Hand On The Plow

Gratitude

2009-10-31T13:50:00.002-06:00

A man who is facing some serious health issues said to me recently that one of the things that he had learned during this difficult time in his life was the importance of gratitude. He shared that he had become much more grateful for all the little things in his life, for how people had been kind to him and prayed for him. Despite the physical challenges that were ahead, he told me he was very, very thankful.

During this month that we celebrate Thanksgiving, we should remember the importance of gratitude in our lives. In the biblical story about Jesus healing the 10 lepers, you may remember that only one of the ten turned back to say thank you. Most of us have so much to give thanks for that if we started counting our blessings we probably would spend most of our days giving thanks to God for what he has done for us.

May we live out lives of gratitude, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20 NIV)

Afraid of God?

2009-10-31T13:49:00.001-06:00

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” I John 4:18 (NLT)

A woman at church recenlty shared with me a story about her young son. There is a popular song titled ‘I Am A Friend of God’ that we sing occasionally in worship. The little boy was singing one night and got the words mixed up by singing, “I am afraid of God.” That changes the meaning of the song quite a bit!

A search of an online Bible or concordance will reveal that the words “fear” and “Lord” are joined together in many biblical passages. The Hebrew words translated as fear might better be translated and understood as awe, reverence, or honor. All three words make more sense to me – we should be in awe of God, keep God in reverence, and honor God. I have a hard time thinking that God wants us to cower in fear because God has done so much to try to reach us.

We believe that Jesus came not to condemn the world, or to create fear, but instead so “that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). Paul puts it another way – “If God is for us, who can be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Rom. 8:31-32). If God went to these extraordinary lengths to reach us, why should we be afraid? Let’s remember that there is truly no fear in love and no one loves us more than God. No one!

God's Chisel

2009-09-14T12:22:00.001-06:00

Our youth group recently had their annual 'coffeehouse', where they serve coffee and perform music, comedy, and skits. One of the skits that was done was 'God's Chisel', originally performed by the skit guys in the clip below. The skit made me think and is worth sharing.

Down But Not Out

2009-09-04T10:27:00.009-06:00

"We are knocked down, but we are not knocked out." (I Cor. 4:9, NIrV)

My son Noah joined the football team in middle school this year. Not because he wanted to play football, but because the school he attends is an academic magnet school and requires that each student play a sport when they enter the 7th grade.

Let me say this about my son - he is above all a great kid and he has a really big and tender heart. Noah loves to laugh, he loves to learn, and he loves to play. But he has never expressed any desire to play any sport whatsoever, at any level. His older sister Hannah played youth soccer, youth basketball, ran track, and even was a cheerleader for a year. Noah was never interested in playing, though he was involved in martial arts for a while. And were it not for the school's requirement, I doubt he would be on the football team. While very competitive at say video games, Noah is not particularly athletic (like his father) nor is he particularly aggressive (unlike his father). Having played football myself at his age, I knew how demanding it was and wondered if he would finally raise the white flag and try something else.

The season began with a week of football camp, where the players learned the fundamentals. I was out of town the week camp began but anxiously called home every afternoon to find out how Noah had done in camp. On the phone he excitedly told me all that he had learned for the day. "I really like football," he said. I was thankful for his enthusiasm but wondered how he would handle it when he put the pads and helmet on and it wasn't long before I found out.

The coach scheduled a play date with another middle school, where the team could get some experience blocking, tackling, and running plays. I ended up taking that day off and accompanying Noah to his first experience of what the games would be like. His team at that point consisted of 14 7th and 8th graders, about half of whom like Noah had never played football before. As the other team took the field that day I started to count how many players they had and I stopped counting at 50. My heart sank as I looked at those boys, most of whom were much taller and heavier than Noah or anyone else on our side.

Noah ended up in a group that was practicing offensive and defensive line drills, 5 on 5. Because the other team had so many players, they would rotate players in and out. Our 5, which included Noah, stayed in for the entire drill. Over and over again they would line up to practice blocking or tackling. Each time the player opposite Noah was always taller or heavier or both. Again and again Noah ended up getting knocked flat on his back with the larger kid on top of him. To his credit, Noah kept getting up, kept lining up for the drill again though he soon learned he was going to end up on the ground again. As a parent it was difficult to watch, especially as it continued to happen.

After enduring a few hours of this punishment, Noah finally asked the coach if he could sit out for a while. From far across the field I could see my son with his helmet off, holding a cool bottle of water against his face trying to fight the effects of the summer's heat. I hoped he was OK - physically of course - but also concerned about his spirit and how he was going to process this experience. Mercifully the time of 'play' finally ended, we loaded his gear up in the back of the car, and began the long drive back home.

Unsure of what exactly to say to him, I asked him how he felt he had done. Noah said, "Those guys were huge! I kept getting pounded over and over again! This is really hard!" Thinking he was on the brink of giving up being a part of the football team and also trying to be encouraging, all I could muster in response was, "I thought you did really well. Every time you got knocked down you got right back up again. Yes, they were bigger, but remember the story of David and Goliath?" Noah looked out the window silently, certainly not in the mood for any biblical examples from Dad the pastor. I thought to myself silently that his football career was going to end today. I finally took a deep breath and said to him, "If you really want to give up being on the football team, it is OK, that is your decision to make. But I am afraid if you do quit now, you might regret it someday and wish you had not." I emphasized that he should give it a few more weeks, maybe see how the first game went, before he made his choice. Later that day Noah told his mother that he would keep going and see how the first game went.

Amazingly his team - which won their first and only game in four years of play last season - held on to win their first game of the season 28 - 26. It was one of the most exciting football games I believe I ever got to watch! Noah did not play much but when he did, he again often ended up knocked to the ground by a larger player. And he always got back up and however reluctantly, always went out and lined up for the next play.

Many of Noah's teammates are better at football than he. Some because they are larger, some because they are more athletic, and some just have a whole lot more experience playing football than he does. Despite his frustrations, Noah has not quit. While there may be more accomplished players on his team, I'm not sure there are any who have more courage and perseverance than he has displayed over the past few weeks.

Noah's perseverance and determination inspire me. In my work as a pastor and in my own walk with Christ, there have been many times that something has knocked me down. And more than a few of those times I wanted to just lie there on the ground - weary, hurt, and depressed - and give it all up, to quit the 'team' and even quit the 'sport'. In II Corinthians Paul writes that while we might get knocked down, we are NEVER knocked out. Watching Noah has reminded me how important perseverance is. It is not a sin to get knocked down - or even to fall down - but it is critical that we keep getting back up.

How thankful am I for my son - the reluctant athlete - who has reminded me that what's most important - not that we are knocked down, but that we keep getting back up. Thanks be to God for the lessons that #70 of the Merrol Hyde Hawks has taught his father!

Three Simple Rules

2009-09-04T10:19:00.001-06:00

Recently I had my annual physical exam, which consisted of several tests followed by a doctor’s visit. My doctor reviewed the results with me, checked me over thoroughly, asked a lot of questions, and made some recommendations. The week following my physical exam I had my biannual visit with the dentist. The routine was much the same with the dentist as it was with the doctor. I understand that despite the inconvenience of these visits they are necessary to maintain a healthy body and a healthy mouth.

