What’s in Your Heart?

Doctors have perfected many kinds of tests that diagnose heart disease. From coronary artery  blockages to arrhythmia, to heart valve disease—with modern testing equipment, we can know what is in a person’s physical heart.

However, when our Scriptures speak of the heart, it is far more than a body organ. The “heart” is found 762 times in the KJV Bible, and it tends to mean what it is the central core of a person’s desires, wonderment and passion. It is our true best self.  One cannot test this kind of heart with a stethoscope, but it is easily discerned by a person’s words.

Jesus taught his disciples that eating food with unwashed hands does not defile a person: “Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?”

He goes on to assert the true test of a person’s heart: “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” (Matthew 15:17-19)

What is in our heart is evidenced by the way we talk. Just listen to what a person says. Listen to yourself talk. No special equipment necessary; just listen with your ears… and your heart.

This is no little thing. The Book of James reminds us, “The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire.  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness… it is a restless evil… full of deadly poison.”  (James 2:5-6, 8b)

In our current political climate, we are experiencing countless inflammatory words whose name is legion. Many of them come from a heart of racial bigotry, sexism and classism. Calls for congresswomen to be “sent home” and unkind words about Baltimore being an unlivable “rat and rodent infested mess” are disappointing and hurtful. It stirs up more and more strife between people as the cycle of harsh criticism and insults goes on and on.

However, we are not sitting above it all in holiness and purity. In the life of the church, mean-spirited words are spoken against one another as well. James says, “Every kind of beast and bird or reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.” (2:7). 

Sadly, it is part of the human condition to speak unkindly. So, do we just take it as a “given” and keep on hurting one another with insults and slander? I think not! We have a God who can understand our weakness and will help us.

Paul teaches, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. And God is faithful; and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:13)

May we use God’s preventive medicine for the heart disease of slander and evil words spoken against each another. Indeed, may we use that same medicine to also cure the callous, heinous and even murderous actions that too often are prompted by our words. Should we be surprised that hurtful public policies and personal threats and attacks often seem to follow hateful public discourse?

May we continue to pray and work unceasingly for a world in which everyone is given respect in our thoughts, words and deeds, and where the better angels of our nature lead us to promote inclusion and equality for all. If each of us takes responsibility for what we think, say and do in this world, our church can still become part of the beloved community that God intended.

Summer of Love

This season I have been pondering “love.” According to the Apostle Paul, it “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (I Corinthians 13:7).

In a sense, it has been the theme of both of our annual conferences. Eastern PA (June 13-15) emphasized the importance of passing down the generational love of God through evangelism. Peninsula Delaware’s annual conference (May 30-June 1) called us to be out in the world engaging in acts of sacrificial love.

Love knows no bounds, is accessible to all, is contagious and, like blood type O- negative, it is the universal donor. Love continues on and on in an unending stream of goodness and life.

The last week of June I traveled to the Northeastern Jurisdictional College of Bishops meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa., where I encountered a bridge adorned with “locks of love.” This phenomena can be found all around the world. Countless people attach padlocks to chain-link fences on bridges as symbols of their love commitment to significant others. 

So popular is this kind of padlocking that from time to time municipal officials have to remove locks because the sheer weight of them can compromise the integrity of popular bridges. The locks symbolize permanence and faithfulness to a promise, another characteristic of love. The sheer weight of love can conquer anything, even the structure of a mammoth bridge.

Last week I flew to Kansas City for Youth 2019, the denomination’s quadrennial gathering to celebrate and enhance youth ministry. The theme was “Love-Well.”

There I encountered the faces of over 3,000 young people seeking to be the loving presence of Christ in this world. They were concerned about immigration, the environment, the place of LGBTQIA+ members in our church, and the hard, hard task of loving enemies. 

I taught a class there along with a few other leaders from the UM Association of Ministers with Disabilities. We taught about accessibility for youth who have physical and emotional challenges.

The theme of love appeared again and again in our conversations, including: how to be in ministry with those on the margins; how to create spaces and accessibility for equality of participation; and how to explore the giftedness of the disability community.

At the end of the day, it is all about love. It is that simple, it is that hard. It means waking up every morning and praying that one can be an agent of love in the world. It means doing the challenging work of getting yourself out of the way and putting Christ and others first. 

