Sermon: “Let’s Celebrate!”

This is the fourth installment of my “What Does Your Church Believe?” series. So far I have looked at the importance of open communion to DOC theology (post link), the notion of freedom of belief (post link) and the belief in the oneness of the church (post link). Today we will look at Disciples of Christ’s belief in baptism by immersion. This does not mean however that if someone has been baptized as a infant that their baptism is invalid. The Disciples of Christ recognized and affirm all baptisms.

Baptism for many is a seen as an act that symbolizes one’s commitment to the teachings of Christ and by making a physical, public act; they are stepping out in faith to make an outward sign of what a deep spiritual commitment. In the Disciples of Christ Church our practice is to do this when a person believes that she/he is ready to join God on the journey of faith– there is no specific age requirement.

The Disciples of Christ believe that “Baptism, as a gift of grace, received by faith, expresses its meaning in a variety of images: new birth; a washing with water; a cleansing from sin; a sign of God’s forgiving grace; the power of new life now and the pledge of life in the age to come. The meaning of baptism is grounded in God’s redemptive action in Christ, it incorporates the believer in the community in the body of Christ, and it anticipates life in the coming age when the powers of the old world will be overcome, and the purposes of God will triumph.” (via disciples.org)

The practice of immersion is one that is full of symbolism. The general belief is threefold. First, when one enters the waters of Baptism they are coming as they are, ready to receive the cleansing and grace found in God. Next, when they are immersed they are symbolically dying to their old ways and past sins and when they arise out of the water they are rising with Christ to be God’s servant in the world.

Baptism is a beautiful act that the church does. It is full of symbolism and faith. For centuries the faithful of God have traveled to churches, rivers and fonts to enter into the covenant with God and to start their life as a follower of Christ.

Some believe that one must be baptized to be “saved” or inherit the goodness of God. The Disciples of Christ do not believe that baptism is absolutely necessary, rather an outward sign of an inward reflection. Many theological and church debates have happened over the concept of baptism. Whether sprinkled as a child or immersed as an adult, all signify the faithfulness of followers of Christ throughout the centuries.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Let’s Stop Lying to Young People

July 4, 2012July 4, 2012 / Rev. Evan Dolive / 8 Comments

My latest article for the Orange County Record

The Church for decades, maybe centuries, has been caught in a terrible lie. For some people it is a lie that is has been so engrained as truth, they believe it as such. This particular lie is one that when confronted or analyzed, many church goers would vehemently deny. So what is this lie? Answer- Children and Young People matter to the church.

I know that is a stout claim but is one that is not without merit. For too long the church has been a place where those in charge or those who assumed the power set the rules, set the order of worship and set the way that a particular congregation is supposed serve and worship God. Often this is done by people who have been in the church for sometime (generally all or most of their life) and they feel the need to continue on this tradition that they are used to.

Sadly in many congregations around the country the number of young adults and teenagers attending church services are dropping rapidly. Sure you can blame parents or video games or being over extended with extracurricular activities, but that is a cop-out. The real answer which may be hard to hear for some is that the church is unwelcoming to them.

If a child was raised in the church they know the stories of Jesus; they know how he touched people’s lives and how Christ came to show the love of God in the world. They were taught at young age that God had gifted them with special abilities and talents and passions to be used for the work of the Kingdom. And as children grow into teenagers, teenagers into young adults, the reality becomes more evident. To be a participating member of most congregations, you have to be at least 45 years old, have been a member most of your life and you have “waited your turn.” This is the perception of the church- people ‘punching’ their ticket and waiting until they have ‘paid their dues’ to be a full participating, active member of the church.

Young people are not leaving the church because they have objection with the teachings of Christ, rather they are leaving because they have no place in the church. Sure churches do a great job with their nursery program, Worship and Wonder program and even youth and college programs, but after that the church has not done too well. The church has bought into the lie that the late Whitney Houston promoted, that the “children are our future.” This, my friends, is a bold face lie.

Children, middle schoolers, high schoolers, young adults are not the future of the church, they are the “right now.”

This segment of the population needs to know that their ideas, theologies, concerns, worship styles and missional thoughts are valid. Too often churches try to squeeze all of this into one Sunday generally know as “Youth Sunday.” On this particular Sunday the youth are able to read scripture, sing praise songs and even preach. After that one particular Sunday service it is back to the same routine. Some churches have a “children’s moment” but even then that has turned into a Sunday morning version of ‘Kid’s Say The Darnest Things’ or a well intentioned person is trying to cram too much theology in a simple metaphor.

In some congregations the children are separated from the rest of the congregation to have their own service of worship. Many children enjoy and learn from this experience but once you hit age of 10 or so, it’s in the sanctuary with your parents.

There is a huge disconnect.

