Is repentance necessary for either forgiveness or salvation? I watched a fantastic film about one child's struggle to find a consistent and life-giving spirituality amidst conflicting influences of traditional native american beliefs and the Roman Catholicism of his family, influences that were (apparently) broadly felt among the hispanic population of 1940s New Mexico. The film was BLESS ME ULTIMA, and I highly recommend it.
There was something Ultima said at one point, however, with which I think I disagree. She said that 'without penance, there can be no forgiveness.' Is this right? It seems to me that it is clearly in line with the Old Testament, but the New Testament abounds with reasons to believe that forgiveness can be given without being petitioned for. After all, Jesus forgave the paralytic of his sins without such forgiveness even being sought out, nor without any sign of repentance (Mark 2:1-11). He forgives the adulteress with the admonition to 'sin no more' but without her showing any clear signs of remorse (John 8). The prodigal son is also received with love by his father without his pre-planned confession and request for absolution. It seems to me that the entire New Testament is about forgiveness without penance.
And while we're on the subject of forgiveness, I wonder at how little most protestants pay attention to those passages, like Mark 2, that indicate that believers in Jesus Christ have the power to forgive sins as they see fit...that this is part of the spiritual authority Apostles have. That power is explicit in the promise that what we bind on earth is bound in heaven, and what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven (Matthew 18). It is explicit in John 20:23. It is amazing how seriously evangelicals take the spiritual power bequeathed to those who believe, but reject what is to me the most significant power of all...the power to forgive the sins of others.
This power, bought by Jesus, is given to us in the Holy Spirit. The ultimate power has been given to those who believe, and indeed this is a gift of faith... the power to bring salvation to the world. We cleanse the world of its sins by our decision to forgive. And indeed, isn't that exactly what we should do: forgive the world? For, after all, it is we who have been given forgiveness by the blood of Jesus, by a cost almost too great to think about. Aren't we supposed to measure as we have been measured, and forgive as we have been forgiven? I, for one, forgive the world. Not because it deserves it, but because I didn't deserve what I have received.
Perhaps the real gift of faith is not an exclusive claim to salvation that we own, but an opportunity to bring salvation to the world. Maybe it is indeed true that OUR salvation could be bought only be faith, and that our forgiveness must be accepted to be received. But having so undeservedly received, we have the power, the fantastic incredible power, bequeathed by the Grace of God, to CHOOSE to give that gift to the world. And what else could we do? How could we claim to be followers of Christ if we did not so forgive?
Monday, June 16, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Graduation
Today I graduate from the Iona school for ministry, which is the Episcoopal seminary for bi-vocational priests and deacons. Bi-vocational means that they work as priests part time and usually without pay. I have completed their lay ministry track and will be recieving a Certificate of Theology from the institution. It isn't an accredited degree, but the program itself was not far off from what they teach in regular seminary, and so the training is comparable to a Masters of Divinity. I enjoyed my work there, for the most part, and am proud of the achievement.
My certificate will help me in the Episcopal Church. It will make it easier to find lay ministry jobs like Director of Youth Ministries. It will also increase my intellectual prestige should I ever start my own independent type church. Which I really want to do some day. The main value I got was to run some of my ideas past professors. Being an autodidact, I have a huge body of work that lacks much indepdendent intellectual review. The response I got was overwhelmingly positive. It looks like I might know what I'm talking about.
I have a vast appreciation and respect for my fellow students, especially those going into bivocational work. They have put in an incredible amount of time, money and effort to do work for which they will probably never be paid. It is a labor of love founded on the call of God alone, and the rest of us in ministry should take note. The laborer is worthy of his hire, but blessed is the one who turns to the work of God for the love of it alone. I am happy I did this, and despite some struggles, found the overall experience very worth while. I'll see some of you later today as I walk across that stage.
