Both And

Howdy Friends,

This week, I’d like to discuss another aspect of the Wesleyan tradition that I believe will help illuminate the uniqueness of the Methodist expression of the gospel.  One of the ways that we like to characterize the United Methodist church is as a “Both/And'' expression of the Gospel.  But what does that really mean? If I am being perfectly frank, it is often understood to mean that we are an ”Anything goes” kind of church.  Unfortunately, this is often the understanding of people outside the church as much as it is the understanding of people inside the church.  This misunderstanding is not much different than the misunderstanding that when Methodists speak of grace, they are just such nice people and pushovers, that they are trying to give everyone a pass at whatever they have done wrong.  I hope that the article from last week laid that misunderstanding to rest.

When Methodists speak of grace, we are not really speaking about what people do that's wrong and we are not talking about simply giving people a pass either.  We are talking about the transformative power of the Holy Spirit to more deeply alight one’s heart towards the will of God, rather than their own will.  We are talking about a relationship with the creator, redeemer, and sustainer of all things.  The misunderstanding of grace, as a free pass to sin, is incredibly problematic when speaking of a God that is justice.  Just as the misunderstanding of God as a kid with a magnifying glass looking to bake sinners in the sun, is problematic when talking about a God that is justice. Justice can be no more punitive than it is passive. True justice comes with a change towards righteousness, and that’s what Methodists mean when we speak of grace.

So, what does being a “Both/And Church” mean?

“Both/And”.... Wesley recognized that all people both fell short of the glory of God, and that God was calling them to His side.  He believed that God both identified their sin and forgave them.  He believed that God both met people where they were and loved them too much to let them remain there. He believed that God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, both is working to redeem individual people, and by the power of the Holy Spirit working to restore all of creation.

Wesley was ultimately a part of the holiness culture of theological traditions.  I often joke and say that while I am glad to come from the Wesleyan tradition, I’m also glad I didn’t have to do it when Wesley was alive.  While the theology of Wesley is amazingly unique in my view, as a person, Wesley struggled just as much (if not more) than all of us with how he was supposed to conduct himself properly, in response to the saving work of Christ on the cross, and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit who had warmed his heart strangely.  He was NOT the fun kind of guy you wanted to sit down and have a beer with... Yet, he and his brother Charles went to English pubs to learn the folk music of their time, so they could write new music for the church that was based on tunes that were familiar to their contemporaries.  They crafted words that reflected theological depth and truth to guide people into deeper relationship with God.

Holiness... Wesley was convinced that sanctifying grace is leading us all towards perfection.  He had no hesitation to call people towards perfection, and also recognize their value and sacred worth before they got there.  For Wesley however, Christian perfection was not so much an issue of behavior, but a matter of the heart.  He recognized that even if a person got to a place where they no longer had behavioral sin in their life (a very rare accomplishment in Wesley’s view) that did not negate the behavior sins of their life before being perfected.  Thus, they could not claim a life of behavioral perfection.  In verses like 1 Samuel 15: 22, Psalm 51, Hosea 6: 6, Matthew 12: 7 and Romans 2: 29; God’s concern is more about people falling in love with God, rather than simply complying with God’s “demands”.  Wesley’s Christian perfection was about a person’s heart ALWAYS seeking delight in the Lord and the Lord alone.  While this would not necessitate or guarantee that one’s actions would be righteous 100% of the time, it would mean that the person was in a healthy and loving relationship with their creator.  This is consequently how Wesley understood holiness as well; being in love with God.

In the Wesleyan Both/And character, Wesley spoke of both personal, and social holiness. For Wesley, and consequently Christians in the Methodist tradition, our personal salvation is only as valuable as the part we play in the restoration of all creation. The mission statement of the United Methodist church is, “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the World.” This is a Both/And sentiment, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Develop your personal relationship with the Lord, so that you can better share the gift of that relationship with others.  Peruse your personal holiness, so that you can better impact society's holiness. My way of thinking about this, is to recognize the two-fold charge of the church:

• Evangelism is soul care. We share the good news of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross having provided spiritual liberation from sin, and freedom to pursue righteousness in the power of the Holy Spirit. All this so that our spiritual identity might be reconciled to the source of all creation.

• Mission is physical care. Needs must be met before people can listen, and before they will trust.  We are called to lay on hands and heal the sick and embrace the other.  Jesus healed and fed people so that He could teach them.  He began with a few individuals, so that they could share their experience with the whole of humanity.  The Holy Spirit came upon particular people in particular moments for particular purposes in the Old Testament, and then came upon the whole assembly at Pentecost.  God began with Abraham, so that the people of Israel could grow to share their relationship with the creator with all people.  God begins with a point and opens to encompass all points. Personal holiness leads to social holiness.  Mission leads to evangelism.   Social justice leads to the saving of souls.

Both/And…

The way of Wesley

The way of Jesus

The way of the Holy Spirit

The way of the Father

The way of the United Methodist Church

Peace,

Pastor Cody