The well known theologian, Karl Barth was known for saying,
“We must hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”  

All of life is a complicated series of events and navigating our way toward faithful living can be helped by looking at how our biblical ancestors dealt with the events in their lifetimes.  The words of prophets, apostles, and particularly Jesus, are a guide that can guide us.  They gave us timeless messages that speak today with truth and power.  This week in the Revised Common Lectionary, from which I regularly preach, the texts couldn't have been more relevant.  

"How great a forest is set ablaze by a such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of life, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth comes a blessing and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.  Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh."  James 3:1-12

At the same time pastors around the nation were preparing their sermons on this text, lies about a legal immigrant community began to escalate tension and put innocent children and adults at risk.  The reason?  Political gain.  At best, it was an attempt to call attention to the challenges of illegal immigration that continue to strain resources.  At worst, it was blatant racism directed at a group of people who didn't cross the southern border, didn't arrive illegally, and doesn't eat their neighbors cats and dogs.  Now, residents of this community are unable to attend school, city meetings have had to be canceled because of bomb threats and shooting threats.  The community is in a spotlight they don't deserve.  Tongues of fire created an escalation of fear and division that is already underlying the United States.  As James said, "My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so."
 
Sitting side by side, the Bible and the news of this week invite us think before we speak.  We have seen exactly what the author of James described when he spoke of the tongue as a fire that can set a great forest ablaze.  James reminds us that lies and misinformation are evil, not the way of God.  Words can divide people against each other and incite violence.  It was words that resulted in Jesus being crucified on a cross, wasn't it?  In the letter of James, we are told that when we do these things, we do them against God.  God's desire is for us to live together in peace, recognizing that each of us is a child of God.  Anything that seeks to separate us from God and from one another is sin.  

The coming weeks are not likely to see the tension in our nation decrease, but it is possible that if each of us do our part to uphold the truth, love and unity of God's kin-dom, we could do a lot better.  May we all do our part.  

     I wander around the internet from time to time and enjoy reading articles and comments about a variety of topics.  Recently I found a page designed for those who have left the Church and/or Christianity.  I read many stories of hurt and anger as people shared their experiences of being misled, forced to believe outdated beliefs, and an overall sense that Christianity is an irrelevant faith.  One of the things that caught my attention was that many of the shared experiences were things that indicate some branches of Christianity, but don't represent all Christians.  Yet it became clear that among these comments was the belief that all Christians are perceived as the same. 
     It makes me sad, and angry, to know that the Church has become something that is perceived as manipulative, forcing people to believe specific things and behave in ways that can be hurtful.  For example, those who believe that the creation stories of Genesis are literally true are viewed as trying to force those who believe in science to reject scientific evidence.  There are plenty of Christians who see the creation stories of the Bible, yes there are two,  as poetic writing rather than historical documents.   For these less literal Christians, Scripture was written as a tool to help us encounter and understand God by looking for what a story shows us about God, inviting us to contemplate new thoughts, rather than as an operating manual that tells us what we have to believe.  
     Some have left the church because they see the beliefs of Christians as false mythology.  They would likely be surprised to know that there are Christians who agree that there is plenty of mythology in Christianity.  But that doesn't mean that it is all falsehood.  Mythology has been a literary means of wrestling with the world we live in and discerning truth.  Creation stories, flood stories, and others can draw people into conversation with historic voices helping them discern the nature and relationship we have with God, helping them discern truth.  
      At it's very core, the Bible is the telling of how human beings have understood God and a guide to understanding God's covenant relationship with creation.  Depending on the time and place of a biblical text, it is possible to find images of an angry, wrathful God who fights injustice and liberates his/her people.  But throughout the Bible there are images of a God who loves us and helps us live together in peace and love.  This is the heart of Jesus' life and teachings.  Too often, Christians have placed emphasis on believing in the virgin birth and the exclusive nature of  Jesus, resulting in those on the outside seeing Christians as exclusionary, self-righteous, and even cruel.  I don't think this is what Jesus intended when he founded his community.  But the voice of some has been drowning out the voices of Christians who believe that faith is more than a dogmatic code, but rather a pathway to living with God in a community of peace.  As a result, people are missing out on the opportunity to know a God of unconditional welcome and love that desires to dwell in community with us.  They miss the opportunity to work together for good with others.  They miss the opportunity to bring their questions and doubts and lay them on the table for fair and open conversation. 
     There are some basic expectations of Christianity that are important to Christian faith, but they don't necessarily look the same in every Christian community. Christianity is not a black and white organization.  It is my prayer that God will continue to speak through the Church, but more importantly, I pray that the work Jesus began will continue to thrive.  Jesus said that all who believe in him are to seek to live lives of justice, mercy, peace and above all, love.  May we find our way to the community Jesus intended rather than the faith community humanity has fabricated.  May those who have been hurt by the Church find their way to a community that heals and nurtures them.  
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​Photo by Obie Fernandez on Unsplash

Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash

I often wonder what it must be like for someone who is searching for a faith community.  There are so many things to consider.  Is the location close by?  Does the building look nice?  What programs do they offer?  What do they believe? Do I know anyone who attends there?  Will they be a good fit? There are so many things to consider that finding a church home can feel overwhelming.  

