Good Friends...

Shout outs that bless you out!

While I was at my buddy's house checking my email, I found one from one of my best friends.  He's worked in ministry, at his church, for several years now, but they ordained him the other day.   I called to congratulate him, and find out why they were ordaining him now, after so long.   He said he really didn't know why the church decided to ordain him now, and it never really mattered to him.  "Any more," he said, "I just want to do whatever God wants me to do, and titles don't matter."   This comes from a man who has his MDiv.  from Liberty University, and who sought ordination with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC from here on) for more than a decade.  Pretty much all they'd let him do in the SBC was janitor or assist in youth ministry.  

My friend committed one of the unforgivable sins in the SBC...the woman who cheated on him over and over again, divorced him.  She acknowledged she cheated, that he'd done nothing to contribute to the break up, but refused to reconcile.   You'd have to know this guy, but I'm telling you he bent himself like a pretzel.  No matter how hard he tried, he could not save his first marriage.   No one in the SBC ever gave him a hearing, once they discovered he'd been divorced.  He has the most documentation of anyone I've ever seen, including his ex-wife's statement, to the court, that he's innocent of any wrong doing, in the break up.  Leadership in the SBC, in 6 states refused to hear his explanation, and on more than one occasion leaders literally slammed real doors in his face.   I won't foul this particular post with what I think of the SBC.   I told him for years to get out of the SBC, but he is one the most diligent and loyal persons I've ever known.  He believed he'd find a leader who would eventually listen to him.   After he married the second time he decided not to put himself, or his wife through any more with the SBC.  

He went to a Calvary Chapel Church, and before too long he had his finger in several ministries.  Soon he was being interviewed for a slot in the Church's leadership training program.  Finally my friend found someone who would listen to the story of his divorce and consider his evidence.   This isn't a little church, but all of it's leadership was gracious, and simply couldn't believe the SBC wouldn't listen, because it was clear to the leadership of this church that my friend wasn't to blame for the dissolution of his marriage.   He was accepted into the leadership training program, and again, soon was put in charge of one of the church's largest ministries; Cell Groups.   Within a year his position had gone from a purely volunteer position to a paid one.   As part of the ministry staff, he worked with the alter ministry, counselling those who come forward to make a profession of faith in Christ for salvation.   Immediately, he realized no one was keeping track of those who'd made new professions of faith.  There was a class, but it wasn't effective, and after the first class more than 70% never returned for a second class.  (This guy is a big fan of crunching numbers).

He said he thought about it and was reminded of how I'd taught him to pray.  Using the same method I'd used with him, he set up a New Believer's Class, and had 100% retention, from the first class to the next.  Not only did he have 100% of those who started the 5 week class, the class picked up 35 more people!   For those of you who've never been around Church leadership, or studied church growth, 100%+ retention is absolutely impossible; it never ever happens.   He's taught the class several times over the last year, and had to add a second, more in depth course.  He went on to say that by the end of next year he hopes to have 4 or 5 more sections.  One of those sections will deal exclusively with teaching how to pray, following my prayer outline and method.   He said, "Lonnie, you are absolutely the reason these courses work, we could never have done it without your method of teaching."  

I am completely humbled and honored.   All I did was use principles I found in the Bible, to teach my friend, who struggled with a personal prayer time, how to pray.  Out of my simple, short, hands on, training method, literally hundreds of people are finding a vibrant faith in Christ.   My friend said, more than 70% of those who take the class start showing up of their own volition to work in ministry.  No one tells them they need to get involved in ministry.  the training they receive leaves them with little doubt, and they just show up with the conviction that God desires their involvement in the work of His Church.   

WOW!  That's all I can say is, WOW!  And, thank You, God, for using my simple method, and my friend's faithfulness and devotion.   This rates as one of the greatest honors I've ever received.  I can't express how wonderful his news is to me.  I can't express how humbled I am.  All you have to do is read my "WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN..." series to know the things I used to do with my mind and body.  That God could work through me to help and serve my friend was blessing enough for me.  But add to this the honor of having my methodology used to lead so many into a vibrant walk and service to Christ is more than I could ever have imagined.   It also makes me feel vindicated, because God doesn't truly bless something that doesn't flow from Him to begin with.   God does work in and through me to effectively teach.  More importantly I am vindicated, because it absolutely proves, that if we will simply do what the Bible teaches, instead of judging the Bible, or doing things our way, we'll receive amazing results  This is the only real success I can point to, for now.   I may have only a small part, but having the smallest part in God's work is enough for me.   I don't really need any more than that.  

