“Scarcity to Abundance” (Matt 6:25-33) - Making Membership Meaningful IV -

Survival Mentality

During this Lent we explore what it means to be a member. In particular, the Methodists put emphasis on five areas of our lives to live as faithful disciples of Jesus: prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Today’s theme word is gifts. It’s a difficult topic. The following statistics show the challenging reality of the world we live in today regarding the financial situation:[1]

• 82% of people in our American culture report feeling anxious about money.
• 65% of families live paycheck to paycheck.
• 32% of families can’t cover a $5,000 emergency.
• 53% of families have less than $25,000 in retirement savings.
• 63% of families don’t pay off credit cards monthly. The average family in American culture carries in excess of $15,000 in credit card debt, not including mortgage and car payments.

In a word, many of us live in “scarcity” mindset. We live in “survival” mentality. We live in fear. Because of this, the use of money is a difficult conversation for most congregations. And there is a prevailing idea that all churches do is talk about money, even though in fact most pastors seem to avoid the topic when possible. But as for me, I firmly believe that we cannot be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ unless we learn to manage the excellent gift of money. Why? It is because the use of money is one of the most accurate barometers of our relationship with God. So it’s not a coincidence that Jesus talked about “money” besides the kingdom of God more than any other topics. We need biblical financial principles and guidelines on how to shift from a life of scarcity to a life of abundance. Where to start? How to get there? John Wesley, in his sermon “The Use of Money,” lays out three simple rules: “Gain all you can; Save all you can; and Give all you can.”

Gain, Save, Give

First, gain all you can. But there is a clearly defined condition. We ought to gain all we can “without paying more for it than it is worth.” In other words, we ought to gain all we can without hurting either ourselves or our neighbor, in soul or body. John Wesley said, “Gain all you can by honest industry: use all possible diligence in your calling. Lost no time… Never leave anything till tomorrow which you can do today. And do it as well as possible… Put your whole strength to the work… Let nothing be done by halves, or in a slight and careless manner… Do everything you have to do better today than you did yesterday… Make the best of all that is in your hands.”[2] That’s what it means to gain all you can. And that’s the very first step to live as a faithful steward and disciple of Jesus Christ.

The second step is to save all you can. John Wesley said, “Save all you can, by cutting off every expense which serves only to indulge foolish desire, to gratify either the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life. Waste nothing, living or dying, on sin or folly, whether for yourself or your children.”[3] The lifestyle Wesley was describing here we may call “frugal.” In this context, frugal is defined as “living without waste,” coming from the Latin root meaning “useful, temperate.”[4] In our everyday language, to save all we can means to create a budget and track our expense. To save all we can means to simplify our lifestyle and live below our means. To save all we can means to establish an emergency fund. To save all we can means to pay off our credit cards and use credit wisely. To save all we can means to practice long-term savings and investing habits. But if we were to stop here – gain all we can and save all we can, we would be just a miser, another Ebenezer Scrooge. We ought to gain all we can and save all we can with purpose, that is, to give all we can. This is the third simple rule.

As you see, Wesley’s rules on the use of money are progressive. Gaining all we can and saving all we can are steps in the direction of a generous life in which we give all we can. Now some of you may wonder, “If I gave all, how would I survive?” But Wesley clarified that giving all you can didn’t mean giving all you have. Rather, as a faithful and wise steward, he encouraged us to ask four questions before spending money:[5]

1. Am I acting as a steward of my Master’s good, or as an owner?
2. Am I doing this in obedience to his Word? In what Scripture does he require me so to do?
3. Can I offer up this action, this expense, as a sacrifice to God through Jesus Christ?
4. Have I reason to believe that for this very work I shall have a reward at the resurrection of the just?

