Women's Ordination: Recent actions by the Adventist Church in North America

I copied this unchanged from the May 30, 2012 NAD NewsPoint, an official publication of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. I've posted it here because I did not find it readily available elsewhere on the web.

May 30, 2012

A Report on the Women’s Ordination Discussion Across North America

At the 2010 General Conference Session in Atlanta, Ga., a request was made from the floor to study the theology of ordination. A timeline was voted in reference to the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s research and discussion on this issue with the Church’s Biblical Research Institution serving as the facilitator.

Listed below is the theology of ordination study process timeline:

October 2011—At the Annual Council, the process is presented and each division is asked to request their division biblical research committee to make a study of the theology of ordination and its implications for church practices. Divisions that have not yet established a division biblical research committee are kindly requested to do so. The Biblical Research Institute will provide the necessary materials, which will be of help in establishing the biblical research committees.

November 2013—Each division committee at their 2013 year-end meetings reviews the study made by their division biblical research committee and recommends it to the Biblical Research Institute director for consideration by a theology of ordination study committee.

November 2013—The General Conference Administrative Committee appoints a Theology of Ordination Study Committee with appropriate division representation.

December 2013-June 2014—The Theology of Ordination Study Committee analyzes the materials received from the divisions and prepares a combined report.

June 2014—Report is reviewed by General Conference executive officers.

June 2014—Report is reviewed with the President’s Executive Administrative Council (PREXAD) and the General Conference Administrative Committee (ADCOM).

October 2014—General Conference administration process the report to the 2014 Annual Council

October 2014—Annual Council will review the report and, if needed, take any appropriate action. If voted material needs to be placed on the 2015 General Conference Session agenda, it will be processed accordingly.

The aforementioned process serves as a backdrop to various unions in the North American Division as they have begun to address the role of women in ministry and women’s ordination in their own territories.

At the 2011 North American Division Year-end Meeting, executive committee members voted to allow Division leadership to elect a committee to provide direction to the development of a series of papers, which will contribute to the discussion of the biblical theology of ordination and its implications prior to the 2015 General Conference Session in San Antonio, Tex.

Listed below chronologically are the complete statements from the various organizations in reference to their discussions on how to recognize the role of women in ministry:

Pacific Union on Women’s Ordination

Thursday, March 15, 2012

After nearly two hours of discussion and prayer, the Pacific Union Conference executive committee today reaffirmed their strong commitment to the ordination of women. The committee agreed that the next steps will require careful planning, so they decided to put specific actions in place at their next meeting on May 9. In the interim, union administrators will work with local conference administrators to develop proposals for specific actions.

Columbia Union to Study How to Affirm Women in Ministry

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

At its spring meeting Sunday, the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee voted two items that will propel the subject of women in ministry to the top of its agenda this year, as follows:

“Whereas the North American Division (NAD) Leadership has encouraged each union to be intentional in affirming women in ministry,

we vote to establish an ad hoc Committee to study the issue of women in ministry and recommend to the Columbia Union Executive Committee how we can be intentional in affirming women in ministry. In addition,

we vote to affirm our previous action requesting the NAD to grant us permission to ordain women in ministry.”

To ensure that these topics remain a priority on its agenda, the committee also requested that the ad hoc committee present its report at the next union Executive Committee meeting.

Between now and then, the ad hoc committee, which will have representation from each of the union’s eight conferences, will work through five terms of reference:

1. Review past history of Columbia Union practice.

2. Review biblical and Spirit of Prophecy mandates regarding the role of women in ministry.

3. Review Columbia Union Conference Bylaws and General Conference/NAD policies.

4. Study and review cultural implications regarding women in ministry.

5. Recommend to Columbia Union Executive Committee appropriate initiatives for supporting women in ministry.

More information will be released following the ad hoc committee’s report to the Executive Committee on May 17.

Mid-America Union Votes on Women’s Ordination

A statement from Thomas L. Lemon, president

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

On Thursday, March 8, our Union Executive Committee voted “to support the ordination of women in the Mid-America Union.” We have, with that simple vote, unleashed at least as much misunderstanding as understanding. In making that short statement we intended to be clear, but obviously we were not. And some of my statements since, along with the statements of many others have further muddied the waters. It is unfortunately true that words cannot totally encompass all the nuances of our discussion or understanding as we voted our consciences 11 days ago. It is also impossible to convey via the printed page the experience that pervaded our committee room. It was a wonderful, heartfelt and honest discussion and a firm resounding vote.

But we did not vote to ordain a woman. When the time comes, after considerable prayerful study and discussion, we will be in a better position to discern how best to move forward.

What we do know is that we want the world church to understand that as a committee we are closely aligned in our support of this cause. We intend to work in harmony with the North American Division (NAD) of the General Conference and at such time as the NAD provides authorization, we look forward to seeing parity achieved across our union for all individuals as we, together with the world church, pursue the mission of making disciples given to us by Jesus.

