What Are Methodist Beliefs about War?

Unless you’ve been living a completely screen-free and media-free life, you’ve heard about the war the United States government recently started in Iran with the assistance of and on behalf of Israel. There’s an entire other post to be made about the (dubious) theological motivations behind war with Iran, and maybe I’ll write that next week. But for now, I’m going to stick with the topic of United Methodist beliefs about war and how they evolved from John Wesley’s opposition of war as well as the general biblically-based views of war. 
Christians in general tend to embody one of two positions regarding war: pacifism or  the just-war position. Pacifism, in short, is the belief that war is always wrong and Christians have a moral duty to avoid fighting in wars (known as conscientious objection). The just-war position holds that “the state has an obligation to protect people from the destruction that others do, to avenge injuries, and to restore what has been unjustly taken.” A just war, then, is a war that is waged in order to help rather than to harm. 
The official United Methodist position acknowledges pacifism but leans toward the just-war position simply because the official UMC position does not forbid or condemn military service. While it also supports conscientious objection, it does allow military service chosen “as a result of personal conviction.” In the United Methodist Revised Social Principles, the Church writes, 
“We reject the use of war as an instrument of foreign policy and insist that every peaceful and diplomatic means of resolution be exhausted before the start of armed conflicts. Similarly, we oppose the increasing reliance on preemptive strikes unless they can be clearly demonstrated to be proportionate in response, delimited in human casualties, and undertaken in response to clear and immediate threats to human lives. 
 Christians have struggled with the issue of war since the time of Jesus. Some Christians have argued historically that war and other acts of violence are never acceptable, while other believers have asserted that it is sometimes necessary to take up arms in self-defense or to defend the innocent and prevent unchecked aggression, tyranny and genocide.” 
The US government’s recent preemptive strikes on targets in Iran, including an elementary school full of young girls, meets 0 of the 3 criteria of justification listed above. And “unchecked aggression” is a pretty tidy summation of current US foreign policy. 
In the same paragraph of the Revised Social Principles that I cited above, this line also appears: “We grieve that in a world where so many live in poverty, governments continue to dedicate enormous resources to preparing for and conducting wars.” The US’s military action in Iran has cost approximately $50 billion so far, while millions of Americans go without SNAP food assistance and Medicaid due to cost-cutting. 
The Council of Bishops, in their recent letter on Middle East aggression, wrote this: 
“We stand resolute in remembering the uncompromising call of Jesus: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God' (Matthew 5:9). This calling is a summons to act with courage and with a steadfast commitment to honoring the dignity and life of every human being. We urge leaders on every side to turn from the escalation of violence and seek paths toward justice, reconciliation, and lasting peace. We implore them to place the protection of innocent lives at the center of every decision.”
Does the Church’s current position line up with John Wesley’s beliefs about war? Well, yes and no. Scholars and critics have differing interpretations of Wesley’s somewhat limited statements on war. Wesley Fellow Mark Gorman argues that “John Wesley should have been a pacifist, and we should, too.” He cites a passage from Wesley’s A Doctrine of Original Sin:
“But there is a still greater and more undeniable proof that the very foundations of all things, civil and religious, are utterly out of course in the Christian as well as the heathen war. There is a still more horrid reproach to the Christian name, yea to the name of man, to all reason and humanity. There is war in the world! 
 Now who can reconcile war (I will not say to religion, but) to any degree of reason or common sense? 
 So long as this monster stalks uncontrolled, where is reason, virtue, humanity? They are utterly excluded. They have no place. They are a name and nothing more.”
He then claims that, in this passage, Wesley “rejects the whole enterprise” of war the same way that pacifism does. Gorman writes, “If war is a ‘horrid reproach to the Christian name,’ then it follows that supporting war means siding with the ‘horrid reproach’ over ‘the Christian name.’ And for Wesley, ‘Christian’ was never merely about naming; it concerned the whole of life, lived before God, in community with others equally committed to the gospel.” He then adds, “If war is sinful, if it is inherently a sign of human depravity, then Christian freedom from sin must include freedom from war.” Thus, modern United Methodists have the opportunity to “correct” this oversight by committing to pacifism. 
John Singleton of the Methodist Recorder argues that Wesley “believed war to be the ‘foulest curse’ on the face of humanity. He described it as the denial - even the crucifixion - of all the higher attributes of civilization; it was nothing short of rebellion against humanity and God.” When the American colonists rebelled against England in the precursor of what would be known as the Revolutionary War, Wesley urged the colonists to pursue “impartial arbitration” rather than bloodshed. 
Steven Rankin, writing in the Methodist Review, notes that “Wesley also made comments about war as a bad witness. It represented a particularly telling failure on the part of Christians. 
 Warfare between Christian nations was a tragically effective counter-witness to heathen or pagan nations about the love of God which was supposed to be shed abroad in Christian hearts through the Holy Spirit.” In Wesley’s statement on the American Revolution, he writes, “Ye salt of the earth, exert the seasoning, preserving quality which you are favoured with. Bring your contentious brethren in your loving arms of faith and prayer, and lay them at your Father’s feet
 .”
Let us pray for a quick and peaceful resolution to this objectively unjust war currently being waged in the Middle East, and the safe return of our troops. And let us follow the advice of the Council of Bishops: “As followers of Christ, let us be steadfast in prayer for those whose lives were taken that they may rest in God’s eternal peace. Let us pray for the wounded that healing and comfort may surround them. Let us pray for families and communities in mourning that they may find strength for the days ahead. And let us pray for leaders and nations that they may choose the path of peace over the path of destruction.”

