Christian Purity...along the Way to Christian Perfection

A good friend of mine challenged me to write about Christian Purity. My initial response was that I’m not qualified! But some closer examination of scripture and the writings of John Wesley are very illuminating.

While much has been made about Wesley’s Aldersgate conversion, the leading up to it hasn’t always been given as much press. Wesley struggled even in his own calling as a priest, and once recorded in his journal:

“I went to America to convert the Indians; but O! who shall convert me? Who, what is he that shall deliver me from this evil heart of unbelief? I have a fair summer religion. I can talk well; nay, and believe myself while no danger is near; but let death look me in the face, and my spirit is troubled. Nor can I say, ‘To die is gain.’ … I show my faith by my works by staking my all upon it . . . O who will deliver me from this fear of death?”- Journal, January 24, 1738

Yet Wesley also placed a high value on “a clean heart, a single eye, a soul full of God! A fair exchange, if by loss of reputation we can purchase the lowest degree of purity of heart!” These were things he embraced and believed despite the fact that it cost him earnings, friends, and reputation as a “proper” Anglican priest. When Wesley began his work evangelizing the lost and forgotten in society, I think he worked out his struggle.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. – Philippians 2:12

Paul was addressing the converted, that their journey was far from over. That leads me to believe that Christian purity, just like our salvation, is something we’re always working on. And if we consider what John Wesley said about Christian holiness (“wholeness and perfection of the soul”), I think all of our Christian experience is a process of growth and cleansing, with our souls moving toward the likeness of Christ.

Pax,
Sky+

Am I Supposed to Take This Seriously?

Two things I want someone to confirm for me:

Is this for real? (click here) "Hannidate - The place where people of like conservative minds can come together to meet. Whether you are looking for a life partner, or just someone to hang out with, here you'll be able to find exactly who you are looking for, locally or around the world."

Sean Hannity is running an online dating service? Surely not.


2. Al Franken, a/k/a Stuart Smalley, is considering running for senator of Minnesota?




These guys are good entertainers... but an online dating specialist and senator?

I guess the daters and voters will decide.

The Future of Episcopacy in the UMC – Part 2

It’s been said that among the many oxymorons (such as military intelligence, friendly fire, plastic silverware, Microsoft Works) that one should be added to the list: United Methodist. It is quite evident that as a denomination, we are not united.

Could it be that the way we elect bishops is partially to blame? Is the way that we elect bishops truly representative of the whole Church, or do we elect regional leaders that fit the political and social demographic of an area? I think in reality we do the latter, and the problem with that is that we then become a denomination of regions, rather than a united denomination. If we were like the Southern Baptists, where every congregation is autonomous, that would make sense. But at least in theory, our Book of Discipline says that we are a covenant Church. Moreover, our baptismal theology states that our membership exists at three levels; (1) the Church Catholic, (2) the United Methodist Church, and (3) the local congregation or parish. That means – in theory – that a United Methodist in Alabama should feel somewhat at home at a United Methodist Church in Washington state (and vice versa). Moreover, children going through a confirmation class should be taught similarly and come away with the same “method” of Methodism. Again, at least in theory.

We know that practice tells a quite different story.

What would happen if we elected bishops at General Conference instead of at Jurisdictional Conferences? Before someone says “we’ve never done it that way before,” it actually WAS done that way for many years, and jurisdictions are a relatively new invention. The change that created jurisdictions was primarily born of racism… and we ought to be ashamed that we still have such barriers up in a truly United Methodist Church.

One of the first things I learned in a polity class in seminary was that when we elect a bishop, we elect someone to the general superintendency of the whole Church. But in reality, we really don’t. To quote Richey and Frank in their book Episcopacy in the Methodist Tradition:

…[I]f bishops are elected in a region, and if their “residential and presidential supervision” is restricted to that region only, in what sense can the Church maintain the myth that bishops are general superintendents or bishops of the whole Church?… [T]heir primary responsibilities lie in the region in which they were elected. (p. 108)

It seems to me that one of the ways to restore unity in United Methodism would be to elect bishops at General Conference. Why? The same people who are shaping legislative and doctrinal policy, mandating missions, and discerning spiritual, liturgical, and sacramental actions in our denomination would be electing people that they believe would best shepherd the church in such a context. Richey and Frank believe that such a change would grant the Council of Bishops more episcopal oversight over the whole connection, as they would be a more representative of it as a whole.

