THINKING WITH THE CHURCH

We Americans are understandably thankful for our God-given and United States Constitution-protected freedoms. Because of these freedoms, many of us Americans tend to be fiercely independent in our thinking. “Nobody is going to tell me what to think,” is a rather adolescent expression of our principle of free thinking. (But much of the time, most of us are not nearly as independent in our thinking as we imagine. It has been said that many free thinkers actually form a “herd of independent minds.”)

The United Methodist Church, which has been called the most American of churches, daily confronts the difficult challenge of being the Church in the midst of a society of free thinkers. How does United Methodism address this challenge? In at least two ways.

First, The United Methodist Church has doctrines which are protected by our denomination’s Constitution. The briefest statements of our doctrines -- The Articles of Religion and The Confession of Faith, both of which are found in The Book of Discipline -- declare clearly what we, as a church, believe. Our doctrines, our most basic beliefs, mainly concern the Trinity (that is, God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the Incarnation (that is, Jesus Christ who was, at once, truly God and truly man), mankind (including original sin, free will, and sin), salvation (including justification, sanctification, and perfection), the Church, the Sacraments (Holy Baptism and Holy Communion), and the Last Things (including the Last Judgment and eternal life). As a church, we believe these basic doctrines, which are summaries of what the Bible teaches. As a church, we do not think and let think on these doctrinal matters.

Second, The United Methodist Church holds bishops and clergy accountable for preaching and teaching these doctrines. Bishops and pastors do not so much impose these doctrines. Rather, bishops and pastors are charged to propose the truth of these doctrines for the good, for the salvation, of the people called Methodist.

A part of today’s adventure of being a United Methodist Christian is “thinking with the Church” (sentire cum ecclesia). In an American society that cherishes independent thinking, we United Methodists work at thinking with the Church when considering basic Christian teaching. In other words, when it comes to the basics of the Church’s faith, we want to be obedient. Obedient. That sounds almost un-American. But we might remember that the word obedience comes from the Latin ob-audire, which means “to give ear to, to listen to, to follow guidance” (Richard John Neuhaus, First Things, February 2003).

Why in the world should we aim at thinking with the Church? First, having the “mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16, RSV) certainly relates to having the mind of the Church. Since the Church is the body of Christ, and since Christ is the Head of the Church, thinking like Christ is thinking with the Church. And second, “the Church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time, for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world” (The Baptismal Covenant III, The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 45). If the Church is truly established by God for these divine purposes in the world, then thinking with the Church must be a very good way to think.

When we are thinking with the Church, are we surrendering our minds and consenting to become religious robots? No. For in thinking with the Church we are learning to be joyfully obedient. And strangely, in joyful obedience to Christ and His Church, we discover what true freedom is all about.

So thinking with the Church leads us to living in freedom. Thanks be to God.

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Please join us as we gather on Wednesday, March 5, at 6:00 p.m. at St. Peter’s Church for the Ash Wednesday Service of Worship. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Lent is a season of preparation for Easter. Historically, Christians have chosen to give up something enjoyable, not out of legalism, but to train us to say No to the tyranny of the flesh and Yes to God. As we give something up, it is also important to add activities that nurture the soul. What will you practice this Lent? What do you need to give up? What will you add on? We do these things first, last, and always because of Christ’s suffering and dying for us.