I am about to publish my second book, Building My Faith. That book is a collection of personal testimonies where I have experienced and witnessed God active in myself and others. It generally follows the spiritual journey of my life through the year 2013. I have a story from the book included in my talk today, but before I get to that, I have some other scriptures, true stories, and thoughts to share.  

           Of course, the growth of my personal faith did not end in 2013. God, through His grace, Spirit, and Son, continues to mold, prune, educate, chastise, guide, and nurture my relationship with Him as well as with all those in the world around me. This latest decade of my life has not come without some challenges. Nearly ten years ago, I learned I have a genetic mutation that causes my blood to clot up to 60 times faster than normal. I lost both my parents, my father to cancer, and my mother to dementia that she suffered from for the last seven years of her life. I also lost my older brother to COVID within the first few months of the appearance of the virus.

           However, during this time, I have also continued to be blessed as a part of this congregation. I have been honored to fill my present role in our organization here, and serve in other teaching, worship, and leadership capacities for the church. Five years ago, circumstances opened for me to attend a Walk to Emmaus that continues even now to nurture and grow my relationship with Jesus Christ. It is also in the last ten years that I completed writing and publishing my first book, To Concerned Americans.

           What I want to share today has its roots in that first book published at the beginning of last year. I haven’t done much to promote that book, but I have recently been challenged spiritually to promote an important conclusion that I draw at the end of the book. I want share that conclusion this morning and expand upon it with new insights I feel God has led me to over the course of the last year and a half. My goal is not to change anyone’s mind or advocate a particular theology or policy, but to get us thinking about how to reach out and connect with those with whom we may disagree; start some conversations, and also recognize the great power of God through Jesus Christ to change hearts in a way we can’t imagine that can bring unity and forgiveness.

To set the stage for this I want to start with a quote from the Bible followed a quote from an opening section of my book:

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”[1]

“Portions of this book have been in the making for many years, but as I begin to write on this day of May 11, 2019, I am certain most citizens of our United States of America agree that we are a nation deeply divided. An examination of our history shows that there have always been disagreements regarding how we should govern ourselves and the nature and breadth of laws we should retain. But at this juncture intime, it feels particularly bitter and partisan beyond repair.”[2]

           My book To Concerned Americans is focused upon our nation. Things that are beneficial and things that are detrimental to the prosperity, freedom, and moral character in our society. In the process of writing, publishing, and writing follow-up commentaries, I have been led to seriously consider how one bridges this apparently irreconcilable divide. Early last year I happened upon a book that specifically was written to teach us how to have bridging conversations with those you disagree with. But before I get to that book, I want to look at some scripture and how it can guide us in considering the search for answers to division a little closer to home – in our own church denomination.

Let’s start by looking at the conclusion of Jesus’ last prayer for those who would follow him before he goes to the Garden of Gethsemane where he would be arrested.

^“13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves (the “they” here are Jesus’ followers). ¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”[3]

Now pay close attention to this next part:

²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they maybe one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”[4]

           In his prayer for those who would come to believe in Christ after the disciples (that includes us), Jesus repeats his prayer to God for his followers to be one three times, and the last time he states it more firmly, that we may become perfectly one. … And why are we to be as one? … That the world, i.e., those who are not yet believers, may believe and know that God sent Jesus to us, and God loves us. He prayed for unity in the church so that our witness to the love of God would not be weakened and disparaged by divisions and strife.

Note that Jesus had also prayed that his followers would be protected from the evil one. Satan uses division, strife, and offending words and behaviors to great damaging effect against the Church. The evil one wants nothing better than to see division within Christ’s church.

           Before COVID happened, I, along with some others present here, attended a meeting of a large group of people from several churches in our district, to learn about and discuss the proposed “way forward” for the Methodist church. I came away from that meeting feeling empty. What was discussed were three options for the denomination to choose from. It seemed to me the conclusion had already been made that we had irreconcilable differences, and so what was needed was to offer a way to divide the church equitably.