Matthew 19:14 reads, “Allow the children to come to me,” Jesus said. “Don’t forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children. ” (Common English Bible)

For the church to be relevant in society it must meet the needs of those around them. Churches are losing the young adult population as well as the Baby Boomers, why? They are tired of waiting to make an impact on the church and the world today. But for this to happen, people in power and church structures are going to have to change. It will take time and effort and faith; for the church’s sake I hope we are able to answer that call.

Let’s stop telling the lie.

June 2012 Top Post

July 2, 2012July 2, 2012 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

Thank to you guys, my faithful readers, June was a busy month here at evandolive.com. In June alone, the site racked up 999 hits! (Sooooo close to 1000)

Once again I am overwhelmed by the number of people visiting. Thank you for sharing, commenting and reading!

Below are the TOP FIVE posts from June 2012

When Faith is Not Enough
- This article speaks to the nature of faith in regard to a recent death of a snake handling minister.
Robots, Arrogance and the Gospel
- My thoughts on recent “robo-calls” from a national televangelist
The Gospel According to Family Feud
- How theology is being taught in the world, even on game shows
Misconceptions about Christians: The Conclusion
- My conclusion to my four-part series about common misconceptions about Christians (and its not what you think)
Misconceptions about Christians: Part I
- The one that started it all

In the month of June there were 15 different countries that visited the site.

Thank you again for supporting me! Please continue to share, comment and read!

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Just To Be Clear… It’s All Your Fault

June 30, 2012July 14, 2012 / Rev. Evan Dolive / 2 Comments

The wonderful world of Facebook is at it again providing me with the resources I need to continue my writing to which you will read. 😀

This picture above was re-posted by a friend who said he got it from a friend who said he saw it on a Facebook group “Religion Poisons Everything.” Can’t say that I am fan of this group, but I thank them for this gem. It has to be one of the most awkward pictures regarding Jesus that I have ever seen. Time and time again people continue to surprise me with their rationalizations of one of the most basic human questions, “Why do bad things happen?”

Whomever created this picture believed that the bad things in our lives are the result of God removing God’s care and protection from us. This totally erases the notion of grace, forgiveness and love. God and/or Christ does not sit around waiting for someone to stumble so they can swoop down and inflict you with an illness.

One puzzling aspect of this pictures is Jesus punishing the child picture by spanking. I have trouble articulating in words why I this is so terrible.

Christians should be out raged that the Savior of the world how came to restore people has been reduced to someone who seeks out those who are subverting his will and authority and offering illness and spankings in the meantime.

(insert sarcasm) Yeah, that’s in the Bible alright… yep that’s the Christ I know….

So just to be clear that child that has terminal cancer and won’t make it to his 10th birthday, yeah totally his fault, God took away God’s protection because he told a lie or something. When someone has a recurrence of cancer or some other horrific disease, again, it is their fault for speeding or questioning authority. Every time you catch a cold you brought it on yourself, right?.

The pharmaceutical companies must love it when you sin…

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Thus Saith The Lord?

June 27, 2012June 25, 2012 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

My latest article for the Orange County Record

Before moving to Orange I worked at a church in Lexington, Kentucky. One Sunday between our two services, a parent approached me. She had a son who was going into High School in the fall and she wanted to get him a Bible to mark this transition in his life. She had already been to a Christian bookstore and was overwhelmed and lost. She was about to give up when she came to me. She said, “I want to get a Bible for my son but I didn’t know what translation to get for him. What do you suggest, the King James Version?” I told her, “It is my belief that if we want Bible literate churches, I would stay away from the King James Version.”

The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is one of the most used and purchased translations in the world. It made its entrance in the year 1611, seven years after King James VI proposed a new English translation of the Christian Bible. Ever since then, this particular translation has been used in thousands of churches worldwide.

For me, there are some issues with the King James Version. First it is over 400 years old. The world of Biblical scholarship has grown tremendously since the first printing of the KJV. Scholars have learned more about the ancient Hebrew/Greek language and older copies of the Bible have helped translators to try to find the most original and therefore most accurate source to translate from. One of the biggest discoveries in the modern era was the Dead Sea Scrolls. Before these scrolls were discovered the oldest known copy of the Old Testament was from around the 10^th Century CE. In one single discovery, Biblical scholarship advanced from the 10^th CE to the before the time of Jesus Christ. More modern translations of the Bible use these works to more accurately translate the holy texts.

Another hiccup of the King James Version is its language and use of translation style. The scriptures themselves are hard to read because of all the “thees,” “begats,” “spakes” and “thous” found heavily throughout the text. No one speaks Shakespearean English anymore (and neither did Jesus Christ); it is quite foreign for most Christians. Why do we expect followers of Christ especially new followers of Christ to learn an outdated language?

