February 6, 2008

“A Perfect Season”

The New England Patriots failed in their bid to achieve a “perfect” 19-0 season. Like most of us here in Indiana, at least for Colts fans, I cheered the underdog Giants as they ruined the so-called perfect season.

But what is perfection? Perhaps not losing any games makes a perfect season. I understand that several years ago the Evansville Reitz High School football team was not only undefeated, but no one even scored on them! That’s right; every game was a shut-out victory. That sounds more like “perfection” than simply winning every game. And yet, is even that astounding achievement true perfection? Did every player achieve perfection on every play in that season? What is perfection?

When I question candidates for ordination in our United Methodist Church with the historic questions first asked by John Wesley, one of those questions is, “Are you going on to perfection?” The following question is even more disturbing, “Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?” Of course the answer given to that question provides some modesty, “God willing, I do.” But even so, it seems quite audacious to assert that perfection is our goal. Did we not find the New England Patriots just a little too smug and audacious for all of their talk about perfection? Their attempt to trademark the phrase 19-0 struck many of us as downright arrogant.

In our United Methodist tradition, “perfection” is not about perfectionism. In fact Wesley is quite adamant that growing in God’s grace does not mean that we will be without error. Christian Perfection does mean, however, that we can be perfected in love to the point that our intentions are perfect, even when our efforts and our results do not achieve perfectionism. That may seem like a subtle distinction, but for Wesley and his Methodist followers it was an essential part of their preaching and their doctrine. Christian Perfection is our goal, because God is holy. Growth in holiness is our focus, because God is holy. Achieving a graceful life is our calling, because God is holy.

How about you? Are you going on to Christian Perfection? Perhaps this season of Lent can be a time of spiritual growth, renewed practices of prayer and meditation, as well as a time of increased service to others. Ultimately even our best efforts will fail unless we hear the invitation of Wesley to allow God’s holiness to come into our lives and grow us into the likeness of Christ. This “perfection” stuff is really not our doing – it is what God can and will do through us, if only we will open our hearts to receive something of God’s holiness.

Then a “perfect season” of life can be ours.

from Bishop Michael J. Coyner

Indiana Area of The United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference ... in Indiana
and around the world"

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