This fourfold consideration is deeply grounded on the steward’s mindset: “I own nothing; Jesus owns everything.” Wesley said, “And then, Give all you can, or in other words give all you have to God. Do not stint yourself… to this or that proportion. ‘Render unto God,’ not a tenth, not a third, not half, but ‘all that is God’s.’”[6]

The Apple Story

I own nothing; Jesus owns everything. Everything belongs to him. We are stewards of God’s resources – both the natural resources and the things that we have. How can we cultivate this steward’s mindset? Our spiritual fathers practiced tithing. Abraham was the first one to give a tithe or tenth. After great victory in battle, he realized that it was God who gave him victory. So he gave back a tenth to God (Gen 14:7-24). This was a way of saying, “God, I give this to you, and it’s all yours.” Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, did the same thing. When he became a runaway, he made a covenant with God, saying, “God, if you made me come back in peace, you will be my God, and I will give you surely one-tenth to you” (28:20-22). Later, God officially instituted tithing as a spiritual discipline in Moses’ time.

The tithe is still a good spiritual discipline and guideline to help us to shift from a life of scarcity to a life of abundance. But at the same time, tithing can be a challenging idea for many of us. Pastor David Slagle uses apples to illustrate this struggle. He invites us to imagine that God has given us ten apples, which represent our wealth or income. God tells us that nine of these apples are ours to enjoy. We are to use some to care for ourselves and for our families, some to save for retirement, and some to give away to others. But the tenth apple is holy to God. Giving this apple to God first, before we consume the other nine apples, is a way for us to express praise, love, obedience, faithfulness, worship, and devotion to God. But for many of us, nine apples are not enough anymore. We think, “How can I pay bills and have all the stuff I want with just nine apples? The Lord will understand.” So we take a bite out of God’s apple. Christmas comes and we don’t have enough money, we take another bite from God’s apple. One day a medical emergency catches us by surprise. Because we didn’t set aside money in an emergency fund, we must take another bite. Buying a new car, eating out, spending on this or that – each expense takes a bite out of God’s apple. Soon all that is left is the core. So we give the core to God and say, “Here’s your portion, Lord.” God receives not our first fruits or our best gifts, but our leftovers.[7]

Contrary to popular belief, tithing is possible at virtually any income level. I know this is true from my personal experience. My first appointment was a half-time pastoral appointment - $20,000 per year with parsonage. We lived just below the poverty level for a family of four, but we gave God a tenth. Basically, we lived hand to mouth and paycheck to paycheck. It was hard. But God’s grace was always enough. Somehow God provided all that we needed. Somehow we were ok. We were blessed. The other day I sat down and did my taxes. As I was calculating my income, expenses, giving, etc., I was surprised. I realized that my family and I were able to give about 30% to God in 2018. Praise God! I am aware that it might not be possible for some of us to begin giving 10% to God right away. But I encourage you to take a step toward that direction. Tithing is a tangible sign of our desire to live wholly for God. It is a way of saying, “Lord, I put you first in my life.” If you already tithe, I encourage you not to stop there, because tithing is a floor, not a ceiling. It is a training wheel. According to God’s abundance grace, let us grow and grow. Let us give beyond the tithe. Let us be all in for God!

5 Minutes After We Die

In Luke 19, as Jesus was near Jerusalem, just before he suffered and died, he told a parable of the ten minas. If we paraphrase this parable in today’s language, it’s something like this: one day we will all stand before God. And he will do an audit of our life. Basically, he will ask the following two questions. First, “What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?” Did you receive his love, his sacrifice, his grace for you? Did you learn to love and trust him? The second question will be, “What did you do with what I gave you?” What did you do with all the gifts, talents, possessions, opportunities, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made you for?[8] Missionary C. T. Studd said, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

In his book When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box, John Ortberg says that at the end of our lives, everything goes back in the box – a box about six-and-a-half-feet long by two-feet wide, to be exact. Five minutes after we die, we’ll know exactly how we should have lived. Let us ask ourselves, “Five minutes after I die, what will I wish I would have given away while I still had the chance?” When you come up with an answer, why not give it away now?[9] In today’s passage Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us three times, “Do not worry about your life!” So let us trust Jesus. Let us seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Let us gain all we can, save all we can, and give all we can. And on the Day we will hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s joy!” Amen.

