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And You Wonder Why People Aren’t Christians: Part V

/ Rev. Evan Dolive / 1 Comment

It has been a while since I have had to write in this series… but alas, Christians are giving Christians a bad name… again.

I want to thank my friend Amy for sending me this story, you can read it here.

Today we venture to the state of Alabama, known for its tolerance and racial equality… right?  Think again….

A Christian ministry based in Alabama held a ministry conference.  There was however one stipulation, it was for white people only… that’s correct, a white only Christian conference.

After doing a bit more research and watching some news videos (one posted below) I was shocked (sarcasm) to find out that the conference had KKK ties.

I respect every human beings right to believe what they want but the KKK is one that I have problems wrapping my brain around.  The notion that one particular race is the superior one and that it was ordained from God is logic that escapes me.

For starters, Jesus Christ himself wasn’t white. (I dont care what Hollywood or pop culture tells you… examples here, here and here and even the most popular one here). You would think that if God was going to make the white race the superior one, that God would indwell in a white man.  Secondly, if God is pro-white as these people claim, then why did God create other races to the begin with?  So they could be picked on, ostracized, killed, and tortured because they have pigment in this skin?  Wouldn’t it have just been easier for God not to create the other races and have a pure, white race to inhabit the earth?

Also, where in scripture is this supported?  I can not remember Jesus ever saying “and white people shall inherit the earth…”  In the video below the news reporter tries to ask this question.  The reporter brings up the fact that in Galatians 3 it states that  there is “neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  There are numerous passages in the Bible that speak of the reconciliation of Christ and the unity of all believers.  Sure Christ was seen a counter cultural radical to some, but not a white supremacist.  He didn’t even preach that God was 100% pro-Jewish people either; remember the woman at the well and the parable of the Good Samaritan?  There are other instances where Christ was showing that the God of all the world is wanting to connect with all people of the earth.

The leader of the conference told the reporter that he was taking scripture out of context and was abusing the Bible… isnt that like the pot calling the kettle black? (no pun intended…)  I mean come on… really?  Is this even an argument?  The Bible has been used for and against pretty much every issue under the sun.  However, the notion that in the text there is a decree or teaching that to be a true faithful of God is to have a certain color skin, goes against the foundation of the gospel message itself.  This distorts a text that people have turned to for centuries to connect with the faithful of old, to understand (or try) the movement of God in the world and learn what is means to be a follower of Christ in the world today.

At the conclusion of this event, the white members where going to hold a “sacred cross burning.”   Umm…. OK….

Seriously?  Do they think that if they put the word ‘sacred’ that everyone will be ok with this?  Like sacred murder is ok because it is sacred?  Sacred grilled cheeses taste better because they are sacred?  This is a blatant attempt to justify a practice that has stood as the symbol of hate, racism and bigotry.

All of this is not what Christianity stands for.  Yes, there was a time when the church was on the wrong side of history and supported segregation and even slavery.  But as the church has grown and changed, so have our understandings of God and how God interacts in the world.  For the mast majority of Christians, the idea of burning a cross or segregating people based on skin color is appalling.  Some would argue that the church has not left its segregation roots; many churches today are still prodominately one race or another.  While this is true, it is not mandated by law and there are plently of integrated churches holding worship services together.  Because of this, it shows me that the church has a little more work to do in the area of race relations.  (The Disciples of Christ in 2001 cast a vision of being a “Pro-Reconcillation/Anti-Racism Church, read more about it here.)

The cause of Christ is one that aims to restore all people to wholeness and completeness, to show them a way to connect to the Divine.  Christ welcomed all and so should the church and all of those who claim to be Christ’s followers.

I dont care what color you skin, hair, nails, or clothes happens to be all should be welcomed to experience God.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Milestone: 3000

/ Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

You have done it again!  On July 5, the blog had its 3000th page view!

It only took 26 days to go from 2000 page views to 3000!

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Please keep reading and commenting and sharing!

You make this blog what it is!

Here’s to the next 1000!

In Christ, 

Rev. Evan

“What Does Your Church Believe?”: Part IV- Baptism

/ Rev. Evan Dolive / 1 Comment

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

/ 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

/ 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

  1. When Faith is Not Enough
    • This article speaks to the nature of faith in regard to a recent death of a snake handling minister.
  2. Robots, Arrogance and the Gospel
    • My thoughts on recent “robo-calls” from a national televangelist
  3. The Gospel According to Family Feud
    • How theology is being taught in the world, even on game shows
  4. Misconceptions about Christians: The Conclusion
    • My conclusion to my four-part series about common misconceptions about Christians (and its not what you think)
  5. 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

Thus Saith The Lord?

/ Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

My latest article for the Orange County Record

"If It Ain't King James It Ain't Bible"
Source (C) All Rights Reserved

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 10th Century CE.  In one single discovery, Biblical scholarship advanced from the 10th 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?