Our spiritual ‘selves’ also need to be checked on every now and then. We ought to have some way to assess our growth (or lack of) as a disciple of Jesus. While there are likely several ways this could be done, I stumbled across a method that I found very helpful. Last year I read a short book by retired UM Bishop Reuben Job titled Three Simple Rules. Job takes the general rules that were written by John Wesley (founder of the Methodist movement) and distills them into what he calls three simple rules. They are:

Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in Love With God

While these rules are surprisingly simple, putting them into practice is far from easy. I find the rule ‘stay in love with God’ to be the one I struggle with the most. Being a disciple for many years is a lot like being married for many years – there is a tendency to take your spouse for granted. Much the same thing can happen in our walk with Jesus, which is why nurturing our relationship with God is so important for spiritual growth.

In Leviticus 6:12 the command was given to the Israelite priests that ‘the fire on the altar must be kept burning, it must never go out.’ The same is true for the fire of God’s love that burns in our hearts. We must be sure that it never goes out. Perhaps it is time to give yourself a spiritual check-up to see how you are growing and where you need some work. These three simple rules provide a way to see how you are faring spiritually. I often have had to remind myself that if I am not staying in love with God, content to let the fire go out, then not much else I’m doing will matter anyway.

So how is it with your soul? Jesus was called the ‘great physician’ and maybe a check-up with the three simple rules is just what the doctor ordered.

Unsettled by the Word

2009-09-04T10:06:00.005-06:00

“God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” So asserts a bumper sticker that I saw once. Presumably the ‘God said it’ part is referring to the Bible, though I have found that it is not always so simple to discern what God is saying by simply reading the Bible. While I affirm with the church as well as ancient Judaism that scripture contains the living Word of God, I’m not so sure that the Bible was written in order to ‘settle it’ for all time.

Jewish rabbis of biblical times were accustomed to an interpretive method known as midrash, in which they studied, discussed, argued and debated over how particular passages of scripture could be and should be understood. Their major concern was to find out what God was saying to them in the sacred stories that had been carefully handed down from generation to generation. The teachers believed meaning was not just found in the literal reading by one individual – but instead through constant back and forth dialogues. This continual work of interpretation was important not simply because study was seen as an end in itself. The ultimate goal of midrash was to inspire practical action in the world.

We see evidences supporting this idea in the New Testament. Jesus uses a form of midrash in the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5) when he says things like “you have heard it said…but I say to you…” In using this technique Jesus engages in interpreting scripture in order that it be understood and applied in new ways. Paul also engages in a form of midrash when he makes a distinction between what God is saying and what he is saying, such as when he writes “I say this, not the Lord” (I Corinthians 7:10, 12). While engaged in writing what will eventually become scripture for us, Paul is careful to discern what was from God and what was from Paul. Shouldn’t our goal as we engage the Bible be the same?

Like Jacob wrestling the man/angel at the Jabbok in Genesis 32, we will likely have a difficult time interpreting scripture unless we are willing to climb on to the mat with the text, grappling with the words and engaging in dialogue with each other (hey, I think I just engaged in some midrash here!) That means it is just as important for us as it was for Jacob to not give up struggling with the words until we receive a blessing! Perhaps scripture becomes the word of God for us not so much when it ‘settles’ things but instead when it unsettles. What we likely need the most is to allow the words of scripture to disturb and disquiet us so that we will change our thinking, our action, and our lives in a way that helps bring God’s ultimate plan, what the Bible often calls ‘the kingdom of God’, into reality. Maybe we all could stand a little less ‘bumper sticker’ theology and a lot more actual time spent ‘in the ring’, wrestling with the Word.

Henry

2008-11-18T20:29:00.003-06:00

This is Henry, adopted by our family this summer from a local shelter (and boy did it upset the pink princess). I wish I could explain why we have two dogs now instead of just one, as I was fine with our being a one dog household. Alas, knowing I was outvoted and that Henry, found abandoned in a local parking lot, needed a good home, I relented. My advice--never let your family go to an animal shelter just to 'look'. You will end up with a pet (or 2).

Greed: A Sin After All

2008-11-17T08:31:00.001-06:00

[Jesus] said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Luke 12:15, NLT

In the 1987 movie Wall Street, the character Gordon Gekko says, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” It is clear after reading the verse above that Jesus does not agree with Gekko’s assessment of greed. As the fallout from the financial crisis continues, it seems that one cause of the problem was people who, like this movie character, believed that greed is good. Unmitigated greed is the only explanation that makes sense when we try to understand how corporate executives made millions of dollars while at the same time their companies were going bankrupt. While I’m not sure that I understand derivatives and other financial instruments that seem to have caused the current crisis, I do understand our human tendency to sin. As much as we might like to throw stones at CEO’s and others for their greediness, perhaps these times call us all to examine our own tendencies toward greed.

The official dictionary definition of greed is: 1.excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especially more material wealth) than one needs or deserves 2.reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth. Perhaps what I understand the most about greed is the term ‘reprehensible acquisitiveness’. One way to illustrate: even though I have a perfectly good iPod, I have the ‘excessive desire to acquire or possess’ a new and improved iPod touch (of course, you can feel free to substitute something you really want in place of iPods—this example works with lots of different items). Too many times we mistakenly identify what are most certainly wants as desperate needs, when our true needs are few but our wants can be unlimited. This should be called greed.

In 1974 an economist studying the relationship between wealth and happiness discovered what is now known as the Easterlin paradox, which states that once people have their basic needs met, they don’t become happier as they become richer. Jesus said this, though in a different form—“a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 15:21, NLT). The most effective way for us to defeat our own tendencies to be greedy is to give. When we give to others, whether in time, money, or goods, we defeat greed and remind ourselves of the truth of Jesus’ assertion that “life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:21 NLT).

Many have lost material wealth in this financial crisis. Retirement and investments are worth less, homes values are less, sales and profits are down, and things are bound to get tight financially. In the midst of the tumult, perhaps we will learn that greed is not good but giving is. May we be thankful for the intangibles God has given us that can’t be measured by Wall Street—our health, our families, our church, and most of all lets be thankful for our God, the greatest giver of all.

Too Scary!

2008-10-08T09:53:00.003-06:00

When my son Noah was much younger, one of his favorite sayings was “Too scary!” There was much in his world that was new and unknown, often causing him fear and anxiety. We don’t have to look very far these days to find things to be afraid about. The current financial crisis has many on edge, wondering about their shrinking investments and retirement savings. Some are concerned about the possible loss of their jobs while others are unemployed in a tough job market. In addition, the upcoming presidential election has generated anxiety and fears what a new president and administration will bring. Add to these concerns about the wars, nuclear weapons, hunger, poverty, the hurricanes and other natural disasters, and it is a wonder we all get out of bed!

We need to recognize that some fear is healthy. It (hopefully) keeps us from touching hot stoves, feeding bears in the Smokies and crossing the street without looking both ways. Fear can also be unhealthy and cause us to behave irrationally. One acronym for fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. It is wise to thoroughly investigate that which we fear. We may find out our fears are based on false evidence. Paul writes, “God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (I Timothy 2:7 NLT).

Let’s unpack this. We are told God has given us a spirit of power even when external conditions work to make us feel powerless. We have this spirit because we know, as the old hymn says, “Though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.” This power comes not from within ourselves but instead from our faith in God, who loves us and will sustain us (Matthew 6:25-34). Paul also writes that we are to have a spirit of love. Fear and anxiety can lead us away from love toward hostility or even outright hatred. In times of crisis we continue to respond with love--loving God with heart, soul, mind, and strength while also loving our neighbors as ourselves. We remember to share not only God’s love but also our worldly resources—James reminds us Jesus’ command was not either/or but both/and (James 2:15-16). Finally, we exhibit a spirit of self-discipline. Self-discipline means that we maintain control of ourselves and our reactions. Our faith in God keeps us from reacting in fear when we hear “the sky is falling” and see others panicking. Self-discipline means our faith in God steadies us and keeps us working, praying, and giving for the spread of God’s kingdom--in both good economic times and bad, both when disasters strike and when the skies are sunny and clear, both when things look bleak and when things look hopeful.