March 12, 2026

UMCOR Sunday: Why Is It Important?

What is UMCOR?
UMCOR stands for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. UMCOR is focused on disaster relief, both inside the United States and abroad. According to https://www.umc.org/ 
“UMCOR journeys with communities throughout a disaster’s cycle, including disaster preparedness, relief, response, recovery and mitigation. It focuses on disasters that overwhelm a local community’s ability to respond, such as storms and flooding, earthquakes, fires, volcanoes, war and civil unrest.”
UMCOR works with a number of national and international partners to coordinate disaster response. The organization also provides resources to Disaster Management Offices in Africa and the Philippines. Also from https://www.umc.org/: 
“From initial relief efforts such as distributing food, water, clothing and hygiene items, to long-term recovery projects like home repair, case management, psychosocial support and restoring livelihoods, UMCOR’s partners select beneficiaries based on need and vulnerability as opposed to other categories such as gender, race or religion.”
What recent disasters has UMCOR responded to?
In the United States, UMCOR has awarded grants to the local California-Pacific conference to assist with wildfire recovery. The wildfires in early 2025 destroyed thousands of homes and businesses as well as several United Methodist Churches. Recovery efforts are ongoing.
Last year, UMCOR responded to four major hurricane events (Helene in the Carolinas, Ernesto in Puerto Rico, Debby on the East Coast, and Beryl in Texas) as well as four major tornado events in the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma, two of which also involved significant flooding. Funding and relief were also provided for wildfire recovery in Washington state and Idaho.
Internationally, UMCOR has recently responded to a humanitarian crisis in Congo, multiple typhoon and hurricane events in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, severe flooding in Kenya, and the wars in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. In previous years funding and resources were directed to sites of devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Afghanistan. 
Why Donate on UMCOR Sunday?
The increasing number of severe weather events, earthquakes, and global violence and unrest means that UMCOR resources have to sustain extensive disaster relief efforts simultaneously in numerous locations around the United States and beyond. These communities and countries often have extremely limited resources of their own that are quickly depleted when faced with the overwhelming destruction of hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, floods, and conditions of war. Your gifts help bring much-needed food, water, medical supplies, and hygiene and cleaning kits to where they are most needed.
UMCOR Sunday is this coming Sunday, March 15, 2026. Please specify “UMCOR Sunday” on your collection envelopes or online donation form if you would like your gifts and offerings to support this vital organization. 
Reposted from March 27, 2025