Another New Project In The Works

/ Rev. Evan Dolive / 4 Comments

Back in April I told you about a new project that was in the works.  As of today, we had not heard any concrete information about whether or not our propsal will be accepted.  You can re-read the post here.

Well, on June 21, my project load doubled.   A friend of mine (Ray, check out his blog here) and I were at High School camp last year when we began to have a discussion about Christianity and society.  Even though we are only removed from High School by only 10-11 years, the world is completely different- the understanding of what it means to be Christian has changed, worship styles have changed and the way we encounter the Divine has changed.  Sadly, the perception of Christianity has not changed.  This made us ask, “why would anyone want to be a Christian when it seems so lame?”  and thus the idea was born.

So we contacted Chalice Press (our denominational publishing house) with our idea and they asked us to write a proposal for a book on this topic.   We are both in transitions in our lives but I believe we will get this completed soon.

Stay tuned for more updated from both projects!  Below is a very nice tweet from Ray’s wife about our project.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

On The Road Again: Part II- Hot Springs, AR

/ Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

Last week I was keynoting at a camp in Gonzles, TX (Read about it here). This week I will hitting the road once more heading to Hot Springs, Arkansas to keynote a Middle School (6-8 grade) camp.

A friend of mine from seminary is co-directing this event. (Read her blog here). The curriculum this particular region is doing is entitled “Secrets of the Kingdom” and focuses on the parables of Jesus. To ‘kick it up a notch‘, the directors decided to incorporate some fun with the theme. They came up with centering the theme around the early 1990s throwback to “Legends of the Hidden Temple” game show. When I heard that, I was sold.

The reasoning was simple; in the show the contestants were trying to find an artifact that was hidden somewhere in the Temple. Once found, all the doors of the Temple opened and they had to chose which way they wanted to escape. Jesus spoke a lot in parables and there are messages of truth hidden with in them. Once we find the messages we then have a choice on what to do next, sit on it or try to get it out to other people.

I remember watching that show and wanting to be a participate. I wanted to win a CD player or Casio Keyboard. I could win if given the chance.

The youths will be divided into the six Legend teams: Red Jaguars, Blue Barracudas, Green Monkeys, Orange Iguanas, Purple Parrots and the Silver Snakes.

I am looking forward to my second keynote of the year.

Be sure to stay tuned for updates and watch an episode of “Legends of the Hidden Temple” below. The winning team might get to go to space camp! (too bad we dont go to space any more :-/)

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

When Humanity Rears Its Ugly Head

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This is my latest article for the Orange Country Record.

This week marked the fourteenth year anniversary of one of the worst acts ever inflicted on another human being.  On June 7, 1998, James Byrd, Jr., a Beaumont native, was savagely murdered.  He was murdered not by accident rather for the simple fact that he was an African-American man.  In one gruesome act, three white supremacist let intolerance of another human begin blind them to drag a man behind a truck until his death in the small Southeast Texas town of Jasper.

One of the three who took part in Byrd’s murder, Lawrence Russell Brewer, never apologized or sought forgiveness in the public eye. In fact, before his execution in 2011 he said, “As far as any regrets, no, I have no regrets. No, I’d do it all over again, to tell you the truth.”  A chilling answer.

Humanity on the whole has never been perfect.  Wars have been fought over small amounts of land; people in roles of authority overstep their boundaries in search for more and more power.  There are even laws are in place to protect individuals against bad business practices and to ensure our food is handled safely.

In the book of Genesis, the author writes that at the end of the creation story, God declared that the world was “very good.”  It must have been a really nice place, but not so much now.

In the midst of all of this, the Church is called on to make sense of it all.   The church is called to try to bridge the gap that seems to exist between what should be and what really is, to try to answer the question of why there is such a disparity.  Surely not all of this is consequence of sin way back in the Garden of Eden.

Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, once wrote in his text “The Seven Storey Mountain”: “It is only the infinite mercy and love of God that has preserved us from tearing ourselves to pieces and destroying [God’s] entire creation long ago. People seem to think that it is in some way a proof that no merciful God exists, if we have so many wars. On the contrary, consider how in spite of centuries of sin and greed and lust and cruelty and hatred and avarice and oppression and injustice, spawned and bred by the free wills of men [and women], the human race can still recover, each time, and can still produce men and women who over come evil with good, hatred with love, greed with charity, lust and cruelty with sanity. How could all this be possible without the merciful love of God, pouring out [God’s] grace upon us?”

At our best humanity can be full of compassion and love and care, but at our worst humanity can be greedy, hateful and repugnant.  Contrary to popular belief followers of Christ are not immune to this.  Some of the worst atrocities ever committed have sadly been in the name of God.  For some, this is an indication that Christianity does (or did) not care of people’s relationship with God rather their focus is on being correct.