A search of the biblical word ‘fear’ reveals that most often it is used in the context “fear of God.” The intent of the biblical writers was not to portray God as “too scary!” but to remind us of the importance of maintaining a healthy level of respect for the Lord. One way to manage our fears is to keep praising God, knowing that ultimately all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). Many of the psalms end with praise, even when a complaint has been lifted up to God. Remember the example of the tea kettle that, although up to its neck in hot water, continues to sing! So lets sing praise to God, knowing that, “…as we live in God, our love grows more perfect [and] such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear” (I John 4:17-18).

Ben Stein's "Expelled"

2008-03-24T11:44:00.003-06:00

Writer, author, and actor Ben Stein always surprises me whenever I read his commentaries on current events (most of which you can find here). I was pleased to learn that he has a new movie coming out next month, titled "Expelled". The movie apparently demonstrates how scientists who advocate intelligent design have been continually discriminated against in academia--the very place where one might expect to find a great deal of freedom when it comes to the exchange of ideas. It looks like this movie will shine light on something that I have observed for a long time. Many of those who call themselves liberals, especially those who are also proponents of atheism, are as dismissive and intolerant of differing viewpoints as religious fundamentalists. I continue to be amazed at how the paradigms and arguments used by both the far left and the far right are so similar. Click here to see previews and other information about the movie. I can't wait to see it!

Literal, Metaphorical, or Irrelevant?

2008-03-13T08:37:00.004-06:00

My sister called me yesterday to let me know that a former neighbor of ours had recently died. In the course of our conversation, she relayed to me a recent experience from her Bible study group. She attends a large United Methodist church in her county seat town. Recently she signed up for Disciple Bible Study, a video based study of scripture that is extremely popular and has the reputation of being a life changing experience for the participants. The man who is leading her class had given her a tape of a lecture done by Ken Ham, who promotes "young earth creationism." This belief basically holds that the creation story in Genesis is literally true, coming to the conclusion from this that the earth is really only 6000 years old (check out the website here). My sister was curious as to what I thought about what Mr. Ham was proposing.

My problem with Mr. Ham is not so much with his negative view of science but instead the way he understands and interprets the Bible. He feels the strong need to 'prove' that the Bible can be taken absolutely literally when it describes creation in Genesis. This need for proof leads him to propose theories such as the idea that humans and dinosaurs coexisted, which is of course directly opposite of current scientific thought. There are those who argue against Ham who propose a different creationist perspective, stating that you can believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis without giving up scientific conclusions about how life began. The web site for this other view of creationist thought can be found here.

My view is that the Bible was not written for nor intended to be used to instruct us in science, but instead is a narrative that describes the ongoing relationship between humanity and a God who revealed himself first to a band of people known as the Israelites and later in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The central idea we need to learn from Genesis is that God created the world (how creation happened or exactly how long it took, I have no idea--I think what is important is to understand that God is the creator). Debates over whether science proves or disproves scripture are useless and counterproductive. We cannot approach scripture unless we are willing to struggle with it. Some people seek definitive answers and struggling with the text, which usually brings up even more questions, might seem somehow blasphemous. But the Hebrew and Christian traditions are full of men and women debating, questioning, and interpreting the scriptures. That's one reason Jesus was so gifted at answering questions with more questions--it comes from the Jewish tradition he was raised in.

In the book Struggling With Scripture three authors (all top notch scholars in my view) remind us that to truly understand scripture we must wrestle with the texts each and every time we approach them. It is important, the book says, not to confuse biblical authority with biblical infallibility. Just because the Bible is a product of fallible human beings does not mean that it cannot and does not have much to authoritatively say to us about God, the world he created, and our place in that world. My sister related the difficulty she was having in understanding how God could authorize the wholesale slaughter of nations as described in some of the readings she is studying. The truth is that the Bible in both testaments contain passages that are difficult to understand, hard to interpret, and cause some people to simply give up the struggle, writing the Bible off as irrelevant. I believe their is much to be gained in struggling with scripture and in not asking it to do what it was not written to do.

I encouraged my sister to continue her study of the Bible, suggesting both Rob Bell's Everything is Spiritual and Jacob's The Year of Living Biblically to give her some different perspectives on approaching creation and other issues. I find that when we have the courage to wrestle with the texts, we may find ourselves much like Jacob. You will remember in Genesis 32 when he wrestled with the man/angel. Jacob ended up permanently changed by his experience, and I suggest the same will happen to us when we really struggle with the texts. That is one reason why Disciple Bible Study has become so popular, because it helps in the struggle. What I know for certain is that, like the story about Jacob, it seems that to grab hold of the ancient texts and hang on will always lead to a blessing from God. If we will not let go!

Catching Up

2008-01-26T11:52:00.002-06:00

WOW! Has it really been September since I last posted to this blog? Shame on me. It's not that I haven't had things to write about, instead it has been finding the time to write.
So here are some 'catch-up' entries as well as a resolution to post more often in '08.

Sports, church, and God:
In November, thanks to a gift from some friends, Kim and I had the dubious pleasure of attending our very first regular season Titans game. This particular game began at noon which caused me the same conflict that I guess others who are churchgoers and football fans have--do I attend church or the game on Sunday? Admittedly there are many churchgoing folks who do not seem to feel these pangs of conscience and must be OK with simply missing church on home game Sundays. I tried to resolve my own dilemma by preaching our first worship service that day and enlisting a guest speaker for the second, enabling us to make it to the game near starting time. Unfortunately this move did not help absolve my guilty conscience.
More disheartening than even the poor play of the Titans offense was seeing up close and personal the huge amount of money that is generated by professional sports teams. Looking around at the number of companies who no doubt paid mega bucks to have their name posted or announced ("its another 'Amsouth' first down!" "the Titans make a 'Kroger' sack") as well as the face amount cost of our tickets, the exorbitant prices of concessions, parking costs ($14 to park and ride), etc. was staggering. I calculated that our 'free tickets' ended up costing us about $80. Kim and I agreed that it was more fun to watch the game at home, where there is never a line at the restroom!
I am a huge sports fan. I love to watch baseball, football, college basketball, and sometimes even hockey. Yet I wonder about our society, in which lots and lots of money is spent on our enjoyment of athletic contests (did I mention the number of people who were wearing Titans jerseys or other Titans apparel? It keeps adding up.) As a minister it has bothered me when sporting events from youth soccer to pro football keep people from attending church on Sunday. I find myself strangely conflicted about my own love of sports and wonder if I'm doing enough to keep it in check, especially when it conflicts with the exercise of my faith.
Recently I found out this is not a new problem for the church. One of Augustine's Advent sermons from the third century notes that the bishop and church father lamented the lack of attendance at worship because of the December gladiatorial games schedule! He speaks to the paltry crowd saying, "The rest of you must be in the amphitheater, looking more for entertainment than salvation" (Augustine, "Sermons to the People", p. 4). I feel his pain echoed across the centuries, but have no easy answers.
What I am seeking is a way to enjoy sports without sports becoming idolatrous in my life. Is there a way to be a sports fan and a follower of Christ? Or are they mutually exclusive?

Sports, church, and God pt. 2:
My daughter Hannah completely shocked us this year and went out for cheerleading...and made the squad. Which of course means that I have attended lots of high school basketball games in support of her this past few months.