Lessons Learned while Fasting from Television

I’ve been reading a couple different devotionals that focus upon Lenten fasting. Yesterday’s devotion in Lent Fasting Guide 2026: A 40-Day Spiritual Guide to Prayer, Fasting, and Discipline by Bradford M. Vandenberg included this suggestion: “Today, fast from noise and constant activity. Turn off the television, put away your phone, and create quiet space for uninterrupted prayer and listening to God” (p. 36).
As I was reading those words, a podcast was playing on my television. There’s a joke among neurodivergent people: “Hey, that’s my emotional support background noise!” I leave either YouTube or Apple Podcasts playing on my television 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except when I’m away from home. I need to have the TV playing while I’m trying to sleep in order to drown out the constant monologue in my brain. That’s why I usually keep it on all day as well.
My emotional support background noise serves several different purposes: it provides stimulation, it sharpens my focus, it entertains me (I watch/listen to a lot of comedies), it comforts me, it covers the sound of my mother’s TV, it drowns out the negative and anxious thoughts in my brain, and it provides parasocial interaction that reasonably simulates the real thing. 
Parasocial interactions are one-way social interactions between a person and a public figure who is broadcasting content through mass media or social media. Many people form at least one parasocial relationship with a celebrity—an actor, musician, athlete, well-known author, TV host, news anchor, comedian—or their favorite podcaster, YouTuber, video game streamer, fanfiction or indie author, or social media poster, who is likely not “famous” outside a small online circle. People can even form parasocial relationships with teddy bears; dogs, cats, and other pets who post on social media†; and fictional characters.
Parasocial relationships are more prevalent in people who are chronically lonely. Matt Johnson, writing for Psychology Today, claims that “It’s almost as if, when deprived of human connection, the connection-seeking energy is turned inward. We still get the interactivity and warmth we’re seeking, but instead of it playing out in the world, the relationship is a simulation within our own heads.” 
One of the reasons I only watch and listen to videos and podcasts where people speak conversationally (as opposed to audiobooks or documentaries, which are narrated from a script) is the parasocial aspect—it feels like I’m part of the conversation. I also usually choose riffed videos, such as MST3K and Cinematic Titanic, over regular ones. “Riffs” are jokes that are added to the movies over top of the soundtrack, which make them feel more conversational than regular movies. I have even been known to verbally respond to podcasts in my car, and to write long responses to the podcasters while my car is stopped. These conversational videos and podcasts fill my need for social connection without the need to expend energy suppressing my natural neurodivergent traits in order to appease the people around me. 
But it’s a truth universally acknowledged that when you think you can’t live without something, that’s exactly the thing you need to give up. Now, the book suggested spending the entire day in silence, but that was a bridge too far for me. So I compromised by playing soft instrumental music (think yoga music or New Age music, oftentimes with sounds of rain or running water overlaid) all day—in the car while driving to therapy and running errands, at home while working and eating dinner, and even at night when I was trying to sleepÂȘ. And then on through 9:30 am the next morning to complete the full 24 hours. 
I thought it was going to be interminable. I thought I would hate every minute of it. And I really thought I’d never get to sleep because my brain would keep me awake. I was pleasantly surprised to find that none of that came true. I slept pretty well, all things considered. I prayed while I was driving in the car (once rush hour traffic on I-83 and I-81 had abated). I did a lot of church-related reading. I enjoyed listening to some albums I hadn’t heard in several months. 
I didn’t get nearly as bored as I thought I would without entertainment and stimulation. I only resented that last 4 hours. Those I thought would never end. I chose to break my “fast” with the MST3K episode “Pod People” on YouTube, which I had thought about the evening before and still wanted to rewatch the next day. I was pretty desperate to hear something funny that would hold my interest. That movie was the background to the first 500 words of this post. 
I definitely felt closer to God without all the background noise getting in the way. I don’t know that I heard God, exactly, but I was much more aware of God. I was more disciplined. I focused better than I thought I would. Overall, it was a much more positive experience than I had expected. In fact, I wouldn’t even mind doing it again. I might do another one on Maundy Thursday. I don’t think I’d make it a full 40 days, though. 
I learned a lot about myself and about God during my 24-hour television fast. And those lessons weren’t as hard-fought as I thought they’d be. While I wouldn’t say it was easy, it wasn’t that hard, either. If you’re feeling like there’s too much distance between yourself and God, or if you find that a steady diet of media and internet is crowding God out of your daily life, give a 24-hour media or internet fast a try. What you learn might surprise you.


March 3, 2026

† Yes, it’s actually the human owner/companion who creates the posts. But where’s the fun in that?
ÂȘ I have an Apple Music playlist of Lifescapes albums that is approximately 36 hours long. I didn’t even get all the way through it by the time I woke up, and I started several albums away from the start. 

