"My Journey from learning Spanish during the Pandemic to writing my first Latin Song"

As a musician, I have always been fascinated by the power of language and how it can shape the emotional impact of a song. For years, I had dreamed of writing a song in Spanish, but the language barrier always seemed too daunting. However, when the pandemic hit, I suddenly found myself with some extra time on my hands, and I decided to use that time to finally learn Spanish.

I started with the basics, studying vocabulary and grammar and practicing my conversational skills on a phone app. It was a slow and often frustrating process, but as I gained more confidence in the language, I began to experiment with writing lyrics in Spanish.

As the pandemic dragged on and the world around us seemed to grow more chaotic and uncertain by the day, I found myself increasingly drawn to the idea of creating music that spoke to the fears and anxieties of the moment, while also offering a message of hope and resilience. That's when I began work on a new song entitled "En Manos Fuertes Estoy" or "I'm in Strong Hands."

The song expresses the idea that no matter what life throws our way, we can find comfort and security in the hands of a higher power. It's a message that I think is particularly resonant in the context of the pandemic, which has forced us all to confront our mortality and the fragility of the world around us. The song is also a celebration of the Spanish language and its power to communicate profound emotions and ideas.

Writing and producing the song was a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience. I had to rely on my limited Spanish skills to create lyrics that were both poetic and meaningful, while also collaborating with Spanish-speaking musicians to ensure that the song had an authentic sound and feel. Despite the difficulties, I found that the creative process was deeply satisfying, and it gave me a sense of purpose and direction during a difficult time.

Of course, my experience is just one of many examples of how people have used the pandemic as an opportunity for growth and creativity. Despite the many challenges and tragedies of the past year and a half, there have been countless stories of people coming together to create something positive and uplifting out of a difficult situation.

Of course, I don’t mean to minimize the very real pain and suffering that the pandemic has caused. It has been a difficult and trying time for everyone, and there are still many challenges that we need to overcome. But it is heartening to see how people have come together to support one another and create something positive out of a bad situation.

A Spiritual Corona Virus Advice: Stop.Blaming.

By Pastor Frank Schaefer, 04-02-2020. What's the point of blaming others for the Corona virus? I cannot believe what I'm reading and hearing on social media and the news. Blaming the Chinese, Asians in general, or the news media doesn't make sense. It's downright hateful.  Some right-wing religious leaders have even blamed the spread of Covid-19 on the LGBTQ+ community. Maybe blaming others is a human way of dealing with a crisis. However, it is arguably the wrong way. Why? It seems to me that it is externalizing our feelings.  I've seen it before in many pastoral care situations over the years: often, when people are overwhelmed, they can't face their true feelings and externalize them. Instead of addressing their inner fears, in this case, the fear of death or loss, they shift their emotional gear box to "anger." It may seem easier to be angry at others than to address our true feelings, but it's not healthy. My spiritual advice is this: look into soul and identify your true emotions. If you feel fear, know that it's ok to be afraid in a pandemic like this. Feeling fear is totally human. God understands. It's not a sign of weakness or lack of faith. We should give ourselves a break. It's also ok to feel sadness, anger (unless its blame-shifting anger) and loneliness. We are not alone in this. Pretty much all of us run the whole gamut of human emotions during this time of extreme crisis. Don't be afraid of facing your feelings. Allow yourself to feel them. You are allowed to fret, grieve and cry. As you do you will notice that these are means of coping and overcoming. And, as we do, with God's help we will get to a better emotional place; a place of newly found strength and faith from which we can extend a helping hand to others. Amen!

General Conference 2019 Most Likely Outcome

by Rev. Frank Schaefer

In a few days, representatives or our United Methodist Church will meet for the much anticipated special General Conference with the goal to find a way forward for our divided denomination. It will take place between February 23rd and 26th, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. The divisions run deep and are many-faceted, but the breaking point is identified with the question whether we can open our doors, hearts and minds to LGBTQ+ persons, many of whom have been worshiping and ministering among us for many years. Can we make the circle wider to include them in our Church's life, membership, rites, and ministry?

The United Methodist Church’s bishops put together a “Way Forward Commission” and this group of diverse people has been working hard to come forth with three proposals, one of which was endorsed by the Council of Bishops: the One-Church-Plan. If voted in, this plan would allow local churches, ministers, and Annual Conferences to decide for themselves. It would end church trials for LGBTQ+ ministers and those who celebrate Same-Sex weddings in the church. Current restrictions on funding the “promotion of homosexuality” will be maintained, however.  Ministers and/or local congregations who are in disagreement can negotiate a “gracious exit” from United Methodism with their Annual Conferences.