*WALKING ON CLOUD 999*

Lonnie                       

Won't be around much this week.  I'm moving, so I'll be busy, busy.  I'll finally have internet service at my new place!!  YAY!!!

PART VI

The Pilgrim's Shame...

The Religious Right's Heritage

"If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nailbiters." ~ Anita Bryant

"The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country."  ~ Jerry Falwell

"AIDS is not just God's punishment of homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals." ~ Jerry Falwell

Q: How many members of the Religious Right does it take to change a light bulb?

A. None.   The Religious Right curses the darkness, accuses the light bulb of choosing to burn out, and demands the light bulb change itself. 

YOU ARE YOUR ROOTS          

"America was founded upon Christian principles, and therefore America is, by all rights, a Christian nation."  

On this point both LGBT activists and Christians agree.   So, how could anything possibly be wrong?   Well, as simply as I can put it the problem comes down to a question my best friend asked me recently..."How good are you at living what you teach?"   You see, there is a huge difference between Christian principles and a Christian living those principles out.   When Christians merely teach Christian principles there is no presence of the Holy Spirit.   When a Christian lives what Christ teaches then the power of the Holy Spirit is there.   

My last couple of years of school, I worked Summer Stock theater in Ohio.  The production was TECUMSEH!.  I played the role of a Shawnee political leader.  Believe it or not Native American peoples had very sophisticated cultures and governments.  I spent a great deal of my time during these Summers learning about Native American peoples.   What a I learned was terrible.  The history of European invaders coming to this land isn't anything like what I learned in primary school history courses.   Yes, the Puritan Pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 were looking for religious freedom.   I do appreciate our plucky Pilgrim forebearers. They are one of the main reasons we have the kind of government and freedoms we enjoy.   The Puritan Pilgrims have given us much to be thankful for...provided, that is, you are of European descent, and not Native American.  

Are you feeling a little confused?   Are you wondering if I've lost my mind?  I'm supposed to be talking about my journey through and out of homosexuality.  What do Pilgrims and Native Americans have to do with my journey?   Well, Pilgrims and Native Americans have nothing directly to do with my journey.  Pilgrims have everything to do with the Religious Right.  It is to the Pilgrims, and later, the framers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution that the modern Religious Right roots itself.    The Religious Right has a great deal to do with my journey.   The Religious Right claims their authority comes from those who sought religious freedom, and later from those who sought freedom from an oppressive foreign king.   As noble as those freedom seekers, and founding fathers are, they also did some terrible and completely unchristian things.  When a modern religious group claims authority from a group of religious people who missed God then it presents an enormous problem.  

Jesus Himself talks about this phenomena when He says:

  ²⁹"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' ³¹So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³²Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!

Jesus is saying that the religious leaders of His day claim their heritage comes from those who did great evil in God's eyes.   What the Religious Right has done is no different from the behavior of those Jesus accuses of great wrong.   When the Religious Right claims their heritage comes from the Puritan Pilgrims and the founding Fathers then they, without understanding, testify against themselves.   

The Pilgrims came to a land already inhabited by many very large and sophisticated cultures.   When it came time to establish communities and government the Puritans only saw to their own interests and culture.  Their excuse for excluding the natives in the land.  The native peoples were deemed savages; subhuman beasts, no better than animals.  Animals had no rights, and were property to be exploited as the owner saw fit.  Now some may argue that it was the "manifest destiny" for America, and God intended for the gospel to come to the natives of America.  I don't have a problem with missionaries bringing the good news to Native Americans, but that simply isn't how it worked.   The evidence shows that European culture supplants the cultures which had been here for thousands of years.  Don't misunderstand me here I'm not saying the peoples who lived here were "noble savages".  Native Americans were as savage toward their fellow Native Americans, as any group of white settlers.  That doesn't make any difference, and isn't reason enough to destroy the indigenous cultures.  

The fact is there were many wonderful things Native American culture offered.  There was an enormous respect for the world around Native Americans.   There was a holistic symbiotic relationship between the people and the land.   The concept of property ownership, of the kind European settlers brought, was completely unknown.   I as a Christian would love to have the influence of Native American culture on American Christian culture.   I have no doubt we'd have had an industrial revolution, but what would that have looked like if our ancestors had embraced to good in Native Cultures?   How different would our world be today, had our ancestors embraced Native American culture rather than destroy it. 