My certificate will help me in the Episcopal Church. It will make it easier to find lay ministry jobs like Director of Youth Ministries. It will also increase my intellectual prestige should I ever start my own independent type church. Which I really want to do some day. The main value I got was to run some of my ideas past professors. Being an autodidact, I have a huge body of work that lacks much indepdendent intellectual review. The response I got was overwhelmingly positive. It looks like I might know what I'm talking about.
I have a vast appreciation and respect for my fellow students, especially those going into bivocational work. They have put in an incredible amount of time, money and effort to do work for which they will probably never be paid. It is a labor of love founded on the call of God alone, and the rest of us in ministry should take note. The laborer is worthy of his hire, but blessed is the one who turns to the work of God for the love of it alone. I am happy I did this, and despite some struggles, found the overall experience very worth while. I'll see some of you later today as I walk across that stage.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Quotable- God's Call To The Priesthood
"God calls to the priesthood those whom He has despaired of saving any other way."
Quotable
"I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise, of ordinary people living ordinary lives, filled with love, compassion, forgiveness & sacrifice. Heaven's in our hearts."- Tracy Chapman
Friday, June 13, 2014
Off-Topic: Comic Book Reviews
Marvel's FIGMENT #1
It looks like Marvel is trying to make a foray into steampunk, and as a fan of the genre (not a MAJOR fan, but a fan), I had to pick this little baby up. So far, it is a classic sci fi book with a steampunk aesthetic. But there is something here, I think, some real potential for good art and story telling. I'm going to stick with this, and see where it takes me. But it is too early to give a definitive thumbs up or down.
Storyline: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars
DC's SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #9
Well the DOOMSDAY Crossover continues through all the Superman books, and it makes reading this issue rather confusing. I don't want to collect every Superman comic for Pete's sake. Still, what was here was pretty good. Not great, but good. The cover art on this issue was particularly amazing.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 3 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 4 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars
It looks like Marvel is trying to make a foray into steampunk, and as a fan of the genre (not a MAJOR fan, but a fan), I had to pick this little baby up. So far, it is a classic sci fi book with a steampunk aesthetic. But there is something here, I think, some real potential for good art and story telling. I'm going to stick with this, and see where it takes me. But it is too early to give a definitive thumbs up or down.
Storyline: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars
DC's SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #9
Well the DOOMSDAY Crossover continues through all the Superman books, and it makes reading this issue rather confusing. I don't want to collect every Superman comic for Pete's sake. Still, what was here was pretty good. Not great, but good. The cover art on this issue was particularly amazing.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 3 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 4 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars
Quotable
"God walked out in the cool of the day, called Adam by his name. He refused to answer, cause he was naked and ashamed."- Curtis Stigler & The Forrest Rangers, JOHN THE REVELATOR
Thursday, June 12, 2014
On Stress
You may think the life of a youth minister is all fun and games, but the truth is that my job stresses me out just like anyone else's does. Not that I don't love my job, I do and most of it is fun and challenging in all the right ways and moving. But there are times in my life where some of it can start to weigh on me. Mission trip time is one example. Mission trips can be powerful experiences that really move people closer to Jesus Christ, but they are a lot of pressure for the person who is running them.
Of course safety is a constant concern. Mission trips are inherently dangerous, and you are pushing the kids on a number of physical levels. You have to be worried about everything from sun burn to serious injuries from construction work. Not to mention the fact that behavior can always become a serious problem whenever you have twenty people living together in close quarters. In this case, you're talking about most of that number being teenagers whose judgment is sometimes problematic.
The real stress, for me, in this event, as in my entire job, is whether the magic that can happen will happen. Will this really make a difference in anyone's lives? Will it become all about the work and lack the relational aspect that makes ministry what it should be? Youth ministry is hard stuff, man. You have to find a way to appeal to young people on a level that gets them interested while engaging them at a level that pulls them into relationship with God, which is really something you can only prepare them for and cannot make 'happen'. Ministry at its worst becomes all about the minister trying to bring salvation to his flock rather than letting God do His thing in His way. Worse yet, your livelihood is partly tied to actually making the group something the entire church can be proud of, because after all that is who pays your salary. Yet you cannot focus too much on the church's concerns because that is inauthentic and violates your very call to put God first and make whatever He wants the center of your ministry.