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[1] Phil Maynard, Shift: Helping Congregations back into the Game of Effective Ministry (EMC3, 2013), 115-6.

[2] Albert C. Outler and Richard P. Heitzenrater, John Wesley’s Sermon (Abingdon, 1991), 350-55.

[3] Ibid., 356.

[4] James A. Harnish, A Disciple's Path Companion Reader: Deepening Your Relationship with Christ and the Church (Abingdon, 2012), Kindle locations 1008-1009.

[5] Albert C. Outler and Richard P. Heitzenrater, 356.

[6] Ibid., 356.

[7] Adam Hamilton, Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity (Abingdon, 2009), 82-83.

[8] Paraphrase from Rick Warren’s Purpose-driven Life.

[9] Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving (LifeChange Books, 2001), Kindle Locations 882-3.

“Presence: One Person at a Time” (Hebrews 10:19-25) - Making Membership Meaningful III -

Leaving Church

Have you ever felt like you worked so hard on yourself, and it was still never enough? Barbara Brown Taylor, Episcopal priest and writer, once shared her own experience right before leaving her parish ministry in this way: “My tiredness was so deep that it had seeped into my bones. I was out more nights than I was home. No matter how many new day planners I bought, none of them told me when I had done enough. If I spent enough time at the nursing home then I neglected to return telephone calls, and if I put enough thought into the vestry meeting then I was less likely to catch mistakes in the Sunday bulletin.”[1] You may not have had the exact same experience, but somehow you would have felt a similar way. For me personally, what Barbara said does resonate with what I felt this past week. I was busy with many different things from morning till night. But when I got to the end of the day and it was a blur. I thought, “I did a lot today, but what did I do?” And there even were moments when I felt overwhelmed and was not sure where to start, what to start with. But today’s scripture revived my soul and gave me new desire, new strength to stay the course. Are you tired? Worn out? My prayer is that the God of encouragement and endurance may fill you with new hope by the power of his living Word today! 

Meet the Three-Mile-an-Hour Jesus

In fact, the background of the Book of Hebrews have something in common with ours. At that time the early church was in danger of declining, backsliding and falling apart because of severe persecution and the trials of life. Our church today too is facing trying times within and without: the church is aging, our faithful saints are passing away, the church is not replenished with younger generation, but rather it is divided over different issues. So the church is struggling. More and more people are leaving the church. So in this time of trouble where do we find hope? Today’s passage is a call to persevere. In fact, the entire of the Book of Hebrews is filled with the Word of encouragement from God. The author says, “My friends, hope in God, because we have such a great high priest, Christ Jesus… let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful” (19-23). 

So who is this high priest Jesus in whom we can put our hope? I like the way Kosuke Koyama, a Japanese theologian, put it. He says, “Jesus is our 3 mile-an-hour Savior.” Then he continues,

“Love has its speed. It is an inner speed. It is a spiritual speed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed. It goes on in the depth of our life… at three miles an hour. It is the speed we walk and therefore it is the speed the love of God walks.”[2]

While Jesus was here on earth, he always walked at 3 miles an hour. Jesus walked “slowly” because he was love. He slowed down enough to see all people – one person at a time. Jesus walked 3 miles an hour to see Samaritan woman – her pain and brokenness. Jesus walked 3 miles an hour to allow one woman suffering from a hemorrhage of blood for 12 years to touch him and be healed. Jesus walked 3 miles an hour to see Zacchaeus – his loneliness and thirst. Jesus was never in a hurry, but he was able to say on the cross: “It is finished!” (“It’s done… complete!” Jn 19:30, MSG) The ministry of Jesus was the ministry of presence. Still today, he walks at 3 miles an hour – at the speed of love. He walks with us. And he sees us. He sees our pain and fear. He hears our cry. He knows our name. We have such a high priest! So let us walk with him!

Walk at Three Miles an Hour

When we slow down and walk with Jesus, we begin to see his work – his ministry of presence – in the world. When we walk with Jesus, we begin to see how we may join him in his work. And we begin to see the people around us – one person at a time. Recently, I have learned a valuable lesson from my trip. Just before I went to my conference down in Princeton, NJ, our church started a new small group, called “Emmaus,” especially designed for new Christians and inquirers. I had been praying and preparing for that particular group for a long time and prayerfully and personally invited several candidates. And I was hoping we might have a good-sized group. But when we had a first welcome evening, only four people showed up. Out of four members, only one person was considered a new inquirer. To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed. Then, I went to Princeton, NJ to attend the conference. On my way back home my flight (Newark Liberty to Presque Isle) was almost canceled because there were not enough passengers – only seven on board. Thankfully it was not cancelled. But when I saw a pilot, I got nervous, because he looked so young and inexperienced. He seemed to just graduate from pilot school. I was also concerned if he valued my life lightly because there were only seven people on board. But, contrary to my concerns, he was very thorough, careful, skillful, professional and kind. After the flight landed safely and smoothly, I heard the Inner Voice saying, “Victor, I want you to value one soul highly and start with one person. Know him by name. Eat and drink with him. Listen to his story and tell your own. Walk with him. Walk the journey together – one person at a time.”

Once, Henri Nouwen had the opportunity to meet Mother Teresa. At that time he was struggling and overwhelmed with all kinds of social issues. As soon as they sat down, Henri Nouwen started explaining all his problems and difficulties—trying to convince her of how complicated it all was. After ten minutes of elaborate explanation, Mother Teresa looked at him quietly and said, “Well, when you spend one hour a day adoring your Lord and never do anything which you know is wrong . . . you will be fine!”[3] Here Mother Teresa was saying, “Hold fast to God and be faithful to your calling.” On another occasion she said, “I never look at the masses as my responsibility; I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time - just one, one, one. So you begin. I began - I picked up one person. Maybe if I didn't pick up that one person, I wouldn't have picked up forty-two thousand....The same thing goes for you, the same thing in your family, the same thing in your church, your community. Just begin - one, one, one.”

One Person at a Time

That’s exactly what Jesus did. Jesus started with one person. He walked at three miles an hour and saw Peter and called him, then Andrew, then James, then John – one person at a time. Jesus’ ministry was done within a radius of 100 miles. And his main mission field was Nazareth, a rural area, middle of nowhere. But his ministry to a particular people and place, as Brad Roth points out, was in fact a ministry to the world. Later, when his disciples went out to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth, Jesus came to be fully present through them among every tribe and tongue.[4] So here is the word of encouragement: our ministry to Houlton, this particular corner of the world is in fact a ministry to the world.

We are all called to the ministry of presence. Basically, everything we do “with love” is the ministry of presence. [list] If we slow down and walk at three miles an hour, we will see people who feel shut out from God’s presence. We will see people who feel they have no access to healing, hope, or new life. If we slow down and walk at three miles an hour with the three-mile-an-hour Jesus, we will experience that Christ will be fully present and extent his healing and salvation through us to those in need. So let us walk with Jesus and walk with those in need. “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (24-25, ESV). Amen.

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[1] Barbara Brown Taylor, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith (HarperCollins, 2006), 98.

[2] Kosuke Koyama, “Three Mile an Hour God,” in Three Mile an Hour God: Biblical Reflections (Orbis, 1979), 6-7.

[3] Henri J. M. Nouwen, Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994), 102.

[4] Brad Roth, God's Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church (Herald Press, 2017), Kindle Locations 997-999.