It may be that the reason we don't want bishops to have too much oversight is because, regionally, we don't seem to fully trust them as a Council! We might trust "our" bishops ("our" meaning "from our jurisdiction"), but we are reticent to fully trust them collectively. The recent skirmish between the Council of Bishops and the Judicial Council more resembles our U.S. government than a covenant Church.

Jurisdictional conferences tend to “elect their own kind,” and my own Southeastern Jurisdiction is as guilty as anyone in this regard. Such a concept may be in keeping with a United States caught up in the religion of individualism, but it seems antithetical to a United Methodist Church that is supposed to be bound in covenant.

Pax,
Sky+

Related blogs here and here.

Forgiving in Order to Love

There is a chapter in Roberta Bondi’s book To Pray and to Love that has always grabbed my attention (Roberta was my Christian History and Theology professor in seminary). The chapter is entitled “Our Life and Death Is with Our Neighbor.” She makes the very bold comment that wanting another’s well-being is not necessarily wanting what he or she wants; it is wanting to be able to live in the love God created us for.

Her book reminded me of something that happened in Atlanta while I was in seminary. A brutal murder took place by a MARTA train station; four teenagers tried to steal a man’s car as he waited for his wife to get off the train from work. He resisted and the boys shot and killed him. It was a black-on-black crime, and it outraged the city. Three of the boys admitted their part in the crime, and testified against the fourth, who was the boy that actually shot the man. Despite the testimony of the three boys and several other witnesses, the boy who pulled the trigger never admitted his guilt. At the sentencing, the judge gave the widowed woman an opportunity to address all the boys. She had nothing to say to the gunman. She said this to the other three:

"I’d like to say it takes a lot of courage to admit your guilt… [my husband] cannot be brought back to life,” she told them in calm, reassuring tones. But the killing, she said, “doesn’t have to be a stumbling block for the rest of your lives. I challenge you to rise above this, to realize that God loves you and you are somebody. You can be better. I bear no ill will toward you. Your life can make a difference. We’re losing our young, black men every day… For your sake, for your mother’s sake, make a difference. That’s what I challenge you to do.” – Atlanta Constitution, July 18, 1990.

The three boys received a light sentence. The gunman drew a lengthy sentence. The widow wanted these three boys to rise above the murder, become good men, and join the community of faith.

It doesn’t mean that Christians are suckers – and “repeat offenders” of any sin or crime need to be dealt with accordingly for the sake of community. But in order for us to love, we have to be willing to forgive. So many of us carry around hurts that are a result of our being unable to forgive: injuries that parents or adults inflicted upon us, injuries from former marriages, injuries from children, wounds from strangers, wounds from loved ones.

How do we do it? We pray for their well-being – not for what they want, but for what they need. That prayer not only benefits those whom we need to forgive – it needs to be our prayer, too. In the words of Jesus, son of Joseph: “Father, forgive them… they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Pax,
Sky+

Ministry of Hospitality

"Distributing to the necessity of the saints; given to hospitality..." - Romans 12:13

Monday night at the Worship Committee meeting, we discussed and identified strategies in greeting visitors who come to our church. As I did some research in this area, I stumbled upon this except from a recently retired UM pastor, Rodney E. Wilmoth, who visited several churches upon his retirement and found ALL of them wanting in regards to greeting visitors. Here is an excerpt of what he said:

For 47 years, as a United Methodist pastor, I worshipped where I was appointed. Now retired, my wife and I are shopping for a church. We have found that many congregations must be more proactive when welcoming visitors…Churches could ask, “Are there opportunities we are missing in welcoming visitors?” Or, “Would we do things differently if we knew some first-time visitors would be coming?”

Here are four tips for congregations cultivating their ministry of hospitality:

1. Develop an intentional ministry of welcoming visitors.
2. Develop a specific plan for what to do with the visitors.
3. Seek suggestions from people who recently visited the church and then joined.
4. Help members and regular attendees understand how important it is for them to greet people.

A church that takes seriously the ministry of welcoming visitors will grow, because visitors will say, “That’s a friendly church! I think I’ll go back there next week.”