We want that message of support to extend to those women who have experienced and are pursuing the call to ministry in their own lives. We further want our conferences to feel free to discuss the matter in an environment of safety and openness, and among those six entities we prayerfully desire to achieve a working consensus at our two levels of governance. And thirdly, we are also with this action encouraging the world church to respect the various mores and values expressed in the 13 world divisions. That is a major reason why the divisions were established in the first place more than a century ago.

Please keep us in your prayers as we sail in uncharted waters at this point. And, under the direction of the Scripture, may the Holy Spirit continue to reveal to us the pathway He wants us to walk in.

Southeastern California Conference Makes Decision Regarding Credentials

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Executive Committee of the Southeastern California Conference voted today “to remove the term ‘Ordained-Commissioned’ and replace it with the term ‘Ordained’ on all ministerial credentials, regardless of the gender of the credential holder.” This is effective immediately.

Since 2000 the conference had issued “Ordained-Commissioned” ministerial credentials to men and women.

The committee believes this step will enable all pastors to better fulfill the conference’s mission statement, which is the expansion of God’s kingdom through preaching, teaching, publishing and living of the everlasting gospel throughout the cross-cultural communities of its territory.

The Southern Union Executive Committee Action Surrounding Women in Ministry

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Due to the current and considerable dialogue regarding women in ministry in the North American Division, the Southern Union Conference Executive Committee voted the following statement:

Whereas the Southern Union Conference and its member conferences and organizations have a long history of actively supporting, encouraging, and empowering women in all areas of ministry including pastoral, evangelistic, conference and union leadership, and all levels and areas of education, and

Whereas the Southern Union Conference recognizes itself as an integral part of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, it is therefore resolved:

The Southern Union Conference, following the scriptural mandate of the priesthood of all believers, intentionally chooses to continue its long-held commitment of supporting, encouraging, empowering, and celebrating the involvement of women in ministry. However, we will do so only in harmony with the Seventh-day Adventist World Church as expressed by actions taken during the General Conference in business session.

Union Committee Calls Special Constituency Session to Authorize Ordinations Without Regard to Gender

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

At their March meeting, the Pacific Union executive committee voted to table until May 9 a motion that would immediately approve the ordination of ministers without regard to gender. They also set up an Ordination Study Committee to outline the steps necessary to make gender-neutral ordinations a reality as soon as possible.

Today at the La Sierra University Alumni Center, that committee delivered their report to the full executive committee. The committee replaced the original motion with a new one and voted overwhelmingly to call a special constituency meeting, tentatively scheduled for August 19.

The committee voted separately on the main motion, including the preamble. The preamble and main motion were approved by a vote of 42-2. The process, which includes calling a special constituency session, was approved unanimously.

Voted (preamble):

• Whereas Scripture is clear that the end-time Church is blessed precisely because men and women preach God’s message (Joel 2:28-29 and Fundamental Belief 17);

• Whereas we are commanded to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8);

• Whereas “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for all are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28);

• Whereas “differences between male and female must not be divisive among us” and “we are to serve and be served without partiality or reservation” (Fundamental Belief 14);

• Whereas the Seventh-day Adventist Church is co-founded by a woman, Ellen G. White, who remains an authoritative and guiding voice;

• Whereas the Pacific Union is enriched by Spirit-filled women who are responding to God’s call in our schools, churches and conferences;

• Whereas the Seventh-day Adventist Church assigns Unions the final decision-making authority and responsibility with respect to ordination (NAD Working Policy L45 05 3, Spring Council 2012 116-12G Report);

• Whereas the Pacific Union Conference voted its full commitment to Women’s Ordination, August 30, 1995 (reaffirmed May 12, 2010 and March 15, 2012);

Therefore, [main action]

• The Pacific Union Conference Executive Committee will approve or disapprove candidates for ordination without regard to gender, effective when the Union Bylaws are amended.

The Process

Voted, approval for the following process:

• Because the Pacific Union Conference Executive Committee is committed to following denominational procedures and processes, and to facilitate the involvement of the entire Union constituency, a special constituency session will be called to consider amendments to the Pacific Union Conference Bylaws to clearly authorize the ordination of ministers without regard to gender.

• The Pacific Union Conference Bylaws Committee will examine the Union bylaws and suggest amendments to clearly authorize the ordination of ministers without regard to gender.

• The Pacific Union Conference will provide an informational packet for the delegates, pertinent to the issues to be discussed in the special constituency session.

Both the study committee and the executive committee made it clear that they are committed to following established church processes and procedures. Their recommendations and actions were guided in large part by a summary of church structure prepared earlier this year by the General Conference and distributed at GC spring meetings. The full name of the document is The General Conference and Its Divisions — a Description of Roles and Relationships in Light of Organizational Structure Development, Current Governance Documents, and Practices. That documents makes clear that:

Authority and responsibility in the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not centralized in a hierarchical structure. Instead authority and responsibility is distributed throughout the Seventh-day Adventist Church structure ….

The distribution of authority and responsibility in the Seventh-day Adventist Church is illustrated by the following examples of how and where final decision-making authority and responsibility are located ….

The document goes on the explain that the “final authority and responsibility” for deciding who will be a church member is located at the local church; the “final authority and responsibility” for the employment/assigning of pastors and other workers resides at the local conference; and the “final authority and responsibility” for deciding who will be ordained is officially located at the unions.

