Care For Your Soul: Part 1

A version of this post was originally shared with leaders of the Ohio River Valley district via email on August, 28, 2020.

Many are experiencing a drumbeat of fatigue culturally. The experiences of the two pandemics is having an impact and I am concerned about our people spiritually. I have witnessed the sadness of clergy, who have experienced the loss of being personally and physically connected to their people. And I have experienced laity who are missing their pastors and missing the people that they have worshipped with for years. The pressures of in person worship vs. online or parking lot worship even though outbreaks of C-19 are in the community. In our loneliness we can lose heart and we can fall prey to false teaching. The fragility of dominant culture and racism, the attempts to ignore and the attempts to bring positive change have exhausted many. I am concerned that we stay on task and fill our souls.

I warn you that not paying attention to your soul can bring great harm to you personally and the community in which you serve. Some are not taking care of themselves and are replacing faith with politics as a faith instead of a vehicle for change. Some are engaging in practices that are contrary to the Gospel. Some have embraced a false religion known as QAnon. QAnon is a false faith that promotes that “Q” knows some secret knowledge. Real spiritual leaders are transparent and share their spiritual insights with the faithful. QAnon is a Gnostic heresy.

 So, what is Gnosticism and what is a heresy? Gnosticism is the notion that there are those who are spiritually blessed with secret true knowledge not available to the masses. A heresy, in the church, is a doctrine that is contrary to the theology of the church. It is not just a mere difference of opinion. QAnon is a Gnostic heresy. It promotes that there are certain people with the knowledge of a secret. In this case it is a conspiracy theory which has been disproven over and over but uses Holy Scripture as a cover. Many evangelical pastors around the country are dealing with this in their congregations right now. The QAnon heresy is leading to misinformation including misguided acts and actions that are engendering others. QAnon has shown itself in some of our churches. 

Take a look at these links to see the impact:

Bishop Palmer has encouraged agency in all of our churches in the form of spiritual formation in these unprecedented times in which we find ourselves. In the ORV District, our leadership team has spent many hours resourcing and encouraging you in this time. We believe that you and your leadership know your context better than anyone. You are local church leaders. Lead! And lead you have! But be on guard and take care of your souls and the people you lead. Work together on being the church instead of thinking that you own the church. The living breathing Body of Christ is always concerned about others first. The true Body of Christ never thinks of itself before thinking of others. There is no command in holy scripture to circle the wagons and hunker down. That is a sign that our spiritual life is in trouble. We proclaim the self-giving nature of Jesus, when we proclaim the mystery of faith in the communion liturgy, Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

If the church is not the living, breathing body of Christ, then it is something else. And when we become something else, we are vulnerable. Vulnerable to falling off our mission. Vulnerable to not taking care of ourselves. Vulnerable to be the church of the world instead of being the church in the world, so that people might know of Christ’s great love.

John Wesley guided the early adherents of Methodism to guard against these vulnerabilities. They developed into practices with weekly accountability. The practices are known as the Works of Piety and the Works of Mercy. 

Works of Piety:  Works of Mercy: 

  • Prayer Doing Good

  • Searching the Scriptures Visiting the Sick and Imprisoned

  • Holy Communion Feeding and Clothing People

  • Fasting Earning, Saving and Giving All You Can

  • Christian Community Opposition to Slavery

  • Healthy Living

To open ourselves fully to being the Works of Piety and the Works of Mercy will keep us spiritually fee and spiritually healthy. The early communities required personal accountability in these areas weekly. That is how the movement of Methodism grew because it meant something, it required something. The scriptures tell us that “perfect love casts out all fear” yet mongers of fear and hate abound. Build yourselves up on the inside so you are not consumed.

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION:

Read: Galatians 6:1-10

Listen:

*The painting featured in this post is Jesus Mafa, Camaroon, c. 1973

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