Thoughts from the Pastor
I love that there are many churches in the small community of Rupert. People get to choose which church meets their needs. Healthy churches are not in competition with each other. When one church thrives, the whole faith community can thrive. When one church suffers, the whole faith community can suffer. We share the love of Christ in all of our churches. Our individual beliefs may divide us, but we do not all need to think alike in order to love alike and work side by side to share the good news of God’s love with our community.
Each church emphasizes a different part of the good news. Some churches emphasize a heart religion of personal holiness, a person’s personal relationship with Christ. Others emphasize social holiness, living the teachings of Jesus and the faith in the world around us. Some emphasize a more intellectual faith, requiring their pastors to have an extensive education. Others emphasize that pastors are called by God and require little education. Some churches claim to have a truer faith, while others see themselves as one part of the family of God.
Rupert United Methodist Church strives to balance personal holiness with social holiness. We believe that each person can deepen their personal relationship with Christ, and that our faith produces good works in the world, making life better for the people in our community. Our church works diligently through our food panty to meet the needs of the hungry in our community. You will never hear a sermon in this church about who to vote for, but you will hear sermons about how our Christian values should have influence on our political decisions. You will also hear much about Jesus’ teaching to love all people, including those with whom we disagree.
United Methodist pastors are required to have a Master’s degree (MDIV), to have a proven service record in the church, to have psychological testing, and to take continuing education through their whole time in ministry. The more I have learned, the more I realize how much I will never be able to learn! There is not enough time or education for any of us to be able to claim to understand everything. While we want our pastors to be well-educated, we recognize that the perfection we strive for is perfection in love, not perfection in knowledge.
United Methodists do not claim to have the only truth. I often jokingly say that United Methodists “play nicely with others.” We encourage people to question their faith, because an examined faith leads to a deeper and more committed faith. We encourage people to learn about other denominations in the Christian faith, and even other faiths, because that also encourages individuals to come to an understanding of what they believe for themselves. We encourage people not to check their brains at the door, but to be confident enough in their faith to openly ask questions.
Some in the Rupert and Burley communities have judged this church because of its openness to having a woman as a pastor. We believe that God is powerful enough to work through anyone, including women. We believe that scripture is inspired, but not dictated, and that the Bible was written and interpreted through the lens of culture.
Some in the community may be uncomfortable that we follow Jesus’ teaching to love all people, and to not judge people. We do not find “love the sinner, hate the sin” to be a teaching of Jesus. Jesus told us to love. We accept anyone and everyone, Republican, Independent, Democrat, poor, wealthy, in between, elderly, young, somewhere in the middle, documented, undocumented, gay, straight, bi, trans, retired, employed, unemployed, tattooed, not tattooed. Whatever you label yourself, or whatever label others have placed on you, you are welcome here.
Each church emphasizes a different part of the good news. Some churches emphasize a heart religion of personal holiness, a person’s personal relationship with Christ. Others emphasize social holiness, living the teachings of Jesus and the faith in the world around us. Some emphasize a more intellectual faith, requiring their pastors to have an extensive education. Others emphasize that pastors are called by God and require little education. Some churches claim to have a truer faith, while others see themselves as one part of the family of God.
Rupert United Methodist Church strives to balance personal holiness with social holiness. We believe that each person can deepen their personal relationship with Christ, and that our faith produces good works in the world, making life better for the people in our community. Our church works diligently through our food panty to meet the needs of the hungry in our community. You will never hear a sermon in this church about who to vote for, but you will hear sermons about how our Christian values should have influence on our political decisions. You will also hear much about Jesus’ teaching to love all people, including those with whom we disagree.
United Methodist pastors are required to have a Master’s degree (MDIV), to have a proven service record in the church, to have psychological testing, and to take continuing education through their whole time in ministry. The more I have learned, the more I realize how much I will never be able to learn! There is not enough time or education for any of us to be able to claim to understand everything. While we want our pastors to be well-educated, we recognize that the perfection we strive for is perfection in love, not perfection in knowledge.
United Methodists do not claim to have the only truth. I often jokingly say that United Methodists “play nicely with others.” We encourage people to question their faith, because an examined faith leads to a deeper and more committed faith. We encourage people to learn about other denominations in the Christian faith, and even other faiths, because that also encourages individuals to come to an understanding of what they believe for themselves. We encourage people not to check their brains at the door, but to be confident enough in their faith to openly ask questions.
Some in the Rupert and Burley communities have judged this church because of its openness to having a woman as a pastor. We believe that God is powerful enough to work through anyone, including women. We believe that scripture is inspired, but not dictated, and that the Bible was written and interpreted through the lens of culture.
Some in the community may be uncomfortable that we follow Jesus’ teaching to love all people, and to not judge people. We do not find “love the sinner, hate the sin” to be a teaching of Jesus. Jesus told us to love. We accept anyone and everyone, Republican, Independent, Democrat, poor, wealthy, in between, elderly, young, somewhere in the middle, documented, undocumented, gay, straight, bi, trans, retired, employed, unemployed, tattooed, not tattooed. Whatever you label yourself, or whatever label others have placed on you, you are welcome here.
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