world that so desperately needs healing, hope and salvation. Methodist churches and groups are encouraged to participate in the Wesleyan Pattern of Prayer and Fasting during Lent and/or during the period between Easter and Pentecost.

These ENGLISH PRAYER AND FASTING CARDS are available free of charge, in reasonable quantities, for congregations or groups wishing to participate in this worldwide commitment. The 2 3/4 x 8 1/2 inch laminated cards contain an explanation of the Prayer and Fasting Commitment plus special prayers for Thursday Evening, Friday Morning, Friday Noon, and Friday at the time of breaking the fast.

I would encourage all pastors in denominations that are members of the World Methodist Council to order these free bookmarks by going to the WME website, here.  Further, anyone who may pastor in a Wesleyan/Methodist denomination that is not a member of the WMC is still encouraged to join in this fast, during the season of Lent (and beyond!).

In the United States, the denominations that hold membership in the World Methodist Council are:

African Methodist Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church,

Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Church of the Nazarene, Free Methodist Church,

The United Methodist Church, and The Wesleyan Church.

Indeed, may we "see the Methodist movement alive, vibrant, growing and yearning to spread the good news of Christ Jesus in a world that so desperately needs healing, hope and salvation."  And may we see lives marvelously transformed by the great grace of God!  In the name of and for the glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen

The Big Debate: Evolution vs. Creation

Well, tonight was the night of the big debate:  Bill Nye "the Science Guy" vs. Ken Ham of The Creation Museum!  Like a lot of people, I would imagine, we watched the live stream.  Some might think that this debate would be of special interest for our family, seeing that I am a pastor and my wife is a licensed Science teacher.  -  Well, it is, but unlike the "divided household" in our neighborhood with the split U.K./U. of L. flag in their yard, we are not flying a divided flag in the Stepp household.

I think that it has often been assumed that the (general) debate is a debate between Science and the Bible, or Science and Religion.  The assumption is that only atheists believe in evolution and that Christians must only believe in a young earth and a six literal 24-hour, solar days for creation.  Science, in this view is "God-less," and Religion is . . . irrational.  And, there is the assumption that all Christians must agree with Ken Ham and The Creation Museum; they must have all been rooting for him, tonight.

However, the truth is Mr. Ham's position is held by a minority of evangelical Christians who usually self-identify as "fundamentalists."  (And I would suggest that those who agree with his understanding of Scripture and Science, who do not self-identify as such, nevertheless take on such fundamentalist understandings of Scripture at this point.  That is not, in and of itself a negative term, but rather a term of clear categorization.)

My own denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, certainly makes room for those who share Mr. Ham's understanding of Scripture, though, as a denomination, it is not the Nazarene position.  -  Our Article of Faith on Scripture makes clear that "We believe in the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, . . . given by divine inspiration, inerrantly revealing the will of God concerning us in all things necessary to our salvation . . ."  That is to say, unlike Mr. Ham, our understanding of the nature of Scripture's inerrancy is a soteriological understanding (i.e., having to do with salvation, broadly understood).  Again, there are those among us whose understanding goes beyond this, but such an understanding diverges from the traditional way that Wesleyan Christians view Scripture.

Likewise, the denomination allows for those who hold Mr. Ham's understanding of how God created, but it does not require such an understanding, and as I will demonstrate, such an understanding does not seem to be the dominant view among Nazarene (and other Wesleyan) scholars.

Our Manual statement on creation says, "The Church of the Nazarene believes in the biblical account of creation ("In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . . ." - Genesis 1:1).  We oppose any godless interpretation of the origin of the universe and of humankind (Hebrews 11:3)."  -  The key words concerning what we oppose is "godless interpretation."  That means, of course, that we believe that God created.  We state, in our Manual, that we own the classical, ecumenical creeds as expressions of our own faith.  Thus, every Sunday, where I lead worship, we confess our faith in God the Father Almighty, maker (i.e., Creator) of heaven and earth, using either the Apostles' or the Nicene Creed.  On this point, we are explicitly in agreement with Ken Ham, over against Bill Nye.

Further, our view of creation does leave open the possibility of Mr. Ham's view.  However, it also leaves open the possibility for our people to embrace some form of theistic evolution; that God, to some degree, used the means of evolution to bring about the creation.

What is interesting, when one looks at Nazarene scholars throughout the history of the denomination, most seem to view the Genesis' creation account(s) soteriologically and theologically, rather than as a scientific account, and most seem to be at least open to some form of theistic evolution.  -  In fact, Dr. Dan Boone, current president of Trevecca Nazarene University, in his book, A Charitable Discourse, identifies five different positions that could be held by (Nazarene/Wesleyan) Christians:

     1.  Genesis 1-3 is a myth containing eternal truth that God created the world and that humans are sinful.
     2.  Genesis 1-3 is a mythological version of a historical reality in which humanity turned away from God.
     3.  Homo sapiens evolved as suggested by Darwin, and at a specific point in human history, God chose Neolithic Adam and Eve to know him, revealed himself to them, and established covenant with them.  They became the first humans aware of God and were made capable of living in relationship with God.  They sinned and their sin affected all humanity.
     4.  Old-earth creationism suggests that some evolution has occurred, but that God created life and the major species, especially Adam and Eve.
     5.  Young-earth creation (Ken Ham's position) suggests that the earth was created ten thousand years ago (I think Mr. Ham says six thousand) in six days and that Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day out of dust (p. 104-5).

However, says Boone, of all of these, the last one "requires a total denial not only of biology and cosmology but also of physics, chemistry, and the entire family of scientific inquiry. . . it is a denial of science as we know it" (p. 105).  -  Now, for those who watched the debate, you can judge for yourself whether Ken Ham's position denies all of this or not.

The first thing, however, that we discover among Nazarene scholars is that none of our major theologians have held Ken Ham's position.  Now, if a fellow Nazarene wants to challenge this, I am open to their proving me wrong.  For my part, I have simply looked at the three theologians who have produced systematic theologies, two of which have held a position of being "official" systematic theologies to some degree for the denomination, along with two biblical theology books, among others.

The first official systematic theology for the denomination was produced by H. Orton Wiley, a younger contemporary of Nazarene founder, Phineas Bresee.  Unlike Ken Ham, Wiley described the Genesis creation account(s) as "The Hymn of Creation," or "The Poem of the Dawn" (Christian Theology 1:449-54).  He says that "The Genesis account of creation is primarily a religious document.  It cannot be considered a scientific statement" (1:454-5).  In fact, Wiley states that, unlike Ken Ham, "The best Hebrew exegesis has never regarded the days of Genesis as solar days, but as day-periods of indefinite duration . . .," and he sites Augustine among other Church Fathers who held this same understanding (1:455).  "Origin, Irenaeus, Basil and Gregory Nazianzen taught the same doctrine during the patristic period, as did also many of the learned Jewish doctors outside the Christian Church" (1:455-6).

W.T. Purkiser in God Man, & Salvation: A Biblical Theology, which was a standard work for Nazarenes, agrees with Wiley.  Concerning our understanding of Scripture, he says "The theme of salvation . . . is the central theme of the Bible" (9).  And he affirms that "While the account of creation in the Bible is not mythological, neither is it intended to be cosmological or scientific" (56).  Further, Purkiser insists that "Debate between 'science' and 'the Bible' often loses sight of the fact that the interest in Scripture is theological, not cosmological.  The doctrine of creation is not an effort to explain the universe.  Its purpose is to lay the basis for the history of salvation that follows" (60).

In Grace, Faith & Holiness (the next systematic theology, following Wiley's, to be commissioned by the Board of General Superintendents), Ray Dunning affirms Wiley and Purkiser's views.  He says, "Being of the nature of poetry, it cannot be treated as a technical scientific treatise, although we must emphasize, as Wiley does, that it is historical in nature" (236).

Kenneth Grider, who also wrote a systematic theology for the church (viz., A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology), though not an officially commissioned one, rejects the young earth theory as "a naively literal interpretation of Genesis" (173).  He affirms that "On a number of bases, Wesleyan-holiness evangelicals hold the confidence that Scripture is inerrant on doctrine and practice but that it might contain error on matters relating to mathematics, science, geography, or such like" (75).  However, unlike most of the others surveyed, here, Grider seems to prefer an old-earth creation position (cf., #4, above).

Again, in Michael Lodahl's The Story of God: Wesleyan Theology & Biblical Narrative, he states, Genesis' creation account ". . . is not science, and to read it as such is to do violence to its intentions; it is, rather, poetic theology, a 'hymn of creation' (H. Orton Wiley) that points us to God as our Creator.  It is concerned with who creates, and why - not particularly with when or how" (64).