(An aside: Merrol Hyde Magnet, where Hannah attends, is destined to become the Vanderbilt of Sumner county athletics, meaning that a high emphasis on academics doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with athletic prowess. A bonus is that Merrol Hyde does not have enough interested students to field a football team, making my life as a cheerleading parent relatively easy with only indoor basketball games to attend. It also keeps a lot of young men from having the devastating experience of losing nearly every football game they play. The private high school I attended went 0 and 11 in football when I was a freshman starter at defensive end. Trust me, losing every game might build character but it does nothing for your self esteem.)

Two observations from this experience:
First, I embarrass people at games (mainly those who are related to me) with my enthusiasm and passion, especially as it relates to poor calls by the referees. At one point in a very close game (remember, our teams don't win often!) I was so frustrated I stood up, took off my glasses, and loudly offered them to a ref who made (IMHO!) a terrible call.
Hey, I know that I can not justify my behavior on any grounds. High school referees are to be pitied--anyone who would take any money to be a referee is crazy. I used to ref youth soccer for 6 year olds and left the field one Saturday feeling much like the Clintons--imagining maniacal persecutors bent on my destruction around every corner. As Kim keeps reminding me, it is a high school basketball game and ONLY a high school basketball game. There are a lot more things in the world deserving of my passion and energy. A lesson in there somewhere, to be sure.

Second, is that not only my own conduct but the conduct of fans in general leaves much to be desired. Perhaps our shouting at referees for 'bad calls' reflects the frustrations of adult life, in which 'bad calls' are an everyday occurrence. Perhaps we are really frustrated at the fact that life overall is just not fair and shouting at referees makes us feel we are somehow working toward helping life become fair. What I am learning is that not everyone feels a need to act out this way.
One concrete example might be helpful. Usually when the opposing team is taking a foul shot, everyone in the bleachers rooting for the home team will scream, yell, taunt, stomp the bleachers, etc. in hope that the distraction will somehow keep the shooter from making the shot. This happens with regularity by the fans on both sides. However, at one game I noticed that the opposing fans were dead silent during foul shots--whether it was their team or ours that was shooting at the time. It became so overwhelming to fans on our side that as the game went on, I noticed that the usual noise during opposing foul shots began to dampen a bit. Proof positive that a good example speaks louder (or in this case softer) than words?

What does this incident have to do with God? Well, the 'silent during foul shots' school was a Christian academy. Perhaps they were just following the instructions of Paul, believing that by doing good to an enemy team they were heaping coals of fire upon their heads (Romans 12:20). I choose to believe they were consciously exercising Christlike behavior through following the golden rule. Their silence was embarrassingly deafening. Maybe good sportsmanship, much like the good exercise of Jesus' command for us to love our neighbor as ourself, is not dead after all.

Homecoming attendant:
A pleasant surprise was to learn that our daughter Hannah was elected as freshman attendant to the homecoming court. It was both disconcerting and somehow also pleasing to witness her beauty that night, all decked out in a long evening dress and escorted by a nice young man. See for yourself:

Needless to say, Mom and Dad are very proud of her inner beauty as much as her outer beauty as she continues to grow up to become a fine young woman.

Science, God, and the Bible:
My ever inquisitive eleven year old son Noah continues to push the boundaries of my thinking with his constant questions. Recently, the budding scientist (oops, robotic engineer, he wants to be a robotics engineer) has been noting that there seem to be some inconsistencies between the biblical account of creation in Genesis and the scientific account of creation which seems to him to make more logical sense. Thankfully my friend and co-pastor Pat Smith recently passed along a copy of Rob Bell's video "Everything is Spiritual". Noah and I watched part of it one night while the girls were at an away basketball game.
Rob strikes me as a post-modern and pre-modern teacher with a terrific gift of making ancient biblical wisdom accessible to people of our time. You can read more about the DVD and order it here. I was fortunate to see Rob teach this material live in Nashville. While I am no physicist I happen to know an extremely intelligent physics teacher, the one and only Luke Diamond who teaches physics at Pope John Paul II high school. His comment after seeing this material presented live was that he could use some of Rob's material for an introductory physics course! Very interesting stuff.
In addition my fellow explorer of theological topics and blogger JD Dittes writes about similar ideas in a related post which you can find here. Some amazing work is being done in relating two subjects (science and theology) that typically when mixed together cause purists from either side to get antsy. Rob and JD show us no such cause for alarm is necessary and we are thankful for their insights.

Reflections on Making a Difference:
Each and every New Year's Day for the past several years has found me spending some time reflecting over the year gone by and the new one ahead. I remind myself of all the things I have to be thankful for and ponder what needs to be changed, dropped, or added to my own life in order for me to have a greater impact. I was literally stopped in my tracks in the midst of this as I came across this article by Ryan Norbauer titled "Death and Underachievement." Reading the post caused some serious back and forth thought about what God might really want from me in the year 2008. Does God need me to make an 'impact' or would God rather me become closer to him by following Jesus more closely as a disciple? A lot of the gospel, upon my reflection of late, seems much less about self actualization and much more about self denial. Maybe I have been too caught up in the sin of overestimating my own importance-- and perhaps the greatest impact I could have on the world in 2008 would be to look back on the year and gladly realize I was further along the path of discipleship than when the year began.

Added to this thought was a post I read but has since been lost (originally written for computer programmers but applicable for clergy and others) on how productivity decreases as the amount of hours worked over 40 increases, with a significant decline in productivity seen in all the hours worked above 50 in a week. Many clergy, of which I am no exception, often will work excessive hours to the neglect of their marriage, their family, and their personal well being. Some of this is no doubt related to our unhealthy need to be needed and the incredible rush that comes from always being available for people in crisis. I have learned by experience that this hyper-availability only multiplies the sense some people have (often not discouraged by clergy) that we somehow are the only people who could ever, ever give them the pastoral care they need. God suddenly gets shifted out of the entire picture, causing pastor-idolatry of the worst kind. Not to mention that the Fourth Commandment gets conveniently ignored while clergy burn themselves out trying to meet unreasonable expectations, whether their own or their congregation's. Yikes.
This was certainly not what I expected to mull over during my reflections on the past and coming year, but seems to be a subject God keeps placing before me. More to come later.

Nothing But Nets:
Feeling called by God during Advent to call our church away from the cultural Christmas celebration and toward a Christ celebration, we joined the Advent Challenge which encouraged us all to spend less, worship more, give more, and love all. As a part of the challenge, we encouraged our church members to give $10 this season to Nothing But Nets (more here), a charity sponsored by the UM church. Their goal is to place treated mosquito nets in the hands of people at risk of mosquito borne malaria in hopes of minimizing the disease. I am so proud (in a humble way, ha) of our church at Rehoboth, which ended up donating over $1550 to the campaign, over and above my wildest expectations. Some of my family and friends responded to the call and donated as well for which I am thankful!
Unfortunately my own family's attempt at spending less didn't work out very well. But we did agree to give away, dollar for dollar, the amount we spent on each other for Christmas. It was a blast for us to decide where and who that money was given to, and it sure made Christmas seem less about what we got and a lot more about sharing the gift of Christ to the world.

