Think about Christmas differently this year! Turn your Christmas upside down!
jesus
When Intolerance/Difference of Theological Belief Leads To Unemployment
For starters, this post is not about me. I am not losing my job, but it is about a fellow minister who is currently in this unfortunate boat.
A minister colleague of mine posted on Facebook that his church had made the decision that they were going to withdraw from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. On top of that, the governing body of the church had the right to terminate the minister, no congregational vote or anything.
The beginning of all of this started when the Kentucky Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at their last assembly voted to remove the restriction that stated that open homosexuals could not be ordained in the Region. The measure passed by a wide margin and even church in the region had an opportunity to cast a vote and speak on the issue. For my colleague’s church this was not enough. They disagreed with the measure and thus have taken action.
The thing that I do not understand is that in the Disciples of Christ denomination, one our main tenets is the freedom of belief and the priesthood of all believers. Under the notion of the freedom of belief, there are not hard and fast interpretations of the Bible broad casted from on high at some national office. Each person is supposed to be lead by the Spirit to come up with an interpretation of themselves. Now this does not mean that they are devoid of conversation with others or that they can not draw upon the knowledge of ministers and leaders, but it does mean that the conversation can not be had. The Disciples are big proponents of local church authority and autonomy. It is so the church can find an expression of faith that fits the congregation at hand. No two Disciples churches look a like and that is a great thing. The Bible is meant to expressed in a different ways to different people. Gone are the days of cookie cutter religion and hello a place where questions are welcomed and discussions can be had.
Does this mean you can believe whatever you want? In a sense yes and no… I mean you believed God was a water buffalo, you have missed the point of the gospel. But for the most part, theologies are constantly in flux, they are growing and shaping over a course of a life time. This does not mean that once you chose one particular way of believing or understanding the Bible that you are stuck with it forever. This is where I believe this congregation might have jumped the gun. What is wrong with having differing theological opinions What is wrong with having a good discussion based on and around the notion that in the end we are still welcome and able to come around the Table of Grace under the common bond of Jesus Christ. I hate to tell this congregation but even though they differ on this issue, there are still people within the remnant that do not see eye to eye on every piece of theology, its quite impossible for that to happen.
I am saddened for my friend and colleague and pray that he will find a church that will accept him and his understanding of the gospel.
May it be so.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
And You Wonder Why People Arent Christians: Part IX
As the election looms in the distance, the internet is never too far away to provide us with reasons why people do not want to be a Christian. Elections have the power to bring out in people their “true colors” but for Dr. Gary Cass he didn’t need the election, he just needed a microphone and an audience.
Cass is the CEO of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (CADC) based in Vista, CA.
The Mission of the CADC is as follows:
The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (CADC) is a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) Education Corporation whose purpose it is to become the first-in-mind champion of Christian religious liberty, domestically and internationally, and a national clearing house and first line of response to anti-Christian defamation, bigotry, and discrimination.
The CADC will work constructively to advance a robust religious liberty in public opinion and policy so that Christians everywhere might fulfill their biblical duties to God and neighbor; to proclaim and to live out the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the whole counsel of the Word of God.
The CADC will respond in the media to attacks by any individual person or groups of persons, institutions, or nations that defame and /or discriminate against Christ, Christianity, the Holy Bible, Christian churches and institutions, Christian individuals, and Christian leaders.
In cooperation with friendly Christian grassroots organizations, in secular and Christian media outlets, the CADC will create a “rapid response” team and public relations campaigns to answer the egregious injustice and double standards used against Christians. The CADC will build its own grassroots network.
The CADC will develop strong partnerships with friendly Christian Legal ministries for the purpose of seeking and/or providing legal services on behalf of its constituents. The CADC will collect and forward bona-fide complaints of discrimination and bigotry aimed at Christians which warrant legal action up to and including litigation.
In a nut shell, the CADC promotes under the guise of freedom of religion, their brand of Christianity and everyone else, is just plain wrong. They have the means, the resources and the guts to take on anti-Christian stances around the world. (I hope I am not their next target.) For example, on their website they have “Seven Reasons Why Barack Obama Is Not A Christian.” Their seven points range from being pro-homosexual rights to he believes their are many paths to Heaven. So if you believe one or all seven of these points, then you are in the same class as the President as someone who the CADC believes have wandered from the faith.
