On Party Affiliation and Christianity

This is a link to an article by Timothy Byrnes, it is rather lengthly and while it focuses on the Roman church and politics, titled "Bishops, Parties and Competing Agendas",  it can be applied across the board to any Christian denomination.  In the article, Timothy Byrnes argues that neither political party embodies the teaching of the Christian Church, and that the church therefore, should not tie itself to any party because political parties are ephemeral institutions, and that no political party ever has been or will be a vehicle for advancing christian teaching.  Take the case of the Roman Catholic Church, Christian teaching on the sanctity of life crosses parties lines and including abortion, opposition to the death penalty, strong advocating for refugees and immigrants, social welfare programs for the poor, climate change and environmental stewardship and seeking peace over war.  All those issues cross party platforms.  For those that claim to be Christians, it is important for us to remember that we should ultimate seek to follow the teaching of the church and Christ, and when making those hard decisions in the voting both, respect members of other parties for this very reason. Any party affiliation we hold should never be more important than the call to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which goes far beyond any political party aspirations to make a nation "great again", and calls us rather to humility and self sacrifice. It is only in the light of the gospel that all human endeavors are exposed as dead end roads, and all human solutions are dissolved.  

The apostle Paul certainly understood this, every epistle had an ethical implication to the theology he so carefully lays out, and while he lived in an empire that not only did not recognize his religious faith, actively persecuted and forcefully attempted to destroy it,  When the principles of the Kingdom, (blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are those that mourn, blessed are those that hunger and thirst for justice, blessed are those that are persecuted, blessed are the merciful) are lived out both in our homes, neighborhoods, communities, and political life, we begin to see a transformation of our hearts, minds and lives  We get to the nitty gritty issues that are less abstract and certainly more real to us.  That is where God's reign begins to work itself out.

We are political creatures and live in a representative republic where we can actively participate.  So we will have to wrestles with those decisions that are on our ballots.  We should be concerned with national and global issues that affect our neighbors, Paul's collection for the poor in Jerusalem during the famine that is scattered across several of his epistle clearly shows that his concern for the well being and "disaster relief" was essential to his understanding of his faith.  Paul instructs Christians to be good citizens, to obey the laws, and respect the government even a tyrannical one.  Yet, the message that Paul proclaims is also subversive, and it's a direct challenge to Imperial Rome.  If Jesus is Lord, than Caesar is not in the words of Biblical scholar NT Wright.  When Polycarp refused to take the Imperial oath, it was a theological statement as much as a political one.  

Today, Christians need to beware of the growing popular theology that is partisan and nationalistic, that continues to seek to wrap the United States into one particular political party or that seeks to make the United States an extension of the church.  Unlike in Paul's day, our situation may be more akin to Kierkegaard's attack on institutional Christianity, or Constantinism.  We may be making the same mistakes of generations before us that believed in a "Christian" state or a theocracy, is represented by one political party. Yet in going down this road, we are also seeing growing attacks on immigrants, the poor, science, and those that are members of other religions.  More and more countries are turning towards autocratic leaders and militarization as the answer to our problems, and segments of the church are beginning to march in step.  When we begin to think that any one political party is the answer to our societies problems, we need to be reminded again about what is at the core of the gospel message. 

N.T Wright has a fascinating take on the celebration of the Eucharist as a parody of the Roman pagan orgy feasts, a subversive if not direct challenge to the emperor cult with a new feast, the agape love feast, comprised of both Jews and Gentiles, Barbarians and Greeks,  women and men, around a new Lord, Jesus the Christ of God.  The mental and behavioral transformation of Rom 12:1-2 is one that calls us to a new formation in the image of Christ.  The new creation of the body of Christ is one where there is no more Greek or Barbarian, Jew or Gentile, male or female, gay or straight,  but all are one in Christ.  The identity of nation and ethnicity give way to a new identity in Christ and a new family in God.  If we are allowing popular talk radio, current political thinking, United States nationalism, or any number of influences to be more pertinent to us than the gospel, then it is time to remind ourselves that the gospel will always challenge us right at the heart of our own selfishness and self interest, and most politics at the end of the day are driven by self interest. It is than once again time to turn to the cross at Golgotha, and the empty tomb, to the fires of Pentecost, and to the ascended Christ, and to the "new creation" in the body of Christ that is so central to the early church's proclamation.  