           There was no real discussion of the elephant in the room, the real reason why there was such division. If we consider the desires of Jesus expressed in his last prayer for the future church, the solution for the United Methodist Church is not division, it is unity in Christ. There is no Spiritual power or heart-changing witness in Christians arguing among themselves and breaking up the church, especially a church that claims the title of United. Jesus told us almost 2,000 years ago that the world is watching, and if we are not perfectly one, our witness will fail to lead them to knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ. He told us any organization, from an entire kingdom down to just one household, if it is divided it will fail. I think, before the church goes down the path of division, there should at least be some efforts for the two sides to have some honest, loving, Christ-centered conversations to fully understand each other, and perhaps in that process a better way forward might be discovered.

It is very easy to judge and pass judgement on people on the opposite side of an issue as long as they remain a nameless faceless group, and as long as it is done in the comfort of our like-minded small groups, or the safety of a personal computer terminal. I am as guilty of this as anyone. But sit down and have an actual honest, curiously inquiring conversation that seeks to truly understand the person in front of you who holds opinions contrary to yours, and you open up a door. That open door allows you to gain a new perspective and learn why they have that perspective. It also opens the door for them to see how and why you hold your position. Without such communications, divisions and failure are inevitable. On the other hand, if that conversation flourishes, you both might reach times during the conversation where you think, “Huh, I Never Thought of It That Way.”

That brings me to a book I finally finished reading a few weeks ago, coincidentally, titled “I Never Thought of It That Way,” by Monica Guzman.[5] I don’t have time to go into it because it is very thorough and detailed. It could actually be a great group study. It is not a Christian book, but it is well written and supplies plenty of statistics, information, and personal stories that show how divided we are as a nation, and more importantly, well explained methods to use to have reasoned mutually understanding conversations with those with whom you disagree. I recommend the book for anyone who wants to know how to do that. I think for the purpose of this talk, what it teaches us is that it can be done.

Monica Guzman points out the same conclusion that I had arrived at in my book, our division is caused in great part by our tendency to sort ourselves into like-minded groups. Both of us, independently, and from opposite sides of the political spectrum, came to and wrote about that conclusion. In every social-political issue of consequence, divisions form and widen due to disconnected perspectives. Our advanced technological capabilities and geographical mobility ironically enable us to self-isolate ourselves without even realizing it. We become isolated in the news and views we expose ourselves to, the social circles within which we gather, the religious groups we congregate with, and the locations where we choose to live, and work, and recreate.

Our technology enables us to control the views we receive on our devices, and search out and find with specificity places, organizations, and people that are most to our liking; thereby isolating ourselves from all the rest. The technologies that potentially make us more connected to a wider spectrum of views and knowledge, have, in fact, done the opposite. The tragedy is that the divide impedes the consideration of all sides that brings to light the best and most beneficial solutions.

Monica Guzman refers to the cloistered world we create around ourselves as our silo. We live in our silo, and those on the opposite side of our issues live in their silo. But here in Paradise Hills United Methodist Church, and I’m sure in High Desert, and Rio Rancho, and other churches here; members gather together for worship that hail from different silos.

There is nothing stopping us from having our own one on one conversations about issues that concern us with others who hold contrary views. This is where reconciliation and unity can start, it is how to build bridges and heal divides; in honest open-minded loving conversations one on one. But before you do, I strongly recommend you consult this book to have some knowledge of how to keep a conversation from spiraling out of control.

Some or many of you may be thinking right now this is futile and will lead to nothing, or worse open wounds that make things worse. You may be right, I may be crazy, and I may just be idealistic and not practical. After all, I am crazy enough to believe and know in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, and he is alive, and present in this room as I speak. … But to answer any doubting thoughts, I would like to share a true story. Some of you know parts of the story.

           This story starts with the birth of the Moravian church. The origins of the Moravian church can be traced back to ancient Bohemia and Moravia, places that are now apart of the Czech Republic. Jan Hus, born in 1369, was a Czech reformer, and preached at the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague. The chapel became a rallying point for reformation followers. Jan led protests against Roman Catholic practices, and he produced a Bible translated into the local language. For this he was arrested by the Roman Catholic church, and underwent a trial at the council of Constance. John was found guilty of heresy and was burned at the stake on July6, 1415.

           Hus’ followers were undeterred, and in 1457, they gathered in the village of Kunvald, 100 miles east of Prague to form the Moravian church – (Unity of Brethren).  This occurred 60 years before Martin Luther published his ninety-five theses protesting against practices of the Roman Catholic Church.