So, with this ever so brief survey, where does that leave Nazarene and other Wesleyan Christians?  It leaves us firmly affirming God the Creator.  It also leaves us with quite a bit of elbow room concerning the "how" question of creation.  One cannot say that a particular scientific explanation is "Wesleyan."  To do so is to move beyond theology into the arena of Science.  Thus, the elbow room within the denomination.  However, it does leave us with a view of Scripture that is different from that of Ken Ham's; a view of Scripture that has led most of our major scholars from the beginning of the denomination until the present to a very different conclusion than Ken Ham.  It is a view of Scripture that sees no incompatibility with the prevailing Scientific theory. 

One can certainly agree with Ken Ham concerning the how of creation, . . . and one could end up being correct about the how of creation, after all!  But to require others to agree with Ham involves insisting on an interpretation of Genesis that is different from the way Wesleyan Christians have traditionally viewed Scripture (viz., soteriologically and theologically). 

So, what about me?  When I preach, how do I treat Genesis 1-3?  Do I promote a young-earth creationist position similar to Ken Ham?  Or do I promote a theistic evolutionary position similar to Bill Nye with God inserted into it?  -  No.  No, on both counts.

Oh, those questions are good questions, worthy of study, but, as a traditional Wesleyan I do not think that such questions are what Genesis 1-3 are about.  Rather, it is about God creating us, not by accident, but on purpose, in God's very own image.  It is about our fall from grace through our first parents' rebellion, and consequently it is about our separation from God.  But it is also about God's plan to rescue, redeem and restore us to God's image, once again.  This, God does through Christ Jesus who entered into human history, lived among us, and died on the cross on our behalf to take away our sin, whom God raised from the dead in order to give to us newness of life.  Of course, there is more to say, but in a nutshell, that's the point of Genesis 1-3, isn't it?  That's what I preach.  And frankly, beyond that, I don't care a whole lot about what one may believe concerning "how" God created.  That's the scientific question, and while I may be interested in it, I'm not a scientist.  Instead, I am a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and our relationship to God is of utmost importance to me and (as I understand it) to the Bible.

The Rev'd. Dr. Carla Sunberg Elected President of NTS

Dr. Carla Sunberg Elected Tenth President of NTS

As reported by the Seminary: 

The Board of Trustees at Nazarene Theological Seminary meeting in Kansas City on Friday, January 3, elected Dr. Carla Sunberg (‘04) on the first ballot as the next president. Dr. Sunberg has accepted the election. Dr. Sunberg’s election came as the culmination of significant discussion by the Board about a re-invention of the Seminary to create a new and sustainable ministry model and a much sharper focus on preparing pastors for the future of the Church. 
Dr. Sunberg has served as co-superintendent with her husband, Chuck, of the East Ohio District. Chuck Sunberg will continue to serve the East Ohio District while Carla Sunberg will assume leadership of NTS immediately. The Sunbergs have served the East Ohio District since 2011. Prior to this they pastored Gracepoint Church of the Nazarene in Fort Wayne, Indiana following 13 years as pioneer missionaries in the former Soviet Union.

The Mission of Nazarene Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, is to prepare women and men to be faithful and effective ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to offer itself as a theological resource in service to the Church of the Nazarene, its sponsoring denomination, and the wider Christian Church.

Dr. Sunberg earned a BSN in Nursing (Magna Cum Laude) from MidAmerica Nazarene University in 1983.  In 2004 she earned a MA (Magna Cum Laude) in Theological Studies from Nazarene Theological Seminary.  And in 2012 she earned her PhD in Historical Theology from the University of Manchester.  He dissertation was titled, "The Cappadocian Mothers: Deification Exemplified in the Writings of Basil, Gregory and Gregory."

(Nazarene Theological Seminary is where I earned my M.Div.)

Congratulations to Dr. Sunberg & NTS!  You will be in my prayers!