The committee also considered that the same paragraphs that declare ordination decision are to be made by the unions, not by the divisions or the General Conference, include this counsel:

It is to be understood that the exercise of authority and responsibility is done within the context of the belief, values, and policies of the entire church. No entity is authorized to exercise its authority and responsibility in a manner that is contrary to the interests of the whole church and its activities in fulfilling its mission.

Obviously the distribution of authority found in the Seventh-day Adventist Church can result in tension between world-wide policy and the “final authority and responsibility” which has been assigned to the congregations, conferences and unions. The GC document has much to say about balancing those centers of authority, especially in the final Conclusions and Recommendations:

The following paragraphs and sentences are chosen from the Conclusion to the GC Spring Document.

The distribution of authority and responsibility in the Church along with the recognition that “authority rests in membership” presents significant challenges in finding a balance between centralized authority (actions of the global church) and the more localized authority (actions of the constituency) in churches, conferences and unions.

At the same time the church has worked to preserve unity, the effect of church growth has enlarged the understanding of diversity and its rightful place in a worldwide community. To expect that every entity in the world church will look and function exactly like every other entity of its type may in itself become an impediment to mission. The development of structural designs in the history of the church indicates that unity must be built on a stronger foundation than uniformity.

There must be room to recognize the need for a legitimacy of local adaptation of policies and procedures that facilitate mission while not diminishing the worldwide identity, harmony and unity of the Church.

The relationship among the entities of the church is more than a matter of law and policy. Therefore attempts to codify that relationship will always be inadequate. The primary strength of the Church comes not from its structure but from its collective desire to live out a commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Such a commitment embraces a call to community.

Pacific Union executive committee members made it clear during discussions this week that they are committed to taking seriously the “final” authority and responsibility that the Seventh-day Adventist church has assigned to unions. And they made it clear that their call for a special constituency session is not to be interpreted as a way to delay the ordination of all whom God has called to ministry. It is rather, the result of a commitment to follow church procedures and to make sure the final action, whatever it is, is backed by the full authority that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has assigned to the Pacific Union Conference.

Atlantic Union Conference Statement on Women in Ministry

May 15, 2012

At its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on May 10, 2012, the Atlantic Union Conference Executive Committee voted the following statement regarding women in ministry.

Recognizing the current discussions and the value of women in ministry within the North American Division, the Atlantic Union Conference Executive Committee voted the following statement:

WHEREAS the Atlantic Union Conference and its member conferences and organizations have benefitted from the faithful service and commitment of women in ministry, including evangelistic, pastoral, educational and other roles at all levels of the church and school system, and

WHEREAS the Atlantic Union Conference recognizes itself as a part of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and will act in harmony with its decisions taken during the General Conference in business session, it is therefore

RESOLVED, that the Atlantic Union Conference, in harmony with the scriptural mandates of the priesthood of all believers, is committed to supporting, empowering and celebrating women in ministry.

Columbia Union Executive Committee Calls Special Constituency Meeting to

Authorize Ordinations Without Regard to Gender

Thursday, May 17, 2012

At its May 17 meeting, the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee received a report from an ad hoc committee assigned to study how to affirm women in ministry.

After discussing the report (included below), the committee voted:

1. To recognize its responsibility to act morally and ethically by expressing unyielding commitment to ordain qualified persons to the gospel ministry without regard to gender, and

2. To call a special constituency meeting for the purpose of authorizing ordination to the gospel ministry without regard to gender, and

3. To set the meeting date for July 29, 2012, at 10 a.m., at a location to be determined in Maryland.

The committee approved the motion by a vote of 34-6, with one abstention.

“I believe this action represents our committee’s desire to move the mission forward, and we are calling this special session to facilitate a wider conversation,” said Dave Weigley, union president, explaining the need for input from the larger constituency.

To help members understand the committee’s perspective, leaders will publish a special July issue of the union paper, the Visitor. It will provide a review of biblical, historical and Spirit of Prophecy guidelines concerning the role of women in ministry.

Report of the Columbia Union Ad Hoc Committee Affirming Women in Ministry

Women in Seventh-day Adventist ministry are being affirmed through appreciation, recognition and representation at many levels in the church. This needs to be continued and increased. The most significant confirmation, however, requires the action of the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee.

The affirmation of women in ministry in the Adventist church has both a moral and ethical imperative based on Scripture, church history and our diversity in unity.

SCRIPTURE: As a global church that values the authority of Scripture, we acknowledge that:

A. Scripture is clear that the end-time church is blessed with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all believers (Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17-18), with the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9) and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, both women and men preach God’s message (Fundamental Beliefs 14 and 17).

B. We are commanded to practice justice in our actions and relationships (Micah 6:8).

C. Everything contained in the Bible relates to the concepts represented in three words: Creation, Fall, and Redemption. This continuum provides the natural outline to the biblical story. In Eden, God created male and female as equals, both spiritually and relationally, and both are necessary to fully reflect the image of God (2 Corinthians 5:17-20).