           By 1517 the Moravians numbered 200,000 in over 200 parishes.  They had their own printing press that they used to print Bibles in their native language. In 1547 a persecution began that caused the church to spread to Poland. Later the 30-years war caused further persecution and further spread of the Brethren.  In 1722 some fleeing Moravian families found refuge in Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf’s estate in Saxony (east Germany). There they built the community of Herrnhut.  Others followed them to this safe haven. Zinzendorf encouraged them, and gave them a vision to take the gospel to the far corners of the globe. However, all was not perfect in Herrnhut, and by 1727major religious disagreements had emerged that divided the community into warring factions.

           Then something amazing happened. On August 13, 1727, the entire community shared an experience during a special Communion service they attributed to a visitation of the Holy Spirit comparable to the Biblical event of Pentecost. The community underwent a dramatic transformation that day during which the inhabitants said they, “Learned to love one another.”

           This began a time of great revival and spread of the Moravian church. Some of the things that resulted from this event were:

1)      They established a continuous prayer watch 24 hours a day, 7 days per week that lasted 100 years.

2)      They began missionary work. By 1732 they had missionaries going to the West Indies, and eventually established 30 settlements around the world on the Herrnhut model.

3)      A publication was started that is now called Daily Watchwords (daily devotional)

4)      Hundreds of small renewal groups began operating within existing churches encouraging personal prayer, worship, Bible study, confession of sin, and mutual accountability(small groups).

Eight years after the spiritual revival at Herrnhut, a group of missionaries from that community boarded a ship leaving England bound for the New World. Most of the ship’s passengers were English, including two young brothers who were being sent as new pastors assigned to take the gospel to the New World colony of Georgia. Their names were John and Charles Wesley.

During the voyage a violent storm was encountered that was so severe it broke the mast of the ship. The English passengers lost all self-possession and panicked, while the Moravians calmly sang hymns and prayed. The Moravians made a lasting impression on John Wesley by their composure and entire resignation to God. He also noted their humility in the face of the shameful treatment they received from the Englishmen while on board the ship.

John Wesley returned to England in 1738 amid controversy and rejection in America.  He had had some unfortunate experiences while ministering in Georgia, which left him dejected and depressed. Wesley’s experience with the Moravians led him to believe that they possessed an inner strength that he lacked. He sought out the Moravian community in London. John Wesley’s famous Aldersgate experience on May 24, 1738 occurred at a Moravian meeting at Aldersgate Street in London. That profound spiritual experience made him understand in his heart the true and full meaning of God’s grace we find in Jesus Christ.

John associated and worked with the Moravians, including a trip to Herrnhut that same year. By the following year in 1739, John Wesley, with his changed heart, was led on a new and separate path. Late in that year he began to follow George Whitefield’s example of “open air” preaching. This marked the beginning of a great spiritual revival in England, as well as ultimately, the birth of the Methodist Church in the newly birthed United States of America.

There are a couple remarkable things about this story. First, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was not a one-time event as the event at Herrnhut shows, and it is something we may also prayerfully seek and anticipate as a church. Second is the acknowledgement by the Moravians of the importance of prayer causing them to institute 100 years of continuous prayer following their spiritual experience. Indeed, I believe their experience on August 13, 1727 was preceded by fervent prayer on the part of many Moravians in Herrnhut greatly disturbed about the state of affairs in their community.

One day they were greatly divided, the next day what ever it was that so divided them, was reprioritized by God in their hearts. Whatever was vexing their hearts was displaced by love. Whatever seemed irreconcilable was forgiven. Whatever anger and rage controlled them was replaced by peace and grace.

It may very well be we would not be sitting here were it not for the Moravians who inspired John Wesley and facilitated the meeting where he had his spiritual awakening to the true grace that God shares with us through Jesus Christ.

I mentioned a minute ago that we may also seek and anticipate a Pentecost-like renewal in our church. This is not just a rhetorical statement, there is a specific real event that I am thinking of.

