If God is love . . . Why are so many Christians fearful? Why do so many Church leaders sound hateful? Why does religion often create more pain than healing? What would it take for our world to become more gracious? In If Grace Is True, pastors Philip Gulley and James Mulholland revealed their belief that God will save every person.
They now explore the implications of this belief and its power to change every area of our lives. They attempt to answer one question: If we took God's love seriously, what would our world look like? Gulley and Mulholland argue that what we believe is crucial and dramatically affects the way we live and interact in the world.
Beliefs have power. The belief in a literal hell, where people suffer eternally, has often been used by the Church to justify hate and violence, which contradict what Jesus taught about love and grace. The authors present a new vision for our personal, religious, and corporate lives, exploring what our world would be like if we based our existence on the foundational truth that God loves every person. Gulley and Mulholland boldly address many controversial issues people in the pews have wondered about but churches have been unwilling to tackle. For too long, the Christian tradition has been steeped in negativity, exclusion, and judgment. Gulley and Mulholland usher us into a new era -- an age where grace and love are allowed to reign.
If God Is Love
Rediscovering Grace in an Ungracious WorldBy Gulley, PhilipHarperSanFrancisco
ISBN: 0060578416Chapter One
Why Beliefs Matter
When I was younger, I thought beliefs were a private matter.I had the right to believe what I believed, and otherscould believe what they wanted. As long as people didn'tforce their beliefs on me, I was happy to allow them to thinkthings I considered ridiculous. Beliefs weren't dangerous. Itwas attitudes and actions that caused harm.
In the summer of 1986, I discovered this was a naive belief.That June I was hired to pastor a small rural congregation.I'd been studying theology in college and was eager toput my newfound knowledge to work. That church allowedme to preach, visit the sick, and learn why the worldwon't be saved by a committee. They also taught me whybeliefs matter.
My first couple of months with them went well. It wasthe proverbial honeymoon -- we each proclaimed our fondnessfor the other loudly and often. There was, on both our parts, some give and take. They preferred their hymns agedlike a fine wine, and so I didn't suggest they clap theirhands, buy a drum set, or sing lyrics projected on a screen.They discovered I was soft-spoken and bought a new microphonerather than insist I shout. We thought any otherdifferences were minor and easily resolved. In the thirdmonth, we found we were wrong.
I can't remember my exact words, but something I mentionedin a sermon caused an elderly woman in the churchto wonder whether I believed in Satan and hell. She approachedme after worship and began questioning me.Lacking a well-honed ministerial radar and eager to provemy theological sophistication, I answered her questions directlyand honestly. This was before I learned that answeringtheological questions directly and honestly is generally abad idea, and that ministers go to seminary precisely so wecan master the theological language necessary to bewilderpeople when pressed to provide answers they might not like.
I told her I didn't believe in Satan. Nor did I believe in aplace where people were endlessly tormented. I then toldher she was perfectly free to believe those ideas. I patted herhand and turned to speak to someone else, never realizingshe and I differed on far more than Satan and hell. I believedthen, and I believe now, that faith is a matter of inwardconviction, not outward compulsion. She believedstrict conformity was a requirement of faith. If I'd knownthis, I might have noticed the whispers during the pitch-indinner after worship. Instead, my wife and I left church that day grateful God had called us to such a warm fellowship,unaware I'd soon feel its heat.
That week I immersed myself in my studies and sermonpreparation and the next Sunday morning arrived at churchbrimming with excitement. It was Palm Sunday. I plannedto speak on how quickly the crowd went from cheeringJesus to jeering him. It turned out to be a timely sermon.
The head elder approached me as I entered the church."We're not holding church this morning," he said. "We'dlike to meet with you instead."
A minister with a sermon in his pocket being an unstoppableforce of nature, I told him we should worship beforemeeting to talk. This also gave me time to figure out whatI'd done. I quickly eliminated all the usual pastoral indiscretions.I hadn't had an affair with the church secretary. Wedidn't have one. I hadn't visited the local tavern. I couldn'tafford to drink on what they were paying me. I hadn't usedchurch stamps for personal correspondence. I had no ideawhy they wanted to speak with me, but suspected anythingthat would cause them to cancel worship on Palm Sundaymust be serious.
The head elder reluctantly agreed to postpone our meetinguntil after worship. When the last hymn was sung andthe closing prayer offered, I filed downstairs with him andsat at a folding table in the church basement. The elderswere grim-faced.
"This is an awkward matter," the head elder said, "butI'm afraid we're going to have to let you go."
I asked if I had done something wrong.
"There have been concerns raised that you don't believein Satan and hell," he said.
"That's right," I said. Then, eager to display my theologicalprowess, I asked if they wanted to know why.
They declined my offer to enlighten them.
I began to panic. The job didn't pay much, but I wasconcerned that being fired after only three months mightnot look good on my résumé. "I do believe in the love ofGod. Isn't that enough?"
It wasn't.
I realize now what I didn't understand then -- beliefsmatter. Beliefs are not harmless. They have the power toshape our world, for good or ill. Some beliefs unite us in agreat and common good, while others divide us, reinforcingprejudices and diminishing our humanity. Religious beliefsare especially potent, shaping how we think of and act towardGod, others, and ourselves.
I'd thought the idea of Satan and hell negotiable. Theydidn't. They considered a belief in a demonic personalityand eternal damnation essential. They thought those whodidn't believe in hell were deceived by Satan and destinedfor the lake of fire. Fearing I'd lead them astray, they firedme, giving me fresh insight into the origins of that expression.
After the meeting, I walked out to the car where mywife was waiting.
"What happened?" she asked.
"It's good news."
"What is it?"
"We get to sleep in next Sunday."
We drove home and ate dinner, then I lay down on thecouch to take a nap. The phone rang later that afternoon. Itwas an elder from another small rural church near ourhome.
"We'd like you to come be our pastor," he said. "Are youavailable?"
"As a matter of fact I am," I told him ...
Continues...Excerpted from If God Is Loveby Gulley, Philip Excerpted by permission.
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