D. Multiple times throughout Scripture God chose women to lead His people (Deborah, Esther, Hulda, Anna, four daughters of Philip, Phoebe, Junia etc.).

HISTORY: As a global church that values God’s leading in its history we acknowledge the following significant hallmarks:

A. The Seventh-day Adventist Church was co-founded by a woman, Ellen G. White, who remains an authoritative and guiding voice.

B. At the General Conference Session on December 5, 1881, a motion was made: “RESOLVED, That females possessing the necessary qualifications to fill that position, may, with perfect propriety, be set apart by ordination to the work of the Christian ministry.” Reported in Review and Herald, Dec. 20, 1881. It appears there was no record of any action taken.

C. Ellen White wrote in the July 9, 1895, Review & Herald, of a ministry that women, who gave themselves to it, should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands.

D. Willie White ordained deaconesses on January 6, 1900, in Australia. In 1975 an action was taken to ordain deaconesses at GC Session. In 1985 the action was reaffirmed and in 2010 it was recorded in the Church Manual. Ordination of women elders was approved in 1975 and reaffirmed at Annual Council in 1984.

E. The General Conference voted to authorize women to serve as pastors (1990).

F. Sixteen female pastors have already been ordained in China. These women are playing a significant role in the rapid church growth in their country and the Northern Asia Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists recognizes their ordinations.

DIVERSITY IN UNITY: As a global church that values diversity in unity:

A. We affirm that diversity in unity is part of the divine order for creation, redemption, restoration and for the church (Ephesians 4, John 17, 1 Corinthians 12:12).

B. We affirm God's leading in utilizing the talents of women for the mission of the church. ”When a great and decisive work is to be done, God chooses men and women to do this work, and it will feel the loss if the talents of both are not combined” (Evangelism, p. 469).

C. We understand that “there must be room to recognize the need for a legitimacy of local adaptation of policies and procedures that facilitate mission while not diminishing the worldwide identity, harmony and unity of the Church” (GC Spring Council 2012 116-12G Report).

D. We celebrate our diversity of culture, gender and ethnicity.

E. We recognize that “The distribution of authority and responsibility in the church, along with the recognition that ‘authority rests in membership,’ presents significant challenges in finding a balance between centralized authority (actions of the global church) and the more localized authority (actions of the constituency) in churches, conferences and unions.

“At the same time, the church has worked to preserve unity, the effect of church growth has enlarged the understanding of diversity and its rightful place in a worldwide community. To expect that every entity in the world church will look and function exactly like every other entity of its type may in itself become an impediment to mission. The development of structural designs in the history of the church indicates that unity must be built on a stronger foundation than uniformity” (GC Spring Council 2012 116-12G Report).

F. We acknowledge that “different elements of organizational authority are distributed among the various levels of denominational organization … decisions regarding the ordination of ministers are entrusted to the union conference/mission …” (NAD Working Policy B 05, 6).

G. We recognize that ordination is for the world church (NAD Working Policy L 40 and L 45 05). We further recognize that ordained ministers may not function outside the territory of the organization issuing their credential, unless invited to do so.

Note: All scriptural references are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

North Pacific Union Conference Looks Toward Gender-Inclusive Policies

Recommendations will be brought to November meeting

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) Executive Committee, during its May 16, 2012, meeting in College Place, Wash., authorized the NPUC administration to appoint an ad hoc committee to create specific recommendations on how to fully integrate committed and called Adventist women into all levels of church leadership within the NPUC territory. The recommendations of this ad hoc committee will be presented to the NPUC Executive Committee at the regularly scheduled November 14, 2012 meeting

Sabbath, A Park in Time

Sermon for North Hill Adventist Fellowship

Sabbath, May 19, 2012

Last Sabbath, I walked at to Mather Point at about 5:30 a.m.. To my surprise there were about a hundred other people there. I heard the languages and accents of China, Germany and France and the voices of kids. I saw people in their 80s and a three year-old girl with frizzy, curly, white-blond hair.

Mather Point is an overlook on the South Rim of Grand Canyon. These hundred people were there to watch sunrise. Even though they were talking, their voices were hushed like they were instinctively aware they were in a holy place.

People shot pictures of the eastern sky. Strangers took turns taking pictures of couples and families.

Finally, the sun climbed above the horizon. Slowly the crowd melted away. Families headed back to campsites for breakfast. Hikers wandered off to explore trails. Some people headed to their cars to begin a long day of driving, headed back into the “real world.”

All of them were better for having experienced those moments of grandeur, for having watched the glory of another day unfold over the magnificence of the Canyon.

I was especially impressed with the parents who had gotten their kids up at 4:30 or 5:00 so they could experience dawn at Grand Canyon, and I was impressed with the response of the kids. They were subdued. They weren't running around. They weren't making a lot of noise. You might think this was just because at 5:30 in the morning they weren't awake yet. But I observed the same hush, the same sense of wonder and magic in the larger crowds that gathered to watch sunset.

The immensity, the spaciousness, the sweeping vistas and the setting—away from the parking lot. Away from lights and games and billboards—something about the place charms the soul. Inspires.

While waiting for the bus another morning before dawn, I met a man from Australia. He was returning to Grand Canyon for his last visit, he said. He had been there thirty years earlier. The visit had changed his life. Now he was back with his wife. Given their ages, this would be his last visit. He was thrilled to be there. He went on at great length about the wonders of American National Parks, especially Grand Canyon.

I was pleased to hear his praise for our parks. They are a great treasure. Special places where millions of people experience awe and wonder. For many of us, time in one of our national parks is like visiting the grandest imaginable temple or cathedral. They are places that give us a special sense of connection with God.

The wonders protected by our national parks were created by God through the processes of nature. Humans make the parks only in the sense of recognizing something special that already exists and taking steps to protect that specialness and to make it accessible.

This interplay of divine and human activity is especially obvious at Grand Canyon.

The Canyon itself is immense. It's grandeur is beyond words or numbers.

The park, the human creation, includes not only the natural features of canyon and forest and river. It is the system that manages and serves 5 million visitors a year. To enable those five million people to experience the wonder of the canyon, the park service built a 23-mile pipe line across the canyon. It operates 4 sewage treatment plants. It has over 400 full time employees. There are 250 miles of roads inside the park and two bridges across the Colorado River for the mules and hikers who make that deep into the canyon.

There are places to eat and places to sleep.

All of this infrastructure is designed to serve visitors without turning Grand Canyon into just another busy place. And it works. As my experience at 5:30 on Sabbath morning demonstrated.

Parks are the perfect fusion of human culture and the natural wonders that evoke an awareness of the bigness and majesty of God.

Parks are an ideal model of Sabbath.

Human did not create Sabbath. God did. God created the Sabbath as a park in time, as special time set apart for a special purpose. It is up to us to act as wise, responsible stewards of the treasure God has entrusted to us.

The Bible first mentions Sabbath as the grand climax of creation.

Genesis 2:1-3.

There was the regular world, then there was the Sabbath. Not a separate space, but a special way of experiencing the space we live in.

It was the first honey moon and the first worship experience. Adam and Eve together. And Adam and Eve with God.

Then we come to the Ten Commandments. God's ten basic rules for life. And one of them, the fourth commandment is: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Don't work. Exodus 20:8-11.

One of the best synonyms of “holy” is special. God orders us to keep Sabbath special. The first way we do that is to avoid work. Sabbath is not a day for earning money or grades. On Sabbath we let go of our drive to succeed, to accomplish, to shape the world, to fix the world. On Sabbath we enjoy what we are given. First the grace and smile of God. Secondly, our connection with other people. Then the glory and beauty of the world.

Notice that what is forbidden here is good. Work is good. The Bible strongly affirms the value of work. Making a living. Going to school. Practicing our art. Improving our skills. These are good things. But on Sabbath we are called to lay them aside so that we can give attention to special things—things like family connections, friendships, and worship.

In Grand Canyon National Park, there is no gas station. There's not a McDonalds or Burger King. There are no car repair shops or land fills. Those are all essential elements of our contemporary society. We are glad they exist. But they are excluded from the park to help preserve the specialness of the park.

A hundred years ago, you could drive your car literally up to the edge of the canyon. Now there are parking lots situated back from the canyon rim. There are sidewalks navigable even by wheel chairs. So nearly any person can experience the wonder of the vistas. But those vistas are protected from the intrusion of cars and buses.

Ten years ago you could drive your car to every overlook along the rim. As the number of visitors increased, there was gridlock at the height of the vacation season. Now the western half of the rim overlooks are served by a free shuttle bus.

This gradual restriction of automobiles is a function of the park service's commitment to keeping the park special for all.

So with Sabbath keeping. We work to exclude the regular stuff of life to make room for the special stuff.

In addition to keeping Sabbath special, to giving us opportunity for making a special connection with the God who is always there, Sabbath invites us to give special attention to the sweetness and beauty of the world God has given us. The world is not only glorious and beautiful, of course. If we are not careful we can become so engrossed with ugliness and meanness, with horror and evil, that our own souls begin to shrivel and atrophy. Sabbath calls us away from all that to contemplate, to enjoy, the sweetness and loveliness of the world God has given us.

Now a bit of a digression: On my trip I saw a couple of billboards about the Sabbath. Same message in a couple of different locations. I don't remember the exact words but they included the words: Sabbath, Mark of the Beast and Anti-Christ. I was disappointed. This kind of thinking obscures the sweetness and light God has for us in the Sabbath.

Jesus declared the Sabbath was made for humanity. God designed it with us in mind. Keeping Sabbath enriches our lives personally and socially. Mark 2:28.

As a denomination, Adventists are committed both Sabbath keeping and Sabbath promotion.

I invite those of you who are young to take up the challenge of protecting the Sabbath. Grand Canyon would be overrun with automobiles and commercial establishments if it weren't for the protection provided by the park.