We should be politically active, and interpret as best we can which policies we believe will bring about the most common good in society.  However, as we see a new rise in Christian Nationalism, in the drum beat of those Christians that are attempting to tear down the separation of Church and State, and the new influx of Christian worldview thinking into public education, we are faced with threats from within the church that will be damaging to both church and society.  Most Christians seemed unaware that these ideologies are not only not Christian, not Biblical, but antithetical to Christianity.  In trying to bring about a new morality and 'godliness' to the United States, we will have inadvertently bring about a new kind of oppression, authoritarianism, and deterioration of the church's own values.  We would have completely missed the point of what church is suppose to be about.  

Link to OMG blog
"article: Bishops, Parties and Competing Agendas"
Bishops, Parties and Competing Agendas

NT Wright Paul and Caesar

Meditation for the Lord's Day: Proper 18A; Matt 18:15-20

Matthew 18:15-20New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

15 “If another member of the church[a] sins against you,[b] go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.[c] 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Matthew's gospel reading this morning is one that is often quoted when problems arise in the church. Many Christians refer to this as the “Matt 18” model of conflict resolution.  This passage is open to abuse as we are sometimes all too ready to point out others faults.   Matthew, however, is concerned with Christian fellowship not judgmental nitpicking.  Fellowship is a central idea because it is clear that this is written to a community called to live out their faith together but still dealing with the realities of life.   Most of us yearn for a kind of deep human relationship, sometimes we idealize it. Think about how many television shows revolve around relationships, like "Cheers", "Glee", "How I Met Your Mother", "Friends", etc. We yearn for these relationships but we also know how hard they are to achieve. It is easier to live vicariously then living it out ourselves. Life is messy. Most of us have experienced the 'messy' of life this week; our work, home and other obligations all continued as we faced a major hurricane. Our stress and anxiety would come in waves. I went through the cycle of denial, “it won't hit us”, to panic, “ok, I don't know why I am buying 5lbs of potatoes”, to acceptance, “ok, this too shall pass...” Life is like that, as messy and dirty as the swirling storm around us.  We often need time to process events that have happened.  When we engage in relationship with others, conflict and hurt are inevitable.   Like an unexpected storm, relationship can have their own stormy challenges.  

Matthew is not only concerned that Christians come to believe the message of the kingdom, but that they understand that it has to be lived out in its messiness.  To risk real relationships is to engage those words we too often overuse; authenticity, honesty, risk, accountability. They may be buzz words, but these words should be used carefully.  To live in this way requires courage because confrontation can be scary, difficult and challenging.  Matthew engages us on two levels, personal, “go to the member of the church”, and corporate, “take one or two along with you.” The goal is unity and our witness to others of that unity. Imagine what can happen with this kind of unity. 

Matthew also reminds us that we are not alone in this, even in the midst of our failure and lame attempts at fellowship, Christ is with us. “Where two or three are gathered, I am there.” This can give us great comfort not only in the storm (hurricane Irma) but in the stormy relationships of our lives.  For me, this is both a challenge and an admitted area of weakness.  On my own, I do not know how to do this, and I often don't have the capacity to do this.  I can only desire it, pray for it, and rely totally on the grace of God to bring this fellowship to pass in my life.  I can seek the advice of others, and pray for the courage to confront and the humility to listen.  I can make overtures to others, and reach out trusting in God's grace to help me overcome my own hurts or fears.  

When we partake of the Holy Eucharist, we also proclaim these truths; that Christ is with us, that his Presence meets with us, and that we seek to be in Holy Communion with all the saints.  We want to make this a realization in our life.  So a few questions for reflection on this Sabbath morning.