Covenant Renewal for 2014

           We are a people who mark time.  We annually celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.  Oh, not just wedding anniversaries, though we certainly do that, but all kinds of anniversaries.  -  As Christians, we live our lives according to a particular calendar.  It is a rhythm that orders our lives around the life of Jesus our Lord.  And so, as Christians, our “new year” began about a month ago with the First Sunday of Advent.  As prepare to post this article, we are in the midst of the Christmas Season; the 9th Day of Christmas, to be exact.
            And yet, while we are not “of the world,” we are certainly “in the world,” and, as such, we also celebrated the beginning of a New Year, yesterday, January 1^st.  New Year’s Eve/Day has its own customs, as well.  For many it includes staying up past (or at least until) midnight, kissing that special someone, and . . . making New Year’s resolutions.  This last part allows us to look back on the year we are concluding, and look ahead; to think about where we would like to see changes in our lives.
            Oh, New Year’s resolutions get a lot of flak.  I mean, people are always talking about making the resolution on day one, and then breaking them by the next month (or week . . . or, even day!).  Yet, that doesn’t have to be the case.  It is possible to set goals, and to work to reach those goals.  -  New Year’s provides a great opportunity to do that.
            However, there are other ways to mark the coming of a New Year.  One way that John Wesley and many of the early Methodist Societies marked the beginning of a new year was by joining together in renewing their covenant with God.  This wasn’t the only time that they did this (one finds numerous instances throughout his Journal), but it was an opportune time.
            They would renew this covenant by way of the Covenant Service, the roots of which were found in a 1663 publication by the Puritan, Richard Alleine.  In 1753, Wesley published a copy of Alleine’s work in his A Christian Library.  And, on August 11, 1755, it is likely that the first “Covenant Service” for Methodists took place using a chapter from Alleine’s work.
            In 1780, Wesley published the service in pamphlet form for distribution and use.  Today, The United Methodist Book of Worship provides a much edited version of the service, updating the language and adapting it to fit within the Basic Four-fold Pattern of worship, but still retaining that part of Wesley’s service that included the Invitation and Covenant Prayer.
            In 2012, New Year’s Day fell on a Sunday.  That year, while my local congregation did not use either Wesley’s Covenant Service, or the one provided in The Book of Worship, we did include in worship the very brief “A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition,” found on page 607 of The United Methodist Hymnal.  This year does not provide us with the same opportunity.
            Given our context, few in our congregation would be willing to venture out for a Watch Night Service.  January 1^st fell on a Wednesday rather than a Sunday, this time around.  Plus, I am on vacation and didn't want to impose this on our guest preacher!  -  Nevertheless, I believe that it is appropriate and good for us to begin a new year by focusing our attention on the Lord and on our relationship with the Lord.  Like John Wesley, I believe that an excellent means of doing this is for us to “renew our covenant with the Lord.”

            Therefore, I wanted to provide a portion of the Covenant Service so that we might, each one, renew our covenant with the Lord in a way that is still connected with each other.  For, as each of us prays these prayers, and renew our own covenant, we do so knowing that we are joining with our fellow Methodists through the ages.

******************************************

Beloved in Christ,

let us again claim for ourselves

this covenant which God has made with his people,

and take upon us the yoke of Christ.

This means that we are content

That he appoint us our place and work,

And that he himself be our reward.

 

Christ has many services to be done:

some are easy, others are difficult;

some bring honour, others bring reproach;

some are suitable to our natural inclinations and material interests,

others are contrary to both;

in some we may please Christ and please ourselves;

in others we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves.

Yet the power to do all these things is given to us in Christ,

who strengthens us.

Therefore let us make this covenant of God our own.

Let us give ourselves to him,

Trusting in his promises and relying on his grace.

Lord God, holy Father,

since you have called us through Christ

to share in this gracious covenant,

we take upon ourselves with joy the yoke of obedience

and, for love of you,

engage ourselves to seek and do your perfect will.

We are no longer our own but yours.

 

I am no longer my own but yours.

Put me to what you will,

rank me with whom you will;

put me to doing,

put me to suffering;

let me be employed for you

or laid aside for you,

exalted for you

or brought low for you;

let me be full,

let me be empty,

let me have all things,

let me have nothing;

I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things

to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

you are mine and I am yours.

So be it.

And the covenant now made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.  Amen

 

 __________________________________________________

The article above was adapted from my recent newsletter article for the Centenary United Methodist Church.

The version of the Covenant Prayer, above, was taken from The Methodist Worship Book of The Methodist Church in Britain.

For more information on “The Covenant Service,” and other versions of it, see:

The Book of Worship for Church and Home, The Methodist Publishing House (The Methodist Church, pre-United Methodist Church), 1965, p 382-88.

The Church Rituals Handbook, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1997, p 199-213

The Methodist Worship Book, Methodist Publishing House (The Methodist Church in Britain), 1999, p 281-96.

The United Methodist Hymnal, The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989, p 607.

The United Methodist Book of Worship, The United Methodist Publishing House, 1992, p. 288-94.

Wesley Hymns, Lillenas Publishing Co., 1982, p. A-1 – A-10.