Some have claimed that the KJV is the only perfect translation; sadly there is no such thing. Never will the world ever have a perfect translation of the Bible. Ancient Hebrew/Greek is difficult to translate and has some words that mean different things in different contexts. In some translations of the Bible which contain translation footnotes there are many places that have the footnote, “Hebrew Uncertain.” After centuries of Hebrew and Bible scholars pouring over these holy texts, no suitable answer for some words are ever found. We are still working to try to sum up the story of God’s movement from the pages of scripture.

There are churches today that are exclusively King James Version only. I believe this severely limits the story of God. This tells me that God is not able to speak in any other way but through the words of a KJV Bible. It would be like traveling down a dark road using only a candle to see the world around you. But imagine the journey and what all you can see when we exchange our candle for a LED light bulb. Because we updated how we looked at the world, we saw so much more.

There are wonderful translations today that try to encapsulate the movement of God and make it more palatable for the modern ear (i.e.- 2011 NIV, 2011 Common English, NRSV). Not every person who hears a passage from the KJV will understand it or glean anything from it. Am I saying that if you grew up reading (or currently read) the King James Version that you are a heretic? Absolutely not. The goal here is try to find more modern translations to widen our understanding and expression of who God is and how God acts.

Most people will continue to read the King James Version because that is what they grew up with or are familiar with. However, if we want the church to seem relevant and current, then using a 400 year old translation is not going to help. The story of God must be told in a way that connects to people on different levels and from different walks of life. People want some connection between the printed page and the world around them.

If people don’t understand the Bible they are reading, then why read it in the first place?

The Gospel According To Family Feud

June 22, 2012June 22, 2012 / Rev. Evan Dolive / 1 Comment

The other day I was watching TV and the game show “Family Feud” came on. I have enjoyed the show in years past but it has been a while since I had ever actually sat down and watched it. The very first survey question caught my attention. It was:

Name a profession whose members will have a hard time getting into Heaven

Interesting survey question to say the least. What is “Family Feud”‘s goal here? By simply asking this question the creators/writers of the survey question were making a theological statement. To them salvation is found in how good of person you are AND there are people in this world who because of their choice of profession will not inherit the riches awaiting them in Heaven. While there are some who believe that Heaven is reserved for Christians only, there are some who believe that all of humanity will not be barred from the glories of God.

Not so says Family Feud…

Here is what the survey said:

Lawyer

Politician/Govt.

Stripper

Prostitute/Pimp

Drug dealer

Athlete

Smile, Get Punched In The Gut and Smile Again

June 21, 2012 / Rev. Evan Dolive / 1 Comment

Yesterday in the news it was a roller coaster of emotions. Generally due my schedule and the fact I have a 2 year old, generally I am watching Dora The Explorer not the nightly news. I try throughout my day to read varies news sites to garner what is going on in the world.

Yesterday a couple of friends on Facebook and Twitter (which sometimes is a good place for up to the minute news) posted an article about from the site Buzzfeed entitled “21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity.” These pictures ranged from a Subway that gives free sandwiches to those who are homeless, a dry cleaner who will clean clothes for those who are unemployed to Christians holding up signs of apology at a gay pride parade. All 21 pictures showed the power of humanity at its best. Take a look here.

Smile.

Later on in the day I saw a video that was quite disturbing and to be honest I didnt even finish it; my heart broke about 45 seconds into it. It is posted below and give the nature of the internet it was spread rather quickly. If you havent seen the video, you can watch if you want…again is hard to watch and there is some language involved.

In a nutshell a grossly underpaid bus monitor was verbally abused by a bunch of Middle Schoolers. The insults ranged from calling her fat, to wishing she was dead to claiming that her family wanted to kill themselves not to be around her.

Hateful… hateful… hateful speech. No human being should EVER be subjected to kind of abuse that she was put through.

I’m not sure (as of this writing) what the school will do if anything to the children that were involved. If I ran the show (and if my opinion mattered) I would expel the children from the district for abuse and assault of a school employee, give the bus monitor the entire summer off with pay and reassign her for the upcoming year. Maybe that punishment is too harsh and maybe I am allow my emotions get in the way, but I believe I am not alone in this. The Greece New York School District has posted a statement regarding the video, stating that they are looking into the situation. (Read it here)

You can blame the system, their parents, violet video games or language in PG-13 films; whomever you blame this is a problem of humanity in general. How can in one day we see the goodness and beauty of humanity and then be punched in the gut with the realization that we are flawed at our core?

Is there still hope for humanity?

Harnessing the same internet that brought this painful event to light, people from across the country and maybe the world, has poured out their thoughts and feelings as well as their pocket books all to send the bus monitor on a vacation of a life time.

At the publishing of this post, over 14000 people had contributed money to the total of $300,000 with 29 days left to go in the campaign; that is an average of $21 per person. At this rate, it will be well over a million dollars sometime next week. (You can track and contribute to the cause by clicking here.)