“Growing Up into Christ” (Eph 4:11-16) - Making Membership Meaningful I -

Physical Fitness and Spirituality 

Have you ever done a 5k run? My first 5k run experience was back in 2006 when I just came to the US to study my M.Div. program. At that time I hadn’t exercised in a while since my discharge from the military, but I thought a 5k run was a piece of cake. Without any training or preparation, I participated in it. Throughout the first half I was running in the leading pack, but then I already used up all my energy. Throughout the second half I had to walk and barely reached the finish line. From that experience I learned a simple truth in that I cannot expect to be fast or skilled without training for my sport. This is kind of common sense. We need exercise and training to be physically fit. This same principle applies to spirituality. We cannot expect to be spiritually fit without spiritual training.

Are You Spiritually Fit? 

How spiritually fit are you today? In order to answer this question, we need to know the standard, the goal of our spirituality. Then, it can be assessed how spiritually in shape or out of shape we are. Today’s passage clearly tells us what the goal of our spirituality is. In verse 15 Paul says, “We must grow up in every way into Christ” (Eph 4:15). Our spiritual journey is a lifelong process of conforming our minds and hearts to the mind and heart of Christ. It’s a journey to becoming more and more like Christ. But it doesn’t happen automatically. It doesn’t have to do with how long we have been a church member. Our spiritual journey to becoming Christlikeness requires intentionality – intentional effort and discipline. Dallas Willard rightly says, “To undertake the disciplines was to take our activities—our lives—seriously and to suppose that the following of Christ was at least as big a challenge as playing the violin or jogging.”[1] In this respect, physical fitness, musical practices, and spiritual disciplines have in common that they take intentionality.

Spiritual Disciplines 

But there is a crucial difference between spiritual disciplines and all the other practices and trainings. All the others are the practice of ascending; it is to achieve, acquire, master. It is to be faster, farther, and higher. But spiritual disciplines are the practice of descending. It is to be led, guided, mastered. It is to be humbler, lower, and emptier. Why? It is because being spiritually fit means a growing conformity to the mind of Christ, who humbled himself and emptied himself. In Philippians 2 Paul tells us in detail what our goal of spirituality looks like:

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross!

So our spiritual journey is the way of the cross. It is the journey from self-exalting, self-saturated, self-centered life to Christ-exalting, Christ-saturated, Christ-centered life. But our human nature doesn’t like this change. We just don’t want to take this journey – the journey of dying to self, the journey of self-denial. Not only do we not have desire, but also we don’t have power to complete this journey by ourselves. We need the supernatural power – the power of the Holy Spirit, who transforms our minds and hearts. Then, how do we invite the Holy Spirit and experience him in our spiritual journey? The answer is through spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines themselves do not transform us, but they are means of grace that create opportunities to open our hearts and minds to the Spirit who transforms. I like the way Henri Nouwen describes what spiritual discipline is and what it isn’t:[2]

Thus discipleship cannot be realized without discipline. Discipline in the spiritual life, however, has nothing to do with the discipline of athletics, academic study, or job training, in which physical fitness is achieved, new knowledge is acquired, or a new skill is mastered. The discipline of the Christian disciple is not to master anything, but rather to be mastered by the Spirit. True Christian discipline is the human effort to create the space in which the Spirit of Christ can transform us into his lineage.

Our Lenten Journey 

Lent is a perfect time to access our spiritual health – as individuals and as a church. Lent is a perfect time to ask ourselves important, hard questions: Where am I? How close am I to God or how far am I from God? How spiritually fit am I? How spiritually fit are we? In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new Christians for baptism. They were taught, guided, equipped, trained, disciplined during those 40 days. Then, on the early Easter Sunday morning they were baptized before other Christian brothers and sisters. And they were officially welcomed as a church member. And for the first time they joined the Communion. As I was praying and preparing for Lent this year, God gave me desire to follow and restore this beautiful early church tradition. During this Lent we will explore what it means to be a church member. My prayer is that all of us in this room may be taught, trained, mastered by the Holy Spirit and that we may be able to find our church membership in a meaningful way. Making membership meaningful!

