The (Unfortunate) Theology Of Jeff Sessions

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PEDESTRIANS AND POLITICIANS

To begin, in the event that anyone reading this thinks I'm trying to tilt the church/state dynamic in my favor, I assure you that I am not. 

When it comes to politics, I'm just a pedestrian. As such, I am free to form my political opinions based on the things that I believe about God. 

In contrast, there are those for whom politics is a profession. And as such, their freedoms to make decisions based on the subjective truths of belief, in my opinion, ought to be more limited.

If you really dig down to the rudiments, the chief role of any politician (whether appointed or elected) is to carry out the will of the people. The will of the people is known by how (and for whom) they cast their votes. Therefore, for a politician to cite a religious text as a reason for doing anything (even if they claim that it is in the service of the people) is to govern from a vacuum of private superstition.

You might be thinking, "But politicians quote scripture all the time to support their views and to justify their decision making." 

Of course, they do, but that doesn't mean that it is correct to do so.

What a politician ought to be saying is, "The voters have expressed their intent about such and such a thing by putting myself, or so and so in office who appointed me to this role, by which I am tasked to carry out the will of the electorate."

It would even be okay to tack on, "X amount of those voters also sent letters, emails, and made calls to my office this week citing a passage from (cite a passage from any religious text) and have made it clear that they, by a majority, desire that the decision to (name any issue) be based on their interpretation of said religious text."

Fine.

But when The Attorney General of The United States is questioned about his views on laws concerning immigration and he begins answering the question by saying,

“I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13..." this is not good.  

Laws are laws (and laws can change, by the way) but our leaders ought not to be using their own interpretation of a Bible passage to justify the laws of a secular government. 

The voter is free to base their political leanings on such things, but not the politician. For to do so is to be religiously partisan.

THE BIBLE ON FOREIGNERS

Here is what The Bible that sits on the desk in my study says, which informs my views on immigrants, foreigners, and aliens.

Exodus 22:21
"You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

Exodus 23:9
"You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt."

Deuteronomy 23:7
"You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land."

Deuteronomy 24:17
"You shall not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan, nor take a widow's garment in pledge."

Deuteronomy 27:19
"'Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'"

Jeremiah 22:3
"Thus says the LORD, "Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place."

Jeremiah 7:6
"If you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin."

Ezekiel 22:7
"They have treated father and mother lightly within you The alien they have oppressed in your midst; the fatherless and the widow they have wronged in you."

Ezekiel 22:29
"The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice."

Matthew 25:43
"I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'"

Zechariah 7:10
"Do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.'"

Malachi 3:5
"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the Lord of hosts."

I vote according to these values. 

And you can bet that I will again. 

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The Stigma Of The Aged

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“The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children, and those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly.”

- HUBERT HUMPHREY -

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This past weekend, I spent Saturday afternoon with some church-folk doing some much-needed cleaning and reorganizing in the nave. 

After we finished and everyone had gone, an older woman and I sat for a minute to rest, and we struck up a conversation.

We talked about all the usual things- life, work, kids, and the weather, then she said,

"You know, there are so many new people coming to the church on Sundays, and they're all so much younger than I am. Whenever I'm up front with the microphone, I realize I am not the right demographic to grow this church. If I came to church and saw a Grammy up there every week. I’d find a new church!

I think the younger ones come partly for an energy and look that reflects who they are. I don't understand the world that so many of them live in -  the cultural references they use, their interests, and some of their language. I haven’t totally outlived my usefulness, but I’m looking for some fresher faces to take over more of my up-front roles. It’s ok. I get it. I welcome it.”

I was glad she took the courage to speak up about this. It was refreshing. I sense these kinds of things a lot from people in her demographic (70+) but rarely do I hear them say it out loud. 

What's interesting is that I always have the opposite experience when she says the things that she does from behind the microphone on Sundays. Of course, I can't speak for everyone, but I'm more than 30 years her younger, and when anyone in our church from her demographic says anything, I take the posture of a person starving for wisdom, grateful to hear from someone who's further along in life, experience, and learning than I am. 

What's more is that I can't even keep count of the number of younger people who said that they came back to the church because of how warmly they were treated by this woman.

Hubert Humphrey, the 38th Vice President of The United States once said,

"The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children, and those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly."

I suppose that could also be said of society as a whole.

I went away from that conversation that day questioning my life and my behaviors. Could it be possible that the way(s) that I live, the words that I use, and the persona that I put out into the world are interpreted as inattentive to the elderly? 

Whatever age you are (unless you are the oldest person in the world) there's someone in your life who was here before you were that has seen more than you've seen, experienced more than you've experienced, and knows more than you know. 

You can decide to learn it all on your own over time, sure. Or you can learn it now from someone who's already been there. In fact, everything that you don't know about life, work, family, or anything else is probably passing you by each day, housed in an aging frame, sitting next to you on the bus or the train, working in the office down the hall, or even shaking your hand at church.

Wisdom, personified is right there in front of you, and you can access that wisdom by striking up a conversation and listening intently.