Smile again.

Once again, humanity triumphed over hatred. Maybe we have learned from our previous mistakes and try to instill them into the next generation as best as we can.

For me as a follower of Christ, I am overwhelmed by the number of times that Jesus called for love of the neighbor and love of the other. A friend of mine is working to start a new church plant and his new church’s vision statement is one that I believe has the possibility to change the world and even the Church as we know it.

Dare the world to radical selflessness

Imagine a world of selfless people, imagine a church with selfless people (I’m not saying that they are not there but we could use a few more). The possibilities of what could be done for the Kingdom of God are endless.

How many of these children on the bus claimed to be follower of Christ yet participated in this grave act? I’m not saying you have to be perfect to be a Christian but Christ calls us to a higher and better standard.

The world will always have selfish people in it. It is how we as followers of Christ are able to show that the world needs less selfish and more selfless what the message of Christ can be shared.

The gospel is more than just nice stories of written in a book. It is a testament of how the God of all creation is in the business of restoration and love than hatred and scorn. The gospel thus is only fully actualized when we do as Christ says and “deny ourselves.”

In Christ,

Rev. Ev

When Faith Is Not Enough

June 20, 2012June 18, 2012 / Rev. Evan Dolive / 4 Comments

My latest article for the Orange County Record

One of my professors in seminary once said that he did not believe in atheists. He didn’t mean that he did not believe that there were people in the world who did not believe in God or a higher power. During his lecture he said, “There is no such thing as an ‘atheist’ every person is ‘a theist.’ Every person has faith in something.”

If you think about it, it is a true statement. We have faith that our doctor will know proper procedures and treatment options. We have faith that people driving vehicles will follow the rules of the road ensuring our safety. We have faith that when go to a restaurant that our food will be prepared well and that we will not get sick a food borne illness.

Every person whether they are a practicing Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist has had to wrestle with the notion of faith and to what extent their faith will impact their life. Faith for some practitioners is deeply integrated it into their lives (eating Kosher, strict dress code, daily prayer). Some have chosen to place that faith in a theology, a teaching, a book or themselves. Faith is something that permeates all of humanity, in every place, in every culture and in every time period.

Being a Christian minister I am particular interested the ways that Christians from all walks of life are sharing and understanding their faith. There was story in the Washington Post that peeked my interest. (You can read it by going to http://wapo.st/LA4Vyl)

In West Virginia, a minister was killed due to a rattlesnake bite. Pastor Mark Wolford died after handling a snake in a small church service. In some states this particular worship expression is illegal but not in West Virginia. For members of Wolford’s church, they believe they are being deeply committed to the Bible. They take Mark 16:17-18 quite literally. It reads: “These signs will be associated with those who believe: they will throw out demons in my name. They will speak in new languages. They will pick up snakes with their hands. If they drink anything poisonous, it will not hurt them. They will place their hands on the sick, and they will get well.”

Snake handling is nothing new to modern Christian faith expression. In 1995, Dennis Convington wrote a book about his experience of snake handling in churches in Alabama. In his text, “Salvation on Sand Mountain” he dives into the world of snake handling. In one particular church the congregants would drink arsenic to show their faith in God. Is this what God asks from God’s followers? If we do not believe that having faith of a mustard seed can actually move Mount Fuji, then why apply this text so literally? Do I not have as much faith has those followers of Christ in West Virginia because I do not worship with animals?

Did Pastor Wolford lack faith? Was his faith not enough? Some would say ‘yes’ because he tried to follow the teachings of the Bible and still ended up dying. Others would say ‘no’ because he was bit by a venomous snake and the appropriate medicines were not administered in time. For me, I believe that Pastor Wolford truly believed that the God of all creation would protect him and that his faith was the cure all to poisons that he might encounter. This makes Christianity the “magic bullet” for everything bad in one’s life. When does faith turn into wishful thinking? I have faith that God is a God that cares for me and my family. But I am not expecting God to send angels to save me if I try to jump the roof of my house. No amount of faith would be adequate in trying to save my life. Becoming a Christian does not mean that everything thing bad in one’s life is magically going to go away. This makes Christianity a religion of give and take; I give to God and take what God gives to me. I give God my faith, God will give me a clean bill of health. This makes Christianity superficial and self-centered.

Pastor Wolford and his followers have taken into their hands (literally) their faith. For them their faith is a tool of salvific proportions. Yes I believe in miracles and the power of the Holy Spirit, but I am not totally convinced that waving a snake around the sanctuary and hoping that God would intervene if the snake got mad is what God is advocating. In our lives we will have varying expressions of faith: words of songs will mean more, scriptures will reveal to us the understanding of how God has acted in the past and how humanity has reacted, worship will revive our soul and on and on.

Faith is not static and at its core it is quite difficult. This is why many people do not begin the journey.