Move to the Top of Your Reading List:
An absolute must read is The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. I have been slowly reading this book since before Christmas and think it should be required reading for all Christians, especially those of us passionate about the Bible and evangelism. Jacobs, basically a non-practicing Jew, attempts to obey the commands of the Bible literally for one full year. The book clearly and often humorously illustrates our naivete when well meaning Christians imagine that if we just follow the Bible everything will be OK. Jacobs reminds us that it's not so easy to put the biblical commands into practice, as he mulls over how to keep the commands against gossip, as one example. While the author of course finds out that it is much tougher to live out the commands of the Bible than it might seem, 'living biblically' has some value for us all. We are reminded that keeping biblical commandments might bring for us, as it does for Jacobs, some unexpected peace and joy. Buy this book, or borrow it, or get it from the library. My hunch is that it will astound you to be reminded of the many places in scripture we as Christians conveniently ignore (rather than truly struggle with, as the author does) as well as the delightful blessings that come from following commands such as the keeping of Sabbath. Read it soon!

Three Hopeful Events

2007-09-30T19:40:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I was blessed to experience all the major events of life in six days.

No, it wasn't the creation. That's already happened, you know. What I experienced was a birth, a funeral, and a wedding, all occurring in a six day span.

There's something about seeing a newborn and its parents that reminds me how miraculous we are. To think that we are all born helpless, totally dependent on others. Every newborn I have been around reminds me of the mystery and the beauty of our creative God. Each time I find myself in the hospital room with new parents, I am also returned to the joyous occasion of my own children's births. What joy there is in the birth of a child!

Two days later, I had to officiate a funeral. The woman who died was someone I had never met. Fortunately a member of the family was willing to speak about her life at the funeral, a trend of late in funerals that I think is very positive. As difficult as it was, I spoke at my grandfather's funeral several years ago. I came away from the experience feeling fortunate that I was able to honor his life with my spoken words.

What struck me about this particular funeral is how the same words are said at each funeral. "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." "Before this person was ours, he or she was God's." "Almighty God, into your hands we place ________, a sinner of your redeeming, a lamb of your own flock." Death, like birth, is very egalitarian. We all have or will experience the deaths of those we love and someday we too (barring Jesus' return) will face our own deaths.

Finally for the first time in many years, I was actually in a wedding party. Not as the officiant mind you, but instead as one of the groomsmen. (One item to file in the memory banks--shoes that come with rented tuxes are extremely painful to my old feet. Next time I'll bring my own shoes, thank you.) It was a heartfelt joy to stand so close to the couple, though it felt somewhat voyeuristic from my post on the second step, as they recited their vows and exchanged their rings. Having personally experienced divorce and seen its tragic consequences in my life and ministry, my prayer for the bride and groom was that somehow they might find strength to trudge through the hard times. Marriage is not easy and I have come to realize there is something very special, very God-like, when we human beings keep our commitments. Especially the commitment we make to each other in the marriage covenant.

Before this six days in my life, I didn't realize how much weddings, funerals, and births have in common. Hope, blessed hope, is what these events share. A wedding is filled with the hope and promise of a life lived together in covenant relationship. A funeral is primarily a reminder of the hope of resurrection that we have in Jesus Christ. And a birth, as it is reflected off the faces of mothers and fathers, grandparents and friends, is all about the hope that is inherent in the gift of new life.

Hope. A word that we need to hear more often. A word that was witnessed in a birth, a death, and a wedding. Who says not much happens in six days?
Thanks be to God!

Is the Second Coming at Hand?

2007-08-31T14:39:00.001-06:00

The increasing number of natural disasters of late is disturbing. A severe drought in our area has ruined crops and several people have lost their lives because of the intense heat wave that has lasted for weeks. Add to that the hurricanes striking the Caribbean and Mexico, wildfires burning in Idaho and Greece, and severe earthquakes in both Peru and Japan. Disastrous flooding in the Midwest became personal for me. I learned that Dora Horse, who was with a Native American group that visited our church at Rehoboth just last year, was swept away in the floodwaters, drowning along with her daughter and granddaughter. And if natural disasters are not enough, then think a minute about the recent headlines about people losing homes and jobs in the lending crisis, pet food and children’s toys found tainted with poisonous chemicals, a massive bridge collapse into the Mississippi river, miners trapped in a cave-in—need I go on?

I met someone recently who remarked, “There’s so much bad stuff going on in the world right now. I’m pretty sure that Jesus will be coming back very soon.” I pursed my lips and said, “Hmmm” mostly because I don’t like to engage in theological debate with people I’ve just met! My acquaintance would likely have been disturbed to learn that I never worry much about Jesus’ return, nor do I sit down regularly with my Bible attempting to decipher ancient prophecies about when it might occur. It’s not that I don’t believe Jesus will return, I do--and have affirmed often in church that "Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again." What I don't believe is that Jesus wants us to worry; instead Jesus instructed us to be prepared, to be ready, to be watchful. Just like many people prepare for disasters by having a battery powered radio or storing bottled water, we can best prepare for the return of Christ by sharing his love with others not just with words but also through our actions (I John 3:18).

In the gospel of Matthew, the last statement of Jesus to his disciples is this:
“And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (28:20 NLT).
We should pray for, work on, and give towards easing the suffering of those caught up in the troubles of the world. Our strength does not come from looking at the state of our world with apathy hoping that Christ will return soon to make it all better. Our strength comes from knowing that Christ is with us always, ‘even to the end of the age’, no matter how bad the world seems to be getting.

The Wondrous Cross

2007-08-22T09:02:00.000-06:00

The red mug, the painting of which was described in a recent posting, finally arrived. I was surprised when I looked it over to see that the cross, which was on the side I frantically tried to cover over, was still visible! The photo above, which I had to change to black and white to increase the contrast, shows the outline of the cross.

I suppose it reminds us all that no matter how you try to hide it, the cross is going to show through. Victory in Jesus indeed!

Myth Busters: Living Together Before Marriage

2007-08-12T19:50:00.000-06:00

Recently I attended a wedding. Typically I find myself on center stage at weddings as the officiant, leading a couple through the marriage vows. However on this particular occasion I had the rare experience of sitting on the back pew observing the ceremony. What really stuck with me was the magnificent simplicity of the marriage vows. Here's what this particular couple said to each other:

In the name of God, I, (name), take you, (name), to be my wife/husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better or worse, for richer or poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
until we are parted by death.
This is my solemn vow.

These vows are nearly identical to the ones Kim and I recited to each other nearly 15 years ago and it was somewhat unsettling to hear this couple recite them. Isn't it intriguing how the vows reflect the truth that marriage will likely include times of hardship and sacrifice? Marriage is still popular despite the increasing number of couples that choose to live together. Most of these couples will at some point recite some similar vows and make their relationship a permanent one.

Wondering about the merits of marriage vs. living together made me curious as to what research might show about the effects of living together prior to marriage. Predictably, a Google search gave me numerous hits but one site in particular stuck out. Dr. Willard Harley, a psychologist who has written much about relationships and marriage, quotes many different studies on his web site found here.

The many studies that have been done show that the risk of divorce increases by 80%, more or less, among those who live together prior to marriage. I'm sure this confounds those who would like us to believe that there are no ill effects from living together. Fortunately, one study I read said that couples living together who attend premarital counseling prior to marriage reduce the risk of divorce, down to a nearly even level with those who do not live together before marriage.

One of the myths of our culture is that living together prior to marriage is OK. The research proves otherwise. Perhaps it's time to talk about this more in the church.

Red Mugs, Purple Feet, and the Potter's Gentle Hand

2007-08-11T20:38:00.000-06:00

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8 NIV

Last Friday afternoon was spent with my daughter Hannah at a place called Brown Dog Pottery. Hannah wanted to go because her good friend from church works there and will soon leave for college. I wanted to go because I needed a break from a hectic work week and wanted to spend time with my soon to be in high school daughter.

The store has a wide selection of paintable ceramic pottery, ranging from small tiles and figurines to plates and mugs to a "who would buy that?" two foot tall rooster. Hannah selected a jewelry box to paint, while I chose a good sized coffee mug. We sat across from each other at a long table after picking out colors and brushes.

Not having painted anything in a long, long time, I didn't anticipate how much time it was going to take. While my child quickly detailed her creation, I simply stared at mine. Trying to decide what design would most impress my friends and make my enemies cringe. Or something like that.

Hannah is extremely artistic, using colors, lines, and shapes to create one fantastic looking piece of art.

I painted my mug red.

As the red paint dried to a funny looking pink, I decided my creation needed a white "B" on it's side. This came to me only after spending an inordinate amount of time determining that the words "Red Sox" would be much too difficult to paint successfully around the side of the cup. It seemed like eons passed as I traced a "B" on the cup with a pencil and then filled the traced "B" with white paint. Then I had to touch the edges up with red, then white, then red, then white--well, you get the idea. I didn't find it particularly helpful to be surrounded by all sorts of brightly colored, immaculately designed examples of painting by those who had gone before me. My frustration at my level of imperfection began to show through despite the girls continual reassurances that I had painted a really, really attractive "B".

Then an idea popped into my head. The other side of the mug could be different! Multicolored fish maybe, or a Bible verse, or perhaps a cross. Eventually I put a cross and a verse on the reverse side of the mug.

Sigh. It looked terrible. So I covered it up with even more bright red paint. Not satisfied with plain red, I perused the assortment of shape stamps. Finally choosing one, I put footprints, purple footprints, over the red paint. Watching the feet dry I searched for the perfect word to describe my creation, and it finally came to me.

Ridiculous. My mug looked absolutely ridiculous.

Sensing my discomfort as I disdainfully eyed my creation, Hannah's friend said, "Look, all you have to do is wipe the paint off. Cover it with a little more red, and you'll be done." Sure enough, a little water on a paper towel, some violent wiping motions, a little more red paint, and my mug with the decent looking "B" was ready for the kiln.

As I wiped the purple feet off my mug, I thought about Isaiah 64:8. About no matter how imperfect, how messed up, how sinful we can get, still all of us are all the work of God's hands and loved beyond anything we could imagine. How many times in my life have I made foolish mistakes, much more foolish than simply messing up my mug at the pottery place? And God, like a potter, always uses his tender hands to wipe our foolish mistakes away, so we can all look much less--well, ridiculous--and much more like him.

What a God this is, who is willing to work with us, to mold us and shape us into something valuable, beautiful, and priceless. A God who patiently wipes off our 'purple feet' mistakes, gently covering over them with the bright red blood of Jesus. A God who delights in filling our too human 'jars of clay' with the great treasure of his Spirit (II Cor. 4:7).

I'll not soon forget this experience at Brown Dog Pottery. A wonderful time spent with my 'little girl' who is all too quickly becoming a delightful young woman. And a powerful reminder of the awesome love of a God who shapes us with tender hands like a potter.

Refusing to Let Go of God

2007-07-23T20:47:00.000-06:00

“…Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Genesis 32:26, NLT

Jacob’s story as it is told in the book of Genesis is one of my favorites. The story begins with Jacob camped out by the Jabbok River waiting to meet Esau, his twin brother. As you probably remember, Jacob cheated Esau out of his firstborn blessing and has now received word that Esau is about to pay him a visit accompanied by an army of 400 men undoubtedly in order to get revenge. As Jacob waits overnight and wonders what is going to happen, he ends up wrestling with a man. Because the ‘man’ saw he could not win, he wrenches Jacob’s hip from his socket. Astonishingly, even with his hip out of joint Jacob will not let go until the ‘man’ blesses him! The ‘man’, who turns out to be an angel of the Lord, finally blesses Jacob and gives him a new name, Israel, which means “he who struggles with God.”

What I most admire in this story is Jacob’s perseverance and the way he will absolutely not let go until he receives a blessing. His faith makes me wonder about my own--could I persevere with God in prayer and to not let go until God blesses? It seems that what most of us desire from our prayers are instant answers and immediate results. Yet the Bible speaks many times about persistence—from Jesus’ parable about the widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18) to Paul’s many comments on persevering in prayer, such as ‘keep on praying’ (Rom.12:12), pray at all times and be persistent in your prayers (Eph. 8:18), ‘devote yourselves to prayer’ (Col. 4:2), and finally to ‘never stop praying’ (I Thess. 5:17).

For many years I have pondered the power of intercessory prayer, which is simply the type of prayer where we lift up the needs of others before God. Some people seem to have a gift for this type of prayer. Recently one of my professors described intercessory prayer as similar to when Jacob clung to God and would not let go--except in intercessory prayer we cling to God, not letting go until he blesses the person we are praying for. This certainly challenges the usual way we pray for others. Instead of just mumbling a prayer to God on someone’s behalf what if we, like Jacob, grasped God tightly and would not let go? What would it be like to persist in prayer and not give up when the answers don’t come quickly?

Would that we all could learn to be more like Jacob--unwilling to let go, daring to persist, to persevere, to hang on for dear life--as we lift others before God in prayer.

Noah and the Impervious Neanderthals

2007-07-17T23:21:00.000-06:00

3 minutes in the car tonight with my son Noah. A verbatim transcript.

"Dad, did you know that they are not going to launch the Space Shuttle anymore?"
"No I hadn't heard that."
"Yes, it is being retired. They are building a new ship that is impervious to heat, in order to fly to Mars."
Silence. Did he just say impervious?
How many 10 year olds know the word impervious?
"They want to build it within the next three years."
I want to ask him how he knows this but I'm afraid to.
Some deer are in a field next to the road.
"Oh. Hey look at all those deer! Did you see them?"
Noah looks around. "Yeah I see them."
"There were four of them. Did you see all four? One of them had horns," I say.
Silence.
"Dad, deer don't have horns, they're called antlers."
"Oops. My mistake." How embarrassing.
Silence.
We drive up to our house.
"Hey Noah, remember this time last year they were building our house?"
"I remember."
"And we were living in the rental house. Do you remember the rent house?"
Silence. He furrows his brow and frowns.
"I don't want to remember the rent house," he says very seriously.
"Why not?"
"Because I had to share a room with that Neanderthal named Hannah Potts."
Ah, yes. I also had a Neanderthal sibling. A terrible thing to deal with. I want to assure him that Neanderthals do get better over time, but he'll find that out for himself.
Interesting what one can learn by spending a few short minutes in the car with a child!

Let's Have Church at Bonnaroo

2007-06-29T19:28:00.001-06:00

Time for confession.

I went to Bonnaroo. Yes, THE Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, held on a 700 acre farm outside Manchester, Tennessee. With my good friend and music mogul Al B. Who drove us down in his turbocharged Mini Cooper. Yes, it was cool. Very, very cool.

An estimated 85,000 people were there I heard. Lots and lots and lots of people.

Let me tell you first of all, Bonnaroo was not as wild and crazy as we are led to believe. Is there wildness? Sure, in spots. Is it crazy? Not quite. Then again, I was there on Saturday night only and just for a few hours. The draw for myself and many of my middle aged peers was simply to witness this stop on the reunion tour of that aging rock trio from our collective past known as the Police.

The Police concert was excellent, though a close observer might have noted a distinct lack of passion in the band's performance. Our passes got us very close to the stage, so close in fact after their third song I began to wonder if I would be able to hear my beloved children arguing with each other ever again. Midway through the show, Al and I left the front of the stage for the posh digs of a luxurious tour bus, enabling us to sit in wondrous air conditioned comfort, courtesy of Al's producer friend. Not the usual 'roonie' experience, I suppose, but a lucky break for an ex-hippie pastor and his aching ears. Being able to leave behind the dust and the smoke was a bonus.

But I digress, as my intent is not to review the show nor talk about great it was to hang out with Al and his music biz friends. I want to know why there was no church at Bonnaroo. Specifically no church from my denomination. Please understand that I did not walk every square inch of the farm down in Manchester looking for someone from a church. I'm simply betting we had no presence there at all other than myself pumping my fist in the air during 'Message In A Bottle'. Friends, I believe that having no church presence at Bonnaroo is a mistake.

Now before someone calls the bishop and attempts to have me defrocked for posting heresy on the 'net, let me tell you what my first person experience there taught me. Bonnaroo attracts the very demographic that the mainline church can't seem to reach no matter how hard we try. The young people we are constantly wringing our hands over because they do not come to our churches were at this festival in droves. At first I believed they came because of the music. Maybe that was not the true reason. On the way home, deep in thought, it came to me.

While music and arts are obvious draws, maybe what these young people sought the most was the feeling of being a part of something bigger than themselves. To join a community of like minded people united in a common goal, sharing a common experience. Leaving behind a life that doesn't have much going on in it and coming to Bonnaroo for a few days.

Doesn't this sound very similar to the description of the church as it is written in the biblical book of Acts? A group of people united around a common experience (the death and resurrection of Christ), sharing a common experience together (gathered at the table for communion), so they could ultimately be a part of something bigger than themselves (the redemption of the world). Leaving a life that was not much to brag about so that they could instead be filled with the Spirit and life of Jesus. Wow.

I want to go back to the farm in Manchester. Not to hear the umpteenth inevitable reunion concert put on by a band from my generation. I want to go back and represent Christ there. Rent a booth. Give away lots of bottles of water. Silently pray for people as they pass by. Assist those who need help. Mix, mingle, and meet. No Christian t-shirts or giving away Bibles or asking for donations or anything like that. Instead go there with the express purpose of being salt and light and yeast and all those other metaphors Jesus gave us to help us understand our mission to the world. A mission to love people unconditionally, while being the church, the very presence of the living Jesus Christ. Right smack in the middle of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

Of course there will be an outcry from those who think they know better. I hear their rumblings in the distance--"Going to Bonnaroo is a disaster in the making! You'll ruin your witness for the Lord!" they could say, or maybe warn "you might fail a drug test from all the secondhand, um, smoke that will get into your system" or "you'll end up being tempted to do something really awful that might make the news, embarrassing us all" or "Don't you know there will be strange new age practices going on, even those Wiccans will be there.' And on and on it could go. Someone might even question our motives by saying, "Why would you want to hang around with such scum?"

You might already know that they said the same thing to Jesus many years ago when he was at a dinner party with some unsavory, un-church-worthy folks (Mark 2:16 NLT). What a magnificent response he uttered to the snide comments made about the company he dined with. It's worth reading when you get a chance. Good stuff. God stuff.

I think we need to have church at Bonnaroo next year. Who's going with me?

Obey Your Thirst

2007-06-28T06:57:00.000-06:00

“O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

Weeks without any rain have made our backyard look like the Judean desert. What little grass we have, in between the rocks and the weeds, is brown and lifeless. In some places the ground is so parched that it has become cracked and even walking around stirs up clouds of dust. Seeing my yard in this state reminded me of Psalm 63, where the Psalmist compares his search for God with being in a dry, weary land that has no water.
Sometimes our spiritual lives can feel desert-like, dry and weary. God’s presence seems to have gone from us and we long to hear from God, to feel God’s love again, to be reassured of God’s grace. And just like the summer rains returned this week, nourishing lawns, gardens, and flowerbeds, suddenly and unexpectedly God’s mercy flows over us like rain. We are drenched in love and feel rejuvenated and fresh again in our faith.
In our faith journey desert like times will come, where we feel dry, disconnected, wondering where God is and why we can’t sense the presence of our Creator. The Psalmist reminds us that even in these times of spiritual drought we must continue to seek God out, longing and thirsting for nothing else. Just when we think we can’t go any further, God shows up—washing us tenderly in the waters of mercy, allowing us again to drink from his love.
If you are having a dry time spiritually, do not despair. Keep seeking God out and don’t give up. Sometimes we foolishly try to satisfy ourselves with things that cannot quench our thirst for God. Remember that the One who has the living water is faithful and desires to give your weary soul exactly what it most thirsts for. “Let anyone who is thirsty come,” is the invitation found in Revelation 22. And just like the surprising summer rains came, so will God come and nourish us again.

Good Grief

2007-06-02T22:08:00.000-06:00

Grief is a funny thing in human beings. I had so much to do preparing last year to leave my former pastorate and getting ready to come to a new church that I did not give myself either time or permission to grieve all the things I lost in the move. Not the loss of physical things, though I'm sure some of my stuff might still be missing. I'm thinking instead of the loss of relationships, some that had been nurtured and sustained for years. Pastors have difficulty with grief in general. We are so used to helping others grieve, being strong and supportive, that we forget sometimes that we need to grieve as well. It took some time and some work, but I have recently been able to acknowledge a lot of my own grief about the massive change that took place in my life, and the lives of my family, over the last year.

Change causes us to grieve because we like stability. We like things to stay the same. But they almost never do. Some changes are good—indoor plumbing is one thing I really appreciate, for example. Some changes are not so good—the fact that food, mostly fast food, is available on nearly every corner is not a good change for me. Some changes are both good and bad—cell phones enable us to call someone in the event of an emergency but also can keep us tied down 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unable to take Sabbath time.

One of the things I had to learn this past year was that it is OK to grieve when things change. We need to learn to express our grief in healthy ways by acknowledging it and working through it. Grief, like other emotions, only becomes problematic when either we deny how we feel or when we hold on to our grief for so long we refuse to see the future God has planned for us. A lesson that I have spent the last year learning is that spending too much time in grief keeps us from being able to see God’s good future.

When I left Kroger for the ministry one of my employees gave me a paperweight with this verse on it:
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a good future.” Jeremiah 29:11

The verse has remained on my desk and in my heart since then. While we don’t always understand why things happen the way they do, what we can be sure of is that God wants for us to be hopeful of the future that is being prepared for us. Jeremiah wrote this verse in the time of the Exile, when Babylon had begun taking Jews as captives from Israel, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. So these words were not written in happy times, but instead when times were bleak and the Jewish people were experiencing a lot of grief.

Jeremiah reminds us that God always has a good future planned for us. While sometimes we might not really understand what God is doing, we always can trust that our God is good. Grief over change can lead to joy about the future, if we are willing to let go our grief and instead grab God's hand as he leads us on.

Finding an Oasis in the Sahara

2007-05-26T09:18:00.000-06:00

I'm worried.

I know I'm not supposed to be. Jesus said very clearly not to worry.

Maybe a better word is concerned. I'm very concerned.

It seems like every friend I have is struggling with ministry right now. Some are ordained, some want to be ordained, and some do ministry without any thought of ordination by the church. (An aside, the last group might be the most satisfied--but that is a topic for another day).

Now I know that some of you are going to be consumed with who it is that I am talking about here. Others will be saying, "Friends? He has that many friends?" Just go ahead and get it out of your system right now. Because this is serious. Very serious.

Hear me out. Ministry can be intoxicating. Extremely intoxicating. Like preaching a sermon that people really respond to. Watching someone after years of searching finally 'get it.' Praying with someone who is desperate or despondent or both and knowing that it makes a difference. Feeling the Holy Spirit take over and touch others through you. Intoxicating.

