John Piper, Racial Reconciliation, and Disappointment

I'm disappointed. I feel very strongly about the need for racial reconciliation in the Church. I'm the pastor of a church in Birmingham Alabama - a city that is not known for positive racial relations. However the church I pastor feels very strongly about being a multi-ethic church. While at this point we are still largely white, we do have many African-Americans who attend and we hope to someday reflect our community which, according to the 2010 Census data, is 52.3% African-American. Our church has chose to stay in our community in order to "bloom where we're planted" and reach the community we are a part of.

Back to why I'm disappointed. I was thrilled when I learned that John Piper was writing a book on race and the Church. As most of you know, Piper is a Calvinist but despite this I have enjoyed reading several of his books and he has influenced my thinking in numbers of ways. I would consider him my favorite Calvinist =). When Piper's book was released I could not wait to purchase it. I love my Kindle but this was one book that I wanted in hardback to I went to the local Christian bookstore and paid full price for it (something I very rarely ever do). I knew Piper was a strong proponent of racial reconciliation and integrated churches so I was excited to read what he had written. 

Here's why I'm disappointed. Piper has a lot of good things to say in this book. Much of which I agree with. However, Piper's answer to the racial problems seems to be Reformed (Calvinist) theology. Essentially he takes the grid of the 5 points of Calvinism and tries to put it over the issue of racism as the answer to our racial problems. I, of course, expected to have to chew on the meat and spit out the bones of Calvinism when I purchased the book, but unfortunately Calvinism is the bulk of the book! Apparently we are to believe that the only way to love the whole world is to believe in a God who doesn't! To suggest that the answer to our racial problems is loving everyone by believing in a God who has chosen some to be saved and some to be damned is mind-boggling to me. Why should I love everyone, if in your view, God apparently doesn't (if He has chosen to damn some to Hell)? I come away from this book wondering if Piper thinks I'm racist since I don't believe in Reformed theology. If Reformed theology is the answer for racial reconciliation, and I don't believe in it, apparently so. 

So, I'm disappointed. There is a lot of good in this book. Much of what Piper says I agree with. However, I'm disappointed because what could have been a great book was spoiled by bad theology.

John Wesley on Reading

"What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear to this day, is want of reading.

I scarce ever knew a preacher read so little. And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it. Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. It is just the same as it was seven years ago. It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety, there is no compass of thought. Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian.

O begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercises. You may acquire the taste which you have not: what is tedious at first, will afterwards be pleasant.

Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It is for your life; there is no other way; else you will be a trifler all your days, and a petty, superficial preacher. Do justice to your own soul; give it time and means to grow. Do not starve yourself any longer. Take up your cross and be a Christian altogether. Then will all children of God rejoice (not grieve) over you in particular."

- John Wesley to John Premboth on August 17, 1760, quoted in Ben Witherington’s Is There a Doctor in the House?: An Insider’s Story and Advice on Becoming a Bible Scholar, pg. 71.

HT: Trevin Wax

I would rather preach...

I'm tired. It's been a long week and a longer day. It's Saturday night and Sunday's coming. Despite my weariness and my overwhelming sense of inadequacy these words by Samuel Chadwick ring true in my own heart.

I would rather preach than do anything else I know in this world. I have never missed a chance to preach. I would rather preach than eat my dinner, or have a holiday or anything else the world can offer. I would rather pay to preach than be paid not to preach. It has its price in agony of sweat and tears and no calling has such joys and heartbreaks, but it is a calling an archangel might covet; and I thank God that of His grace He called me into this ministry. Is there any joy like that of saving a soul from death? Any thrill like that of opening blind eyes? Any reward like the love of little children to the second and third generation? Any treasures like the grateful love of hearts healed and comforted? I tell you it is a glorious privilege to share the travail and the wine of God. I wish I had been a better minister, but there is nothing in God’s world I would rather be.

May God help me for as Chadwick said...

Nothing makes for a preacher’s effectiveness more than a true conception of his calling. He is a messenger. That which he speaks is not his own. He is not at liberty to criticize, modify, or tamper with that which is entrusted to him; neither has he any right to withhold it from any person to whom it is sent. But he is neither a postman nor a phonograph. He delivers an open message which he has received from God for men. His first business is to wait for his message, and his next is to see that it is faithfully delivered.

Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932) was a Wesleyan-Methodist preacher and teacher. He wrote several books including "The Way to Pentecost" and "The Call to Christian Perfection." Here are a couple more famous quotes from Chadwick:

The soul's safety is in its heat. Truth without enthusiasm, morality without emotion, ritual without soul, make for a Church without power. Destitute of the Fire of God, nothing else counts; possessing Fire, nothing else matters.

Another of his most famous quotes is:

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.

HT: Tim Challies

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When he was asked the secret to living a life of holiness he replied, "Keep in the will of God, obey Him, seek Him daily, waiting at His gates. Read the Bible regularly. Never neglect secret prayer. Keep testifying to the grace bestowed upon you. Help others."

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Francis Asbury's admonition to preachers

As Francis Asbury drew closer to the end of his life his health was in terrible condition, however he refused to quit preaching. His traveling companion reflected, "Such was the shattered state of his lungs in the latter part of his life, that it afflicted him very much to preach: especially to large congregations. His cough was always greatly irrited by it."