We need people who will serve as church hosts and hostesses. We need some folks who will put together visitor bags. Our church needs to develop a brochure that includes Sunday School information for each class. Our bulletin format will be changing to something more “user friendly.” And we need everyone to be pro-active in their greeting of visitors: making them feel welcome, asking them if their small children might be more comfortable in the nursery or attending Church in the Yard, etc. Just as we would make visitors in our own homes feel comfortable, we should do likewise for visitors in our church – God’s house.

This is not a job for the evangelism committee; it’s a job for all members of our church! Just think of how much our church has been a blessing to us – let’s share the blessing! As Jesus reminds us: the way we greet strangers is a measure of the way we would greet Him.

Jesus may be at church on Sunday – in the form of a stranger. How will you greet Him?

Pax,
Sky+

Family Reunions and the Family of God

Family is the first social unit for developing the qualities of the heart. A true family grows and moves through life together, inseparable in the heart. Whether a biological family or an extended family of people attracted to each other based on heart resonance and mutual support, the word "family" implies warmth, a place where the core feelings of the heart are nurtured. Family values represent the core values and guidelines that parents and family members hold in high regard for the well-being of the family. Sincere family feelings are core heart feelings. They are the basis for true family values. While we have differences, we remain "family" by virtue of our heart connection. Family provides necessary security and support, and acts as a buffer against external problems. A family made up of secure people generates a magnetic power that can get things done. They are the hope for real security in a stressful world. - Doc Childre and Howard Martin, The HeartMath Solution

Our annual conference policy says that with my number of years of service I’m entitled to three weeks vacation plus professional development and continuing ed. time off. I’ve never been able to see how to practically work all that in.

But one thing I am realizing more and more – spending time with family is not just vacation time; it’s blessed time. Everything said in both Testaments points toward the fact that the way we view and live out our family life has a direct impact and witness on how we live out our faith.

What haunts me is this question: is my witness of time spent with my family a good one? If it haunts me… I suspect it haunts many. If we’re too busy for what God and others have considered to be primary and formative in our lives, it may be that our faith and the life of the Church will suffer.

I’m at the McCracken family reunion today – in Bourbon County, Kansas - and going to try to place faith in practice. The last reunion I went to was when I was just a tiny boy. My cousin Mark was in the Navy. Now I’m 41, and Mark is 60. His sister just had bypass surgery. How have we let all this time get away from us?

Perhaps we should all challenge each other about spending more time with family, and by doing so create a better family of God in the Body of Christ. By His blood, we are all made brothers and sisters.

Pax,
Sky+

The Social Gospel of Christ – and Our Place In It

The Gospel of Christ knows no religion but social, no holiness but social holiness…You cannot be holy except as you are engaged in making the world a better place. You do not become holy by keeping yourself pure and clean from the world but by plunging into ministry on behalf of the world's hurting ones. – John Wesley, 1739

Our world is guilty of a lot of perversions, but in my opinion one of the worst today is the emphasis we have placed upon personal evangelism with little regard for any social emphasis. Salvation is far more than personal and individual; it is communal and corporate. Jesus didn’t tell us to do what he said, be saved, and keep it to yourself. Nor did he say “It’s all about you and me.” He told the disciples (plural), “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." The Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… and teaching them…”

That’s what Wesley meant by social religion – it’s not just individualistic, and it’s not just personal; it’s a both/and, not an either/or: “You do not become holy by keeping yourself pure and clean from the world.” It’s quite obvious that Wesley believed as Christ did that we are supposed to be in the world while not becoming of the world.

Last Wednesday night, one of our church members made a profound statement: I asked the question, “What is our answer to the question, ‘Are you saved?’” Without expecting it, the answer that came out? “I’m working on it!” It was a great answer.

In fact, isn’t it the perfect answer?! Salvation is personal AND social, if Jesus is Lord of all. Can we serve Jesus if we don’t show love and concern to others? Christianity HAS to be a social religion; if it’s not we’re not practicing Christianity, and our salvation may be in question. In fact, it moves us to the next obvious question: when is our salvation complete?

If we love God with our whole hearts, and we love our neighbors as ourselves, that will mean we are involved and engaged in the culture we live in – always and forever. It means we sponsor (and participate in) blood drives at our church, and a thousand other things we do or haven’t even thought about. By these and so many other ways we witness for Christ. It means that all of the acts of piety and holiness that John Wesley spoke of are ESSENTIAL for us in working out our salvation. “Faith without works is dead,” (James 2.17).