Just outside the park is a heliport with a dozen helicopters parked waiting for people who want to experience the canyon by air. If the tour leaders had their way, helicopters would be landing on every flat place inside the canyon all day long. There would be no quietness left. There would be tramways floating down cables to the river's edge. There would be condos built into the side of the canyon. If it were not for the protection provided by the park, the canyon would be nothing more than an Arizona Disneyland.

Fortunately there is a park. And 5 million people a year are touched by its grandeur.

You who have children at home or will have children in the future: I challenge you to be wise and strategic in making sure to pass onto them the specialness of the Sabbath.

Make sure that your children see, taste, feel and hear God in their Sabbath experience. Give them special music, special food, inviting scenery and décor, sweet words, happy conviviality. Give them an experience that is memorable.

Beware of taking “the weekend” for granted. Your experience of the weekend—something you have never lived without—is available because earlier generations fought to push back the tyranny of the capitalist system that regarded people merely as tools of production, to be worked, if possible seven days a week, 12-14 hours a day. It was the labor movement and Sabbatarians who fought this and created the wonderful open space in our lives that we enjoy today.

Act as guardians of the Sabbath as a park in time.

Further, I invite all of you, young and old, married and single, childless and parents to experience the special sense of God's favor and presence that is offered in the Sabbath.

Eat special food. Drink special juices or teas. Spend time connecting with God and with people. With friends, with family, with spouses, with neighbors.

Enjoy Sabbath. And enjoy God.

God the Law Giver

God, the Law Giver.

Sermon for North Hill Adventist Fellowship

Sabbath, April 21, 2012

Service will streamed live. You may text comments and questions during the service to 253-350-1211. They will be displayed on screen at the end of the service.

On Mount Sinai, God thundered the Ten Commandments. A thousand or two years later through Jesus he preached a New Law called the Sermon on the Mount. Law Giver is one of the great, classic titles for God in Christian theology.

It is even more prominent in Adventist theology.

We preach about God's law. We emphasize its importance.

We are accused by others of being legalists. Many of us have actually experienced for ourselves a dysfunctional legalism. Sometimes this was so severe we have developed a deep antipathy to any talk about law.

On the other hand, the greatest blessing that Adventism has brought into the lives of many people is its emphasis on law.

For people coming from the chaos of hedonistic, godless living, the order and structure required by classic Adventism has brought healing and fruitful living.

For people who grew up in healthy Adventist homes, Adventist rules about how to live results in greater longevity and happiness.

Why did God give us law? Because he wanted life to go well for us.

"Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, 'How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!' For what great nation has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call on him? And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today? Deuteronomy 4:5-8

Jesus gave the same message at the conclusion of his Sermon on the Mount. He told a story about two men who built houses. One built on sand. The other on rock. When a flood came the house built on sand collapsed. The house built on rock endured. Jesus concluded:

"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. Matthew 7:24-25

Jesus gave us laws because he wanted our lives to go well.

North Hill Adventist Fellowship is a community of grace. We are easy on sinners. We don't beat each other up. (We are also tough. We don't allow people to beat each other up.) Instead of reacting in horror or pretended surprise that we or others are unable to flawlessly perform at the exalted level of holiness Jesus holds up as the ideal, we sometimes laugh. And sometimes we cry. But whether our response is lighted-hearted or heavy, we hold on to each other, and the positive assurance that we are the treasured friends and children of God.

But we are not a community marked only by grace and forgiveness. We are also a community committed to law.

Many Christians believe the primary function of law is to condemn. So a church that gives much attention to law, must be a church that specializes in rules. There are so many rules and the rules are so nitpicking, you can never get it right. And if you did, your life would be so narrowly constrained, you would never enjoy the freedom and ease God intended for you. For some of us this describes our experience as young people in the Adventist Church.

Another perspective on law is found in conservative Protestant Churches. This view coming straight out of Paul, is that God gave the law to heighten the guilt of humanity.

I reject both of these dysfunctional approaches to law in the life of the church. I reject the notion that God intends the law to be a nitpicking nanny, scolding every hint of youthful vigor and goofiness. I also reject the Pauline/Augustinian/Reformed/Lutheran view of law that declares the primary function of the law is increase our awareness of God's condemnation so we will flee to him for mercy and grace.

God gave us the law primarily as a guide for living well.

A healthy church will embrace lawful living so deeply, that it becomes part of our culture. It becomes the assumed ideal for all of us. Kids will always know the ideals that shape our lives. (No matter what we say, they will discern what really motivates us.) So our goal as a congregation is to receive deep into our lives the ideals of God.

What does God's law teach?

1. Love God with our whole being.
2. Love our neighbors as ourselves.
3. The Ten Commandments
4. Love our enemies
5. Don't judge
6. Forgive as we have been forgiven.
7. Don't worry
8. Don't fret when we pray
9. Do things that enhance our physical well-being. Exercise. Eating wisely. Spending Sabbaths together. Don't carry credit card debt. Don't borrow money for cars or sofas or vacations.

These are our ideals. We urge each other on toward ever greater achievement in our pursuit of these goals. We comfort one another in our departures and failures in the pursuit of these ideals.

We refuse to bring God's ideal down to the level of our performance. We also reject the idea that God is scowling at his children because there is still room for growth in our lives.