I'm thankful for my elders. They are the wisest people on the planet, and if I didn't have them in my life, I shudder to think where I'd be.

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SPARTANS

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"I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, God help me."

- Martin Luther -

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YEARS IN THE CLOSET

I spent almost ten years as a pastor wrestling with the affirmation of same-sex relationships.

I spent another five years waiting on the denomination that I worked inside of to come forward into the future (or rather, the present). 

They didn't, so I spent another four years transitioning a congregation that was publicly non-inclusive to being openly inclusive.

Some of my wrestling was due to prior theological programming that needed defragging. But honestly, most of it was due to self-preservation. 

I had a cushy six-figure job at a well-known church in an influential city.

I had invitations. 

I had exposure.

People knew my name.

People read my stuff. 

I had hotels, flights, and an expense account. 

Me. Me. Me. More of Me!

And yet, my self-preservation continued to politely gird the marginalization of those in my congregation who were gay— people in whom God lived, breathed, and had Its being.

They were people who loved God, prayed, and were led by the Holy Spirit. 

They were people of conviction, compassion, and conscience.

They were people who stuck around and supported our church, even though I wasn't speaking up for them.

I had become privately supportive of those who were out (or coming out) in their sexuality, yet I was delaying coming out in my own theology to avoid the consequences.

DOING THE RIGHT THING

Pastors, leaders, bishops, archbishops, deacons (whichever label you choose) people are waiting for you to "come out" in the things that you secretly believe.

I understand that there are seasons. I understand that there are such things as transitional periods when leading a church. But seasons that don't end aren't seasons and transitions that don't lead to something definitive aren't transitions.

Yes. It's going to cost you. 

Yes. You will lose much.

Yes. You will be persecuted.

Yes. Many of your colleagues will turn on you. 

Yes. Your church attendance, your giving, and (likely) your salary will decrease.

But you will be doing the right thing. And when you do, the few(er) who stand with you will be mightier than the masses, and their commitment will match your own.

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Chameleons

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CAMP MEETING

When I was a kid growing up in Michigan, my dad, who was a pastor was invited every summer to lead the music at our denomination’s state camp meeting. 

All of the churches in the state would gather at a campground, and we would have church services and activities. It was a fun time for me as a kid because I got to sleep in an RV and be around my church friends all week.

There was one church service this particular summer where I experienced something that would forever alter the way that I looked at God.

I was told something by someone with good intentions, but they were taking scripture out of context, trying to get a response from me. And it got a response from me, but not the response they were hoping for. 

I remember it like it was yesterday. The pastor was teaching a lesson about sin, talking about how we chase all the wrong things in our lives, and if we don’t stop chasing them, they'll ruin us. And I sat there in that auditorium, and I felt God beginning to do something in my heart. I started thinking through a lot of my behaviors as a kid. How I was often disobedient to my parents. How I lied sometimes. How I cheated on my homework at school and how I wasn't always as kind as I should be to the people in my life. 

And then the pastor said this, “And in spite of those things in your life, Jesus loves you, wants a relationship with you, and wants to help you be a better person.” And I began crying there in my seat in that auditorium that evening. God was working on me. 

Then he completely changed gears, and said to the crowd, “I'm going to pray now, and as I do, I don't want anyone bowing their heads. I want everyone's head up and everyone looking around. And if you’d like to give your life to Jesus tonight, I want you to stand up while everyone is looking.” 

And then he stuck the knife in even deeper. He said, “Jesus taught that if you deny him before men, that he will deny you before his Father in heaven.” (He was quoting the gospel of Matthew). The service up to that point was so beautiful. It was drawing me in and making me consider my life and my choices, and I was ready to respond. Then he said this, and I shut down. And as all of these people around me began to stand up, I just sat there, hunched over, crying in my seat. 

And this message of love that brought me to the point of considering faith for the first time was instantly turned into one of compulsion and pressure, like a salesperson whose only goal was to close a deal. And I went home that summer feeling as if God would never love me again. I denied God, and now God would deny me.

EVANGELISM

So, evangelism. It's a loaded word for a great many of us.

• Maybe when you think of the word, you think of TV preachers or giant revival services in a big tent or a stadium.
• Maybe you think of a preacher on the corner screaming at people about Heaven and Hell and morality and sin.
• Maybe you’ve had an experience as I did as a kid in that auditorium. 

But the truth is that evangelism is none of those things. The word, evangelism is a beautiful word. It is a word of hope and promise and invitation void of anything even close to pressure or compulsion.

The word evangelism simply means, “one who brings good news.” 

What if that’s true? What if that’s as complex as it gets? What if evangelism has absolutely nothing to do with getting people to believe something? What if it’s something different than that?

The book of Acts, says this:

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"Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

- Acts 16:1-5 -

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Why did Timothy get circumcised? It says it right there in the text. Timothy got circumcised so that he might be able to be heard by his Mother's people. Timothy didn't have to get circumcised. He did it because this is what it took for his mother's culture to be able to hear him. I'll spare you the gory details of circumcision, but there's a reason that we circumcise babies instead of grownups. 