Maybe we ought to get to work on it!

Pax,
Sky+

Getting Old Ain’t So Bad

My father tells me that, given the alternative, getting old isn’t so bad. As I get older, I find that I resemble that remark.

Earlier this week, I gathered with several folks that I worked with twenty summers ago (1986!) at Lakeshore United Methodist Assembly, our annual conference’s camp, conference, and retreat center. Twenty years ago, I weighed 118 pounds. Tom had hair. All of Sheila’s hair was the same color.

Four out of our six were able to attend. A lot has changed since then (except for Kathy – who we believe has made some sort of pact with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named). I now weigh 200 pounds. Tom’s hair is thin. We buried Don several years ago. Gina’s had three kids, so if nothing else her personality and disposition has probably undergone changes.

But getting old really isn’t that bad. When we worked that summer of 1986, there were six people on summer staff. Now, in 2006, there is over five times that many! Progress is a good thing; Lakeshore has grown in its mission and ministry: making more disciples.

Age is really a good thing – and it’s been a blessing in our tradition of faith for longer than just 20 years:

Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I’ve settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God’s way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him... Abraham lived 175 years. Then he took his final breath. He died happy at a ripe old age, full of years, and was buried with his family. - Genesis 18.18-19, 25.7-8

I think about all the changes that have been made in people who have walked the grounds of that camp: how their lives have changed, how their faith has been shaped, how their souls have been healed, and how their God-given gifts have been realized. God, being the skilled potter he is, takes us in the shape that we are and transforms us. Abused kids know that a good and caring Father loves them and claims them. Neglected kids know that there is a God who listens when they cry out and when they pray, who walks by their side. And in a camp that becomes a sanctuary to many, everyone who enters knows that they are safe, they are loved, and they are claimed. Hopefully, they leave to go into the world to be transformers, witnesses, and peacemakers.


Some things stay the same: the lake looks the same, some of the old cabins are still there. I still tell too many stories, Tom’s memory and enthusiasm is still strong, Kathy’s gentle strength is still inspiring, and Sheila’s laugh and beautiful smile is still infectious. I suspect Gina is still as gorgeous as ever, and if Don was still alive I imagine he would be shooting basketball with the best ballplayers in the camp – and still winning a few games with his unblockable hook shot. Don's final breath wasn't at a ripe old age, but I find comfort in knowing that he is with family among the communion of the saints. I'm glad to have him rooting for us.

Whether some things remain the same, or things undergo change, getting old ain’t too bad if we allow God to work through us. God isn’t finished with us yet; we have a lot to learn… and a lot to teach.

Pax,
Sky+

Joy, Salvation, Peace

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
And take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
And uphold me with a willing spirit. – Ps. 51:10-12

It occurs to me that, like most folks, I’m usually more ready to share my burdens than to lift up my joys. So I’m going to remedy that today.

It’s been a great two weeks; I saw old friends at Annual Conference, I spent Friday and Saturday with my father, I got to baptize a baby on Sunday, and I saw very old and good friends on Monday. My wife and daughter are spending a week with family – and family time is always good time.

My father and I rode around the beautiful hills of the Shawnee Forest on Saturday; I had no idea that such beautiful countryside was but an hour's drive away. What a marvelous piece of God's creation!

The bishop fixed the pastoral appointments for 2006-07… and my name is next to “Reidland” for another year. That’s good to me, and I hope it’s good to you.

Do we ever really realize how blessed we are… and how we’re blessed to be a blessing? That should make the “seed scattering” of Sunday’s Gospel reading a whole lot more joyful. Too often Christianity is portrayed as rules and regulations. Why can’t we make it an invitation to live a life more joyful and meaningful? That certainly seemed to be the intention of Christ.

Don’t keep your joy to yourself. There’s a world that desperately needs to hear it.

Pax,
Sky+

Memphis Annual Conference

This is my view of the Memphis Annual Conference at the Luther Carson Four Rivers Center in Paducah, KY - a beautiful venue in our fair city.

I serve as one of the conference secretaries, and those in the foreground of the picture are the conference secretary, bishop, administrative assistant, and conference lay leader.

The object behind the bishop is a crozier. But around these parts of Kentucky, we call it a stick.