The leader of the CADC, this beacon of Christian truth and light and acceptance, recently told a captive audience that to be a true Christian means owning a fire arm… that’s right… to be the arbiter of love and justice means carrying a loaded Smith and Wesson emblazon with John 3:16 on the handle I am sure. You can watch the video below or read the article here.
The CADC on many levels is troubling. Sure I admire his gusto to be faithful to the commands to love your neighbor but gun ownership? I am fine with people owning guns as long as they are maintained, locked up from children and are registered with the state. But did Christ really call for gun ownership? I dont see that anywhere in the Bible.
The CADC once again gives all Christians a bad name; they get the most press and they get the attention. Christianity is not about gun ownership or pointing out reasons why the President is not a Christian. No Christianity is more than that… it has to be…
If those at the CADC want to ” advance a robust religious liberty in public opinion and policy so that Christians everywhere might fulfill their biblical duties to God and neighbor; to proclaim and to live out the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the whole counsel of the Word of God,” then we might want to include all views and understandings. You might actually learn something new… then again maybe not. But the fact remains that we are all in this together.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Not sure who or what “right wing watch” is I just thank them for finding and posting this video.
Christmas in October?
The Mayor of Houston has been receiving some “constructive criticism” regarding a tweet that she posted a few days ago. About 10 days or so before HALLOWEEN, I began to see some shops and stores put up their Christmas decorations. See the tweet below.
Stores here in Houston have stated that they have to do whatever is necessary to make sure they make their Christmas profits. That’s right… Christmas profits. I am all for businesses doing well so they can make a living, that is the American dream. But I am not for making a religious holiday into an opportunity to overspend. It is much more than about gifts and presents and overeating, it is a remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Personally I have no problems with her comments; having Christmas decorations up two months prior to the event is ridiculous. These decorations were up before Halloween and Thanksgiving and so called “Black Friday.” At this rate we should keep Christmas decorations up all year.
Here’s to Annise Parker and I hope you are looking forward to Thanksgiving, the forgotten holiday.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Favorite Bible Passage (For Today)
As a minister I get asked a lot of questions. These questions range from “Where did Cain’s wife come from?” to “How can I forgive someone when I am hurting so bad?” and everything in between. A question that I get a lot is “what is your favorite Bible verse?” The Bible is a big book so as you can imagine I have a lot to choose from. The problem with answering this question is that the answer is never same day to day, month to month, year to year. Why? Well, things happen in our lives that change the way that we approach the scriptures. For example, my daughter and first child Violet was born on February 1. Before her birth, passages in the Bible that referred to a parent/child relationship or even the notion that God is a parent didn’t really mean much to me. But after her birth, those passages took on a whole new meaning. It was because my context had changed. My outlook on life and what was important to me was different. Those passages were something that I could relate to because I was a parent now.
Having a favorite Bible passage is something that evokes for us memories of a time when we felt close to God or maybe someone. For me today my favorite passage is 1 John 4:19- “We love because God first loved us.” (Common English Bible, 2011). This passage sums up my understanding of God, the ultimate source of all love. The only reason we have the capacity to love another human being is because God loved us first. I believe that this passage calls on all of the followers of Christ to remember the free gift of love and to share it willingly with others, just like it was given to us.
Does this mean that tomorrow I might change my mind? Maybe, the fact remains that our relationship with God and the Bible is a growing relationship, not a static one. I once heard pastor and author Brian McLaren once say that we should stop going to the Bible to only reinforce what we already know about God. If we heed these words, then we will have a mountain of favorite passages throughout our lives.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan M. Dolive
How We Having The Same Debate After All Of These Years
The Rev. Dr. Phil Snider has overnight become an internet celebrity. A video of him giving a speech at the Springfield, Missouri City Council has gone viral on the internet. The city was considering a motion that would have added sexual orientation and gender identity protections in the areas of employment, public housing and accommodations. As one would think it was a highly contested issue. Many people took their turn on the microphone addressing the Council, but none stood out more than Snider’s.
I am glad to see a minister from the Disciples of Christ taking a stand in such a public venue. His argument is not one that is bashes people over the head with the Bible, rather it makes the hearer recall previous ways the Bible was used for the segregation of people. Too often the Bible is used as a weapon of separation and not unity.