John Bevere, in his book A Heart Ablaze, tells of a time in 1996 when he was visiting and preaching at a series of meetings at a church in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was the end of the last meeting, and he was troubled, and for some reason did not feel right about ending the service. Something that needed to happen had not yet occurred. He recalls the story this way,

           “Then I heard the still small voice of the Holy Spirit speak to me. He showed me that something was hindering the churches of this city, just as there was a hindrance in this service. It kept churches from growing beyond a certain point. Once they achieved it, they either split or became religious and ineffective.”[6]

John then stated the solution,

“Folks, God has shown me that a forty-day fast will break this hindrance ...  It is not necessarily a food fast, in fact most likely it is not a refraining from food. It is a fast of what keeps you from seeking the Lord. It maybe television, videos, computer games, newspapers, excessive shopping and phone conversations, and so forth.”[7]

That night the church collectively decided to go on that fast. They all earnestly sought after God’s will, and gave up doing the things that occupied their minds and time rather than seeking after God. During the forty days amazing things began to happen; student’s grades in school improved, teenagers became more respectful, worldly things seemed to be losing their attraction, wives excitedly shared how their husbands were like different men, families started Bible studies at home, relationships were mended, and physical healing occurred.

Six Sundays later John returned to share a Sunday evening service with them. At the end of the service the entire congregation of about 1,300, a generally conservative and non-demonstrative church, was overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit in an experience that went on for more than an hour, that defies the words to describe. In the next year and a half after that, the congregation doubled in size. During that time, the pastor’s only complaint was he had a hard time getting people to go home after church because there was such power and enthusiasm for worship, they didn’t want to leave.

God has the power to change hearts. These last two stories clearly show this. I have one more story to show how God can change our hearts. It is about me and how God changed my heart. This experience to me is like Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. But first, before I tell you this story, I have some confessions and comments to share that will help you to better appreciate and understand my story.

I have been married, divorced, and remarried. I married my first wife in 1977. I’m not going to get into details, but in 1980, during a 4 month out of town work assignment, I had an extramarital affair. I felt guilty about it when I returned home and told her the day I arrived back. I remained faithful after that and we went on to have a daughter in 1981, but five years later we separated, and after over a year of separation, we were divorced.

I married my present wife in 1988. This year we celebrated 35 years of marriage. But my wife does not share my zeal for the Christian faith, and has no desire to attend church with me. Her reluctance at least in part has to do with negative experiences in the past, and when she has attended church services, she has a feeling that she is out of place and being judged.

I have friends, neighbors, and relatives who are gay/lesbian. I often share meals that include gay individuals. I had friends and classmates in grade school that, as they came “out” when we got older, was no surprise to me because they always had something different about them. Another gay man I know well testified to his sister privately through tears as teenager that he was attracted to men and not women. This was not necessarily a conclusion he was enthused about. For some, it appears to me to be more than a casual choice.

I am a Christian and my personal observations challenge me to consider that some are predisposed to a sexual preference contrary to what the Bible clearly teaches. For me there is an apparent discrepancy in this regard between my real-life observations and what I read in the Bible. There are some things being pushed by the LGBTQ+ community that I believe are not acceptable. But we have gay individuals who come to our church, and they are no less deserving of our hospitality, love, and opportunity for honest sharing in the light of Christian grace than any one else.

The Bible states in Paul’s Letter to Timothy, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”[8]It also states in Peter’s second letter, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”[9]These and other scriptures tell me the love and Gospel of God are available for all people, and somehow we need to reconcile that with other scriptures, and what it is we do as a church and as individuals.

I am not advocating that we change the Book of Discipline. I’m advocating that rather than secluding ourselves in our particular silos, we open up lines of communication to enable conversations that may ultimately lead to more and more people coming to know and accept the Gospel and grace of Christ. Jesus visited and ate with people who needed God’s grace. Creating congregations that only go one way or the other will reach no one new, no one on the other side, and worse, I think very few out in the world looking at division and exclusivity will be drawn to join such congregations.

I am also advocating collective fervent prayer and spiritual fasting. Every event I have read about where the Spirit of God radically and collectively shows up is preceded by this. The most important spiritual experiences in my life have also been associated with fervor, fasting, or desperate searching.

Here is my personal story:

“In 1989, my wife and I were living in Silver City with her three sons. I was still not particularly faithful. I did not attend church regularly, and on top of that, we had a new child on the way.

