Bullies Beware!

Middle School (Junior High when I went through) was the most abusive 3 years of my life. Comparatively speaking my experience pales when you consider the kind of literal torture some kids around the world grow up around. Nonetheless, I was a skinny kid whose ears stuck out and washed his hair every other day (still am except for the hair!). And I was an easy target for bigger kids to pick on and laugh at.

The middle school boys in my church remind me of those times, and make me aware that it isn't just the skinny kids who get bullied. It's every kid. For that matter, every kid becomes the bully at some point too. The tortured become the torturers in an effort to survive, preserve power or something like that. Maybe it's our culture's story of "survival of the fittest." I don't know.

What I do know is that it hurts particularly to see Christians bullying other Christians. I've struggled to know what to do about this. I've appealed to "love one another." "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." "Forgive them for they know not what they do." "Run away." "Consider the consequences." "Stand up for each other." I may have been more successful convincing a rattle snake not to bite.

The most promising story I have heard in a long time came from a 3rd grade boy named Roy who was in class one day as the teacher asked kids to pair up with another student for reading. The class quickly paired up until there was one kid left. This was the kid who was known for not only hurting other kids, but physically lashing out at the teacher at times. As this boy began to realize no one was picking him to be his reading partner he began to get irritated and loud. Then Roy stood up and said, "I'll be your partner."

What gave Roy the capacity to utter those four words?

I still need to get Roy's answer. But here's my observation. Maybe Roy has learned to take for granted that he is a part of the Body of Christ, and that is just the kind of obvious thing that Christ's Body would say. Roy knows that he is part of the Body of Christ through his participation in Christ's Body, the church, and through participating in the Body of Christ during the Lord's Supper.

He's able to say, "I'll be your partner" to a bully because he knows that through sharing the bread and cup at the Lord's table, God has already made him partners with Jesus and all those whom Jesus loves. He might just as easily have said, "I'm already your partner."

I don't think we can learn that kind of stuff apart from the worship habits of the church. Mainly because our culture's habits teach us that it's "Every person for themselves, unless they've been nice to you and you're feeling particularly generous that day." As we practice the grace of the Lord's Supper, so we develop the capacity to deal with the bully as Christ's Body - be they in us or in another.

So to make a long story short, my middle school boys and I are going to be breaking bread and sharing the cup a lot more on Sunday nights. Bullies beware!

The Most Powerful Thing in the World

What is the most powerful thing in the world?

Our answer to this question is telling about the practices that have formed us. Sam Wells, dean of the chapel at Duke, talks about what we have learned to take for granted. Our answer to this question reveals "what we have learned to take for granted."

The fact that I would answer "the US military" or "a nuclear weapon" tells you what I've learned to take for granted. I'll admit that I haven't been up close and personal with either of those two things, but based on the conversation that permeates the news media and civic events that I encounter, that's the answer I'd give.

But of course, there's the small fact that my answer has no basis for truth whatsoever according to Christian theology. A humbling fact given that I am a "professional Christian!" According to what I learn from Christian practice is that "the cross and resurrection of Jesus" is the most powerful thing in the world. As yet, the US military and nuclear weapons have not brought new creation out of death.

John Howard Yoder said The cross and resurrection of Jesus is "The grain of the universe." What he means is that it is the way things are, the truth about the world.

In a discussion on Yoder's book "The Politics of Jesus" that I attended last evening with Sam Wells, dean of the chapel at Duke University, this comment was made.

"The most powerful thing in the world is the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Christians don't mess with weapons, not because they are bad and hurt people, but because they are not powerful enough when we have something as powerful as the cross and resurrection of Jesus."

This Jesus isn't just my pal who talks God into forgiving my sin and letting me sit on clouds forever after I die. This Jesus shows me stuff I didn't know was true before I met him. This Jesus brings new ways of seeing the world. This Jesus brings about a whole new creation. This Jesus shows us what true power really is. This Jesus will get you killed. But is that any match for the power of His cross and resurrection? He lives!