What teaching of Christ could/should have been applied to how our ancestors dealt with Native Americans.   I have in mind the Samaritan Woman at the Well.   Samaritans were the savages of Jesus own day, but when among them He said, "Look, the fields are ready for harvest."   How different things would have been if the Puritan Christians had faithfully followed their savior, rather than simply being purveyors of British/European imperialism.   Ignorance will be the argument against me.  Someone will say, "Well, they didn't know any better."   No they didn't know any better, and they didn't know any better because they were all about putting forth Christian religious principles.  Their religious expression was incredibly legalistic, and they imposed their legalism, as an expression of their religious freedom.   They didn't allow the living Christ to enable them to live out His teachings.   Just as the Apostle Paul was instrumental in freeing Gentile believers from being held captive to Jewish religious and cultural expression, so the Pilgrims could have freed Native Americans from the burden of European culture.   American culture could be a very powerful mix of Native and European cultures.  If our forebearers had been truly lived live filled with the lead of the Holy Spirit. 

This problem with Native Americans was a serious problem for the founding fathers as well.   Not only were Natives a problem, but 155 years after the Pilgrims, the founding fathers had a new group to deal with; African slaves.   There were voices, in the fledgling American government, which sought to free African slaves, but fear kept them from doing away with slavery.   You know the Bible offers leadership in this kind of situation as well.  The book of Philemon certainly deals with the issue of slave, master, and freedom in Christ.   Our "Christian" founding fathers would have found a great source of leadership in Paul's treatment of an escaped slave. 

 ⁸Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, ⁹yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— ¹⁰I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. ¹¹Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.  

We could have had an "Onesimus Generation".  A generation of Christians who discipled slaves, trained them in trades and business, and then set them free to become citizens and equals.   Imagine a nation in which black and white had all been working toward building this great nation.   This would have been a much greater nation than it is today.  Unfortunately, people of African descent were seen as "savages"; subhumans equal to animals.   

This is the "heritage" of the Religious Right.  No it isn't all bad, but if our "Christian" forebearers had followed Christ instead of pushing their own religious culture, we'd have a very different Christian culture.   I'd argue we'd have a better Christian culture.   And if Christians had learned from the terrible mistakes of the Pilgrims and the founding fathers, they wouldn't treat LGBT people like, well, savages.   

By holding to a perceived "Christian" heritage, the Religious Right is blind to the greater power of living in the power of Christ in the now.   I don't think I need to say that I believe the Church in America is badly in need of reform.   In order to do that we have to start cutting some of those ties to the religious heritage.  The Religious Right, and Left for that matter, needs to let go of the founder's religious roots, and become again a generation of people who live lives filled with Christ.  We don't need a Christian law, we need a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.   We need to look at the world around us through the eyes of Jesus Christ.   

As Jesus hung on a Roman cross, innocent, beaten, bloody, nailed hand and foot to the post, He said something interesting...He said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do..."    Jesus, looked at the people who'd treated Him with such unimaginable savagery, and said, "Don't hold them responsible."   What other expectation could Christians honestly have when faced with LGBT persons?    And make no bones about it, LGBT persons are most certainly treated by modern believers the way the Pilgrims treated Native Americans.   The same dismissive attitudes and behaviors are evident among today's religious activists.   

As a Christian who left homosexual practice I repudiate and denounce the practices and beliefs of the Religious Right and Left.   I denounce and repudiate the religious heritage which makes any people "savages".   I must stand with Christ's teachings, "Go into all the world and make disciples,"  "For God so loved the world He gave..."  And upon the basis of Christ's last words concerning the savages who murdered Him,  "Father, do not hold this wrong against them, for they know not what they do."  This is the legacy; the heritage of Christ.   Christ and Christ alone is the foundation for the behavior of the Church.

We must view those we call "lost" through lens of the body of Christ.  We must see the world's sin scars on the body of Christ hanging on the Roman cross.  It is time to repudiate the works of the Religious Right.   The wrongs done are incalculable.   There is a better way to express the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.   We'll never truly know God's way, until we release our human nature driven religious way of doing things. 

Lonnie 

NEXT INSTALLMENT:

THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN: I LEFT HOMOSEXUALITY 20 YEARS AGO;

Closets:

Not Just for Coats Anymore