After I posted the preview of this sermon on line, someone wrote: “But the laws should be fair, reasonable, and appropriate for the situation - also compassionate and not so much rigid as practical. I would think at least. Maybe flexible?”

Laws are not flexible. It is the judge who is flexible. It is the teacher who is flexible.

The laws by definition are not flexible. They are eternal, unbending facts. Fortunately for us, the judge, God is quite aware of our histories and circumstances. And he graciously bends to the realities of our lives.

As the first part of this comment: “The laws should be fair, reasonable, and appropriate for the situation” I emphatically agree. In fact, we can test the validity of a purported law by asking whether it is, in fact, fair and reasonable.

Since God gave his laws to enhance human well-being, if time proves that a particular understanding of God's law turns out to be harmful for people, then we must reject or reinterpret that statement of God's law.

There is another corollary of this picture of God as a Law Giver. God gives us laws because he has confidence that with adequate knowledge we can do whatever it is that he is instructing us about. He wouldn't give us a shop manual if he didn't trust us with the car. He wouldn't tell us to go teach the world if he thought we were losers.

God gave us laws because he knew we could take his words apply them to our lives and the lives of others in ways that would enhance relationships and promote holiness.

I invite you this week, again, to embrace God's law. Ask yourself, what could I do this week that will move me in the direction of God's ideals, God's laws. You can do it. God has confidence in you. So do we.

God the Law Giver

God gives law to humanity because he has confidence in us: with adequate knowledge we can do the right thing.

God gives law because he wishes us well: Those who live in harmony with God's law generally richer, sweeter, more harmonious and longer lives than those who are lawless.

A church community ought to create a environment where lawful living is part of the very fabric of the community. When we successfully form such communities, all of us--old timers and children alike--will find it easier to live well. We will be a blessing to one another and to neighbors and friends.

Law is not a description of how we earn God's grudgingly-given approval. It is a description of an enjoyable and fruitful life.

I'll post a manuscript a bit later this evening.

Text comments during sermon

The North Hill worship is streamed live. We begin about 11:15 am Pacific time.

You can text questions and comments to 253-350-1211 during the sermon--Approximately noon to 12:30 Pacific Time. They will be included with those from the congregation, and I will respond to them at the end of the sermon.

Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys

This week has featured drama involving both prosecutors and defense attorneys.

My sermon manuscript, which I wrote on Tuesday, features only a defense attorney. When I preach at church this morning I will include something about the prosecutor in the Trayvon Martin case who announced the murder charge this week.

There is an appropriate role for both prosecution and defense, for the stern upholding of justice and the protection and redemption of the accused.

I think our primary role as followers of Jesus is closer to that of a defense attorney than a prosecutor.

A request to readers.  If you think it appropriate, would you mind posting a link to this blog on facebook some time? I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks.

John

Defense Minister

Defense Minister (in contrast to a Minister for the Prosecution)

More than two thirds of the front page of the Sunday Seattle Times was devoted to a profile of a defense attorney, John Henry Browne. The occasion for the coverage was Mr. Browne's signing on as counsel for the defense for Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the soldier charged with killing 17 Afghan civilians. (Seattle Times, Sunday, April 8, 2012).

I read the head line, “Dynamic Defender,” the subtitle mentioning Sgt. Bales and the caption under the large photo: “John Henry Browne, 65, has been doing criminal defense work since the 1970s.”

I didn't have the stomach to read more. How can you defend someone who has killed men, women and little children in a horrific massacre?

But that is what defense attorneys do. In our system, it is the job of prosecutors to investigate and denounce human evil, human failings and to call for punishment. It is the job of defense attorneys to counter the accusations of the prosecutors. First, if possible, the defense attorney attempts to prove the accusations are false. Bobby didn't do it. He was somewhere else. You've got the wrong person. If that doesn't work, then the defense will argue Bobby didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident, a tragic mistake. The defense might argue it was self-defense. If none of that will fly, a last resort might be to argue insanity. Bobby was on medication. Or should have been on medication. Bobby was so traumatized by childhood abuse or his brain was so damaged in an automobile accident or his mind was so warped by the strain and chaos and trauma of war that he is not fully responsible for his actions.

Of course, the prosecutor will have none of this. Bobby did it. Bobby is fully responsible. Bobby must be punished—both because he deserves punishment and as an example to other potential wrongdoers.

There is a similar division among preachers. Some specialize in prosecution. They speak forcefully of human evil, human failure. They lament human nature. They insist damnation is the default destiny of humanity. Only a few will be rescued from this natural and miserable condition.

Other preachers are defense ministers. They specialize in grace and graciousness. They look for evidence of saving faith in people who are apparently unbelievers. They celebrate human goodness because it mirrors and illuminates divine mercy and generosity. They believe salvation is the default destiny of human beings. (If God is savior, do we expect him to succeed or fail in his job?)

I am unabashedly a defense minister.

Christian prosecutors often begin by calling Paul to the witness stand. They ask him if he really wrote these words:

As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous— not even one.

No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.

