Reading with the Saints

Reading with the Saints

Reflections on the Wesleyan Quadrilateral - Tradition
August 25, 2024


2 Thessalonians 2:15, Hebrews 12:1, Romans 15:4, Matthew 28:19-20

see also how Jesus uses tradition - "You have heard"
Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-39, 43-45

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions we taught you, whether we taught you in person or through our letter.

2 Thessalonians 2:15

Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we could have hope through
endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures.

 Romans 15:4

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Craig J. Sefa

Reading with the Saints

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Whether we come from a religious family or not, we all grow up with traditions.  Perhaps we remember family traditions around holidays, birthdays, trips, or other special occasions.  Maybe it was as simple as Sunday dinner at a family member’s home or a weekend movie or game night.  No matter how small or elaborate, our traditions say a lot about what our family most values and those values have shaped much of our lives. 

In addition to family traditions, we also have religious traditions.  For some, that tradition may simply be that you didn’t go to church at all, but maybe a grandparent or other family member had a church at some point.  For others, it may have just been going to church on Christmas or Easter, or perhaps you were one of those who was in church every time the door was open.  Regardless of how often or how little you were in church, you no doubt learned something about faith from members of your family or from your church.  Some of those traditions may have given you a negative view of faith or religion, others may have been very positive.  But again, all of these religious experiences helped form our value systems and our faith or lack-there-of.

My own religious tradition was a mixed bag.  I grew up in the Catholic church and hated it, but I didn’t know there was anything else.  As a teenager I was “saved” in a Baptist church.  As a college student and young adult I branched out to a number of different denominations and finally landed in a United Methodist Church when I took a job as a part time youth pastor in 2003.  I chose to remain United Methodist for a many reasons, but when I look back on my religious background, I am deeply aware of the mixture of pain and blessing from each congregation and tradition.  Some things I have grown beyond and others that I once rejected I have come to appreciate more deeply in more recent years. 

Just as our own religious experiences are part of our tradition, so the larger tradition of church history has shaped our denominations and even much of our culture.  No matter how fresh or modern a church might be, it is still rooted in a long tradition of faithful saints who have gone before us.  We are not the first to study the Bible, to worship God, or to have a relationship with Christ through the Holy Spirit, and we will not be the last. 

In all of our efforts as humans to make our mark on the world and leave our legacy, it is easy to forget that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves.  As we study the scriptures, we can find tremendous blessing and wisdom in walking with the Saints who have gone before us, both ancient and recent. 

We cannot escape it. 

The tradition is part of who we are.

The question is, how will we allow it to teach us, to shape us, and to bless our lives?

The Myth of Sola Scriptura

The Myth of Sola Scriptura

Reflections on the Wesleyan Quadrilateral - Scripture
August 18, 2024

Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:105, John 20:30-31

… God’s word is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates to the point that it separates the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow. It’s able to judge the heart’s thoughts and intentions. 

Hebrews 4:12

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Craig J. Sefa

The Myth of Sola Scriptura

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In the 16th century, church leaders challenged various forms of corruption and abuse in the church, ultimately leading to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, or “Scripture Alone.”  Martin Luther, John Calvin and other Protestant Reformers said that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority in matters of faith, over and against the rules and traditions established within the church.  People, they believed, could err in their judgment or even intentionally spread false teachings and heresies, but Scripture was always unchanging and reliable.

In theory, this sounds reasonable.  After all, we as Christians believe the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God and as Paul writes to Timothy, are useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character (1 Timothy 3:16).  The problem is that no one can read the Bible in a vacuum.  The fact that we are not reading in Hebrew or Greek means that there is always at least one layer of interpretation in the  translation itself.  Not to mention all of our preconceived ideas about God, theology, and what we have been taught.  In some religious education, theology classes are required before taking Biblical Studies, which ensures that when students actually get to studying the scripture, they are already steeped in a particular  denominational viewpoint on how to interpret it. 

The Wesleyan tradition still holds scripture as our primary source of authority when it comes to knowing God, but we also recognize that scripture always comes to us through various lenses of interpretation and that it is quite possible for us to get some things wrong.

Rather than Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), we might say a more accurate way is Prima Scriptura (Scripture First, or primary).  Reflecting on John Wesley’s practical methodology for interpreting scripture and doing  theology, Albert Outler coined what is known as the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral,” consisting of Scripture,  Tradition, Reason, and Experience.  Of course scripture has more weight than the other three, but this process of theological reflection reminds us that whether we like it or not, scripture is always interpreted through the lens of the other three.  When we read the Bible, we cannot separate ourselves from the church tradition in which we were taught.  We cannot and should not shut off the intellect God gave us.  To ignore reason leads not to a perfect understanding of scripture, but to a blind acceptance of what someone else told us it means.  And finally, we can never separate ourselves from our own experience, particularly our experience of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  God’s word is alive and breathes in us through the Spirit, teaching us how to apply what we read in our own unique context and circumstances. 

