Eastertide – on distinctions of holiness

In Eastertide, then, what are the key aspects of the successful Christian life? There are 2 overarching dimensions: social holiness, and personal holiness. Some might think that personal holiness comes first, but it doesn’t. Neither does personal holiness. It’s why the “one another’s” of the New Testament that describe being part of an effective Christian community are so important. But it has always been difficult to find a spiritually mature and growing church warm and loving church, without any definitions. That was one of the unique teachings of Jesus. It still is.

Most of the church became a numbers game a long time ago when the almighty $ kicked in. All that Jesus said we can and should do in John Chapters 14 & 15 became all that Jesus says we can and should do if we have the money. From the times of the early structured church, money and economic and military power – earthly power, that is, gradually distorted the understanding and the experience of the Holy Spirit, which became seen as an entirely emotional experience. The church grew dependent on earthly funding, not the power of God’s spirit, for its growth and mission. Remember, Jesus carried no money. Just the presence of God with him. He sent the disciples out without funds. Just the presence and power of almighty God. That’s all the Church needs. $? Collect it, pay for building rental and use, and give the rest to the poor. Make a difference. When I was a Methodist Minister, my first congregation kept nothing at the end of each year. We made our denominational support payments and then gave the rest away.

Finding a good Christian community is never easy. This is why many go it alone. We will look at that when we look at personal holiness. But what can you do with the ‘Christian’ right? Not much; they’re following their own politics, not Jesus. Jesus position is always that of the Kingdom of God, not of the kingdoms of this earth. What can you do with the prosperity Gospel? What can you do with a distortion of what the Bible says? Prosperity in the Bible is about spiritual prosperity. Seek ye first the Kingdom …and all these things shall be added; we do not get to reverse that order; if and when we do, it is no longer spiritual; neither is it of God. We must learn discernment, which does not come quick and easy. And certainly not in the form of emotional manipulation in worship! It was a sadly significant day when church leaders realized that if worship utilized disco/pop/rock music forms in church it would attract a great many, with the added benefit of making a spiritual claim of the experience! And it would activate and energize participants. Hence a church exists that even takes its name from the church band!  Yes, it does. Unsuccessful rock musicians helped that effort, but it probably didn’t start that way. As an experienced rock musician of the 60s and 70s and a church organist I have always known what emotional enjoyment music can bring. But to what end? Who came out of this to make the world a better place? Or is it to lead by the wearing of designer clothes? Hence the need for the real energizing of the Holy Spirit. Things change, things improve, and there is fairness and justice to all in need.

And that is what social holiness is about. I am very Wesleyan in this, because at Duke a doctoral dissertation is a unique original contribution to a specific field of research that has not been done before. So it was, when I worked on John Wesley’s notion of social holiness, did the research, developed the concept. Taught 3^rd world political ethics. Showed what it meant to cry ‘foul’ and what it could cost. Here’s what John Wesley said, amongst other stuff, about social holiness, as he comments on Matt Ch 5:13-16…

It is your very nature to season whatever is roundabout you; it is the nature of the divine Saviour which is in you to spread to whatsoever you touch; to diffuse itself on every side; to all those among whom you are. This is the great reason why the providence of God has so mingled you with other ones, where whatever grace you have received of God may through you be commended to others; that every holy temper, and word, and work of yours, may have an influence on them also. ¹

And one other quote: “The Kingdom provides a distinctive contrast to society via the values and priorities that it supports and claims, for these are realized through the Holy Spirit. Because the Kingdom does not accept the political priorities of this world, it will not blindly accept the cognitive presuppositions of political leadership that claim to define and determine what is fair and just for human society. The community of the Kingdom stays in creative tension with society. Because of this tension, Wesley’s attitude towards the exercise of political power by the State carries with it a sharply critical element, one that requires moral accountability of political authority and power. ²

This is what church is. It’s Christian community, and it is therein that social holiness is practiced. Holiness, in both its personal and social forms, flow one into the other. It is the business of looking out for and encouraging one another – to going forward together into the Kingdom of God. The Gospel is not just about ‘Jesus saves’. That statement is correct but incomplete. Jesus saves, yes; but from what and for what? This is why I call it ‘salvation-deliverance’ in the Jacob’s Ladder text. Salvation is always deliverance – from the sins and the evils that are both personal and social. That which causes harm to self and to others.

God’s presence in your life starts here. Now. You stay together in church, you grow as a spiritual community, and you impact community by your works of grace. Both as a group of believers, and in your individual capacity, in what you say and how you behave, every day, at home and at work.

It is not about studying the Bible as much as putting it into practice daily. The reading does not count, until it results in specific behaviors. Then it gives energy and the word comes alive. Not otherwise. Neither intellectual nor cognitive, but experienceable by all. Not about much prayer but about much trust in God’s loving care for us in Jesus. I have always been unimpressed with reading a prayer  in worship. Are these done the way they are to speak to God, or to impress the people?  Which of us would have our children write out what they would say to us? If they did so we would say something like ’talk to me child, don’t write it out and read it to me!  Think about it. If prayer is indeed talking to God, let it be so. The relationship that accrues will speak for itself. That, is key. Not fancy words.

Impacting society is not about making converts. That’s more of the numbers game. True witness is its own attraction - one that brings growth. Your witness is the way you carry yourself, and the life you live. That is its own witness. If it isn’t, you need to work on it. What we have these days is almost nothing but a structured social enterprise that calls itself Church. Small wonder then that it is in such a mess. It has neither the power nor the presence of God. It has custom and tradition, but beyond the practice of irrelevant history, this serves no purpose. This is why technology flies ahead, and the church plods after, reminiscing over the miracles and doings of Jesus.

The sharing of God’s grace impacts the human condition directly. When the church is involved in kindness and compassion to those in need it comes into conflict with the powers of this world by default. But if practiced right, it has the power of God on its side. That is salvation-deliverance - the story of Israel and Egypt in the Exodus. God’s grace is to pervade all aspects of this life, and particularly those areas where wickedness that harms the human condition hides in darkness, under policy and authority. 

An unjust policy then gets to be pointed out, and if a priest or pastor gets jailed for crying ‘foul’ so be it. That is the persecution faced in the courage of our convictions. This is why any so-called pastor who does not visit from house to house is not a pastor. To speak to what is in the hearts of the people, you must know what is happening in their lives. It’s not Sunday entertainment. All of my ministry, I visited – 3 times a week. Every month, every year. When Sunday came, I always knew what to say and what needed to be said about whatever was happening because I knew exactly what was happening in the people’s lives. You cannot reduce God’s grace in Jesus to private opinion, personal ethics, and individual preference. But laying out commonly experienced stuff for all in a sermon, it gets chewed through together. And so the church of Jesus Christ engages society - it finds its strength and power from God in personal holiness; it demonstrates this resource available to all in social holiness. With every blessing in Jesus for the week ahead, G.

1        Outler, A. C. ed.; The Works of John Wesley Vol 1 Nashville Abingdon 1984-87, pg 537.

2        Eli, R George; Social Holiness; American University Studies Series VII Theology & Religion Vol 151; New York, Peter Lang, 1993.