The Holy Club of Oxford University that John and Charles Wesley led in 1729 required its members to undergo a rigorous self-examination each day with 22 questions. Each one boils down to holiness of life and focus so that love can shine through.

This Holy Club changed the world. Most of the 25 members of this club eventually became legendary leaders of the Great Awakening, a widespread religious revival of that era that changed the world forever with love.

This still works today, especially during these polarizing times. As we make love our focus, all the other things of life fall into place. As Paul reminds us love never fails (I Corinthians 13:8).

Abortion: Navigating a complicated problem through a path of grace

Quite a few states have passed new restrictions on abortion this year, and more are making similar plans. These restrictions include things like a ban on abortion after just six weeks, even if the woman is a victim of rape or incest. There will be court challenges and even the possibility of this issue going to the Supreme Court.

Many would like to see the landmark “Roe v Wade” case of 1973 over-turned. That law states that abortion is legal until a fetus would be viable outside the womb. Many others strongly oppose any law that would restrict abortion rights.

What does The United Methodist Church’s “Social Principles” say about this? It is found in the 2016 Book of Discipline, in paragraph 161.K:

“The beginning of life and the ending of life are the God-given boundaries of human existence. While individuals have always had some degree of control over when they would die, they now have the awesome power to determine when and even whether new individuals will be born. Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve of abortion.

Respect sacredness of life and well-being for mother and child

But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child. We recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures by certified medical providers. We support parental, guardian or other responsible adult notification and consent before abortions can be performed on girls who have not yet reached the age of legal adulthood. We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection or eugenics.

We oppose the use of late-term abortion known as dilation and extraction (partial-birth abortion) and call for the end of this practice except when the physical life of the mother is in danger and no other medical procedure is available, or in the case of severe fetal anomalies incompatible with life. This procedure shall be performed only by certified medical providers. Before providing their services, abortion providers should be required to offer women the option of anesthesia.

We call all Christians to a searching and prayerful inquiry into the sorts of conditions that may cause them to consider abortion. We entrust God to provide guidance, wisdom and discernment to those facing an unintended pregnancy.

The Church shall offer ministries to reduce unintended pregnancies. We commit our Church to continue to provide nurturing ministries to those who terminate a pregnancy, to those in the midst of a crisis pregnancy, and to those who give birth.

Is The United Methodist Church pro-life or pro-choice? Yes and yes!

We mourn and are committed to promoting the diminishment of high abortion rates. The Church shall encourage ministries to reduce unintended pregnancies such as comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education, advocacy in regard to contraception and support of initiatives that enhance the quality of life for all women and girls around the globe.

Young adult women disproportionately face situations in which they feel that they have no choice due to financial, educational, relational, or other circumstances beyond their control. The Church and its local congregations and campus ministries should be in the forefront of supporting existing ministries and developing new ministries that help such women in their communities. They should also support those crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women explore all options related to an unplanned pregnancy. We particularly encourage the Church, the government, and social service agencies to support and facilitate the option of adoption. We affirm and encourage the Church to assist the ministry of crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women find feasible alternatives to abortion.

Governmental laws and regulations do not provide all the guidance required by the informed Christian conscience. Therefore, a decision concerning abortion should be made only after thoughtful and prayerful consideration by the parties involved, with medical, family, pastoral and other appropriate counsel.”

Instead of legal wrangling, forge connections with real people

So is The United Methodist Church pro-life or pro-choice? Yes and yes! What is written above is a fairly balanced and nuanced statement. United Methodists of goodwill have strong convictions about abortion, and we as a pluralistic church have the freedom to teach what the church teaches and yet have our own opinions.

What I like about our abortion statement is that it is high on relationship building. The best answer to difficult questions is not to write a law or hire a lobbyist or even march in a protest (on either side). The best approach is always deep connections with real people that cuts through all the judgments and “one-size-fits-all” mentality and deals with each situation relationally, prayerfully and in community.

Years ago my husband’s church happened to be next to the office of an abortion clinic. Very often it was the scene of protest marches with people holding signs and giant pictures of bloody aborted fetuses and even someone dressed in a hooded black robe and holding a sickle.

When I would take mail out to the mailbox they would shout at me that I was like a Nazi who watched the Jews being taken to the death camps and ignored the plight of the innocent. I walked over to them one day and engaged in conversation. These were people of deep conviction and a passion for life. I understood their position, and I respect our First Amendment rights to free speech and heart.