•  How much are we willing to give to have these kinds of relationship? 
•  How difficult is it for you to go to someone and be open and honest?  
• What practices have you used in the past that has helped you to navigate relationship struggles?
• What characteristics are important to have in maintaining healthy spiritual relationships with others? 
• What teachings of Christ do you find helpful in developing healthy spiritual relationships? 
• How does the grace of Jesus Christ inform our relationships with others? 
• How does the authority of the church help us in our interpersonal relationships in the church?  (Matt clearly has the church leadership in mind in the "binding and losing" command).
• How can we respond when a relationship barriers seem insurmountable or conflict has reached a point where reconciliation doesn't seem possible? 
• How can we deal with our pride that keep us from going to others and apologizing for a wrong or seeking reconciliation? 
• In your church are you looking for a place to just blend in, or a place to share our faith with each other? How hard or easy has this been for you?
• In areas where reconciliation is not possible, how can Christians move forward while still leaving the door open for future discussions? 

Heavenly Father,
you have called us in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ
to continue his work of reconciliation
and reveal you to the world:
forgive us the sins which tear us apart;
give us the courage to overcome our fears
and to seek that unity which is your gift and your will;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,

The Following is a document from the Presbyterian Church (USA) entitled "Seeking to be Faithful Together", It is presented here as a guideline patterned after Matt 18 for conflict resolution in the church: 

"Seeking to Be Faithful Together"

Guidelines for Presbyterians During Times of Disagreement
In a spirit of trust and love, we promise we will...

Give them a hearing... listen before we answer John 7:51 and Proverbs 18:13

1  Treat each other respectfully so as to build trust, believing that we all desire to be faithful to Jesus the Christ; _  we will keep our conversations and communications open for candid and forthright exchange, _  we will not ask questions or make statements in a way which will intimidate or judge others. 2  Learn about various positions on the topic of disagreement. 3  State what we think we heard and ask for clarification before responding, in an effort to be sure we understand each other.

Speak the truth in love Ephesians 4:15

4  Share our concerns directly with individuals or groups with whom we have disagreements in a spirit of love and respect in keeping with Jesus’ teachings. 5  Focus on ideas and suggestions instead of questioning people’s motives, intelligence or integrity; _ we will not engage in name-calling or labelling of others prior to, during, or following the discussion. 6 Share our personal experiences about the subject of disagreement so that others may more fully understand our concerns.

Maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephesians 4:3

7  Indicate where we agree with those of other viewpoints as well as where we disagree. 8  Seek to stay in community with each other though the discussion may be vigorous and full of tension; _ we will be ready to forgive and be forgiven. 9  Follow these additional guidelines when we meet in decision-making bodies: _  urge persons of various points of view to speak and promise to listen to these positions seriously; _  seek conclusions informed by our points of agreement; _  be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of those who do not agree with the majority and respect their rights of conscience; _  abide by the decision of the majority, and if we disagree with it and wish to change it, work for that change in ways which are consistent with these Guidelines. 10  Include our disagreement in our prayers, not praying for the triumph of our viewpoints, but seeking God’s grace to listen attentively, to speak clearly, and to remain open to the vision God holds for us all.

Adopted by the 204th General Assembly (1992) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for use by sessions and congregations 

How Methodists Ministered to Immigrants and the Social Creed of 1908: Thoughts on this Labor Day 2017

The church has always opened its heart to people that are the neediest, immigrants are among some of the most vulnerable population, often not speaking the language, lacking financial support and resources, and are easy targets of prejudice.  The methodist church is just one Christian denomination that has understood the need and the responsibility of Christians to reach out to those in need including immigrants and asylum seekers.  Many seek asylum after war, natural or economic disaster or famine has made living in their homes or traditional lands untenable.  Today, the need is greater than ever for the church to reevaluate the message of the gospel and our responsibility to those that are in need, welcoming the stranger and the alien.  The second video is a focus on the Methodist Social Creed of 1908, at a time when the industrial revolution was changing the way products were made, Christians turned their thoughts towards labor and industry.  Ending child labor as well as improving working conditions were issues that intersected with Christian faith.  Today, numerous Christian denomination have adopted social creeds many of which had their roots in the twentieth century.