When we recognize these lenses, we open ourselves to the work of scripture that seeks to penetrate our hearts and transform our souls.  We come humbly, acknowledging that we have much to learn about the text from those who have gone before us, from deep study, and even from the fresh voice of the Spirit today.

Seen and Heard

Seen and Heard
August 11, 2024
Back to School Sunday

Matthew 18:1-5, 19:13-15

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Then he called a little child over to sit among the disciples,  and said, “I assure you that if you don’t turn your lives around and become like this little child, you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 18:1-5 (CEB)

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Craig J. Sefa

Seen and Heard

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Jesus teaches that to enter the Kingdom of God, we must become like a little child.  Ironically in our culture, like the culture of Jesus’ day, children are often dismissed or ignored.  They are to be taught, but we rarely learn from them.  They are expected to listen and to respect adults, but adults so often refuse to listen to and respect children in turn.  Children, our culture says, are to be “seen and not heard”. 

This also sadly applies to our own “inner child” who may have a lot more to teach us than we realize.  No matter how much responsibility, stress or even trauma we have built up, our inner child is always with us and is often wounded.  Here are a few ways to know if your inner child is hurting:

• Hypersensitive to emotions, constructive criticism, and negative situations.

• You’re a chronic people pleaser

• You seek heavy validation through achievement

• Your sense of worth is tied to your work or productivity

• You feel numb or avoidant of your feelings

• You avoid conflict like the plague

• You find it difficult to set and stick to healthy boundaries in relationships

So how can we begin to nurture and care for our inner child so that we can get back to that child-like spirit that Jesus invites us to? 

Here are a few ways to start:

• Acknowledge and validate memories from your childhood, even the painful ones.

• Listen closely and pay close attention, especially when dealing with tough emotions and which emotions you tend to most gravitate toward.

• Reconnect with your sense of joy, remembering what it felt like to be a child and maybe even picking up a favorite childhood hobby again.

• Be silly, use your imagination, let go of having to have everything under control.  Have fun.  Play.

• Be curious and excited.  Allow yourself to be amazed by the beauty and joy of life.

• Be fearless.  Take risks.  Try new things and don’t be afraid of failure. 

• Live in the present moment and fully experience the depth of your feelings.

What is God trying to teach you right now through children in your life?

… through the younger generation in general?

… through your own inner child?

We spend our whole childhood wanting to grow up  faster.
But we spend our whole adult life, wanting to go back to the simplicity of being a kid again.

anonymous

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Source Material from:

• 20+ Inner Child Activities to Heal and Feel Alive

• 6 Important Life Lessons We Can Learn From Children

Stay in Love with God

Stay in Love with God
August 4, 2024
Psalm 105:3-6, Colossians 2:6-7

Give praise to God’s holy name!
    Let the hearts rejoice of all those seeking the Lord!
Pursue the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always!
Remember the wondrous works he has done,
    all his marvelous works, and the justice he declared

Psalm 105:3-5 (CEB)

So live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received him. Be rooted and built up in him, be
established in faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught.

Colossians 2:6-7 (CEB)

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Craig J. Sefa

Stay In Love with God

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The third simple Rule from John Wesley is to “attend upon the ordinances of God.”  In short, this means to attend to regular spiritual practices like prayer, fasting, Bible Study, participation in worship, etc.  These are the practices that helps us nurture our ongoing
relationship with God.

In modern times, we don’t think as much about “ordinances,” so it is often reframed as “Stay in love with God.”  In other words, do whatever you need to stay in love with God.  Consider any loving relationship you have; a marriage, another family relationship, a friendship, etc.  Every relationship takes work.  You have to spend time together.  You have to communicate with each other.  You have to have a genuine interest in one another’s lives.  You even have to serve one another, which sometimes requires sacrifice. 

Spiritual practices or disciplines are the ways we do all of these things with God.  They are like a trellis that supports our relationship with God and helps us grow more deeply in love with our creator.  Without these regular spiritual practices, it is nearly impossible to live out the first two rules, to do no harm and to do good.  Why?  Because it is our love for God and God’s love flowing through us that produces the fruit of good works. 

Here are a few questions to consider as you think about your own trellis, or “rule of life.”

1. What rhythms / practices is God inviting you to establish or strengthen at this time in your life?

2. Tinker with arranging your calendar to  accommodate your chosen practices. Rearrange where necessary. Experiment. Revisit and revise it.  A rule of life is to support growth in holiness of heart and life.

3. What do you feel are the challenges you might face as you seek to live into these new rhythms?

4. Consider the arrangements that will need to be made. How will you need to adjust your schedule in order to consistently choose this rule of life?  What conversations or arrangements do you need to make with those with whom you live and work?

5. How do you need prayer from another as you move forward?

“IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS there is nothing we can do to transform ourselves into persons who love and serve as Jesus did except make ourselves available for God to do that work of transforming grace in our lives”  (Robert Mulholland, Invitation To A Journey).