Pax,
Sky+

You can see the latest conference procedings here.

Methodists and Their Meetings

Not quite a year ago, columnist David Waters of the Memphis Commercial Appeal wrote the following:

It's June, the time each year when Methodists young and old, black and white, liberal and conservative, clergy and lay, get together to form the mother of all church committees: The annual conference.

John Wesley, the first Methodist, saw regular "Christian conferencing" as a means of grace, not quite a sacrament but much more than a reason to pour coffee and practice Robert's Rules of Order. "Wesley considered such conferences as indispensable means of discerning God's will and sharing in God's mission in the world," Bishop Kenneth Carder wrote in "Living Our Beliefs."

Not everyone who attends the annual conference would describe it that way. In fact, some Methodists think the denomination has become way too methodical for its own good. United Methodists spend about 31.3 million hours in committee meetings each year, the Rev. John Robert McFarland wrote in the latest issue of Zion's Herald.

"What would happen," McFarland asked, "if those 31.3 million hours were invested in personal evangelism? Or as (juvenile court) volunteers? Or at food banks or soup kitchens or homeless shelters? Or in Habitat for Humanity? Or reading the Bible to children?"

McFarland has a point, but Methodists aren't the only church folks who spend too many hours in meetings. Fortunately, Wesley and others had a remedy for meaningless meetings, something that reminds church people what and for whom they are gathering. - Commercial Appeal, June 15, 2005

The remedy Waters was talking about was Holy Communion, the Eucharist. We Methodists see it as a means of grace. "The sharing and bonding experienced at (Communion) exemplify the nature of the church and model the world as God would have it be," it says in "This Holy Mystery," the United Methodist Church's official statement on Holy Communion, which one of our Sunday School classes is currently studying.

Wesley recommended "constant communion,” and communed four or five times a week. But we’ve gotten lazy. "The grace we receive at the Lord's Table enables us to perform our ministry and mission, to continue his work in the world - the work of redemption, reconciliation, peace and justice," the 2004 statement explains.

That’s a meeting I wouldn’t mind attending. Often.

Pax,
Sky+

The Future of Episcopacy in the UMC: Is There One?

When I was a reserve delegate to the UMC’s General Conference in 2004, there were two things I remember about Sandra Lackore’s report to the General Conference (she is the treasurer of the General Council of Finance & Administration). The first was that the United Methodist Church has an infrastructure it can no longer afford. The second one was that the Episcopal Fund was drying up, and that each jurisdiction needed to drop one bishop. Well, no jurisdiction did what was suggested. Expenses for bishops far exceeded projections, mainly because of health care benefits. We were warned that NOT reducing the number of bishops would result in a 30% increase in 2008. This is on top of a $15 million unfunded liability. Apportionment income dropped from 94% in 2000 to 90.2% in 2003. This does NOT paint a pretty picture. (source: gcfa.org)

Let me be the first to say that the job of bishops and district superintendents is a thankless and difficult one. Having said that, I was asked by a church member once, “What does a bishop do?” I told them the traditional role of a bishop was to baptize and anoint with oil, and to shepherd the flock. When asked if they do that now, I had to tell them, “Not very often.” Today, bishops function largely in an administrative role. I found this report by Bishop Peter Weaver:

So, what does a Bishop do? My report for 2001 shows the following: 101 churches visited; 56 days spent in cabinet meetings and over 175 changes in appointments made; 40 days in general church meetings; 22 days in college or council of bishops’ meetings; 33 annual conference meetings; 16 days for annual conference sessions; 11 district days; 28 special clergy events; 18 special laity events; 19 meetings with conference-related institutions; 14 ecumenical events; 22 meetings with community leaders; the equivalent of 57 days driving (averaging 50 mph for 8 hours a day) going to churches and gatherings in our Conferences (22,723 miles). Additionally, there have been scores of appointments kept and hundreds of letters sent. - "So What Does a Bishop Do?" by Bishop Peter D. Weaver

Bishops evidently have to "meet" a lot.

Are they leaders? Some have observed, most notably Lyle Schaller, that we’re not really sure if we want our bishops to be leaders. In the case of my conference, we share a bishop with another annual conference – a huge responsibility. Can we honestly ask our bishop to be responsible for everything that does or doesn’t happen, good or bad? Can we honestly hold our bishop responsible for the decline in membership of the annual conference I serve?