I confess that my journey into the Presbyterian Church (USA) was not complicated.  My parents raised me Presbyterian, my grandparents were Presbyterian.  In fact, there are Presbyterians as far back as Ancestry.com will take my family line.  But I didn't choose to become a pastor in the PC(USA) because of my family, or because it was easy.  I became Presbyterian because of what it means to be a Presbyterian.  Presbyterians are faithful reflectors.  As a part of the Reformed tradition, we are rooted and grounded in love, anchored in Christ, and implanted in the Word of God.  When I first began working in the church as a Christian educator, the denominational curriculum at that time defined the resource as: Biblically Grounded, Historically Informed, Socially Engaged, Ecumenically Involved, and Communally Nurtured.  I loved this description because it so aptly defines who Presbyterians are.  To borrow a phrase from the theologian, Karl Barth, when we approach the word of God, we have the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.  Ours is a faith that is about more than seeking salvation and eternal life, it is a journey of following Jesus into places of worship, into historical study, into our neighborhoods and into the world - together.  We do everything in community, not in isolation.  

People often joke that the way we function is unique, but pretty boring.  That can be true, I suppose, but the fact that we are structured so that everyone has a voice and no voice is more important than another is exciting for me.  We don't have a Pope, or Bishops, or other leaders who control the church from the top down.  We are all in it together!  I value that because it means that the discernment of God's will, for this day and time, happens in a collective hive.  We listen to the voices of scholars and leadership at the same time we listen to the voices of members.  Together, we study, share our stories, pray, and listen for God speaking through the hive.  We are communally nurtured. 

As a woman, being part of a denomination that ordains women into leadership is a treasure.  I began to feel God luring me into ministry in High School.  It began with a sense that God was calling me into church leadership.  I was never told there wasn't a place for me.  Granted, I was initially told that I was being called to be a church educator rather than a pastor, but through a journey of prayer, conversation with colleagues and friends, I was welcomed into the ordination process where I have been blessed to share the gifts and talents for ministry God has given me.  In many denominations, this opportunity would not have been given, regardless of my strong sense of being called by God.  

Presbyterians are not perfect, we're just different from other branches of the Church.  Historically we have struggled to discern what God desires from us during times of slavery, civil rights movements, women's rights movements, and most recently in the issue of LGBTQIA+ ordination.  We struggle with standards and how to interpret the Bible.  I am thankful that we don't interpret Scripture blindly.  We enter into conversation with history and tradition, looking through the lens of reason and world experience, recognizing that we are part of a human institution that has been influenced by societal norms that often exclude people.  We understand that the context Scripture came from is important to the conversation.  We welcome the wisdom of the Jewish community from which the stories came, and we look to the voices of all who are impacted by  exclusion.  Ultimately, we hold the unconditional love of the gospel in tension with the rule of law as we find our way.  It is a process that takes time, but I believe that God speaks to us with fresh new messages of hope for all.  No exclusion.  

I love that Presbyterians stand with those who are in need.  Our service is more than providing food to the hungry and clothing to the naked.  We also work to change legislation that impoverishes people and denies justice to anyone.  Micah 6:8 is often lifted as an important representation of our mission.  "What does the Lord require of you?  To seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God."  The pathway to justice draws us into political arenas and out on the streets, not to impose a moral code, but to work to tear down walls that divide and impede justice.  

Finally, I love that in the PC(USA), no one is expected to believe a doctrine without question.  Wrestling with questions of faith is welcome!  I love that those who wonder about the Bible or about traditions and practices in the church are welcome to speak them out loud and discuss them.  We don't force people to change their beliefs, just invite them into a conversation that asks them questions like, What does this idea say about the nature of God?  Is it consistent with Scripture?  Did Jesus have something to say about this idea?  Sometimes revelations about God come through those questions.

No church is perfect, neither is the PC(USA), but being part of this community has allowed me to grow from the faith of my parents, to a maturing disciple of Christ who continues to learn, wrestle, and grow.  May God guide all those who are seeking a faith community to find the place where they feel most able to grow.  If you're curious, check out a PC(USA) congregation.