The second, the Connectional Conferences Plan, proposes to divide the Church in the United States into three Conferences—Conservative, Unified, and Progressive. The third option, the Traditional Plan, would stick to the current rules as outlined in the Book of Discipline, define marriage between one man and one woman, bar LGBTQ+ people from the ordained ministry, and strictly enforce those rules.

Of course, the question on everybody’s mind is: what will happen? Here is my prediction: As I said above, the question of inclusion we’re discussing is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  The divisions in our denomination run very deep and are fundamentally irreconcilable. Conservative and progressive Christian beliefs are in many respects farther apart than beliefs between different religions.

John Wesley is attributed with these words: “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?”

The problem is that we’re not talking about opinions. These irreconcilable differences are deeply held convictions that are fundamental to our beliefs. We’re talking about matters of conscience. For many conservative Methodists gay marriage is a direct violation of the Scriptures--which are typically interpreted literally. It constitutes a sin. For many progressive Methodists who read the bible more metaphorically and contextually, the sin is in the discrimination against LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters. Neither of the camps consider this a matter of opinion, but rather a matter of deep convictions.

Given this reality, I am pessimistic about the outcome of the Special General Conference. If the Traditional Plan or the One Church Plan should be adopted outright, I anticipate an immediate denominational split. The Connectional Conferences Plan may be the only plan that could keep us “united” but is also the least likely to be adopted.

Most likely, the can will be kicked down the road again until General Conference 2020. And from there it may be kicked down the road even further. But eventually, in the not too distant future, I anticipate our denomination to split. The days of the “United” Methodist Church are numbered due to irreconcilable differences in theology, ethics, and practice. We have probably never been united around the most fundamental points in those areas and it is naive to think that we ever will. The concept of a United Methodist Church has always been an unrealistic dream and the sooner we understand the reality and depth of our divisions the sooner we will be able to undo our corporate structure and move on with our different practices and interpretations of Methodism.

My son Tim (who is about to graduate from Brite Divinity School—so proud!) and I have employed the metaphor of divorce in this discussion. While we acknowledge that every metaphor has it’s shortcomings (for one thing, we as local churches never said: “until death do us part” when we united in 1968), this metaphor has some interesting parallels: think about a bad marriage in which the couple’s children are the ones who suffer the most. The Church’s children in this case are our LGBTQ+ members who are made to suffer. As is true in bad relationships, the children almost always think they are to be blamed for the bad relationship, but in truth they are never at fault. Our LGBTQ+ members are not at fault either because the irreconcilable differences that divide us as a Church have been in place long before we even talked about gay marriage.

For this reason alone, I think a “divorce” is justified and really the best solution for all parties involved, including the children. It’s still heartbreaking to think that some of our LGBTQ+ children will grow up in non-inclusive Methodist churches, but at least they can find out that there is a large part of Methodism where they are fully accepted, welcomed, and supported in their sexual orientation or identity. In that regard, the split will make a statement to all that there is a safe and welcoming place in the Methodist Church for all God’s beloved children.

Indicting the United Methodist Anti-Gay Doctrine

On October 26th, 2017 I had the honor to present the annual Wesley Lecture at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Title: An Indictment of the United Methodist Ant-Gay Doctrine. Synopsis: One of the biggest questions around the human sexuality debate in the U.M. Church is whether our anti-gay doctrine violates John Wesley’s “do-no-harm” rule.  My research suggests that the anti-gay statements and policies of the United Methodist Church do indeed harm its queer members; at the very least they can cause extreme feelings of guilt and, at worst, a fully blown faith crisis. In support of my claim, I draw from my own experience, personal testimonies of queer United Methodists, and an analysis of a study by the American Psychological Association. Links...

Video-Taped Lecture (Dickinson College)

Blog Summary of Lecture (Chalice Press Guest Blog)

Full Lecture Manuscript without Intro (PDF)

Manuscript of Introductory Remarks (PDF)

Summary of Lecture (PDF)

Video of Same-Sex Ceremony (YouTube)

The Church’s Gay Marriage Ban Can Be Harmful I have also witnessed the harmful effect of the Church’s gay marriage ban in gay and lesbian couples. Take Bernie and Chely, two female members of my current congregation, for example. I recently performed a ceremony celebrating the renewal of their vows. This ceremony meant so much more to them, though – when they were married nine years ago, they were denied a church ceremony as their pastor at the time refused to marry them on “religious grounds.”

How were they spiritually harmed by the church’s gay marriage prohibition? Bernie and Chely felt rejected and marginalized and eventually left their church. They stopped going to church altogether; they did not try out other churches for fear of more rejection. Through common gay friends, they finally found a new spiritual home at University U.M. Church, where all people are welcomed, accepted, and supported. As people of deep faith and spirituality, they had always felt as though their marriage wasn’t quite legitimate without the blessing from the church.

An Appeal to the U.M. Western Jurisdiction and the College of Bishops on Behalf of Bishop Oliveto

by Rev. Frank Schaefer and Tim Schaefer

We are deeply saddened by the decision of the Judicial Council that calls for Rev. Oliveto to be removed as a bishop and to be put on trial for being an ordained minster.  Perhaps, the ruling isn’t that surprising in light of the fact that the Council was asked to base it on church law as currently written. And that’s exactly what they did.

The way we understand it, the Judicial Council is like the US Supreme Court in that it makes rulings but has in and of itself no power to enforce them.

Our appeal to both the Western Jurisdiction and the Council of Bishops is this:

Defer the actions outlined in the Judicial Council decision! 

You would be fully justified to do so because the very church law that was used in the JC decision is under review by the Special Commission to be solved at the special session of General Conference 2019.

Furthermore, there is a precedent for such a deferral: at General Conference 2016, the delegates voted in favor of a process to find a “Way Forward” while also deferring any other proposed LGBTQ legislation to after this process is completed.

And think about this: what kind of mess would a removal of bishop Oliveto create if only two years later the special General Conference would change the LGBTQ related church law?

The World Greets its Savior

Palm Sunday message based on Matthew 21:1-11 by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Can you imagine what it was like for Jesus entering into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey? Suddenly, spontaneously, people started to rip palm branches off the trees and shouted “Hosanna,” placing their coats in front of the donkey so that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem like a king.

He was greeted like a king even though he came so humbly riding in on a donkey and this, to me, is the moment, the one time, when the world acknowledged Jesus for who he was--the Messiah, the son of David. An astounding statement was made by humanity which acknowledges Jesus as God’s Savior of the world. They shouted praises to God, giving thanks for Jesus.

This is the only moment in which Jesus was ever treated that way by the world. Granted it was in Jerusalem and it was a particular ethnic and religious crowd, but people came to the Passover Feast from all over the world. This crowd was made up of people from many different countries and languages and backgrounds. They came to Jerusalem as pilgrims and so this event can be argued to be the moment when the world greeted their Messiah.

And think about it: it’s really the only one because just three days later the crowd shouted “crucify, crucify him.”  A turnaround of events that leaves you scratching your head. Even after Jesus’ resurrection, he only appeared to a few of his followers.

So this is the moment in which Jesus was acknowledged by the world so much so that people who were by-standers said: “what is going on here?”  The parade crowd answered: “this is the Prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”

God made it very clear to us in the Scriptures, such as in John 3:16 ( and we all know and love this passage, right?) “for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

It's so clear that God did this out of love for us; he sent His only Son out of love and deep care for us. God could have said: “okay this is it! Humanity messed up, I'm sending another flood.” But God did not do that. God could have drawn a line in the sand and said: “this is it!” but instead God was even willing to cross that line in a very, very personal way in order to reconcile us to Godself. I believe with all my heart that God will reconcile every single person on this earth to Godself.  

Sadly, theologians through the ages have been very quick in putting limits on God's grace; they have been quick to say that God’s grace is not for everybody. Yes of course, they say, ideally, God would love for everybody to be reconciled, but that's just not going to happen. So, obviously there are going to be people that are going to be lost that will go to hell.

One of those theologians, John Calvin, believed in double predestination. Double predestination is a theological position in “Soteriology” that states that God has chosen a a group of elect persons. These people are predestined from before the foundation of the world to be saved. And, of course if you are making such a statement then what follows is that there is another group that is not elect and they were apparently predestined from the beginning of the world not to be saved. They were predestined for hell.

That to me is horrible theology. I'm sorry Mr. Calvin, but I just don't buy that; and as a good Methodist I shouldn't, because it was was John Wesley, the founder of United Methodism, who pointed to the very Verse I quoted earlier, namely John 3:16.  He pointed out one word in that verse and that word is “whoever.”  Whoever believes in Him! “Whoever” to John Wesley means that God intends everybody to be reconciled--everybody and anybody!  In Wesley’s theology God's love stretches to all the world not just to some, not even “just” to the majority, but to every single one of God's children. We are all included!

Karl Barth, another well-known theologian, had an interesting contribution to make in this discussion.  I don't particularly agree with all of his theology either, but there's one thing I really like about him. He was standing in the reformed tradition, in the Calvinistic tradition, so he had to come to terms with Calvin's theology on double predestination.  He came up with a wonderful statement on this topic. He said:  

God has determined through His Son as His image and as the first-born of the whole Creation to ‘reconcile all things to himself’ (cf. Col 1:19)…

This much is certain, that we have no theological right to set any sort of limits to the loving-kindness of God which has appeared in Jesus Christ. Our theological duty is to see and understand it as being still greater than we had seen before.*

Some call Karl Barth a universalist because of this and similar statements he made. Honestly, I think if he is a universalist then I'm a universalist. I believe that in the end all of God's children will be saved and that God will reconcile all of creation to Godself. I cannot believe in in a God in a in a divine Parent who would reject any of His/Her children for eternity. For that reason, I’m struggling with the concept of, or the existence of hell as defined by orthodox Christian theology.

I truly believe God will reconcile all of creation. So, in a very real sense, Jesus is the Messiah of every single person in the history of the World. And that to me is the greatest news ever: that Jesus is the Savior of every single person who ever lived, lives now, and who will ever live in the future!

Jesus is the Savior of all the world. Whether people know Jesus or not doesn't actually matter at this point. All are chosen by God through Jesus. In the end they will know, but what’s so remarkable about God’s limitless love and grace is that absolutely everybody is chosen in and through Jesus Christ!

So, this passage of Jesus triumphal entry allows us to witness a truly historic moment. A moment when the world greeted their Messiah to acknowledge the truth of God’s great love and care for all of humanity. It is such a very special occasion, in fact, its the only occasion. This morning, we want to celebrate this amazing moment of revelation and acknowledgment.  Let us chime in with the crowd and give thanks for God's amazing grace and love for all of God's children as focused in the person of Jesus Messiah. Let’s remember Jesus Messiah as we take communion, and as we partake, let us think about what this all means for us. Amen.

_______________________ *The Humanity of God, John Knox Press, 1960, pp. 61-2

A Word for the New Year: “The Meaning of Life”

My Message from January 1, 2017 So, today is the first day of the new year, which causes many to reflect on the meaning of life. As I was preparing the message, I thought of the works of Douglas Adams entitled: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In one of his books he describes a futuristic scene in which a supercomputer is given the question of finding an answer to the meaning of life, the universe and everything. After 7.5 million years of calculating the computer is ready to spit out the answer. Watch this little clip to find out...

So, 42 is “the answer” to the question of everything, which in binary (the language of the computer) is 101010. It’s obviously a spoof answer that is making a point about the complexity and difficulty of the question. However, when I googled 101010 I was surprised to see how many “prophets” out there are taking this answer seriously enough to try to come up with interpretations of what it could mean.

Here is another author who is pondering this big question, let’s listen to his musings as recorded in the Hebrew bible...

Ecclesiastes 1: 1-11:  The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say.  The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.

The author of this bible passage is named “Kohelet” which translates “preacher.”  It’s actually quite surprising that his book was included in the canon of the Hebrew (and Christian) bible, as it lacks orthodox theology. In fact, these are the musings of a man who in old age lost his faith. He does make a good point though, doesn’t he?

I’m sure many of us here have experienced life as being caught in a never-ending cycle: We get up in the morning, as we always do, get to your work, or to school, only to do what we do every day. After we’re done with one project, there will already be the next one waiting. After finishing a term paper there will be another one to write.

In Greek mythology there is a story about Sisyphus whom the gods appointed to spend his entire life to roll a heavy boulder up a mountain only to roll it over the cliff, and start the process all over again. I think there are times when we feel like Sisyphus or the writer of Ecclesiastes. When we feel like an insignificant little cog in the machinery of society. In the end nothing really changes; none of what we do or say matters, none of it makes a lasting difference.

The question at the root of Kohelet’s musings is an existential human one.  We want to know if our lives really make a difference on this planet. Does it really matter how we live? Does our toil, our care, our service really matter?

So, here we are at the beginning of a new year – again.  Interesting how the existential question of purpose in life seems to be raised just by the mere fact of the calendar turning. I don’t have to tell you about new year’s resolutions. We’re all familiar with them.  

I think what all this expresses is our human yearning for a deeper meaning of it all, and for a higher purpose. Most people carry this intrinsic desire in their heart to prove Kohelet wrong. They look for a deeper meaning of life.

I think that’s why Jesus of Nazareth had such an appeal on people. He gave them reason to believe that there is a God who deeply cares and that there is a higher purpose to their existence.  In a sense, Jesus answered Kohelet’s skepticism. In Jesus teachings, you don’t have to look far to find deeper meaning in life; God’s kingdom is already among us and it is progressing. Again and again, he pointed toward everyday situations in which God was present. The Kingdom of God is like...this tree, ...this farmer, ...this vineyard...

Jesus insisted that God not only exists, but deeply cares for humans and that God has a plan, even though it may not appear like it to us at times. What I find fascinating about Jesus’ theology is that he looks for God, for deeper meaning and God’s kingdom especially in the instances of human suffering. In his most amazing speech titled: the Beatitudes, he illustrates that point.

Beatitudes (Mt. 5:1-12)

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus is saying that in God’s Kingdom everything is upside down. To the mighty, rich and powerful he says: beware, lest you be judged. And to the poor, those who live out their faith, and especially those who suffer he gives an incredible vision. In the darkest moments of life you are closest to God and God’s Kingdom. You’re never as close to the sky as when your knees touch the ground. Every bit of your suffering God will turn into a joy, into a reward. Every good deed, every kind gesture, every act of compassion you do will make a difference.

Remarkably, Jesus’ theology gives us hope even for the year 2017. After the election, I didn’t think there would be much of a point to 2017. In fact, I fear that things will get bad. So, what does it matter what I do. I feel powerless to make a difference. Not so, Jesus is saying, no matter how bad things are, what you do will make a difference. And as you hang in there and stay the course in living out your faith, in following in my footsteps, you will make a difference and there will be a reward. In this vein let me close by saying: happy new year!

Seen any Talking Donkeys lately?

A message based on Numbers 22:21-35 given at University United Methodist Church, Isla Vista, 11-06-2016 by Pastor Frank Schaefer

There are some strange characters and events in the Bible. Sometimes we just skip over the strange parts, other times we allow our familiarity with the Bible to keep us from realizing how strange some things really are. The Christmas story, for instance, seems normal to us because we hear it every year in December. But it was NOT an ordinary story when it was first told. The name Samaritan has exactly the opposite meaning in our world that it had in Jesus’ day. It is too much linked nowadays with the word “good.”

How unusual of Balaam to actually talk to his donkey. I would have freaked out! But Balaam, no, he just starts arguing with his donkey, like he’s done it many times before.  What on earth?! Doesn’t even question why his donkey is talking. How did this conversation go “O good, you’re talking now…I meant to tell you this for the longest time… you  stupid donkey!”

But then I thought, well the donkey was his mode of transportation. And suddenly I remembered that I actually used to talk to my cars when I was driving those junkers some time ago. Sometimes I would beg: “o please start. Sometimes I would yell at it: come on, don’t sputter now!

Nowadays, I argue with my Garmin when I think it’s leading me an awkward way. You’ll hear me say things like: “Why would I want to go this way. That’s just ridiculous! OK so maybe we’re both weird, Balaam and me. We’re talking to our means of transportation.

As silly as this story may strike us on fist reading, it actually contains a spiritual lesson for all of us that is very inspirational! One question I always ask is: how does this relate to our own spiritual experience?  We may not have encounters with sword-yielding angels, or talking donkeys, but we nonetheless have spiritual experiences that defy the coincidence factor.

Now, to properly understand the story of Balaam and his donkey and see it as more than just a tall tale, we need to see what was happening and what led to it. Basically, you have the people of Israel, they have been wandering through the wilderness, through the desert for forty years and now they are starting to move towards the Promised Land. Their wandering is beginning to come to an end and they are settling.

As they did, they had to pass through Edom, Ammon and Moab.  Well, one of these countries, Moab, was right on the other side of the Jordan from the Promised Land. And the king of Moab was a guy named Balak. And Balak sent for a prophet, a guy named Balaam, who lived over in what is now Iraq.

Now Balaam is an interesting guy. He wasn’t an Israelite. And yet he was a “prophet of the Lord.”  I love that little fact.  It really makes a case for the interfaith connection we have with believers of other faiths. So Balaam is summoned to appear before king Balaak. But Balaam prayed and God tells him: don’t go!  So he sends word to king Balaak: I’m not coming, Ain’t nobody got time for this.

But king Balak persists, this time offering Balaam lots of money for his services.  So, that changes everything. Balaam prays again even though he already knew the answer. But now he didn’t like the answer and so he went back to pray, hoping for a different answer.

How many times do we find ourselves doing this same thing? How many times do we find ourselves bargaining with God or trying to get our way? How many times do we know what God wants us to do or not to do, but find ourselves questioning it  because it’s not the answer we want. God was quite clear but somehow Balaam convinces himself that its ok to go anyhow. Does anybody here ever do that? I know I have. But it never ends well if we do, does it?

And now we finally get to the donkey.  Balaam was traveling along the path on his donkey and the donkey saw that there was an angel on the path in front of him. And this was not cute little angel. This angel was fierce and was about to strike Balaam down. But the donkey pulled off the road to avoid the angel, to save Balaam. Balaam didn’t see the angel and therefore found himself angry at the donkey, and he beat the donkey because it kept going off the road.  All of a sudden Balaam’s eyes are opened and he now sees the whole picture. He now sees what the donkey had already seen. He sees that what he thought was making him look foolish was actually saving his life. And Balaam here realizes the error of his ways, the danger of his path, turns around and goes back home.

Sometimes God is trying to get our attention and since we have a tendency to not listen too closely, God needs to employ more drastic means. Sometimes God does things to protect us.

And sometimes God allows something bad to happen to us because it leads us to a new place; perhaps an opportunity that we would otherwise have never pursued.  Sometimes God has to lead us through the pits to get our attention, kind of like Jonah who had to spend three days in the belly of a big fish.

And sometimes God needs to discipline us or prepare us for a certain race that is set before us. Hebrews talks about this in Hebrews 12:7: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? “

I bet, if you thought about it real hard, you, too, could share a “talking donkey” story.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could share those experiences? Perhaps we could put our stories on the church’s Facebook page under the headline: “Share your talking donkey story.”

The good news is that God cares about us, that God continues to talk to us, and even when we are not listening, God still tries to get our attention, We have an awesome, loving God who continues to reach out to us, whether we deserved it or not.

What Prayer is Not

a message based on Luke11:1-13 by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Watch YouTube video excerpt of King of Queens (on Prayer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kZYNdd6HbE

How then should we pray? Can we pray for anything we desire? Can I pray for those Gucci shoes? Can I pray for my football team to win? Can I pray for a healing either for myself or a loved one? The answer is yes, yes, yes, and yes. However, whether God answers all of our prayers or not is a different question. That’s really important to keep in mind. Prayer at its most basic level is walking and talking with God. It’s about a relationship. So, in this sense, prayer is more of a way of life rather than a thing we turn on and off.

Sometimes we can define a concept really well by saying what it’s not. So here is what prayer is not.

Prayer is NOT...

- a formula that must be mindlessly recited as a Christian duty. Some people pride themselves in being able to recite the Lord’s Prayer in less than 5 seconds. Well, I think it’s safe to say that they sort of missed Jesus point about prayer.

- our personal Genie service. Jesus addresses God as the “Heavenly Father” which is an intimate relationship. There is more to prayer than getting a wish fulfilled. Prayer is an ongoing conversation between God and us. Besides, God is not at our service to grant anything. “Hallowed by your name” implies that God is to be acknowledged as the one in charge.

- an emergency-only line When Jesus instructed us to pray “Give us each day our daily bread” he indicated that prayer should be about every-day things and an every-day activity.

- a superstitious practice to prevent evil from happening to you. When Jesus instructed us to pray “And lead us not into temptation, he made it clear that prayer has more to do with acknowledging our sinfulness and pray for strength to resist temptation than to pray away all bad things. Through prayer God can give us strength to resist evil and in that way we can have a part in making our lives better and in this world a better place.

- a spiritual practice which can conjure up God’s power to our advantage. When Jesus instructed us to pray “hallowed be your name” and “your kingdom come” he made it clear that God cannot be coerced to bless us to our advantage. God is the one in charge and God’s Kingdom is to be established—not our own. To bless our weapons in the name of God in the hopes to destroy your enemies is ludicrous. When Jesus instructed us to pray for our own forgiveness and to forgive others he made it abundantly clear that God’s kingdom is one of peace, love, and forgiveness.

Most people view prayer as sort of a walkie-talkie conversation. But it’s really more like a constant live chat. The apostle Paul encouraged his congregation to be in prayer constantly. Never turn the conversation off. Be aware that God is around you, above you and even within you. Walk with God and trust that God will provide what you really need:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” Luke11:9-11

What these verses say to me is that God wants us to ask and seek and to knock. No restrictions. We can ask for anything, pray for anything. There is nothing that we cannot pray for. But, not everything we ask for is something we really need. Some things we ask for may actually be bad for us. We have a God who not only loves us enough to listen to our prayers, but who cares enough to gently correct us when our prayers are inappropriate. As we bring our petitions and prayers to God, God will valuate what we really need and what is good for us.

It’s like a child asking for something s/he needs. Jesus says: why would the Heavenly Father not give it to them?

So, at the end of this talk about what prayer is not, I will attempt to state what it is: Prayer is ultimately about our relationship with God. It’s about walking and talking with the Creator and sustainer; it’s about trusting the Spirit and be open to life, trusting that God the great Spirit is around me, within me, and walks with me through good times and through bad. It’s about trusting God that at the end of the day there will be a blessing and that God will provide what I need. Amen.

Karen Oliveto - First Gay Bishop in the U.M. Church

by Rev. Frank Schaefer Karen Oliveto's election and ordination as the first openly gay bishop in the U.M. Church is very good news for our LGBTQ community and strengthens our LGBTQ rights movement tremendously. It's a seismic shift towards LGBTQ inclusion in the U.M. Church! It is bound to propel the dialogue within the church to a higher and more urgent level. With a legally elected and duly ordained gay bishop, the church can no longer consider the LGBTQ cause a "minor" issue irrelevant to the larger, global context. I just hope and pray that    conservative church leaders won't use Dr. Oliveto's ascendancy to the highest episcopal office as an excuse to force a schism in the U.M. Church, similar to what happened in the Episcopal Church following the election of bishop Gene Robinson.

Be Bold...Despite the Renewed Fear Tactics

Bishop Mike Lowry, Central Texas Conference of the U.M. Church:  “It has been erroneously reported that this involves a moratorium on complaints and charges related to the presiding over same gender wedding. This is not so.  Please carefully understand the operative sentence.  “WE [the Bishops of the United Methodist Church] will uphold the Discipline.”  Should you choose to violate the Disciplinary provisions on same gender weddings, a complaint will be brought against you and if necessary charges will be filed.  Church law in The Discipline of the United Methodist Church has not been suspended. I will seek to live in grace pursuing meaningful just resolutions, but such just resolutions will be significant and have consequences.  I will up hold The Discipline of the United Methodist Church.” (http://www.bishopmikelowry.com/)

I had the privilege to speak (together with my son Tim) at the Love Your Neighbor Coalition Dinner during the Central Texas Annual Conference this week. It just so happened on that day (Monday, June 6th) that Bishop Lowry came out with a statement that send ripples through the reconciling community of CTX.

Bishop Lowry’s statement is a perfect illustration to my point (which was part of our talk) that a culture of fear exists in our U.M. Church that is rooted in the homophobic laws and language of our Book of Discipline.  This fear is not just about ministers risking their career and livelihoods as they decide to faithfully provide an inclusive church ministry, but it’s also about bitter divisions that may ensue in our local church ministry when and if complaints are filed.

It’s interesting that in my own experience of performing my son’s same-sex wedding, my local church ministry was nearly unaffected for almost 6 years afterwards with many parishioners being aware of the fact that I presided over the wedding. It was only after a complaint was filed that this issue became a divisive factor. In fact, originally there was a lot of support for me even in my local congregation; it was only after I honestly answered questions about my pro-queer rights theology that it became a real issue. (As many pastors do, especially in conservative settings, I had been a silent supporter of LGBTQ rights up to that point in time).

For bishop Lowry to make such a statement is divisive and comes across as threatening toward the LGBTQ community and their allies, especially given the fact that the council of bishops was just entrusted by General Conference to form a special commission to look into solutions to our denomination;s divided state on LGBTQ issues. It is a further example of the kind of fear mongering and bullying that has done so much harm to our Church’s  LGBTQ community. I personally refuse to be fearful. After my trial experience, I promised never to be silent again about our church’s discrimination against the LGBTQ community and  to always boldly minister in biblical obedience standing on my convictions. I pray for my reconciling colleagues and lay people in the Central TX conference to continue strong and without fear. God has decided this matter already, and you are standing on the right side of history in your bold efforts and ministry.

What the “Special Commission” Means...

by Rev. Frank Schaefer, May 19, 2016 On first blush, the "special commission" decision at this week's General Conference doesn't seem like much progress toward LGBTQ rights within the United Methodist Church. And, of course, this is not the change our LGBTQ members or I had hoped and prayed for. 

But it does mark a small step in the right direction.  Some say we are just kicking the can down the road. However, the adoption of the special commission stopped additional bad LGBTQ legislation from being adopted by a largely conservative body of delegates.  None of our proposals on policy revisions had even made it through the subcommittees.  

Sometimes the victory lies in avoiding a battle you may not be able to win. Since Sadly, the special commission is perhaps the best outcome we as LGBTQ advocates could have hoped for.

General Conference Response

May 18th, 2016

The General Conference of the United Methodist Church adopted a report by the Council of Bishops Report that was as dramatic as it was historical.

I am emotionally spent after a roller coaster session of General Conference today, but am grateful that grace prevailed.

The motion to adopt the council of bishop's report was accepted at a close vote of 428 to 405. The vote came after a similar motion—the Hamilton motion--was defeated (438 to 393). I experienced this as a miracle—a miracle of the resurrection of a dead proposition and an unexpected reversal of direction by the conference delegates.

I count this decision as a victory for the LGBTQ cause, though our division is not yet reconciled. There is much work to be done on our way toward full inclusion of our LGBTQ members in the United Methodist Church. It's a small step in the right direction that gives me hope and strength. I hope that our bishops will take their mandate very seriously and will be able to lead us toward reconciliation and unity.

Rev. Frank Schaefer Click here for the Report of the Council of Bishops

Tent Protest at General Conference

So, my son Tim and I committed to spend a night in the tent to support Rev. Mike Tupper’s tent witness. We're not going to lie. It was a rough night. Sleeping in a tent on the Convention Center grounds made us appreciate Mike Tupper's witness even more. And we only did it for one night, whereas he has done it for 167. 

 Here's the log from last night: 

- a house-less man was arrested for sleeping on the grounds a mere 50 feet down from us. They handcuffed him and charged him with trespassing. Then the police came over and asked Mike if he was alright. Mike should have been arrested too. He did the exact same thing.  So, we realized first-hand that class privilege is alive and well (we think that )

- we didn't really get to sleep until the early morning hours because another house-less man was pacing around our tent talking to himself loudly, and judging by the language he used, it was not a pastor rehearsing his sermon. 

- there were all kinds of “city noises” such as police sirens and especially the  horns and bells of the street cars going by our tent just 50 feet away. 

- it got chilly and damp when the dew set in during the wee morning hours.

But it was all worth it, because, as the tent prophet (Mike Tupper) says, none of that compares to the discomforts and pain our LGBTQ members experience being pushed out of their faith community. It’s time we take action even if it challenges and stretches us. You won’t change anything if your battle cry is: “I’m all about fighting for justice...until it interferes with my comforts.”

Georgia's 'Free Exercise Protection Act' Shows Gross Disregard for the Constitutional Ideal of Religious Freedom

March 25, 2016, Isla Vista, California

Contrary to popular belief, there are many Christian leaders who are opposed to the recent proposals of religious protection acts.  I am one who is not only opposed, but appalled by these pieces of legislation. Frankly, I am shocked by the overt discrimination against the human rights of LGBTQ citizens as spelled out in Georgia's Free Exercise Protection Act.

I applaud Republican governor Nathan Deal (Georgia) for using a Christian rationale to question the “Free Exercise Protection Act” that Georgia's House and Senate recently approved.

I believe Georgia's 'Free Excercise Protection Act' shows gross disregard for the Constitutional ideal of Religious Freedom.

The ideal of religious freedom was not put into place to protect a religious organization's right to persecute individuals, but rather to protect the religious freedom of individuals from persecution by religious institutions.

Our founding fathers' concept of religious freedom arose in the context of boatloads of immigrants seeking refuge from cruel persecution by the dominant European religious institutions of the 16th century.

The 'Free Exercise Protection Act' is clearly not in the spirit of this original ideal which sought to protect individuals. On the contrary, it potentially leads to the curbing of the religious freedom of LGBTQ church members—the right to marry, to be employed and ordained within their local faith community.  

This Act would solidify religious organizations' legal right to treat their LGBTQ members as second-class believers. It would reinforce the already prevalent systemic discrimination within some faith communities and and would doubtlessly increase the spiritual harm done to their own LGBTQ members.

Let There Be Peace on Earth - a sermon by Rev. Frank Schaefer in response to the Paris Attacks

Help us celebrate Marriage Equality by joining one of four “Renewing of Marriage Vows” services in the CALPAC Conference on October 10, 2015. Locations include: The United Methodist Church in Pasadena, Palm Springs, Pacific Beach, and San Luis Obispo. The services start at noon, reception to follow. For more information, please contact the participating United Methodist churches.