For more online versions of "The Covenant Service," see the following:

 

(Thanks to Andrew C. Thomspon) http://www.andrewthompson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Covenant-Prayer-in-the-Wesleyan-Tradition.pdf

 

(Thanks to James B. Chapman for the following links)

 

https://www.facebook.com/download/387420408070955/WESLEYAN%20COVENANT%20SERVICE%20-%20Rowel%20%26%20Lyons.doc

 

https://www.facebook.com/download/616101591760758/Wesley%20Covenant%20Service%20WF%20NTS%20short.pdf

 

https://www.facebook.com/download/559613220797274/The%20Wesley%20Covenant%20Renewal%20Service%202009.pub

 

https://www.facebook.com/download/682796815076438/WESLEYAN%20COVENANT%20SERVICE%20-%20Rowel%20%26%20Lyons.pdf

 

https://www.facebook.com/download/246715895496712/The%20Wesley%20Covenant%20Renewal%20Service%202009.pdf

 

The Christian Calendar: A Video

Here is a very nice video talking about the Christian Year, and the way that Christians mark time.  It comes from Christ Church Anglican.  It was developed by one who was a member of the Overland Park Church of the Nazarene.



The Christian Calendar from Christ Church Anglican on Vimeo.

The Feast of Christ the King

This Sunday we will be celebrating Christ the King Sunday (or "The Reign of Christ the King")! - It is the last Sunday after Pentecost and the last Sunday of the Christian year. It is also the Sunday just prior to our entering into the holy season of Advent.
 

The observance of Christ the King Sunday is really a relatively new celebration. It was originally instituted by Pius XI, Bishop of Rome, for celebration on the last Sunday of October. However, after Vatican II, it was moved to its current location on the Christian calendar. 

 

Incidentally, no less than +N.T. Wright, has argued that Ascension Sunday is the proper celebration of Christ the King, rather than the creation of this relatively new celebration.  -  Nevertheless, I think that this setting, in addition to Ascension Sunday, has much to offer the Church.  An example of which can be seen in the lectionary readings; especially the Gospel reading.  -  Now, most of the readers of this blog will be familiar with the lectionary, but, if you are in a setting that is not using the lectionary, I would encourage you to take a look at Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79 (serving as the Psalm response); Colossians 1:11-20; and Luke 23:33-43.  -  We will be focusing on the Gospel reading, but we will get there by first taking a look at the passage from Paul's letter to the Colossians.   

In honor of Christ the King Sunday, find, below, a copy of Charles Wesley's great hymn, “Rejoice, the Lord Is King.”  -  The hymn will be printed as it appears in the Sing to the Lord (Nazarene) hymnal and most other hymnals.  (It seems that The United Methodist Hymnal includes some rather strange editorial changes in verses 1 and 4; changes that seem not to make sense.  The predecessor hymnal, The Methodist Hymnal, retains the hymn as appears elsewhere.)

It is also interesting (and puzzling) that this hymn does not seem to appear in volume 7 of The Works of John Wesley: A Collection of Hymns for the Use of The People Called Methodists.  If it had, perhaps light may have been shed as to why the UMC hymnal changed the text.

Nevertheless, here follows the hymn!

 

Rejoice, the Lord Is King

 

1. Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore!

Rejoice, give thanks, and sing, And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart;
Lift up your voice! Rejoice; again I say: rejoice!
 

2. Jesus, the Savior, reigns, The God of truth and love.

When he had purged our stains, He took His seat above.
Lift up your heart;
Lift up your voice! Rejoice; again I say: rejoice!
 

3. His kingdom cannot fail; He rules o'er earth and heav'n.

The keys of death and hell Are to our Jesus giv'n.
Lift up your heart;
Lift up your voice! Rejoice; again I say: rejoice!
 

4. Rejoice in glorious hope! Our Lord, the Judge, shall come

And take His servants up To their eternal home.
Lift up your heart;
Lift up your voice! Rejoice; again I say: rejoice!
 

This Sunday (and every day!) may we all rejoice and worship Christ our King, not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to His service, and by walking before Him in holiness and righteousness all our days (cf., "A General Thanksgiving," BCP). - May all glory be to God the Father, Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit! Amen!

_____________________________________

This post was relied on a combination of previous posts on this same topic.

Episcopal Call for Philippines Assistance Through the Church of the Nazarene

Below is a video featuring the Rev'd. Dr. J. K. Warrick, General Superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene, asking for help for the Philippines following the devastating storm.  For more information about the devastation, what the Church of the Nazarene is doing, and how you can offer assistance, go to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries.  -  Please give and continue to pray for those in the Philippines.