It can't be about you, yet there is an expectation that whatever goes right or wrong is all about what you are or are not doing. All these difficulties are galvanized on mission trips, which really are just what you do the rest of the year multiplied exponentially and crammed into a single week. On mission trips I barely sleep, I miss my wife, and I'm worried the entire time.
There are large swaths of my job that make it all easier, and seem like a dream. And mission trips, as much as they stress me out, are something I know I'm still called to and embrace as the very presence of God in my life. I know they are a good, but anyone who thinks that belief in God is just you doing what you want and attributing it to some higher power is misguided. I do plenty of things in my calling I don't want to do because I feel I'm called to do them. No doubt in the overall this leads to a deeper contentment and happiness, but at each point it can be hard.
When everything piles up I try to just let go. A little meditation, a little scripture study, a sermon practice...contemplation is key. How do I be my self and just let God flow without worrying about the consequences? How do I pay life's cost and testify to life's divinity? Am I even doing the right thing here? These are the questions of all ministry. Walking this line is hard work. I want a ministry that is good for the church, good for the youth, and mostly good for God. I want God to be happy first, but Lord knows that I don't want to lose my job either. I don't want to live in some balancing act, I just want to do what I'm called to do and leave it at that. But I'm a weak man. So I focus on the good, try to ignore the bad, and do my best to honor God's call in my life. Is there anything else?
Of course safety is a constant concern. Mission trips are inherently dangerous, and you are pushing the kids on a number of physical levels. You have to be worried about everything from sun burn to serious injuries from construction work. Not to mention the fact that behavior can always become a serious problem whenever you have twenty people living together in close quarters. In this case, you're talking about most of that number being teenagers whose judgment is sometimes problematic.
The real stress, for me, in this event, as in my entire job, is whether the magic that can happen will happen. Will this really make a difference in anyone's lives? Will it become all about the work and lack the relational aspect that makes ministry what it should be? Youth ministry is hard stuff, man. You have to find a way to appeal to young people on a level that gets them interested while engaging them at a level that pulls them into relationship with God, which is really something you can only prepare them for and cannot make 'happen'. Ministry at its worst becomes all about the minister trying to bring salvation to his flock rather than letting God do His thing in His way. Worse yet, your livelihood is partly tied to actually making the group something the entire church can be proud of, because after all that is who pays your salary. Yet you cannot focus too much on the church's concerns because that is inauthentic and violates your very call to put God first and make whatever He wants the center of your ministry.
It can't be about you, yet there is an expectation that whatever goes right or wrong is all about what you are or are not doing. All these difficulties are galvanized on mission trips, which really are just what you do the rest of the year multiplied exponentially and crammed into a single week. On mission trips I barely sleep, I miss my wife, and I'm worried the entire time.
There are large swaths of my job that make it all easier, and seem like a dream. And mission trips, as much as they stress me out, are something I know I'm still called to and embrace as the very presence of God in my life. I know they are a good, but anyone who thinks that belief in God is just you doing what you want and attributing it to some higher power is misguided. I do plenty of things in my calling I don't want to do because I feel I'm called to do them. No doubt in the overall this leads to a deeper contentment and happiness, but at each point it can be hard.
When everything piles up I try to just let go. A little meditation, a little scripture study, a sermon practice...contemplation is key. How do I be my self and just let God flow without worrying about the consequences? How do I pay life's cost and testify to life's divinity? Am I even doing the right thing here? These are the questions of all ministry. Walking this line is hard work. I want a ministry that is good for the church, good for the youth, and mostly good for God. I want God to be happy first, but Lord knows that I don't want to lose my job either. I don't want to live in some balancing act, I just want to do what I'm called to do and leave it at that. But I'm a weak man. So I focus on the good, try to ignore the bad, and do my best to honor God's call in my life. Is there anything else?
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