Enjoy the video.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
What’s next? Chick-Fil-A Boycott Day?
Since my move and start of a new position in Houston, I have been busy and have not updated as much as I had before. Thank you to you my faithful readers for sticking with me. Hopefully once things settle down I will get back in the grove. Below is a piece I wrote a while back about Chick-Fil-A ceasing their funding to organizations that are anti same sex marriage.
Thanks again for your support.
In a major announcement, months after the company was embroiled in a public debate, Chick-fil-a according to a LGBT support group has stopped making donations to organizations that are against same-sex marriages. You can read the full article here.
Chick-fil-a in an internal memo stated that the company will treat every “treat every person with honor, dignity and respect-regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation and gender.” How about that… Chick-fil-a finding their Christian roots again. So now what are the throngs of people to do that went out on August 1 to support Chick-Fil-A’s right to “free speech” (read: believe same-sex marriage is a sin.)? Are these God-fearing Christians now going to boycott this institution because they have gone back on what they one stood for and claimed to be Christian? I wonder if now the leaders of Chick-Fil-A will now be allowed to get divorces and have second and even third wives.
The fact of the matter is that this is a step in the right direction. For me, Chick-Fil-A’s original comments and actions were against my understanding of what the gospel is calling the Church and followers of Christ to be and become. In the entire Bible, there are about 6 verses that actually in some way talk about homosexuality… that’s it… six. No long discourses from prophets or even Jesus or even one of the dedicated disciples. These verses are found throughout the Bible in different testaments and writings. There is no unified voice on this. There are more verses about proper eating habits and dietary laws than verses about homosexuality. Where are the protests of the McDonald’s or other fast food restaurants for making people fat and indulging them in guilty, which by the way it is a sin. But no mention of that from people in society. Sadly the some followers of Christ have made the singling out of this small segment of the population their sole focus. No mention of unconditional love, no mention of free grace, nothing just righteous indignation and self-righteousness, the complete opposite of what the gospel calls us to be.
If Christ was of the radical embodiment of God and acted as such, then why aren’t all followers of Christ? Today people focus too much on one particular issue that they believe is at the center and forefront of what is means to be a follower of Christ. In the end, does is matter if someone loves someone else of the same gender?
Chick-Fil-A has the absolute right to run their company the way they want, but the problem that many people had is that they drug all Christians into the mix. It made all Christians look bad and it gave Christianity a bad name.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
The Gospel According to Facebook
My latest article for the Orange County Record.
Facebook is one of the most popular websites to date with nearly 500 million users from all over the world. From its humble beginnings in the dorm room of Harvard University, Facebook is now everywhere. From your personal computer to your Smartphone, one is never too far away from social “interactions” found within Facebook (or as a friend of my calls it ‘faceless book’).
Facebook connects us to the world around us and we are able to share things from vacation pictures to memorial pages for those who have died. Facebook at its core is a social networking site, connecting people across various socio-economic statuses, education levels and even religions. Facebook in my opinion has moved past its original intent of just social networking between friends. Businesses, churches, civil groups, clubs and even TV shows all have a presence on Facebook. Breaking news is reported, shared, liked and commented on, all within the confines of one website. The goal has moved from friendly conversations to specific advertisements and mass information around like issues, causes and beliefs.
What does Facebook do or has done for Christianity? Has Facebook helped or hurt the gospel message? Recently I began to see more and more pictures shared that read “Like if you Love Jesus” or “Keep scrolling if you love the Devil, like if you love God.” If you are a user of Facebook like I am, you have more than likely seen these pictures (or others like it) before. These pictures call for Christians around the world to share their faith boldly and proudly on their Facebook page so that all who may grace it will know that they are a follower of Christ.
To be honest, I can’t stand them. They clutter my news feed and are not the reason I get on Facebook.