I told them that I had been working with a pregnant, single deaf woman in the inner city, who was expecting her 9th child. She was considering an abortion because there was barely enough money to feed the ones left at home, and three of her older children were serving time in prison. I went with her to the doctor’s office and she decided to go ahead with the pregnancy.

Women with crisis pregnancies need spiritual, relational, financial support

I shared with the marchers that she needed financial resources. They promised to help but no one ever called me back. I am sure that many people in the movement do help and this was just an isolated case.

But my point is: supporting women spiritually, relationally and financially with crisis pregnancies and abortion decisions is the important key to this huge, complicated picture. Our faith calls us to “get in the weeds” with the nuances of peoples’ lives and try to weave a path of grace, hope and life for people, one situation at a time.

Pray for our country as we navigate these legal battles over abortion in the months to come. Engage in conversations at church and in the community around these issues. Most importantly, if you really care about this, become relationally involved with real women who are facing crisis pregnancies. Be the hands and feet, the mind and loving heart of Christ, who came to give hope and abundant life.

“It Only Takes a Moment”

“God’s divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of God, who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which God has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them, you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."            2 Peter 1:3-8

Aldersgate Sunday

The Broadway musical “Hello Dolly” is back in New York City, starring Bette Midler as the leading lady. I can actually boast that I saw Carol Channing perform this role in 1968 when I was in high school on a field trip to the United Nations building. Now to see it again 40 years later does make me feel a bit old.

But the signature love song in this musical is “It Only Takes a Moment.” It speaks of romantic love: “It only takes a moment for your eyes to meet, and then your heart knows in a moment you will never be alone again.” The leading lady and man croon together, “It only takes a moment to be loved a whole life long.”

United Methodists believe in moments too: moments of experiencing for the first time God’s wooing grace, moments of conviction of sin and repentance, moments of conversion to faith in Jesus Christ, and one special moment that happened to our founder, John Wesley, at a Bible study on London’s Aldersgate Street nearly three centuries ago. 

 
John Wesley was raised in the Anglican Church and was a priest and the son of an Anglican priest. But when he was 35 years old he was struggling with his faith.

As the story goes on May 24, 1738, he went reluctantly to a Bible study and prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London. Someone read from Martin Luther’s “Preface to the Epistle to the Romans.”

John writes in his diary “About 8:45 PM, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

This was Wesley’s defining moment of assurance of salvation and freedom from sin and death. What he experienced was what St. Peter describes as “the precious and great promises of God.”

In this moment he felt the power of the Holy Spirit to preach salvation. From that day on he dedicated his life to proclaiming that good news around England to anyone who would listen. They say he preached as if he were “out of breath in pursuit of souls.”

Eventually, he inspired a movement that found its way to America when Wesley sent his preachers to “spread Scriptural Holiness” across the continent.

United Methodists observe Aldersgate Sunday every year around the 24th day of May. We do this to remind people of the love of God for everyone and that all can be heirs of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ and be blessedly assured of the same.

It is also a time for us to rededicate our lives to not only spreading the gospel but being the loving presence of Jesus Christ out in the world. This is another important thing to know about John Wesley:

He preached conversion but also sanctification: that is the Holy Spirit working on one’s soul to improve one’s character and obedience to God through prayer, study of the scripture, accountability groups, the sacraments, and fasting. He called this personal holiness.

The passage above, from 2 Peter 1:3-8 describes it well. We are to supplement our faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly and sisterly affection, and love. This personal holiness is vitally important because it gives us strength and direction for the works of Christ out in the world.

Wesley calls that “social holiness.” It means being a “sermon in shoes” through sacrificial giving of ourselves to the poor, to minister to those in prisons, to visit the sick, and to speak out on social justice issues for those without a voice.

There are many ways to give yourself away for the love of God’s children. This is the heart of mission. And as we engage in mission, God’s witness increases and we decrease. Mission is the fire and we are merely the candle.

When I was in seminary back in the late 1970’s, there was an early, heavy snow storm. Some seminary students—being seminary students—went out to throw snowballs and make snowmen, rather than study in the library. One of the students, an amazing artist, crafted a snowman that looked exactly like John Wesley. We all commented on this incredible work of art.

A few days later, when the autumn sun returned, the snowman had melted some, and there appeared a sign on the sculpture: “My heart was strangely warmed.” (quoting of course John Wesley’s experience of assurance of salvation at Aldersgate).

We all had a good laugh. But truly, as we engage in heart-warming mission, we give ourselves away—or melt away, as it were—so that we are not important any more. It is the work of ministry that is most important. We give ourselves away out of love for Christ.

Aldersgate Day can be everyday as we remember the love of God poured out for all of us in abundance. It only takes a moment to realize that we are loved a whole life long.

Hurricane relief donation to Puerto Rico surpasses goal

By Bishop Peggy A. Johnson

Clergy of the Philadelphia Episcopal Area (Peninsula-Delaware and Eastern Pennsylvania conferences) held their annual “Lenten Day Apart” with me at the Aldersgate UMC in Wilmington, Del., on March 4, 2019. There was a major presentation by Bishop Hector Ortiz, head of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico.

Bishop Ortiz described the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in September 2017 and the subsequent recovery work. Volunteers in Mission (VIM) teams from all over the world, including our area, have come to the island and given thousands of hours of service and many dollars toward this effort.

The Philadelphia Area has also participated in the recovery by donating through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). UMCOR’S funds primarily aid in relief projects among the affected communities but not in the repair of church buildings. Yet, some have donated to help restore and rebuild the many damaged Methodist churches as well.

As we prepared for the “Lenten Day Apart,” the Mid-Atlantic United Methodist Foundation (MAUMF) generously offered a challenge grant of $10,000 toward the recovery work in Puerto Rico. Pastors were asked to take a special offering and bring their donations to the March 4 event. They responded faithfully.

Peninsula Delaware clergy and churches contributed $11,613.50; and Eastern PA clergy and churches gave $10,417. The Mid-Atlantic Foundation added $10,000, bringing our total giving to a generous $32,030.50.

When Bishop Ortiz heard the news, he wrote to us the following response:

“Grace and peace to you and the brothers and sisters of the Eastern PA and the Peninsula-Delaware Conferences. Your commitment to being with us by means of VIM groups, offerings and prayers are proof of God’s greatness and the sensitive hearts of our brothers and sisters in your conferences. Receive our thanks in the name of the people of our island and the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico. We are looking forward to receiving the next team this coming June.”

The Eastern PA Conference will send its third VIM team to Puerto Rico June 15. They will be led by the Rev. Nicholas Camacho, an elder in our conference and a native of Puerto Rico. He led our first VIM team there in November 2018 and delivered to church leaders there a second gift from our many relief offerings, a total of $96,105. (Read about that team’s gifts and labors in “First Conference VIM team brings hope to Puerto Rico.”)

A second Eastern PA Conference VIM team, also composed of clergy and laity from various churches, traveled there to work in March. (Read “More Eastern PA VIM teams headed to Puerto Rico in 2019.”)

In June, Camacho will personally deliver to the bishop a check for these new funds from our two conferences, and those funds will be used to continue the work of reconstructing a badly damaged home. Because of FEMA restrictions, the owners of this home, and many others, did not qualify for federal assistance. They are very grateful for our help.

Thanks to all who have prayed and worked so hard to raise this much-needed money. And thanks to the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for its generous donation of the challenge grant. We are doing the work of God and being Christ’s hands and feet in mission where we are needed most.

Murder in the Heart

By Bishop Peggy Johnson

It seems that the world has gone crazy with a series of hate-related mass murders recently.  In New Zealand, Muslims were killed while worshiping. Then there were bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, where many Christians were murdered and wounded.  And now we grieve a shooting in a Jewish synagogue near San Diego, Calif.  These senseless atrocities have become a constant, tragic reality in our troubled world.

Christians need to acknowledge the persecution of the church that is a part of that sobering reality. There are more Christian martyrs and people incarcerated for their Christian beliefs than ever before in the history of our world.  According to some researchers, one in 12 Christians live where their faith is “illegal, forbidden or punished” (2018 World Watch List from Open Doors). That comes to about 215 million Christians facing persecution.

It is not limited to Christians of course: Muslims, Jews, and religious sects of all kinds face persecution and death, depending on where they happen to live, including people in the United States. Humans are killing and harming each other for sectarian religious reasons, for racial bigotry reasons, for reasons of fear, for reasons of ignorance in an endless wave of malice and misery.

