If God Is Love

by Gulley, Philip

• ISBN13: 9780060578411
• ISBN10: 0060578416
• Format: Hardcover
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

If God is love, why are so many Christians fearful; why do so many church leaders sound hateful? Two controversial pastors address issues the church won't tackle, guiding readers in restoring grace as the center of the Christian life.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
A Note from the Authors	xi
Why Beliefs Matter	1	(16)
Embracing Grace	17	(32)
Being Gracious	49	(32)
Living Graciously	81	(32)
Gracious Religion	113	(32)
Gracious Christianity	145	(34)
The Politics of Grace	179	(28)
Money and Grace	207	(32)
Gracious Justice	239	(32)
A Gracious World	271

Excerpts

If God Is Love
Rediscovering Grace in an Ungracious World

Chapter 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 ...

If God Is Love
Rediscovering Grace in an Ungracious World. Copyright © by Philip Gulley. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Excerpted from If God Is Love: Rediscoveing Grace in an Ungracious World by Philip Gulley, James Mulholland
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.