I do not like them for a number of reasons. First, it makes Christianity something to do, not something that is done. Followers of Christ are called to continue the message of Christ in the world around them. Often in churches there are talks of “letting your light shine before others,” but there is also a warning about doing things just to get attention in the name of faith. Does it really mean I am “less of a Christian” if I decided not to click the ‘like’ button on a picture? Does this mean that I have sold my soul to the internet Devil because I am too consumed with posting pictures of my children? Absolutely not. Its one thing to have a faith and have that faith inform your life, but it is another to have a faith and guilt trip others into following your actions. Christ did not call for us to plaster our faith across the internet. Christ calls us to be the presence of God at all times, in all places and to all people. A person’s faith or commitment to God/Christ is not contingent on whether or not they share a Facebook photo with their friends.
Facebook and other social media outlets like it have made the gospel a bumper sticker, for good or for ill. Since the interaction happens in cyber space the relational connection is lessened. Because of this the scriptures, quotations, theology and sermons can all be taken out of context and promoted as truth with little or no dialogue, conversation or explanation. Of course this can happen anywhere, but for some reason the internet has brought this to the forefront. Is this the 21st century model of evangelism? I sure hope not. Social media has it place in the propagation of the gospel, but evangelism at its core is grounded in relationships. Evangelism is a scary word for some people because they believe it means inviting people to church or knocking on people’s doors and passing out ‘salvation tracts.’ While some people believe this is the best way to promote ones faith, I believe that being in a relationship with someone first helps to “open the door” to evangelism. One does not even have to speak the name of Jesus Christ to get the message of Christ across. This is what Facebook and these “like if you love Jesus” pictures fail at doing; there is no relationship, just a pretty picture with a cute font. The gospel demands more than that.
And You Wonder Why People Aren’t Christians: Part VIII (Prayer is Not A Weapon)
My latest article for the Orange County Record. It seems to fit in my “And You Wonder Why People Aren’t Christians” Series as well.
As the Republican and Democratic National Conventions have come to a close, we are officially in election season. Between now and Election Day (November 6), we will be inundated with attack ad after attack ad on why one particular candidate is better than the other. Each will tout their record, their plans, their reasons for why they believe they can move this country into an era of prosperity and greatness. Since the beginning of this Presidential election cycle, debates have been held, mud has been thrown, and names have been called. To be honest, I believe it has gotten completely out of hand. One can not access social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter without being bombarded by other people’s advertisements for the person they support. Some have taken to engage in serious conversations, while others are advocating for Tim Tebow or even Jesus Christ himself to run for President.
Well in Victoria, Texas some one as taken upon themselves to buy a billboard in honor of the President. No, this billboard doesn’t thank the President for his service or one promoting his policies or even supporting electing Gov. Romney; this particular billboard is one that is passive aggressive attack all under the guise of religion. The billboard reads “Pray for Obama- Psalms 109:8 (sic)” (Before we get into why this is an undermining of religion, I need to point out that when you refer to a particular Psalm, there is no need to refer to it as “Psalms”, rather refer to it in the singular.)
Psalm 109:8 reads, “May his days be few; may another take his office.” This is a completely disingenuous use of prayer and use of scripture. For starters, this piece of scripture is not referring to an American President or even anyone from the last 2000 years. This Psalm is a cry to God from King David. Dr. Robert Cargill, Assistant Professor of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Iowa stated that “The fact that the context of Psalm 109 is actually recounting the words of a righteous King David, who is complaining about the lies and threats his enemies are making against him is apparently lost on the individual who placed this ad.” This ad was a direct attack against the President. This is why the Secret Service was called to investigate. Some will say that this is free speech and it should be left alone. Others will say that is a threat and all threats should be taken seriously. I am not a lawyer, but a follower of Christ, this is making prayer and scripture a weapon.
Is this the prayer that God wants to hear? Is this the way that God wants humanity to act toward another person? I do not care if you disagree with the President or even Governor Romney, the fact still remains that we are all called to live out the gospel each to our own understanding and conscience. No one person, no one denomination, no one pastor or anyone has a monopoly on God and on how the gospel is to be carried out. Does this mean that I agree with all expressions of the Christian faith? Absolutely not. Does this mean that I am going to spend money and buy a billboard passive aggressively “praying” for them. No, I will not. Imagine what good could have been done, how many people could have been helped, how many bellies could have been filled if that money that was used to incite and divide was used to complete and make whole.