Response after response after response

We decry this!  We are jarred into responsive action with every horrible news account and the details that emerge.  Sometimes, some of us even become numb because it is so overwhelming.

We engage in sending help for the victim’s families, rebuilding damaged houses of worship, launching street protests, going to Congress to testify, and calling for more restrictive gun laws. We organize talks about racism and building healthy relationships with the “other.”  We teach and preach about inclusivity and tolerance.

We have candlelight vigils and calls to prayers and calls to action. We encourage people to speak out and write to lawmakers. We do, do, do all of this, at least for a while; and sometimes it all gets too hard and overwhelming, and the passion dissipates. Then there is the next explosion, the next shooting, the next suicide bomber; and it starts all over again.  What can stop this endless cycle of evil and violent inhumanity?

Anger in our hearts is tantamount to murder

An important answer is right here in The Book, the Word of God, found in the “Sermon on the Mount,” what I lovingly refer to as “Jesus’ Greatest Hits.”  The Gospel says in Matthew 5:21-24,

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment: whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Jesus is meddling here, getting personal. That is why he is so hard to hear. It is not the mass murderers “out there” that he is admonishing. He is talking about us, with all of our interpersonal rubs and “sides” and strife and jealousies and bigotries and impatience and selfishness!

Jesus is saying that anger in our hearts against our brothers and sisters is the same as committing murder. The seeds of anger bloom into murder. It all begins in the heart, in our hearts. Every one of us has been guilty of anger against our fellow humans. Every one of us has at some time spoken disparagingly about someone with whom we disagree.”

If we really want to do something about the violence and evil in the world, if we really believe in doing what the Word of God says, we need to work on ourselves first. Go to the lawmaker of your soul and ask God to ferret out the places where you are holding hatred. Go write a letter to yourself about why you don’t like this person or that group.  Hold a candlelight vigil in your prayer closet and ask God to help you devise a plan to build bridges of understanding and respect instead of erecting walls of schism and hatred.  Confront your personal demons with confession and repentance.

Then go out and make peace with the people with whom you are in disagreement.  There is a lot of demonizing going on in this world and in The United Methodist Church.  Take personal responsibility to understand, respect and speak kindly to your opponents. As the familiar hymn admonishes us: “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!”

If you do these things, the words of Isaiah 58:8 and 12b will come to pass “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your real guard….You shall be called the repairers of the breach.”

For Holy Week: The Cross of Christ

In a recent post from Scripture Union’s “Daily Encounter,” the death of Christ on the cross was described this way: “The cross will not be the brutal victory of Jesus’ enemies in a fatal power game, but rather an offering for others. God’s power exceeds death.” ("The One Who Chose to Die" posted April 10, 2019).

It seems to me that people who look upon the cross have these two choices always before them. The world, with its obsession with power, sees Jesus’ death as a tragic loss for a martyr who was on the wrong side of a religious argument. However, the eyes of faith see it as God’s offering of love for the whole suffering world, so that all may be forgiven, and all might experience the “come alongside” grace of God.

I trust that we in the household of faith view the cross with those eyes. This is the thing that United Methodists can agree on! Jesus died for all, and the offering of forgiveness goes on and on. Sharing that passion and resurrection Good News is the point of church in the first place.

However, the pull of the “world” on us is strong. Our human desire to “win,” to beat our enemies, to be “right” sometimes screams louder than the call of Christ to “take up our cross” in humble submission and service.

Christianity is a call to “downward mobility,” humility, love of enemies and sacrifice. The world can look at that as pure insanity and as being a “loser.” The true church has always been counter-cultural that way.

During Holy Week, to truly observe a blessed Good Friday is to commit ourselves once again to:

- the mystery of God dying for his creation;
- the irony of death being the way to true life; and
- the paradox of poverty being the way to true riches.

We follow in the footsteps of one who gave his all, out of love for us. This is expressed so well in this simple hymn: “My Master was So Very Poor” by Harry Lee (www.Hymntime.com). It is a call to us to do the same, to express our humble, selfless love for one another.

     My Master was so very poor, a manger was His cradling place.
     So very rich my Master was, Kings came from far to
gain His grace.
     My Master was so very poor and with the poor He broke the bread.
     So very rich my Master was that multitudes by him were fed.
     My Master was so very poor, they nailed Him naked to a cross.
     So very rich my Master was He gave His all and knew no loss.