A Guide to Lenten Fasting

Most people, when they think of Lent, think about “giving something up.” Giving something up for Lent is a practice known as fasting. Most people choose to give up a vice or a bad habit for their Lenten fast—chocolate, sugar, junk food, meat, alcohol, social media, and television are common Lenten fasts for American Christians.
However, there is more to Lenten fasting than merely “giving something up.” Although I will discuss the common practice of giving up something bad or unhealthy that we enjoy, I’ll also go through some less common practices that the UMC leadership endorses.
The practice of Lenten fasting grew organically from the 40-day fast that Jesus undertook in the wilderness, which is recounted in all three of the synoptic gospels. During Jesus’ 40-day fast, Satan came and tested him in three different ways. Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations by recounting Scripture from the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible). Thus, when we fast today, we are empathizing with and emulating Jesus.
Lent is known as “a time of self-examination and reflection” in which we “focus on relationship with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others.” 
“Fasting raises an awareness of presence,” says the UMC. “When we pull things out of our lives, we get a clearer sense of all that we still have in our lives. Refraining from binge-watching Netflix presents an opportunity to notice other, possibly more community-based, ways we find relaxation and comfort. We may find some of the clutter being removed from our minds and souls as we fast.”
“Most Christians who fast, however, desire to draw near to God in new ways, pray for particular needs or pray more intensely, read the Bible more deliberately, and ponder the pattern and fabric of their lives during the time freed up by fasting,” writes Lynne M.  Baah for The Upper Room. “Eliminating an aspect of everyday life for a period of time, however, usually results in something unexpected, because it makes space for God to act in unforeseen, profound, and sometimes amusing ways.”
This year, I gave up sugar for Lent. I’m not eliminating all sugar—I’m still eating ketchup and barbecue sauce, and my probiotic sodas usually have between 1 and 5 grams of sugar in 12 ounces—but I’ve given up candy, chocolate, ice cream, cookies and other baked goods, milkshakes, regular sodas, and hot chocolate (my drink of choice during my writing group meetings on Tuesday nights). 
Recently my mom had a health scare that she’s only beginning to recover from. On Sunday, while waiting for the snow to begin, I felt sad and lonely and desperately wanted soda or chocolate or candy to make those feelings go away. It turns out that giving up your main coping mechanism for Lent is difficult, uncomfortable, and painful.

 But that’s the point.
Lenten fasting is not just a way to stick to a diet. “We give up things during the Lent season to remind ourselves of the suffering and pain that we know Jesus will experience at the end of the season. We also give up things to be reminded of our dependence on God,” writes Rev. Joseph Yoo. “The main purpose of ‘giving up’ things in Lent is to bring us closer to God; to prioritize God; to put God in the center of our minds and lives; to make God the focal point.”
One of the ways I prepared to fast from sugar was reading the introduction to The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation by Wendy Speake. And very early on, I encountered this passage:
"We run to sugar for our comfort and our reward. We turn to it in boredom. We depend on it when life is stressful. We crave it when we’re depressed and use it as confectionary therapy. And even when life is at its best, we celebrate with cake.
 We’ve been running to sweet snacks to get us through our days for far too long. It’s become a habit. No, worse than that, it’s become an addiction. And addiction works much like a prison. We’re unable to break out of the bars and the bondage that hold us back from health and wholeness.” (pp. 15-16)
A few pages later, Speake reveals the main strategy for avoiding sugar:
“The 40-Day Sugar Fast is primarily a spiritual fast, so the main way we will ‘crowd out sugar' is by intentionally turning to the Lord and consuming His living Word instead. We are focusing on taking in more of Him and less of the things that don’t make us more like Him.” (p. 17)
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus tells us. Not the cupcake. Not the cinnamon roll. Not the chocolate brownie. The bread. “Whoever comes to me will never be hungry” (John 6:35).
Kathrin Chavez calls Lent “the paradox of subtraction equals addition.” When we subtract our vices from our lives, the idea is to then add virtues—namely, prayer, Bible study, service, and repentance. In addition to The 40-Day Sugar Fast, I’ve also been reading other Lent devotionals, and the Olive Tree Bible app offers a reading plan called “The Life of Jesus in 47 Readings,” which has readings for every day from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. 
Joe Iovino, writing for the UMC, has ideas for less conventional ways to make the Lent season meaningful. One of his suggestions is to perform random acts of kindness: “Express your love for Jesus by loving others. Pay for the order of the person behind you in the drive-through. Give an extravagant tip. Carry gift cards to give away. Ask others how they are doing, then stop and listen to their responses. Share the love of Jesus in any way you can think of each day during Lent.” Another of his suggestions is to “say thank you”: 
“Parents, family members, mentors, coaches, teachers, authors, pastors, Sunday school teachers, and others have shaped you into the person you are. Each week during Lent, send a note of gratitude to one of them. Tell them how much they meant to you and how they inspired you. Consider including a small gift. Even if you do not know that author or speaker personally, draft an email of thanks.“
Lent isn’t just about “giving something up.” It’s about making space in our lives for Jesus. When we remove sugar, television, social media, alcohol, or chocolate from our lives, we now have room for prayer, service, worship, and devotion. 
And when giving up our coping mechanism or addiction feels too difficult to continue, go to God. God wants to fill that void in our life. God will comfort us, love us, and support us. We just need to silence the noise so we can hear him.



February 26, 2026 

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