Council of Bishops Respond to Rogue Bishop's Actions

Today, the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church have issued a statement concerning the actions of retired Bishop Melvin Talbert who, on October 26, in Cedar Point, Alabama, conducted a ceremony of celebration of "marriage" between two men.  Prior to taking this action, Bishop Talbert was urged by the jurisdictional bishop of the North Alabama Conference, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, along with the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops, not to take this action.

Bishop Talbert chose not to comply, and, instead, chose to break covenant with the United Methodist Church by ignoring the clear stance of the Book of Discipline, which he was sworn to uphold.

Having prayerfully considered this issue, the Council of Bishops issued a statement which included a request that Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, president of the Council of Bishops, and Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett file a complaint.  Such complaint, one would expect, would bring Bishop Talbert to a church trial.

Frankly, though I think the Council of Bishops have taken the correct action, consistent with the Book of Discipline, I am disappointed in the overall statement from the Council of Bishops.  Rather than using this opportunity to talk about the position of the United Methodist Church concerning sexual matters, and the reasons for those positions, including the consistent gospel tension expressed in the position, the bishops chose, instead, to speak about the diversity and lack of consensus within the denomination.

Bishop Michael Coyner (my bishop, as I serve within the United Methodist Church) said, “I was pleased that our Council of Bishops took a careful and prayerful look at the events surrounding the action of Bishop Talbert to celebrate a same-gender marriage in the state of Alabama against the request of the resident Bishop and the Executive Committee of the Council that he not do so. After deep discussion, hearing from all sides, and engaging in Christian conferencing with one another, the Council took the only action which was legally possible for us. Now it is in the hands of the processes outlined by our Book of Discipline, and that is the appropriate and official locus of the next steps.”

Again, I am a bit disappointed with Bishop Coyner's statement that, "the Council took the only action which was legally possible for us."  -  It sounds very much like, "We didn't want to do this, but our hands were tied, so we had to, legally."  This, again, rather than taking the opportunity to talk about the consistent position of the denomination and how Bishop Talbert's actions have led to this unfortunate situation.

The full statement from the Council of Bishops can be read, here.

+Justin Cantuar on Baptism

Here is a video of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, talking about baptism.  The occasion for the video is the christening of Prince George, but the video is being used to promote baptism, in general, and the family of the Church.

I originally discovered the video on the blog site of Lee Adams, who is a part of the Wesleyan/Anglican Facebook group.  (The Wesleyan/Anglican Facebook group has become the primary "face" of the Wesleyan-Anglican Society.)  Of course, the video, along with others, can also be viewed at the website for the Archbishop of Canterbury.  -  But, for your convenience, you can simply view it, below!

A Few Quotes from Tom Noble

I just finished reading Holy Trinity: Holy People: The Theology of Christian Perfecting by T. A. Noble, Cascade Books, Eugene, Oregon.  -  Thomas Noble is Professor of Theology at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO (where I did my M.Div., though he was not teaching there when I attended).  He is also Senior Research Fellow in Theology at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK, and recently served as the president of the Wesleyan Theological Society.

The book is a part of the Didsbury Lecture Series.  These lectures are given annually at the Nazarene Theological College in Manchester.  Dr. Noble notes, at the beginning, that "since the Church of the Nazarene stands in the Wesleyan tradition, and is . . . a member of the World Methodist Council, we decided to call the series the 'Didsbury Lectures' to commemorate the former Methodist Didsbury College.  -  Five of the first ten Didsbury lecturers were Methodists" (xi).  (Incidentally, as I look back through the list of lecturers, I note that two of my former seminary professors were included in the list, as were some other well known names like I. Howard Marshall, C.K. Barrett, J.D.G. Dunn, and then there was the Rt. Rev'd N.T. Wright in 2005.)

In the book, Noble grounds the doctrine of Christian Perfection in the Holy Trinity, and he clearly shows how Wesley inherited the doctrine from the Church Fathers.

But, for the purpose of the is post, I simply wanted to highlight a few quotes found in the last few pages of the book; quotes that focus us on worship, liturgy and the sacraments.

