Sunday Summary: Misunderstood? Do I need to be "Born Again?"

When I saw this listed as an upcoming discussion in the bulletin, I knew it would determine my future with the Gathering. You see, this phrase, "born again" is very loaded and has a lot of negative connotations for me. It probably evokes strong emotions for many of you as well, whether good or bad.

Here's my story: 
I grew up in the Lutheran Church. My dad was a pastor. He died suddenly when I was 9 years old.

I never remember hearing this phrase "born again" in our church as a child. I'm pretty sure we didn't talk about it. After my father's death, we moved back to our hometown and found a new church.

In middle school, I had a few friends whose families started attending a different new church in town. Services were held each Sunday at the roller skating rink. I'm not sure what their denomination or affiliation was, but they did weird things there... really weird things that we never did in our church --- old or new.

People raised their hands and swayed while singing. Many spoke in tongues during the service. They preached (almost exclusively) from the Book of Revelation and spoke of end times.... And they claimed to be "saved" and "born again." They also insisted that anyone who wasn't born again, wasn't getting into heaven.

All my life, I had been told that you just need to believe in God, treat others as Jesus did, and know that your sins are forgiven by Christ's death on the cross, if you ask for his grace. What was this being "born again" stuff?

I didn't like it one bit. I still don't. A quick Google search just now brought up some info from that church's website:

"Those who have not accepted the redemptive work of Jesus Christ will suffer eternal separation from the Godhead.  The devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. This is the second death, the lake of fire."

 - Reference: Revelations 19:20; Revelations 20:10-15

Other testimonials fill the pages:
"I made a personal commitment to Christ 27 years ago. I have studied the Bible the past 27 years and have had many experiences to practice the Word and prove God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises." 

"[We] invite you to come and find out that God desires to give you the kingdom!"

Yeah... I don't even know what to say about that. I feel like there should be an asterisk at the end of these statements with the disclaimer, "some exclusions apply."

At the time, some of this "gospel" they were spouting sounded pretty questionable, or at least worth doing research to verify whether it actually came from the bible. Even at the tender age of 12, I was a skeptic.

I didn't know the word "cult" at the time, but I could see how certain personalities got swept up in the concept. This authoritarian figure, like a preacher (though with no formal seminary training), was telling the congregation and anyone else who would listen, that "true Christianity" and the path to heaven was available only to God's chosen people --- those who repented and were saved, and were born again from the womb of Christ. All others, even people who identified as Christians but had not be been born again, would surely perish in Hell-fire. Any misstep or questioning, and your sinner's soul would burn for all of eternity.

It seemed too exclusive. Too judgmental. Too definite. Like, "You're telling me that only you and the people that think EXACTLY like you, are going to heaven? No one else?" It didn't jive with my concept of God, even then in my still-forming adolescent brain. The thought that my dad --- a man of God, who had spent his life spreading the gospel and showing Jesus' love to others --- hadn't gone to heaven because he had not been "born again." It makes me angry to this day to think about it. If that was "true Christianity," I wanted no part of it.

For a good part of the last 15 years, I have intentionally avoided church, attending only at Christmas and Easter, and only then to appease my mother. I've explored other religions and atheism. Though I've always retained a belief in God and felt a spiritual connection, I really disliked organized religion... Until I found the Gathering.

I'll admit, I was hesitant initially... but knowing that it was a place that was open to questions and doubts, believers and non-believers, ALL people, regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or familial status --- I thought it was worth exploring. And I'm glad I did.

So, back to Sunday's sermon on being "born again." Our scripture reading came from John 3:1-16 (NIV), which in part, reads:

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Cody explained in his sermon that this has become somewhat the center of western Christianity. To those who have a had an experience of "rebirth in Christ," it is an affirmation and an uplifting part of your story... but he cautioned that it doesn't automatically mean that you are faithful or without sin.

He asked if we had any interesting stories from our own birth... and let me tell you, there were some good ones! But we don't spend our entire lives talking about our birth. In fact, that's probably not something we talk about at all, unless a friend or family member is having a baby. It's simply not a part of our daily lives to discuss how we came into this world. Though it may be when our lives began, our lives don't revolve around that moment.

So why should our Christian lives revolve around being "born again?"

In short, they shouldn't. It's not the end all, be all of our lives as Christians. And the pressure for some to have the experience of being "born again" is sometimes enough to make us rearrange our story or fabricate some grand rebirth tale.

The story of Nicodemus, as told in John 3, is often taken out of context, and without consideration for what was, even at the time, a misunderstanding. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, which probably most closely relates to the profession of a lawyer today. He was a literal-thinker, a "rule guy," if you will, and saw the world in black and white. His fellow Pharisees were very suspect of this Jesus-guy that was stirring the pot in their city. Jesus was a rule-breaker, a dissident, a non-conformist. And they didn't like him one bit.

Nicodemus was curious though, and came to Jesus under the cover of darkness. He asked what he needed to do to become part of the family of God. Jesus answered that he needed to be born again. Nicodemus, being the concrete thinker that he was, took this literally.

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

 He was confused by the language and interpreted it as a riddle. The Hebrew word which Jesus likely used "anōthen" has multiple meanings: anew; from above; again... which may have lead to the confusion. 

Today, we look at it from a different perspective. Don't get hung up on rules and regulations. Jesus says that all God's people are welcome to the kingdom of heaven. Your physical birth, lineage, or bloodline isn't a factor. And your spiritual birth isn't the main point of the story either. God's family is open to all. 

Each day can be a rebirth in Christ. Each day can be filled with new life and new hope. Each day is given to us from above, and has potential for us to receive God's love into our lives. If you have a "moment of awe" or of God's presence or a "born again" experience, take it as a reminder of God's love and an affirmation of your faith. 

You may have many of these experiences or moments in your life. Put them to work. Use them to do housekeeping of your personal and spiritual affairs. Ask what's keeping you from love, faithfulness, or kindness in  your life. Use these moments as an opportunity for a fresh start and reminder of God's unconditional love for you. That wind you feel blowing? That's the spirit of God. Let it breathe new life into you.

Go. Be. Do.

 Written by Kay Weiss, guest blogger


UPDATE:
I just came across this article, The Problem With a Rigid View of God and it says so many things I couldn't put into words on the page. Definitely worth the quick read:

None of us are experts when it comes to God ... So it is best to operate from humility; from a stance of “I could be wrong…”

Sunday Summary: Misunderstood? God never gives us more than...

Cody began Sunday's message in the style of David Letterman with a top ten countdown.

Top Ten Christian Clichés:

10) A bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't.
9) You can't out give God.
8) People meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.
7) God said it. I believe it. That settles it.
6) Where God guides, God provides.
5) If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it.
4) Everything happens for a reason.
3) God needed another angel.
2) When God closes a door, he opens a window.
1) God never gives you more than you can handle.

We've probably all heard these phrases more than we've cared to in the course of our lives. And it's likely that we may have used a few of them ourselves. But the time has come to put these overused Christian clichés on the shelf.

Why, you ask? Well, for one, very few of them have any direct relation to scripture (which often comes as a surprise to many). For two, they're often used in hurtful and manipulative ways, or because we simply don't know what else to say.

Let's set the record straight. God is not the source of all good and bad things that happen. We were given free will. That cliché kind of thinking -- blind acceptance -- hinders questions and conversation, which we hold in high regard at the Gathering. God isn't a puppet master or a strategic player, moving pieces around a chess board.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion or interpretation of theology. I'll say again that we respect and appreciate different viewpoints.

The idea that God would do these sometimes terrible things to us -- that's disheartening. God is love... it doesn't make sense. Let's face it, sometimes, life really sucks. And God sometimes feels so far away. What then? Where do we turn for comfort and support?

In a word: community. 

Rely on the community of hope. When life seems impossible, turn to community. They will help carry the burden and ease the weight on those who can't bear it.

And as "the community" here at the Gathering, we must be God's hands. We must let God's love show in us and among us. I'll leave you with a quote from a 15th century nun, Teresa of Avila, that still speaks volumes to this day:

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

 Written by Kay Weiss, guest blogger

Sunday Summary: Misunderstood? For I know the plans I have for you.

Plans? What plans? Our topic last Sunday was on Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), which is often taken out of context:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Cody explained that a lot of people take this to mean that the Lord has plans for them... when in reality, it was a direct message to the Israelites, who had been driven into exile. Here's how it reads with the inclusion of the verses that come before and after:

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

It carries a different meaning when you know the context now, doesn't it? We've probably all seen this scripture printed in graduation cards and had it quoted to us when we're experiencing difficult times or trying to figure out what to do with our lives. It's doled out almost like a prescription: "Take Jeremiah 29:11 and call me in the morning..." as if were a cure-all for any spiritual ailment.

Cody said this passage was something he'd seen a lot in his youth, from church camp to his college years, and at that time, it was a motivational force in his life — something to make him figure out where he was going. He thought, "God has plans for my life. Great, but how do I know if I'm on the right path?" We've probably all wondered that on a near-daily basis... and in those times, it can be comforting to know that God has a plan for our lives. It affirms out faith and drives us to do better.

But, as Cody explained, it's just bad theology when used out of context. Do we really believe that everything that happens is God's will, or that God is behind every disaster, every crime, every evil on the face of the earth? I'm not convinced that every tragedy or accident can be blamed on God's "mysterious ways." Life is simply not scripted. We have all been given free will. What we do — and moreover, what we fail to do — actually does matter... in my opinion anyway.