Growing in Grace

A major part of the Wesleyan heritage (so named for Rev. John Wesley 18th century Anglican priest) of United Methodists is the theme of "gradual growth in holiness." I like to use this language: "We are becoming the people God has created us to be." The theme developed among the early Methodists because of their deep conviction that salvation was more than intellectual ascent to the work that Jesus had completed on behalf of humanity.

For the Methodists, salvation included our acceptance of Jesus' work on our behalf - the pardon of our sin (Justifying grace), and our participation with God in the on going work of restoring the likeness or image of God within us (sanctifying grace). Wesley scholar, Dr. Albert Outler said it nicely, "Wesley's characteristic emphasis was that we are pardoned in order to participate."

While salvation is something for which we are entirely dependent upon God, God's work on our behalf is for the purpose of restoring our capacity to love what God loves. So there is naturally something we do to participate with God in his saving work on our behalf. This is "Growing in Grace."

Here are some of the practices that put us in a position where we can receive the Spirit of God and grow in grace. Participating in corporate worship where we sing our faith, confess our sin, hear the word of God proclaimed, offer ourselves to God, give thanks at the Lord's Supper, share the peace and fellowship of Christ and are sent out by God's Spirit to love and serve our neighbor. Communal Support from other sisters and brothers in Christ so that we can remind one another what it that we believe, hold one another accountable to a life of love, build each other up in order to sustain joy in our journey of faith. Study of Scripture in order to recall who God is, who we are and who God calls us to be. Works of Mercy which cover a range of possible contributions to the welfare of others such as clothing and shelter, to health care and education, to basic friendship.

I hope as you read about these practices you will recall how they have been used by God to help you "Grow in Grace." Practice, practice, practice!

A Visual Idea

What is the Sunday School definition of Grace? I've heard "what you say before meals." "A girl's name." And "the unconditional love of God revealed through Jesus Christ." That last one is usually given by the teacher reading from the leader's guide.

Those are all right answers! What impressed me today as I attended worship at the Divinity School Chapel at Duke was how God wants grace to be seen. Grace isn't just an idea or a definition in a Sunday School class. Grace is alive and real and among us in this world. At least that is the great proclamation of Easter.

These days we live in a world of hyper visual stimulation. I'm sure some poor soul has researched the average number of visual images we are bombarded with on a daily basis. Those images tell us about who we are and what is important to us - images like beautiful spring flowers, magnificent architecture, dying loved ones, nameless victims of crime, video games and pornography.

Some of these things cause us to weep or sigh or sing. They stir feelings of peace, anger, numbness, fear, awe or joy. Images are powerful in the feelings they evoke and the stories they tell. And though not always, we have the choice many times about what we look at. What story will we choose to look at?

The church offers an alternative story to the world's consumption and despair. The church offers "Visual Grace." The story of the " bread and the cup"? The story of "empty grave clothes"? The story of "the weeping turned to joy"? Where will we turn our eyes for the grace we need?

"But my eyes are turned toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless." Psalm 141:8

Practicing Grace

It is funny what makes us feel useful as human beings. Creating this blog gives me this strange sense of useful power. Wierd, I know. Just one small illustration of why I picked this blog title "Practicing Grace." I need a lot of practice to really "get" how God understands usefulness and power. How many vigils by a manger and golgotha is it going to take?! All my life I suppose. I'm prone to practice so much deception between trips to the manger and golgotha that my spirit is confused. So, God give me the grace to practice what will form me into the person you created me to be.

Practicing Grace seems a fitting title for my own formation as a "Traditional, Post-Modern, Progressive, Evangelical, catholic, orthodox, Christian United Methodist pastor." I have to work pretty hard at being intellectual. I do a better job at being practical. But I appreciate both and the way that God takes both our "head and heart" our "faith and practice" and forms us by his grace.

If nothing else, having a blog titled "Practicing Grace" will be some measure of accountability for me to stop long enough to consider the ways we see and experience the grace of God at work in the world. A worthy practice indeed!