In talking about the essential nature of corporate holiness Noble says:
    
     Even Wesley's preaching on Christian holiness concentrates on the individual, but it was the warm fellowship of what were significantly called Methodist "Societies" that were the matrix of holy love which produced genuine Methodist saints.  And his revival of the ancient "love feast" (the agape), along with his strong emphasis on the importance of the Lord's Supper, which is after all not just a "Eucharist" (Thanksgiving), but "Holy Communion" (hagia koinonia), was at the heart of his creative organization of the Methodist Societies.  Too many of Wesley's heirs have lost that focus, being influenced by a "low church" suspicion of liturgy, but a recovery of the church as the matrix for Christian holiness will necessarily include a rediscovery of the centrality of the sacraments (221).

(To which I give a hearty, "Amen!")

Speaking of the mission of God and the Church, Noble says:

     The missio Dei is not the End.  Or to put that another way, the End will end the mission.  Continuing the missio Dei is not the ultimate purpose of God and so mission is not the ultimate purpose of the church.  At the End, the eschaton, the end of "the present evil age" (Galatians 1:4), the mission Dei will end.  It will be completed.  That is vitally important because it means that while mission is an integral and essential part of the nature of the church in this age, it is not what ultimately makes the church to be the church.  The church will still be the church, the body of Christ, in the age to come.  The salvation of the world through the missio Dei is therefore the penultimate purpose of the church, but the ultimate purpose of the church is the glory of God (222).

He goes on to say, "That implies then that the ultimate purpose of the church - the one, holy, catholic, apostolic church - is the worship of the Triune God.  That will be the life of the church in the age to come, and that is the heart of the raison d'eter of the church today" (222).

A little later, Noble, thinking of Marva Dawns work in A Royal "Waste" of Time, says that worship "is done not to gain anything, or achieve anything, or win anything, or produce anything.  It is simply the sheer joy of participating in the loving relationship between the Persons of the Holy Trinity, knowing that in doing so, we are united with all the human persons redeemed to be part of that eternal joyous fellowship" (223).

It is exciting to see how Noble demonstrates the essential nature of our sacramental worship for the doctrine of Christian Perfection.  This is yet another positive sign of liturgical/sacramental awakening and renewal for those who stand in the Wesleyan-holiness tradition!

Noble concludes his book by quoting Charles Wesley's hymn of "ecstatic Trinitarian worship":

 

Father of everlasting grace,

Thy goodness and Thy truth we praise;

Thy goodness and Thy truth we prove;

Thou has, in honour of Thy Son,

The gift unspeakable sent down,

The Spirit of life, and power, and love.

 

Send us the Spirit of Thy Son,

To make the depths of Godhead known,

To make us share the life divine;

Send Him the sprinkled blood to apply,

Send him our souls to sanctify,

And show and seal us ever Thine.

 

So shall we pray, and never cease,

So shall we thankfully confess,

Thy wisdom, truth, and power, and love;

With joy unspeakable adore,

And bless and praise Thee evermore,

And serve Thee with Thy hosts above.

 

Till, added to that heavenly choir,

We raise our songs of triumph higher,

And praise Thee in a bolder strain,

Out-soar the first-born seraph's flight,

And sing, with all our friends in light,

Thy everlasting love to man.
(223-24).

For Those Walking the Ancient Path: Devotional Sharing

This morning, as I prayed Morning Prayer, I read two passages of Scripture that struck me.  They struck me enough that I quoted both on my Facebook profile. 

The first was the Psalm I read today: Psalm 139, and in particular verses 23-24.  In the New Revised Standard Version the Psalm reads, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.  See if there s any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

I also read in Jeremiah.  There, the verse that stood out to me was the 16th verse of chapter 6: "Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls."

Now, it may seem obvious why the latter verse would stand out to me.  After all, I think of myself as one who tries, by the grace of God, to walk in the "Ancient Path."  This blog and the Wesleyan-Anglican Society are expressions of that call back to the ancient path.  More specifically is the call to what the late Robert Webber has called "Ancient-Future" worship.

Recent conversations I have had with others have proven to be difficult.  They have caused me some struggles, and these passages in my prayers this morning have been very helpful, comforting and affirming for me.

Following the morning Office, I continued my personal prayers and went to re-read and re-pray those verses from the 139th Psalm.  What I noticed in the footnotes of my NRSV was that the part that says, "and lead me in the way everlasting," can be rendered "and lead me in the ancient way!"  Further, the footnoted said to compare it with Jeremiah 6:16, the very passage that I had also read, this morning!

Now, I readily confess, I do not have anything Hebrew or any commentaries on hand to check out the suggested translation (they are in my other study).  However, I found new insight into the familiar verses of the Psalm, and I found these passages to be (as I said) very helpful, comforting and affirming.