Timothy paid a high price here!

In another passage from First Corinthians, The Apostle Paul writes this:

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"I have become all things to all people so I could save some of them in any way possible. I do all this because of the good news, and so I can share in its blessings." 

- 1 Corinthians 9 -

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In each of these passages, we see this thing called evangelism at work. What’s more, we see that evangelism is not about getting people to believe something. It is about us becoming something. It’s not about others changing to meet our religious standards. It’s about us changing so that we can meet people where they are. And when we change, people see it. And that is enough.

It’s what First Peter is trying to get across when it says, 

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"If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give it a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention on Christ. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy."

- 1 Peter 3:15 -

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Are we living in such a way that it evokes questions from people about what we believe? In fact, I’d go as far to say, that if we’re really practicing this thing called evangelism as it truly is, our words have very, very little to do with it.

That passage says that if we’re willing to become what we need to become to love and serve people where they are, that people will ask us about it if and when they become curious.

It’s why St. Francis said,

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“Preach the good news to all people. Use words if necessary.”

- St. Francis of Assisi

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Our faith is not solely about our own life experience. God wants to use your life to love and befriend other people in such a genuine way that their only response can be, “Where does that come from?” 

It requires nothing of your hearers. It requires something of you. To live in a way that is so kind, so generous, and so loving that people ask “Why?”

Chameleons

Chameleons are interesting creatures. They can take on the color of their surroundings so that they can become a part of them.

A chameleon doesn’t cease being a chameleon when it turns brown like a branch. It doesn’t stop being a chameleon when it turns red like a rose. It doesn’t betray itself and cease to be what it is when it changes color. It becomes a part its surroundings.

And evangelism is a lot like that. It’s not about being something that we’re not. It’s about the change that takes place in us because we love people and we want to be a part of their lives.

And for we people of faith, this can look like many things.

It looks like softening our views on some things and being less dogmatic. 

It looks like listening to people in a world that’s too busy to hear them.

It looks like letting go of our fears and our comforts and making our own security and safety the prime reason for our lives and our faith. 

The people of the world are waiting for someone like that to show up in their lives. 

You work with them. You go to school with them. You see them when you drop your kids off at soccer practice. You walk by them every day on the way to work. You go to happy hour with them. 

This world is filled with people who are still curious about God. It's just that they're often presented with a phantasm.

Selah.

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Prayer Transactions

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“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

- Matthew 21:13 -

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Why do we pray? Why does it matter? Does it matter at all, or is it just something that we do because it's always been done?

What's a good metaphor for prayer?

- Is it like exercise?

- Is it like presenting a case before a judge in a court of law?

- A business transaction, perhaps? 

Though these metaphors may all make sense at some level, they don't get very close to what prayer really is. Prayer is simply what it is. Prayer is talking to God. 

In the passage above, from the book of Matthew, Jesus has just entered the temple where he becomes outraged when he finds that "God's house" had turned into a marketplace- a place of exchange- a place of commerce- a place of business- a place of bargaining. 

You may know the story. He begins flipping over the booths of the vendors and then he utters these, words- "My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.'" 

If we'll slow down and think about what is really going on here, we see very plainly what God thinks about prayer. 

This "house of God" that was supposed to be a place where people would go to talk to God had become a place of transactions. It had become a place where, as one would approach, they would start thinking things like,

- What will I get today?

- Will I have enough?

- How can I get more?

- Who can I deal with to get what I want for a better price?

And this is what angers Jesus. Instead of people coming to God's house to pray, they begin to think of "transaction" as a proper metaphor for prayer. 

The greatest temptation in my own prayer life is to do the very same. As I approach that quiet place of prayer, my mind is often occupied with things like,

- What should I ask God for today?

- What do I want?

- What do I need?

- How much is that going to cost me? An hour? Two? A weekend away in some quiet place of solitiude?

And without even realizing it, I find myself there before God, imagining transactions. Sure, they are spiritual, but they are incorrect. I am praying, but praying for all the wrong reasons. 

The truth is, when we go before God, God already knows where we are and what we are. God sees us as no one else in our life does. God knows our fears, our hang-ups, and our handicaps. What God is wanting more than anything is for us to just talk to him. He wants us to simply open our mouths and say whatever it is that is on our minds.

- Sometimes this looks like asking God for something.

- Other times it looks like voicing our frustration(s) about something.

- Other times it is to thank God for what has been done.

But these are not meant to be transactions. Transactions are a wrong practice, and they betray our true motives.

Transaction-prayer sounds a lot like,

- "God, I'll do X for you, if you'll do Y for me." or,

- "God I promise to be more _______ if you will give me more _______."

And these are the very things that frustrate God. Why? Because that isn't how this is supposed to work. 

The next time you sit down to pray, I'd like to encourage you to do an internal inventory of why you are praying. Examine your motives. 

Are you praying to get something, or are you praying because prayer is... well... just "prayer?"

Do your prayers sound like bargaining, or do they sound like you're just talking with a friend, sharing about all that is going on in your life?

Selah. 

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