For United Methodists, in our membership vows we commit ourselves to practice at least five spiritual disciplines in order to grow up in every way into Christ. Those five spiritual disciplines are prayer, presence, gifts, service and witness. This morning we will briefly explore what they are and how we may practice them during this Lent. And from next week we will explore each spiritual discipline one by one.

Prayer. The first discipline is the discipline of personal and corporate prayer. The ultimate purpose of prayer is not to change our circumstances. The ultimate purpose of prayer is to change us. Prayer leads us to the heart of God. If we take the discipline of prayer seriously, we have to start by actually setting aside a time and a place to be with God, not once in a while, but daily. During this Lent, there will be a 3-week special prayer gathering, starting from March 18 to April 5 at noon-time. I exhort us to reserve time for prayer in your calendar, so that we can say to those who want to see us at that time, “I am sorry, but I have a previous engagement.”

Presence. John Wesley said that there is no such thing as solitary Christianity. When we were “born again” in Christ, we were “born into a new family” with brothers and sisters who are given to us in God’s love. So the discipline of presence is basically to show up. Particularly, in the local church context it is to show up for corporate worship and small group community, because those are the two main places where we experience the fullness of Christ’s presence. So I commend us to commit ourselves to show up for Sunday worship service and for small groups especially during this Lent.

Gifts. Money matters. Because it tells us where our heart is, how our eyes are, and whom we serve. Generosity as spiritual discipline is essential, because it is the only antidote to greed. Generosity is intentional. It doesn’t just happen. We don’t become generous unless we plan for it. Then, where do we start? Tithing is a good place to start cultivating generosity. In his book A Disciple’s Path, James A. Harnish says, “The biblical practice of giving the first 10 percent of what we earn for God’s work in the world is a spiritual discipline that enables us to build consistent generosity into our financial lifestyle and becomes the base line or beginning point for a generous life.”[3] So I encourage us to practice tithing during this Lent, and see what happens. Tithing and giving don’t change God. They do change us.

Service. Every Christian has been given a gift. When we discover and use our gifts for the common good, we become coworkers with God. Have you discovered your gifts? How do you use them to build up the church and love others? During this Lent, let us prayerfully discern our gifts and intentionally use them, so that every member of the body may grow up together into the Head, Christ.

Witness. Life begets life. Disciples beget disciples. Evangelism comes from the root word meaning “good news.” When we see a good movie, when we have a great meal at a new restaurant, we just can’t wait to tell our friends about it. That’s evangelism – sharing good news. When was the last time you shared the good news of Jesus with others? Why don’t we pray about it, share the good news with someone we care for, and invite that person to church on Easter Sunday?

Between Trying and Training 
We are called. We are called to grow up into Christ. We are called to grow up into Christ by practicing spiritual disciplines – disciplined life of prayer and Scripture, faithful presence in worship and in community with other disciples, radical generosity in the stewardship of our financial gifts, energetic giving of our lives in service to others, and courageous witness to our friends and family.

In his book The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg makes a helpful distinction between trying and training. He says that anyone can try to run a marathon, but only those who train for it will actually accomplish it. In the same way, anyone can try to be a follower of Christ, but the only people who actually discover the life to which God has called us are those who train for it. Ortberg concludes, “Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely.”[4] As we practice our spiritual disciplines wisely during this Lent, may the Holy Spirit transform our hearts and minds, and conform them to the heart and mind of Christ, so that Christ, the Head, will be exalted and the Church, the Body, will be strengthened. Amen.

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[1] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1990), 24.
[2] Henri Nouwen, The Selfless Way of Christ: Downward Mobility and the Spiritual Life (Orbis Books, 2007), Kindle Locations 374-8.
[3] James A. Harnish, A Disciple's Path Companion Reader: Deepening Your Relationship with Christ and the Church (Abingdon Press, 2012), Kindle Locations 1083-7.
[4] Ibid., Kindle Locations 1512-6.