Asbury said, "Ah! I may always calculate on losing half the nights sleep at least, after preaching in the day. But I will freely give that, to have an opportunity of inviting poor sinner to my blessed Savior." He was determined that nothing should have precedence over preaching to the lost. He advised his preachers: "Preach as if you had seen heaven and its celestial inhabitants and had hovered over the bottomless pit and beheld the tortures and heard the groans of the damned."

Declaring His Glory - Among All People!

Currently I am reading American Saint: Francis Asbury and the Methodists(which is a great book by the way). Today as I was reading I read how in 1790 African-American's made up 20% of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In some places there was an even greater percentage than this! In the district that Francis Asbury knew the best they represented over 30% of the members in 1787. What is amazing about this is that this was when slavery was very common. Yet the Methodists reached out to the blacks in order to win them for Christ.

In 1780 at General Conference the Methodists had declared that slavery was "contrary to the law of God, man, nature, and hurtful to society; contrary to the dictates of conscience, and pure religion, and doing that which we would not others would do unto us and ours."

In 1784 the Methodist Episcopal Church in America became independent of the Anglican Church and at the first Conference of the newly independent Church they put even further restrictions on slave ownership. The Discipline printed in 1785 stated the following about slave ownership:

We view it as contrary to the Golden Law of God on which hang all the Law and the Prophets, and the unalienable Rights of Mankind, as well as every Principle of the Revolution, to hold in the deepest Debasement, in a more abject Slavery than is perhaps to be found in any Part of the World except America, so many Souls that are all capable of the Image of God

Blacks joined the Methodist Church in great numbers. But, they not only joined in great numbers they also preached and led in the Church. One such preacher was a man named Harry Hosier who was known as "Black Harry."

Thomas Coke, who along with Asbury were the first Bishop's of the American Methodist Church, said this about Hosier's preaching: “I really believe he is one of the best preachers in the world, there is such an amazing power attends his preaching, though he cannot read; and he is one of the humblest creatures I ever saw.”

Henry Boehm, a Methodist preacher, said “Harry was very black, an African of the Africans. He was so illiterate he could not read a word. He would repeat the hymn as if reading it, and quote his text with great accuracy. His voice was musical, and his tongue as the pen of a ready writer. He was unboundedly popular, and many would rather hear him than the bishops.”

"Black Harry" became Francis Asbury's traveling partner. One nineteenth-century historian said this about Harry's travels with Asbury, "The truth was, that Harry was a more popular speaker than Mr. Asbury, or almost any one else in his day."

Obviously there were problems that would come in regards to the slaves and the Methodist Church which would lead to an eventual split in 1842 by a group of churches which became the Wesleyan Methodist Church.

The reason I have shared all of this is because I am troubled by the lack of outreach to, and the numbers of, African-American's in our "holiness churches." I am writing this post specifically in regards to the group I am a part of which is known as the "conservative holiness movement."

When I read of how the Methodist Church of 1790 was 20% African-American and then I think of the holiness movement I am a part of it troubles me greatly! Where are the holiness African-American's that should be part of us? Unfortunately there are very few, largely because I believe we have done very little to reach them. We believe we have the Message of the Bible - the Message of Full Salvation from sin - yet, we who claim to love God with all of hearts and our neighbor as ourselves have done very little (by in large) to reach our neighbor's in the African-American community! Unfortunately there are many "holiness" churches who frankly do not want blacks attending. Perhaps they may not come right out and say this in so many words but by their actions they show otherwise...

The Conference I am apart of is the Alabama Conference of the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches. As far as I know (and I hope I am mistaken) there is not one member of any of our churches who is African-American! Our Conference is located (for the most part) in the deep South where they are surrounded by African-American's and yet after 44 years of existence we have no black members? I am not trying to throw stones so please don't mistake this post. I am posting this to hopefully raise an awareness that it's time for us to open our eyes and see that the fields are ready for Harvest!

Thankfully there are many of our churches who are reaching out to the African-American's in their communities and in the last few years our annual youth camp has probably been nearing 30 to 40% African-American young people. This is extremely exciting to me!

However, it is time for all of the conservative holiness movement to catch the vision and reach out to those around about them - regardless of color. It is time for us to truly be "holiness people" and show the love of God to everyone around us! Surely we who claim to be entirely sanctified and filled with "perfect love" should be leading the way on this issue. I look forward to the day when I will attend the Inter-Church Holiness Convention and find it filled with blacks, whites, and Hispanics all worshiping God together in the Spirit of Holiness! The theme for this years convention is "Declare His Glory: Among All People" may God help us to do just that!

John Wesley and his preachers

Currently I'm reading "American Saint: Francis Asbury and the Methodists" and in it the author shares what some of John Wesley's expectations were for his preachers. They were to rise at four a.m. on days they preached at five a.m. and by five a.m. all other days. He expected them to spend an hour every morning and evening in prayer, meditation, and reading the Bible and other books.

He was very concerned that his preachers become better educated. So, not only did he want them to spend an hour every morning and evening for devotions, but he urged his preachers to spend "at least five hours" a day reading "the most useful books." To those preachers who complained about this and said, "I have no taste for reading," Wesley's reply was, "contract a taste for it by use, or return to your trade."

I've got to run - I've got some reading to do!! :-)