What about the UMC bishops in general? Schaller’s rather rude response (his words, not mine) is that if the Roman Catholic Church can’t hold its bishops responsible for cover-ups of sexual abuse amongst their priests, how in the heck can the United Methodist Church hold its bishops responsible for membership loss, the loss of doctrinal integrity, or the loss of denominational identity? It’s a good point. The ongoing skirmish between the Council of Bishops and the Judicial Council and the smaller skirmishes in recent years within the Council of Bishops give some cause for concern. Who's watching the store? Is this leadership, or just a power skirmish?

Add to all of this our country’s own individualism and distrust of central authority, and I think the UMC may face a very real crisis (one of many, I suspect). If people

are unclear about the role of the episcopacy

see no sense of unity in a denomination that is (at least in theory) bound in covenant by a Book of Discipline that the bishops are supposed to observe and use in their oversight over those they shepherd, and

realize that we’re running out of money to support the episcopacy,

… we may find that we don’t really need bishops.

Before you accuse me of being a heretic, know that the British Methodists have gotten along without bishops all these years. John Wesley was not at all happy with Francis Asbury calling himself a bishop, and we credit Wesley with birthing Methodism!

I actually don’t think we need to get rid of bishops. But the present role is far from effective or even traditional. Electing bishops at Jurisdictional Conferences doesn’t really represent the whole Church – and considering that jurisdictions were born of racism is a painful reminder of where we ought not to be in this day and age. I think we should elect them at General Conference.

The roles of bishop and district superintendent are in desperate need of an overhaul. To be honest, in practice, our bishops are really archbishops, and our D.S.'s are bishops - there's no way that you can really "bish" 100,000+ folks and be effective at it. An excellent book on all of these matters is Episcopacy in the Methodist Tradition, by Richey and Frank.

It would make sense to do the overhaul rather quickly, before we find that we simply can’t afford the episcopacy anymore.

Pax,
Sky+

Black & White vs. Messy & Gray

I’m having lunch today with a hometown acquaintance to talk about the Robert Glen Coe case; he is writing about it. Robert Glen Coe was the first person in Tennessee to be executed in 40-some years back in April of 2000. It was very early in the morning of April 19th, as a matter of fact. I was there.

The case touched me in many ways. I was a freshman in high school when he kidnapped, raped, and murdered a little girl, Carrie Ann Medlin, who lived in the same county as I did. I heard about it at school, came home mad, and for the first time in my life used profanity in front of my mother: “They ought to find a tree and hang the [S.O.B.]” Instead of scolding me, she simply replied, “Is that the response of a Christian?” Ouch.

My opportunity for redemption came over 20 years later, when I served as pastor for the family of Robert Glen Coe during his many stays of execution and, finally, on that foggy cool morning when his life was ended. I’ve been with a lot of families when they have lost a loved one… but I’ve never been with a family while they sat and waited for their loved one to be intentionally put to death. It was, in a word, horrific. This wasn’t covered in pastoral care classes in seminary. It was a long ride home back with his two sisters that morning.

Don’t mishear me – murder is wrong. When I was on the county rescue squad later in life, I saw the murder scene pictures. They were awful. I know of no crime more horrific than what Coe was convicted of. But when asked about the death penalty, Jesus was fairly clear about what he thought about the matter. And God makes it clear that vengeance is His, not ours.

A lot of Christians are of the opinion that abortion is wrong; it’s a premeditated murder. I find myself agreeing with that. It is interesting to note that on Robert Glen Coe’s death certificate, the cause of death is “Homicide.” In short – capital punishment is a premeditated murder. I’m not sure Christians have any business being in the premeditated murder business.

There is no doubt that both of these issues are emotionally charged. If it had been my daughter who had been murdered, would I want revenge? Quite possibly. And if my wife’s life were possibly in danger because of the child she was carrying, would I want abortion to be a consideration? I imagine so. It may be that when our faith is thwarted by our passion, that’s when we need God and the Church the most to keep us honest.

These issues certainly fall into the messy and "gray." However, God can handle the messy and gray. More importantly, Jesus gives us the model to be with those who are in the midst of the messy and gray: that’s when people need us – and Jesus – the most.

Pax,
Sky+