One day while listening to the radio I heard someone call in a show and say that they believe that God was calling all followers of Christ to vote for a particular political candidate. I believe that God does not care who wins the election of the President of the United States of America. I believe that God has bigger things to worry about. This does not mean that our faith does not inform our decision making, but to say that God is trying to direct all Christians in the United States to vote for a particular candidate is stretch for me.
Many followers of Christ learn from a young age that prayer is an important spiritual discipline. People go on spiritual prayer retreats/walks to get back in touch with the Divine. Prayer is not a weapon that is to be pulled out when someone thinks differently than we do. No, it is a gift that has been given to us so that followers of Christ may continue to have a close, personal, relationship with God. People refer to the ‘power of prayer’ and how prayer sustains them and fulfills them. There a beautiful quality to prayer. Karl Barth, a Swiss theologian, once wrote, “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” Prayer is powerful when it is used to stop the disorder in the world. I do not mean political leaders, but the disorder or disease, famine, hate and malice. This is the disorder that Jesus Christ came to put and end to, this is the mission that all followers of Christ are called to embody. So as we draw nearer to November 6, 2012, let us remember to at least try to be civil with one another. It’s the only we are going to get through it.
Christianity and 9/11: 11 years later
Below is an article I wrote for the Orange County Record. It will be published tomorrow but I thought I would post it today on the anniversary of September 11, 2001.
Yesterday marked the 11th anniversary of the terror attacks that took place across the country on September 11, 2001. On that day nearly 3000 people lost their lives. Every year the country is called to stop and remember those who perished in a senseless act.
Since then the world is a much different place. Wars were fought in remembrance of those who died; soldiers gave their lives defending the freedoms that we have here in this country today. But one of the biggest things that happened because of 9/11 was that Islam was put on the map and under a microscope.
Christians have had a choice to make sense that day: live in fear and hatred of another religion or learn and find way to connect via common ground. Many people, many Christians have made all Muslims the enemy of the United States and even of Christianity itself. This is a tragic outlook for Christians to take; this makes all followers of Christ look bad and it is still happening today.
Since 9/11 a number of anti-Muslim websites, rallies, posts and possibly sermons have taken place. Most of them have been based in the fear, assumptions and thinly veiled truths. The other day I saw a bumper sticker that read “Mohammed is dead, Jesus is Alive!” This got me thinking, would this sticker have ever been produced if 9/11 never happened? Why are some Christians so afraid of this particular religion? Why are debates being held on whether the President of the United States is or is not a Muslim? It is unfortunate that all peaceful Muslims here in this country are lumped into a class of people that advocate to the death of innocent life. Most Christians do not want to lump together with Westboro Baptist. If we do not want to have this done to us, then why are some so quick to do it to others? Where is the grace? Where is the love? Where is the notion that all of humanity is created in the very same image of God that you and I are created in?
Islam has been around for centuries but until 9/11 I really did not know much about the religion. I knew that Islam’s holy book was called the Koran, followers of Islam or Muslims had a very strict prayer life and their prophet was named Mohammed. That was it- like many I was pretty limited on my understanding of this particular religion. Some have still not taken the time to learn more or get to know their fellow Muslim neighbor. Protests and rallies are held across this country to stop the building of mosques. Remember the big uproar that was caused when an Islam Center was going to be built near where the World Trade Centers once stood? People who were against the mosque cited that it was because of Islam that the towers fell. This is a poor analogy. If that is the case then across Europe there should be no new churches because of the atrocities of the Crusades.
When I was in seminary in Kentucky I took a World Religions course. As part of the requirement I had to visit various centers of worship across different religions. Next door to the seminary was an Islamic center. The class was invited to visit the center and witness daily prayer. After the prayer session I was able to speak to the Imam about Islam and the center itself. One of the questions I asked was “Since 9/11 how have you seen a change in the way you are treated here in Kentucky?” The Imam stated that he wished that more people understood that the terrorists did not follow what was written in the Koran and that not all Muslims acted the way they acted. He followed that up and said, “Never before have I ever had to defend my faith.”
This country was founded on the notion of religious liberty and freedom. Christians are called to be the hands and feet of God in the world at all times and to all people even those of other religions.
September 11, 2001 was one of the worst acts of violence ever enacted and we should remember those who lost their lives. But making all of Islam the villain of freedom and Christianity is wrong.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Rev. Dr. Evan M. Dolive 