My prayer is that my sharing this may be helpful, comforting and affirming to other sisters and brothers who, like me, are seeking to follow Christ on the Ancient Path by the grace of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit.  -   To God be the glory!

 

 

 

An Article on the Eucharistic Presence of Christ

I like to try to point readers of this blog toward good articles covering liturgical/sacramental or Wesleyan topics.  Recently, on the Wesleyan/Anglican Facebook page, Matt O'Reilly drew our attention to an article that he posted on his blog.  His article is titled, "Eucharist and Presence: Embracing Mystery, Finding Joy," and it can be found, here.

I recommend the article as expressing a Wesleyan approach to . . . Eucharist and presence!

All Saints'

Yesterday was All Saints' Day.  Thus, I'm a little late with this post, but, since many Protestant churches transfer All Saints' Day to the following Sunday and observe All Saints' on Sunday, I thought I would go ahead and post!  (Plus, I did post an article on All Hallow's Eve, so that's not too bad!)

As The United Methodist Book of Worship reminds us, "All Saints (November 1 or the first Sunday in November) is a day of remembrance for the saints, with the New Testament meaning of all Christian people of every time and place.  We celebrate the communion of saints as we remember the dead, both of the Church universal and of our local congregations.  For this reason, the names of persons in the congregation who have died during the past year may be solemnly read as a Response to the Word."

Since, All Saints' is not only a recognition of death, but also a celebration of life through the Resurrection, all of the paraments, banners & stoles are white, which is the joyful and festive color used at Christmas and Easter.

All Saints' was a favorite of John Wesley's.  He mentioned it four times in his journal.  On All Saints' in 1748, Wesley said, "Being All-Saints' day, we had a solemn assembly at the chapel; as I cannot but observe, we have had on this very day, for several years.  Surely, 'right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints!'"  In 1756 Wesley says, "November 1, was a day of triumphant joy, as All-Saints' Day generally is.  How superstitious are they who scruple giving God solemn thanks for the lives and deaths of his saints!"  In 1767, he included in his journal the following comments: "Being All-Saints' Day, (a festival I dearly love,) I could not but observe the admirable propriety with which the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the day are suited to each other." 

The Collect for the day from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (which would be the Pray Book Wesley used) reads as follows (and I would encourage all to pray):

O Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

 

The Epistle was Revelation 7:2-12.  The Gospel was Matthew 5:1-12.  -  I would encourage you to read these Scripture lessons.

 

The year prior to this entry, Wesley wrote, "'God, who hath knit together his elect in one communion and fellowship,' gave us a solemn season at West-Street (as usual) in praising him for all his Saints.  On this day in particular, I commonly find the truth of these words:

 

The Church triumphant in his love,

Their mighty joys we know;

They praise the Lamb in hymns above,

And we in hymns below."

 

 

That is the second verse of Charles Wesley's "Happy the Souls to Jesus Joined."  Unfortunately, that hymn is not found in either The United Methodist Hymnal, nor the Nazarene's Sing to the Lord hymnal.  Three verses of it did appear in the older The Methodist Hymnal.  The four verses, below, were taken from the Wesley Hymns book, compiled by Ken Bible and published by Lillenas Publishing Company (Nazarene):

 

 

1.) Happy the souls to Jesus joined

And saved by grace alone.

Walking in all Thy ways they find

Their heaven on earth begun.

 

2.) The Church triumphant in Thy love,

Their mighty joys we know;

They sing the Lamb in hymns above,

And we in hymns below.

 

3.) Thee in Thy glorious realm they praise,

And bow before Thy throne;

We in the kingdom of Thy grace;

The kingdoms are but one.

 

4.) The holy to the holiest leads;

From thence our spirits rise.

He that in all Thy statutes treads

Shall meet Thee in the skies.

 

 

Since the hymn is in common meter, it can be sung to a number of familiar tunes, not the least of which is Wesley's "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" (Azmon).  We will be singing it this Sunday to Land of Rest (which is the tune that the Nazarene hymnal uses for Wesley's "All Praise to Our Redeeming Lord").

 

It is unfortunate that more of our churches do not have an All Saints' Day service on November 1, no matter the day on which it falls.  However, with the transference that most Protestant churches do, to the following Sunday, All Saints' becomes a major focus during the primary service of worship. 

 

May God be praised for all of His saints who have finished their course and have become for us such a great cloud of witnesses!

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

The Journal entries were taken from the Jackson edition of Wesley's Works.