All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one." Romans 3:10-12. Paul is quoting from Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3 (Greek version).

"They rush to commit murder. 15

Destruction and misery always follow them. Romans 3:15-16

Paul is quoting from Isaiah 59:7-8.

"They have no fear of God at all." Romans 3:18.

Paul is quoting from Psalm 36:1

Paul answers, Yes, of course, he wrote these words. And even more than that, they are not just his own words. He quoted them from the Bible, from the Old Testament.

If we stopped here and rendered a verdict, we'd be ready to convict—ourselves, our neighbors, our friends in the church, our classmates at school, everybody: No one is righteous. No one is seeking God. They are all turned away. They are all worthless!

Who can argue? This is the clear word of God.

But then the defense calls David to the stand. David is the Old Testament prophet Paul cited.

The defense reads the passage Paul quoted, Psalm 14.

The LORD looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! Psalm 14:2-3

Defense to David: Did you really write this passage?

David: Yes.

Defense: Did you also write this:

The LORD judges the nations. Declare me righteous, O LORD, for I am innocent, O Most High! Psalm 7:8. (Note this is not justification in the classic Pauline/Augustinian/Reformed/Lutheran sense. The psalmist is not asking to “declare” him as righteous even though he is not. Rather the psalmist is asking God to acknowledge the reality of his situation: he is innocent. The RSV puts it this way: “The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.” This is not an “alien righteousness,” it is an inner, personally-owned righteousness and integrity.)

And this:

God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right. Psalm 7:10.

David: Yes, of course, I did.

Defense: So how do you reconcile these two statements: “There is none righteous, no not one” and “Declare me righteous, O Lord, because I am innocent?”

David, laughing: If you are going to understand a writer, especially a poet, you can't just go with a few selected passages. Poets say things colorfully and forcefully to seize attention and provoke thoughtfulness. They never imagine that one poem will capture the whole of reality.

Defense: For the record, did you also write Psalm 14?

David: Yes, of course.

The Defense Minister reads:

The Lord led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees.

I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.

The LORD rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. Psalm 18:19-24.

Commentary: Wow! David says he had not turned from God to chase evil. David had followed God. David had followed all God's regulations. David claimed he was blameless. Obviously, David's statement, “there is none righteous, no not one,” needs to be balanced by his declaration that he himself was blameless and that he was part of a category of people “whose hearts are true and right.”

The defense minister calls Paul back to the stand.

Defense: “The prosecutor quoted you as saying, 'No seeks after God. . . . No one does good, not a single one.' Did you mean that literally or were you using poetic license?”

Paul: Didn't you read the end of my letter? The very people I was writing to, the church people in the city of Rome, were good people. I said so, plainly.”

I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. Romans 15:14

I also affirmed the generosity of the church people in Greece:

For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. Romans 15:26.

In another of my letters I commented on the goodness of the church people in Philippi. They were so good, they deserved a reward from heaven for their generosity.

Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don't say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. Philippians 4:16-17

So obviously, I did not mean for my readers to take “no one seeks God” as a factual, literal statement.

Paul and David, the primary sources of the classic Pauline/Augustinian/Lutheran/Reformed prosecution of humanity, counter their own statements about human depravity with affirmations of human goodness.

But as great as Paul and David are, they are not the last word. That honor goes to Jesus.

Jesus did give strong rebukes. But this was exceptional. His normal pattern, the vast majority of his communication, was to encourage and to instruct. Condemnation was not his style. When the Pharisees accused Jesus to his disciples, Jesus shut them down. When the Pharisees accused Jesus' disciples to Jesus, Jesus shut them down. When an untouchable woman violated the law and touched Jesus, instead of rebuking her, he healed her, then publicly defended her violation. (Matthew 9).

When the Pharisees accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath (an accusation that was rooted in the explicit words of God in the OT), Jesus defended his disciples. He based his argument in their defense on a creative and controversial interpretation of an obscure story in the OT (Matthew 12).

When the Pharisees accused the disciples of violating the ancient practice of handwashing before eating, Jesus dismissed the distinctive Jewish (religious) practice as trivial compared to the great moral principle of taking care of one's parents—a duty that Gentiles would recognize, and good Gentiles would practice (Matthew 15).

There is a pronounced pattern here: Pharisees condemn; Jesus defends. Religious zealots prosecute. Jesus defends.

I stand with Jesus. If other Christians feel they are called to stand with Jesus in those exceptional times when he did confront and condemn, who am I to argue with their calling. But my calling is to the ministry of defense.

I think most people are rather like the woman in John 8 who was surrounded by devout accusers. What she needed was a defender. Jesus explicitly rejected condemnation as a strategy in ministering to her. Before she gave any sign of repentance or even remorse, Jesus said, “I do not condemn you.”

When the woman sneaked into Simon's party and showed her affection and appreciation in a completely scandalous manner, Jesus defended her from the accusations that came from respectable, religious people—other guests at the dinner, the disciples, Judas. The “good people” scolding this woman for her failure to adhere to higher standards of decorum and life management joined Judas. Jesus joined the woman.

I stand with Jesus.

As a minister of defense.