Three Things I Learned from Michael Weed

Several months ago, one of my theological and pastoral mentors passed from this life.  Michael Weed, and his wife, Libby, both finished their races within the past several months.  But for over two decades, I and my family were blessed to know the Weeds and I will forever be grateful for the legacy they left so many.  Though time and memory would fail to do justice to all I gained from my interactions with Michael, I would like to share three things I learned from Michael Weed.

Faith Seeking Understanding 

Though some believers may shy away from theology due either to its seemingly foreign or high-fallutin' nature, essentially, theology should not be avoided but embraced.  Theology is simply faith seeking understanding.  Anselm of Canterbury is said to be the originator of this definition, but this sums up what Michael Weed tried to impress upon his students.  We begin with faith, but we do not leave our faith in an infant state.  We grow our faith; we mature our belief.  An unexamined faith is nothing more than blind faith.  But a mature trust in God is the kind of belief that isn't hindered by fear but overcomes fear.  Like perfect love, it drives out fear.    

I have been around some Christians who desire black and white answers and the avoidance of hard or dangerous questions.  These individuals tend to embrace indoctrination and avoid a robust education.  They would rather be told what to think, instead of figuring out how to think.  In the long run, this might, ironically, lead to someone losing their faith, rather than developing a tried-and-true trust in Christ.  Michael Weed never avoided the tough questions, instead he faced them head on and taught his students to do the same.

We Do Not Worship the Bible

It is easy to miss the forest for the trees.  In some circles of conservative Christianity, the Bible is so revered that it is nearly worshiped.  What a strange form of idolatry!  Michael Weed impressed upon me that we do not worship the Bible, but rather the God to which scripture points.  The word of God is not God.  But the word of God does lead us to the Word of God (Jesus - see John 1:1 & ff).  In fact, under Weed's guidance and through deep reflection, I have come to embrace an incarnational theology of scripture.  What I mean is that rather than believing that God dictated scripture in a mechanical way to human beings, the Spirit instead inspired the writing of scripture from the ground up through flawed, broken, and fallible human beings, with all of the limitations that entails.  This has led me to have an even greater respect for the Bible than I previously had.  God meets humanity where humanity is, including in the authoring of sacred texts.  In fact, the entire story of scripture is the tale of God using unlikely people and means to accomplish his will.  

Tradition is Not a Bad Word 

Tradition has taken a bad rap over the past few decades in some church circles.  I believe this is due to a couple of things.  For one, Jesus constantly harped on the Pharisees for their reliance on the tradition of men at the expense of YHWH's instruction through the Torah.  Another reason that tradition has a bad name in some faith communities is that the Roman Catholic Church has at times emphasized its own traditions at the expense of scripture.  No doubt, both of these instances should remind us that tradition can go awry, but tradition, in and of itself is neither good nor bad.  It all depends on the kinds of traditions we are considering.  Context matters.

Think of all the amazing traditions we honor each and every holiday season.  Consider your own family traditions at birthdays and anniversaries.  How many of us wholeheartedly embrace the traditions of our High Schools and Universities at sports games and graduations?  Traditions are crucial for creating and sustaining our identities as human beings and communities.  It's been said that tradition is the living faith of dead people, and that traditionalism is the dead faith of living people.  I think this is a healthy perspective and one that Michael Weed was always committed to.  Michael reenergized my appreciation for "tradition".  

Legacy 

I think we all desire to leave a legacy for others when our time on earth has come to an end.  Usually though, the legacies we leave will vary.  We may not leave the same legacy for each individual we impact.  I know Michael Weed meant so much to so many people.  What they drew from Michael will undoubtedly be different than the ways that he impacted me.  And of course, these three snippets are only snippets.  I have far more memories of my time under Weed's tutelage and pastoral care.  I will leave you with one anecdotal story that exemplifies Michael's pastoral heart, as well as his theological prowess.  

In the early 00s, I was perplexed by the shallow and short-sighted direction that many within evangelical churches were seemingly headed.  I couldn't get my head around why congregations were whole-heartedly and unreflectingly embracing mass-marketing and consumerist tendencies over rigorous discipleship and genuine community.  I expressed some of my frustrations with Michael and he invited me to his home one afternoon where he shared a "church history" lesson and then offered a positive vision for the future that he hoped I would carry with me as I continued my ministerial journey.  That afternoon was simultaneously theological, pastoral, and personal.  I know that I am not the only one who will continue to miss Michael and Libby Weed. - Shay