Christ’s ministry on earth was grounded in the notion of love, care and acceptance.  Christ came to establish a way of understanding and relating to others as well as to God.  But more than that Christ was the embodiment of the Divine on earth.  As Christians we strive to emulate Christ in all that we do but sometime we fall short.

I have no answer to what drove three men to brutally kill another human being.  We can blame their upbringing, we can blame drugs, we can blame violent video games, we can blame a health care system that doesn’t adequately treat those with mental illnesses.  But that is too easy.  In the end we have to look inside ourselves.  Stories like this one make our stomachs turn into knots over the loss of innocence.  At some levels we empathize with Byrd family but know that it is the human condition, a condition that is in every person on earth, which drove these men to kill.  Does that mean we will do the same? No, but it does mean that it is not some external influence that is causing crimes around the world; it’s the simple fact that we are human beings, driven to do what we want, when we want it with no regard for others.

This is what Christ came to stop.  The answer to the human condition must be found in the gospel.  Christ’s message of love was revolutionary and it can do the same for us today.  The gospel can restore people to completeness and wholeness.

At the end of the day, people like Lawrence Russell Brewer are children of God, created in the same divine image as the most religious, well-intentioned Christian.  It might be hard to believe, but it is true.

And You Wonder Why People Aren’t Christians: Part IV

/ Rev. Evan Dolive / 2 Comments

Here we are again… much too soon I am afraid.

Dennis Marcellino, author and political advocate as well as Christian has taken to the web to give the impression that there is only one way to understand the Bible.  On the website “Conservative Byte” Marcellino postulates that if a Christian votes for a Democrat and then  dies that person is destined for the fiery pits of hell.

Don’t believe me?  Read the article here (don’t worry its short… just like his argument.)

Obviously Marcellino did not read my article concerning religion and politics, Mr. Marcellino if you are reading this welcome to my blog and secondly click here and be sure to leave a comment.

But that is besides the point.

Even the newest of Christian converts would tell you that the words “Republican” and “Democrat” are not in the Bible anywhere so I do not know where Marcellino gets off telling the Christian faithful that voting for a Democrat would result in a one way pass to Hell.

IS THAT THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN?!?!?!

To figure it out… let’s breakdown this 282 word article…

First, Marcellino is polite enough to tell us that “This is not meant to be emotional or inflammatory…”  Thanks!  But then he continues and says “it is simply stating a fact and to warn.”  D’Oh!  So this is his job… telling people via the internet that they are on a one way course to hell for your political beliefs.

Next he comes roaring out of the gate tells his readership that the Bible does in fact support his ideas (surprise, surprise)… if you know where to look.  He then offers this as warning to “blacks” (not African-Americans… blacks) and Hispanics (which he doesn’t capitalize in his article) but as he claims these two groups primarily vote for the Democratic party.  So by say this is he affirming that most people who are Caucasian, Asian American, Native American and any other race are most definitely Republican voting.  But these two groups of people are not just voting for Democrats for the sake of agreeing with their platform, Marcellino makes the claim that they are voting “lock step” with the Democratic Party… meaning they just vote that way because they have always voted that way. Hmmm…

Next, Marcellino gets into the Bible meat of his claim.  He quotes 2 Thes. which reads, ““Then everyone who did not believe the truth, but was delighted with what God disapproves of, will be condemned.”  He claims that people express their own delight is who they punch their ballot for.  Then he quotes Romans 1:32 which basically states that the righteous of God (I guess he means Republicans?) should not stand for “such things” nor should they approve of them.

Now in a fine bit of exegesis, Marcellino claims that the rest of Romans 1 claims that when Paul was referring to “such things” he was referring to “homosexuality, lesbianism, strife, deceit, slander [political sound bites], gossips, idol worshippers, God-haters, atheists” which he claims are “all primarily attributes of liberals.”

Mr. Marcellino, proof text much?  I mean you are condemning nearly half of the US population to hell because of their political beliefs and you base it on 50 words or less than 1% of the entire Bible or only 18% of your entire article?

Are people who are not Christians flocking to churches around the country to repent especially if they voted for the President in 2008 and weren’t sorry for it?  Are the number of Christians who are also Democrats declining across the nation less then five months from the Presidental election?  Umm… no.

Marcellino is completely off the mark on this one.

Not only does he distort the Bible for his own political agenda, he himself does not have clean hands in this matter.  During his examination of Romans 1 he gave a quite lengthy list of “attrobutes” of liberals… dare I say that he was judging them?  Something that Christ warned against…right?

This is not an effective evangelism tool and as a Christian minister it makes me shake my head and reminds me to be careful what you read on the internet, not everything is true.

Christians will continue to have the perception that they are closed minded, literalist ‘hell bent’ on sending people to hell for their minor transgressions.  Let’s leave out the grace, let’s leave out the love, let’s leave out the acceptance.  But let’s do add a list of things you are doing wrong and a list of people to vote for.  In Marcellino’s mind, its the ones with the “R” by their name.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan