Sunday, March 28, 2010, we’ll discuss the United Methodist stance on Holy Communion.  In preparation for our discussion, consider these questions:

• What is Holy Communion to you?
• What does it mean?
• Why is it important?
• Where does Holy Communion come from?
• Is it important in the life of the church?  Why or why not?

Leave your thoughts below!

On Sunday, March 21, 2010, the Sunday Afternoon Study Group considered what the United Methodist Church thinks about Baptism.  The official statement from The Book of Resolutions of the United Methodis Church on Baptism is called By Water and the Spirit.  CLICK HERE to read it for yourself!

However, here is a summary of our discussion:

WHAT DOES BAPTISM MEAN OR SIGNIFY?

In the United Methodist Church, we have two sacraments:  Baptism and Holy Communion.  Before we consider these, we have to understand what a sacrament is.  The definition is:

An outward and visible sign of an inner and spiritual grace.

In other words, it is a tangible means, a physical symbol of what God has done or is doing in our lives.

Grace:

• Grace is a FREE gift (no strings attached) of relationship with God offered to us that we do not deserve.  God initiates the relationship, as we would be unable without God’s grace to seek a relationship with God.
• Thus, baptism is first and foremost a sign of God’s initiative, Prevenient Grace, in our lives. God has been inviting us into relationship with God from the beginning – one of the reasons we do infant baptism. God accepts us long before we accept God. Baptism signifies this.
• Because a sacrament is a sign of what God has done or is doing in our lives, it can be seen as a sign of our response to God’s initiative. God called and by God’s Justifying Grace we have responded to God, accepting a relationship with God. Thus, it often it serves as our public profession of faith.  HOWEVER, ultimately it is still a sign of God’s initiative as God offered the gift of relationship and grace long before we knew we even needed it!

Covenant:

• Baptism replaced circumcision (Genesis 17:10-13) as the sign of the covenant with God. This is another reason why we do infant baptism. In Judaism, circumcision was typically done on a boy that was 8 days old. Whether or not that child would accept God’s covenant did not matter. The important thing is that God offered the covenant. The same goes for infant baptism.
• Remember, covenant, by definition, means there is a responsibility on ALL parties involved in the covenant.  So, if one aspect of baptism is our response to God’s grace, we are declaring that we will uphold our end of the covenant as well!

Incorporation into the Body of Christ (Read: Galatians 3:27-28; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13):

• Baptism is not only a sign of our acceptance by God but also our acceptance into and by the community of faith. All dividing walls are torn down. We are all equals though we are still unique individuals with particular God-given gifts and abilities to serve others and to serve with others.

Re-Birth / New Life (Read:  Titus 3:4-7):

• The letter to Titus reminds us that baptism is a sign of new birth. Remember what happens before a baby is born? The water breaks. A baby is born through water; baptism symbolizes a baby Christian being born through water.
• There is an important distinction that often gets overlooked in this image. We are born again. Think about physical birth. A baby is born not as an adult who knows everything. A baby is born as one who knows nothing and must learn and grow into a mature adult. The same is true of being “born again.” Baptism is not the sign of the end but the beginning of the Christian life. There is still much learning and growing to do be be like Christ and close in our relationship with God.

Receiving the Holy Spirit:

• The letter to Titus also reminds us that baptism symbolizes our receiving the Holy Spirit.  Thus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God continues to take the initiative in our lives to guide us into truth, reminding us of all that Jesus taught.  By doing this, God, through the process of Sanctifying Grace helps us to grow and mature in our life and journey of faith. By the Spirit, we are reminded that we are God’s children. Read more about the Holy Spirit in: Romans 8:1-17, 26-27; Acts 2:1-13, John 14:14-17, 26; and John 16:5-11.

Forgiveness of Sins (Read: Acts 2:38):

• Often forgiveness of sins is seen as the only thing that Baptism signifies. Yet, by looking at the list that preceded this, we see that forgiveness is only one of many meanings of baptism.

HOW DO WE BAPTIZE IN THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH?

Sprinkling
(our usual mode simply for logistical reasons):

• Read:  Numbers 19:18-19 & 1 Peter 1:1-2
  These passages remind us that a common symbol for purifying is sprinkling with water or blood.
• Read:  Ephesians 1:13 & Revelation 7:3
  These passages talk about the “seal.”  This is an image of baptism.  Revelation, in particular, notes that the “seal of God” is on their forehead only, implying that even in the first century baptism may have been performed by sprinkling.
• Read:  1 Corinthians 10:1-4
  Obviously, Paul does not think that Moses and the Israelites were immersed in the Red Sea, though they may have been sprinkled by it while walking through! The Egyptians were immersed, however, according to Exodus!
• An interesting aside: In John Wesley’s “A Treatise on Baptism,” he notes that John 3:23 says that John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because there was a lot of water there. However, it never implies that the water was deep. There can be a lot of water when it is only a few inches deep, making it impossible to immerse.

Pouring
(a common mode used in Presbyterian Churches, but UM’s will do it to if requested):

• Read:  Acts 2:17-18
  Since baptism is a sign of our receiving the Holy Spirit, this passage in Acts reminds us of God’s promise to “pour” out the Holy Spirit on all people.  Baptism by pouring signifies this.

Immersion
(obviously this is a common mode in Baptist and Church of Christ traditions, but UM’s will do this if requested in rivers, lakes, pools, hot tubs, or borrowed baptisteries):

• Read:  Romans 6:4 & Colossians 2:12
  These passages symbolize immersion and new life. We are buried (put under the water), and we rise (come out of the water) to new life.
• Read:  Mark 7:3-4 & Matthew 23:25-26
  Many will say that the Greek word baptismo means immersion, but that is not the case. Consider 1 Corinthians 10 above. Also, Mark says in the Greek that Pharisees “baptize” their cups, pots, and kettles. Matthew tells us more about this tradition and shows us that they did not clean the INSIDE of the cup – only the outside. How, then, can baptism mean immersion?

IS BAPTISM REQUIRED FOR SALVATION?
IS BAPTISM NECESSARY MORE THAN ONCE?

• In the United Methodist Church, baptism is NOT necessary for salvation since it is only a sign of the salvation already present. HOWEVER, baptism is a requirement for church membership!
• Since baptism is ultimately a sign of what GOD DOES, not what we do, the United Methodist Church does not think that re-baptism is necessary. God held up God’s end of the covenant. Baptism is God’s gift to us, and nothing was wrong with it. God has not stopped loving us.
  • However, we do encourage a Reaffirmation of Faith (see pg. 33 in the UM Hymnal) where one acknowledges again the gift God gave in baptism. We can reaffirm that gift – accept it again without going through it again.
  • The UMC will accept any Christian Church’s baptism, so we do not see it to be necessary to re-baptize people who were baptized in other churches.

What questions come to mind as you consider the information provided above?

What was new?

What might you disagree with?  Why?

What difference (if any) has studying baptism made in your life?

Sunday, March 21, 2010, we’ll discuss the United Methodist stance on Baptism.  In preparation for our discussion, consider these questions:

• What is Baptism to you?
• What does it mean?
• Why is it important?
• Where does Baptism come from?
• Is it important in the life of the church?  Why or why not?

Leave your thoughts below!

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why

Join the monthly study group known as the 3rd Thursday St. Simeon Group to learn some of the history behind the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament from which our English translations come.  Would you believe there are more differences between the thousands of manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament?  Do these differences matter?  Come to one of these classes and lets discuss it!

Details:

• Day / Time:
  3rd Thursday of the Month, beginning April 15, 2010
  7:00-9:00pm
• Book Cost:  $11
  (must receive payment before we will order the book)

Register NOW below!

The next topics for discussion in the Sunday Afternoon Study are gun control and war.

In preparation for our discussion:

What are your initial thoughts about these hot topics?

Why do you feel that way?

Have your opinions changed over the years concerning these topics?  If so, how and why?

Are these topics related at all?  Why or why not?

What, if anything, does the Bible say about these topics?

As one might expect, these topics had people on both sides of the fence.  If you want to read some of the official statements that the UMC makes on these issues, click here:

What the UMC Thinks About . . . Death Penalty, Abortion, Fertility & Infertility

Here is a brief summation for each of these topics:

Death Penalty:

The UMC is against it.  Why?  Because, in its finality, it “denies the power of Christ to redeem, restore and transform all human beings” (The Book of Discipline of the UMC:  2008, ¶ 164).  As I like to say, the death penalty says that God’s grace is amazing enough to save a wretch like me, but not that poor sap in prison.

Many, of course, will quote the Hebrew Scriptures (aka the Old Testament to Christians) saying, “The Bible says, ‘an eye for an eye,’ so capital punishment is okay.”  Yet, as I once heard a theologian say, “When the Bible and Jesus disagree, Jesus trumps the Bible.”  That applies here.  Take a moment to read Matthew 5:38-42.  Jesus quotes that same passage but follows it with, “BUT I say to you . . . turn the other cheek.”  Of course, properly interpreted, that does not mean that they get off scott free, but it also does not mean we get to act in like manner to the perpetrator.  Jesus is calling us to a higher standard. Likewise, Romans 12:9-21 also reminds us that it is God’s job to avenge, not ours.

Plus, knowing that we are called to the ministry of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:16-21), the UMC recommends restorative justice, which

grows out of biblical authority, which emphasizes a right relationship with God, self, and community. When such relationships are violated or broken through crime, opportunities are created to make things right. . . .  Through God’s transforming power, restorative justice seeks to repair the damage, right the wrong, and bring healing to all involved, including the victim, the offender, the families, and the community. The Church is transformed when it responds to the claims of discipleship by becoming an agent of healing and systemic change.  (The Book of Discipline of the UMC:  2008, ¶ 164)

Abortion:

The UMC, being “bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child,” “cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection”  (The Book of Discipline of the UMC:  2008, ¶ 161).  Likewise, unless the mother’s life is in danger with no viable alternative or there are severe abnormalities with the unborn child, which would be incompatible with meaningful life, the church opposes partial birth abortions.

Yet, the church feels it is important to be in ministry to women who have had an abortion, helping them cope with the stress following the procedure.  In addition, the UMC desires to provide ministries that might prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as working with agencies to help provide viable alternatives to abortion – especially adoption.

Fertility / Infertility:

Article 8003 of The Book of Resolutions of the UMC:  2008 states:

A human embryo, even at its earliest stages, commands our reverence and makes a serious moral claim on us, although not a claim identical to that of a more developed human life. For this reason we should not create embryos with the intention of destroying them, as in the creation of embryos for research purposes. Neither should we, even for reproductive purposes, produce more embryos than we can expect to introduce into the womb in the hope of implantation.

Thus, the UMC is in support of providing means for couples to have children so long as the means are not abused, creating more embryos than are needed.

Questions:

How do you respond to the summaries above?  Where does your response come from?  How do you support it?

What other options might we have to the difficult decisions discussed above?