Last Sunday’s sermon was titled: “#BeUMC: Reading Scripture Through United Methodist Eyes.” In that sermon, we talked about Article IV of the Confession of Faith, in which the role of Scripture is strongly confirmed. An excerpt: “We believe the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation.”

But Scripture is not the only source of theology for United Methodists. (It’s the main source, but not the only source.) We also use tradition, reason, and experience. We need all four if we are to think through our faith for ourselves and thus make it our own. The Book of Discipline affirms that “all Christians are called to theological reflection.”

This United Methodist Church recognizes the necessity of theological reflection and the existence of a large amount of diversity within that theological reflection. Again, from The Book of Discipline, “the Church encourages serious reflection across the theological spectrum.” This statement affirms the need for a well-reasoned faith, while also acknowledging the fact that our theological reflection often leads us to different places.

This encouragement to reason things out and to think for myself is another part of what I love about being United Methodist. The working title for my next sermon is “BeUMC: Making Sense of Things.” My texts include Acts 11:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:12-28, and 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17.