            After one particularly trying day when it had been made clear to me by one of my stepsons that I was not his father, and that general disharmony had taken over the household, I was overwhelmed. I was the last one to bed that night.  

            My wife was asleep as I lay down and thought to myself, “My God, what have I got myself into?” I began to pray to God as I had never prayed before. Somehow, I thought He needed to fix my situation because I was not going to be able to handle it for long. As I prayed, I wondered to God if this was part of His plan or purpose. I wondered if He could somehow change the situation or change those around me, or maybe just get me out of it altogether. This last thought was what my worldly side was really hoping for. I had divorced once, so I could do it again. “God, just make this work out in a way that I would be righteous. Deliver me from this God!” I prayed and cried and prayed until I was too tired, and I fell asleep.

            At four in the morning, I awoke sweating. I could see my grandmother, who had passed away the previous year. She stood near the bed. I had never experienced anything like it before. For lack of any other word to describe it, I can only say that I experienced a vision. I asked her how she was able to cope. I wondered why I asked this question because I did not know of any extreme hardships that she had experienced. She replied simply, “Because He’s watching,” as she pointed upward. I leaned forward and started to reach out to her, but she disappeared. I sat propped up in bed for a while, going over that brief conversation in my mind, trying to fathom the meaning of it. After a while, I fell back to sleep.

            I awoke a couple of hours later. Despite the relatively sleepless night, I felt strangely rejuvenated. I sensed an overwhelming calm and inner peace. What had bothered me so greatly just hours before, now seemed nonexistent. I was no longer concerned about my situation and even welcomed it. God answered my prayer, but not in any manner I would have expected. My situation was the same, but I had changed. God had changed my heart. …”[10]

           I started this long discussion with a quote from the beginning of To Concerned Americans. Let me now share with you a passage from the conclusion of the book.

           “Jesus calls everyone who would follow him to begin with two things. The first is repentance. Sincerely reflecting on what we think, do, say, and believe, and remove or change those things that are contrary to an honest and faithful life in Christ. The second is forgiveness. Forgiveness requires we bare our soul to God and those we wronged and sincerely ask for forgiveness. It also requires that we forgive those who have wronged us.”

           “I speak a lot in this book about the types of fiscal decisions that are beneficial when facing a crisis, and those that are not. Before that can happen, I am convinced that politicians and citizens on all sides in our nation need to stop and take time to consider what Jesus taught us as necessary. To best address our crises and adversaries we need to be united in our desire to act in the best interest of all in our nation. The best result for our children and grandchildren will come about if we first join together in a prayerful spirit of repentance, confession, and forgiveness to heal the divisions and find unified Providential guidance.”[11]

           God heals divisions and brings about unity by changing hearts. This can apply to a nation, a denomination, a particular church, or our own family.

This concludes what I intended to say. Rather than having time for questions, I would like to ask for a time of prayer. Is there someone you want to pray for to be led to have a bridging, healing conversation with you?

[1]The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Goodnews Publishers; The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, Copyright © 2008 by Crossway, ESV Text Edition: 2016,page 1899 (Mark 3:24-25).

[2]White, John, 2022, To Concerned Americans, (Albuquerque: Cross Stone Publishing),page xvii.

[3]The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Goodnews Publishers; The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, Copyright © 2008 by Crossway, ESV Text Edition: 2016,page 2059-2060 (John 17:13-19).

[4]Ibid, page 2060 (John 17:20-23).

[5]Guzman, Monica, 2022, I Never Thought of It That Way: how to have fearlessly curious conversations in dangerously divided times, (Dallas, TX: BenBella Books, Inc).

[6]Bevere, John, 1999, A Heart Ablaze: igniting a passion for God, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson), page 2

[7]Bevere, John, 1999, A Heart Ablaze: igniting a passion for God, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson), page 2-3

[8]The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Goodnews Publishers; The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, Copyright © 2008 by Crossway, ESV Text Edition: 2016,page 2327 (1Timothy 2:3-4).

[9]Ibid, page 2422 (2Peter 3:9).

[10]White, John, 2024, Building My Faith, (Albuquerque: Cross Stone Publishing).

[11]White, John, 2022, To Concerned Americans, (Albuquerque: Cross Stone Publishing),page 214

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