Which brings up another point: everybody's theology is their own. And diversity is okay (as long as it's not mean or hurtful). No two people believe the exact same thing or have the exact same dogma. At the Gathering, we value the opportunity to delve deep into these questions and be able explore hard topics. We try to do so with a fresh and open perspective.

Back to the topic at hand, when read in it's original context, Jeremiah 29 does still have value in our spiritual lives. Even though it was written for a specific group of people over 2,600 years ago, we can learn something about the nature of God from it. Lesson: God keeps promises. God made good on a commitment to the Israelites — to bring them out of exile, and return to them to their nation to prosper. God was faithful and answered their prayers.

The Bible teaches us lessons, even without our own, personal perspective on it... and it does so, even if the message isn't directed specifically toward us. God speaks to certain people at certain times for certain reasons. As Cody said, "God has been re-purposing since long before Martha Stewart got started with it." 

Perhaps not everything in this life is mapped out, but by looking to God along the journey, we can find love, redemption, and hope. God takes crappy, difficult situations and often makes good come out of them.

Update @ 5:20pm, 2/12/14:
Late this afternoon, I got word that my step-dad's brother passed away. He was 52 years old and had heart surgery about a year ago. He hadn't been able to quit smoking after doctors told him he needed to, and recently came down with pneumonia. When I spoke with my mom, she asked for prayers for the family and said, "I have to believe this is a chance for a not-so-close family to be together. Maybe some healing can take place." She gets it... she totally gets it.

 Written by Kay Weiss, guest blogger

Jerusalem, Israel – The "Wailing Wall" was built by Herod the Great as the retaining wall of the Temple Mount complex. The plaza was created as an area for prayer when Israel captured the Old City in 1967. At times tens of thousands of people gather here for prayer.

Sunday Summary: Misunderstood? Love is Patient.

Love is patient. Love is kind... 

oh, you know... you've heard it at every wedding you've ever been to. 

In fact, on Sunday, when Cody said, "Raise your hand if this verse was read at your wedding," nearly all the married folk raised their hands. 

It's 1 Corinthians 13 (Common English) and it's often taken out of context. Here it is, in its entirety:

If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing. If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever.
Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. As for prophecies, they will be brought to an end. As for tongues, they will stop. As for knowledge, it will be brought to an end. We know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, what is partial will be brought to an end. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child. But now that I have become a man, I’ve put an end to childish things. Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known. Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.

Nothing was further from Paul’s mind than weddings when he wrote this letter to the Corinthians, who had become obsessed with spiritual gifts or "the abilities of God as expressed through humans," like speaking in tongues, prophesying, impossible knowledge, or martyrdom.

They had become selfish and were using their gifts for manipulation and greed. They were shallow, slanderous, and gossipy. Envious and boastful, empty and vain. In this letter, Paul was telling the Corinthians to behave themselves — to stop making the gifts more significant than they were, and to stop acting as though one gift or one person was more important than another. The Corinthians were using their gifts without love, and acting like children — fighting and hitting each other with their toys. Paul was reprimanding them for their poor behavior.

Love may be the hardest thing in the world to define, but 1 Corinthians 13 shows the importance Paul placed on it. A person may be very gifted in a lot ways, but if they use their gifts in a selfish or harmful manner, the gifts are worthless. There's an old adage that says to "use your powers for good instead of evil." I don't know the origin, but it sounds like something from a Star Wars movie. Nevertheless, it's good advice.

Cody told us about an experience he had as a student/clergy at Dakota Wesleyan University. George McGovern, U.S. Representative/Senator, presidential nominee, and author/historian grew up and lived in Mitchell, South Dakota, just blocks from the college. He was also an alum.

On the occasion of his 60th wedding anniversary to Eleanor Stegeberg McGovern, they had a vow renewal ceremony at the Dakota Wesleyan Chapel. It was attended by a small crowd of students and faculty, who sat on the edge of their seats, witnessing this momentous occasion. It was a simple ceremony and included this scripture from 1 Corinthians 13. 

Their 60 year commitment to each other likely hadn't been an easy one... what with political runs, the Vietnam War, the passing of their daughter, and a presidential bid (and no doubt many other personal and family issues that plague all relationships)... but the couple was devoted to their faith and to each other. On that day in 2003, they made that promise again — to love, honor and obey. Love was lived out in their lives in ways beyond understanding. 

God IS love. God, our creator, is unconditional love and is deeply infused in our lives. We can be made perfect in love. We can use it as a guide for our lives. We can live up to it and work for it. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it. Seek love and practice love, because love never fails. 

And if you want to use this verse for your wedding — if it speaks to you  — go right ahead... even if it's original context isn't a perfect fit. 

 Go. Be. Do.

 Written by Kay Weiss, guest blogger