“Beggar to Beggar” (Revelation 9:20-21)

Walking on Troubled Waters 

This past week was a very difficult and emotional week for many of the Methodists, because there was a special General Conference held to vote on issues around human sexuality. The United Methodist Church voted to uphold our current stance on homosexuality. 2016 Book of Discipline says as follows:[1]

¶ 304.3: The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.

¶ 341.6: Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches.

Though the conference is over, regardless of the results we still see so much pains and divisions among the Methodist churches. This is not a new debate. We have seen how this issue can tear apart families, friendships, and even churches. But more than ever before, we the Methodists are now forced to think through this issue. Though it is a very challenging time, but at the same time, it can be a great opportunity for us to grow as a compassionate and courageous community. David Kinnaman, in his book unChristian, says, “When most of us engage homosexuals, we come across as arrogant, self-righteous, and uncaring – the opposite of how Jesus engaged outsiders.”[2] Whether right or wrong, this is how a new generation perceives the church today. There are many reasons why they perceive the church to be arrogant and bigoted, but the main three reasons I found are as follows:

• “Who are you to judge me?”
• “You are on the wrong side of history.”
• “We live under grace, not under law.”

#1. “Who Are You to Judge Me?” (Moral Aspect)

Many people see the church as judgmental, homophobic, and filled with hypocrites, and say, “Who are you to judge me? How can a bunch of hypocrites cast the first stone?” It is right. The church is filled with hypocrites. I am a hypocrite. Last Sunday during the Passing the Peace time I suggested to bow instead of shaking hands. But after service, at the back door I shook hands while greeting church family. And one member said, “Victor, you are a walking contradiction!” He was right! If we think about the Corinthian church, they had a serious sin problem – sexual immorality, divorce, division, and so on. Yes, the church is full of sinners. But that doesn’t mean that we should be silent. The truth still stands. The truth that God has a plan for human sexuality still stands – one man, one woman, a lifetime covenant of marriage (Gen 2:24; 1 Cor 7).

Paul exhorts the Corinthian Christians in this way:

“You know that wicked people will not inherit the kingdom of God, don't you? Stop deceiving yourselves! Sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunks, slanderers, and robbers will not inherit the kingdom of God. That is what some of you were! But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:9-11).

So how can we hypocrites be washed, justified, and sanctified? In the name of Jesus! How can homosexuals be washed and qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom? In the name of Jesus! Jesus is our hope. Only Jesus can save wretch like me. Jesus saves sinners – the sexually proud and the sexually impure. We all need Jesus. As humbled hypocrites and forgiven sinners, we have a story to tell: “There is a forgiveness of sins for all who repent. There is no one who is beyond the redemption of Jesus!”

#2. “You Are on the Wrong Side of History” (Historical Aspect)
Another common objection to traditional stance on homosexuality is this: “You are on the wrong side of history.” In the Bible we find some verses that seem to endorse slavery and be oppressive to women. But now, after more careful study of the Bible on these matters, we know that the opposite is true. So our question is, “Is homosexuality a similar issue? Is it time for a reformation?” It is true that some Scripture verses were used to endorse slavery and the oppression of women. But it is also true that the Bible itself was a chief reason for the abolition of slavery and the extension of women’s rights. For instance, Galatians 3:28 (“There is no longer slave or free… for all of you are one in Christ Jesus”) and Paul’s letter to Philemon, a slave owner, in order to exhort him to treat his slave, Onesimus, as a brother. And as we know, history tells us that abolitionists and civil right leaders such as William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. opposed racism and slavery “not in spite of their belief in the Bible, but because of it.”[3] Regarding the matter of women’s equality, we also hear scriptural counter-voice to elevate the dignity of women, especially based on how Jesus treated women. But no such counter-voice can be found in the Bible that suggests a favorable view of homosexuality.

#3. “We Live under Grace, not under Law” (Biblical Aspect)
Probably you heard some people say this before: “We live under grace, not under law.” The Bible says homosexual practice is a sin (ex. Leviticus 18:22, 20:13). But revisionists would say, “They’re in Leviticus, a part of the Bible that doesn’t apply anymore.” The argument goes like this: Clearly we live as if parts of the Old Testament, that is, the Holiness Code, no longer matter. We mix our linens and wools. We eat bacon. We don’t wear tassels on our coats. Are the bacon-eating Christians who use passages in Leviticus to condemn homosexual practice acting like total hypocrites? We need to pick: Either we follow it all, or we ignore it all.[4] So they reach the conclusion that because these passages against homosexuality are part of the Holiness Code, they are irrelevant to the discussion. It’s a convincing argument. However, when we interpret Scripture, when we read the Holiness Code passages, we need remember that some of the commandments in the Holiness Code no longer apply, such as dietary restrictions or clothing regulations. It’s called “ceremonial law.” But at the same time, some are equally timeless and applicable today. It’s called “moral law.” For instance, in the immediate context of these two verses, things like incest and bestiality, along with homosexual practice, are specifically condemned. Still today, we consider these sexual activities sinful.

Not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Paul teaches about sexual purity from the Levitical Law (ex. Rom 1:32, 1 Cor 6:9-10). Most importantly, when diagnosing sexual sin, Jesus always points back to God’s design plan (ex. Matt 19:1-12) – one man, one woman, a lifetime covenant. It’s not true that the Bible hardly ever mentions homosexuality. The Bible does say homosexual activity is a sin.

Beggar to Beggar 

But if we the church only proclaim this truth, we are just “truth” people, who dispense facts without love. We need to grow as “true love” people, who speak the truth in love and lay down our lives for those struggling in darkness. Today’s passage, Revelation 9, is a call to repentance – for all of us. If we have any sign of self-righteous, arrogant, judgmental, homophobic attitude, let us repent. If we attempt to rewrite the Bible or use the Bible to justify our agenda, let us repent.

As I close, I have three practical applications:

• Befriend. We ask, “Who is my neighbor?” But Jesus says, “Be a good neighbor.” We are called to be a good neighbor, especially to those in need and marginalized. We are called to be a good neighbor and do good to LGBT neighbors. So I encourage you to reach out to at least one gay person, and befriend that person without any agenda and do good to that person.
• Acknowledge. Let us acknowledge the good that our LGBT neighbors do. We know the world can be cruel to those who are different. We hear the news how LGBT students go through bullying, hateful speech, and violence at school. Often LGBT community stands up against those injustices. We ought to acknowledge their good work and join them in helping end this cruelty.
• Build Community. Let us build community as deep as family. What if our church became the first place, rather than the last place, for LGBT neighbors looking for friendship and spiritual home? This is exactly what God intends the church to be.

As we practice, let us always remember we too are a “beggar.” As a beggar, we tell another beggar where to find bread. It’s beggar to beggar. So let us be humble and compassionate. Let us do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God always. Amen.

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[1] “What is the denomination’s position on homosexuality?” http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-is-the-denominations-position-on-homosexuality
[2] David Kinnaman, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity . . . and Why It Matters (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 93.
[3] Scott Sauls, Jesus Outside the Lines: A Way Forward for Those who Are Tired of Taking Sides (Tyndale, 2015), 140-42.
[4] Adam T. Barr & Ron Citlau, Compassion without Compromise (Bethany House Publishers, 2014), 68. 



Bibliography 
Barr, Adam T. & Citlau, Ron, Compassion without Compromise. Bethany House Publishers. 2014.

DeYoung, Kevin. What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? Crossway. 2015.

Sauls, Scott. Jesus Outside the Lines: A Way Forward for Those who Are Tired of Taking Sides. Tyndale. 2015. (esp. “Chapter 8: Chastity or Sexual Freedom?”)