Sometimes ministry is so intoxicating that it causes us to forget for a time how difficult ministry really is. How lonely it can be. How tough it is to say one thing only to have people hear another. How hard it is to really discern what God wants. How painful it can be to follow the path Christ has set before us.

This intoxication is dangerous. Intoxication by its very nature does not last. We can only stay on the mountain for so long. Then we have to come back down to the valley. And often our intoxication leaves us with a terrible hangover, one that makes us wish we had never answered God's call in the first place. God has not called us to be intoxicated, but to love above all. Love him and love each other. With every fiber of our being. No asterisks, no excuses, no ifs, ands, or buts. You already knew that didn't you?

Ministry is hard. Because life is hard. And people can be hard as well.

I've had many times that I just wanted to quit. To pack it all up and say to God and the church, "Take this job and shove it." But I've never been able to do it yet. Is it because I'm addicted to the intoxication of ministry? I hope not. I believe instead that I can't quit because I did not choose this path in the first place. Jesus says, "You didn't choose me, I chose you." We are chosen by God, all of us, ordained or not, by Christ. To minister to the world in his name. To teach and pray and love and seek peace and look for the lost and make disciples of each other. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name.

Jesus was no stranger to disappointment, or frustration, or difficulty, or being misunderstood. In John 6 we see this very clearly:

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.
67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

Jesus cautions the disciples over and over again that following him will be tough. I think that's why the verse that came to me with my call, the verse that this blog is named for is so important. We must keep our hands on the plow AND not look back.

Perhaps we really need to read this reminder written by Paul from 2nd Corinthians 4:
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

I want for my friends, for myself, and for you that our spirits might be renewed every day by spending more time with God in prayer. The good thing about tough times is that we all tend to pray more, seek God out more, and become more receptive to God's teaching and leading. Spending time in the desert is an uncomfortable though necessary part of our walk with Christ. Intense, extended prayer during this time can feel like an oasis in the midst of the Sahara.

There is certainly no need for my worry or my concern. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." I'll keep praying for and encouraging and loving my friends. Just like they do for me.

The Power of the Spirit

2007-05-21T07:48:00.001-06:00

Our preaching series this month at church is on the Holy Spirit, which will culminate in the celebration of Pentecost Sunday. Recently we began a new, second worship service using a praise band. The first Sunday the new service went off without a hitch. Yesterday was another story entirely, as we had several logistical problems including periods of loud feedback from our brand new sound system. When I began to preach it seemed like the sermon really was going nowhere and people just weren't 'getting it.' I was despondent and frustrated as the service ended.

Last night my family talked about how the Sunday service really impacted them. My daughter Hannah talked about the powerful Spirit she felt in the service. Kim, my wife, said she thought it was one of the most meaningful services she had experienced. Later on I spoke with an old friend who had visited the service. Her take was that the sermon was one of the best she'd ever heard me preach(!) and that the Holy Spirit was very present in the room. My associate pastor had already spoken about how when we were in prayer all the people seemed to be in a physical attitude of deep prayerfulness.

Sometimes I want perfection more than anything else. Yesterday was one of those times. I want so badly for this new service to work well, for people to experience God in a mighty way, for lives to be changed and healing to occur. I should know better, but sometimes still mistakenly think that a flawless worship service is imperative to get the Spirit to show up!

Thanks be to God that all a worship service really needs is the power of the Spirit to make a difference in people's lives. Whether we get everything perfectly ordered on our end of worship doesn't really matter. When the Spirit shows up, worship truly becomes a place of amazing grace.

Graduation: The end, or the beginning?

2007-05-19T20:01:00.000-06:00

I watched Tyler graduate from Station Camp High School last night.

It is the first high school graduation I have attended in some time. My hat is off to all educators; administrators, teachers, and staff who work hard to insure our children have the opportunity to learn.

Many things have changed since I graduated from high school 27 years ago, but one thing that remains the same is the recognition of those who have achieved the highest grades in school. In this school's ceremony the valedictorian and the salutatorian both gave speeches. As we drove home, I asked my wife Kim if she remembered who the valedictorian was when she graduated, as I could not remember either of the people who received this honor when I graduated in 1980. Kim could not remember the names of the recipients at her high school graduation either.

I wondered--which is more important, being at the top of your class or what you do with your education? Speaking as a person who is engaged in getting his third degree after the high school diploma, I can vouchsafe that it is not the degree or the grades that makes a person. We all know people who are terribly bright, very well educated, and painfully un- or under-employed. Not to mention all those who have important degrees from hallowed institutes of higher education but never do anything productive with what they learn. How sad.

"Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body" (Ecclesiastes 12:12 NIV). One might continue on getting further education seemingly forever, but until we use what we have learned, it is of no consequence.

Or as my favorite philosopher Yoda might say,"Remember what you have learned! Save you it can!"

Ultimately it matters more what you do with your education than whether or not you made it to the top of your class.

Approaching Pentecost

2007-05-19T19:58:00.000-06:00

As we approach Pentecost Sunday and the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church, I ran across a poem in one of my sermon illustration files. I share it without knowing where it came from or who might have written it.

We are God’s people, touched by the Spirit to—
Witness more effectively,
Think more clearly,
Feel more deeply,
Listen more insightfully,
Speak more truthfully,
Love more extravagantly,
Care more soulfully,
Serve more creatively,
Give more lavishly,
Encourage more lovingly,
Live more fully,
Teach more eloquently,
Give more generously.

Obedience School

2007-03-26T07:07:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about obedience.

Yesterday one of my children defied a direct order from me. I know, I know, my family is not the military and I am certainly no drill sergeant. But outright defiance? From my precious progeny? Shocking!

I ended up having to threaten the whippersnapper to get their cooperation in doing what they had been asked to do. Which made me very upset. After all, I have provided much for this child of late, in terms of money spent, transportation to and from extracurricular activities, special clothing needs, etc. You would think there would be some acknowledgment and appreciation for what they have received. You might even think that this child would jump right up off the comfortable couch immediately because of their love for their father. Surely obeying my request to complete a simple task that would not take much time is not too much to ask.

The task? To walk our dog, Daisy. A 5 minute chore at best. After all I've done, was it too much to ask?

Then God spoke to me. After all I've done for you, is your obedience too much to ask for?

God asks us to be obedient. Simple. Uncomplicated. Easy to understand. Yet so difficult for us to do!

Most of the time we would rather (as my child did) sit on our 'couches' and
a) ignore the request or
b) argue with God or
c) whine about our circumstances or
d) all of the above

I am astounded at the obedience of Jesus. In the garden of Gethsemane he prays for the 'cup' to be passed by, that he might not have to drink deeply the suffering that he knows is coming. But finally Jesus has the courage to say, "Not my will but yours be done." Obedience to his Father was of ultimate importance.

Jesus' greatest gift to God comes through his obedience. His greatest gift to us came through his obedience. Jesus was willing to obey God even when he knew that his obedience was going to result in the sacrifice of personal suffering.

Perhaps what we need most to learn in our spiritual lives is to obey. In John 14:15 Jesus says, "If you love me, obey my commandments," and in verse 23 follows up by saying, "All who love me will do what I say" (NLT). Obedience is the one of the greatest ways for us to show how much we love the Lord.

May we all learn from Jesus that our love for God is not really love at all unless we are willing to learn to be obedient.

Straining Gnats and Swallowing Camels

2007-03-18T20:21:00.000-06:00

In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 22 verse 14, at the end of the parable of the great feast, Jesus says 'Many are called but few are chosen.' I have reflected on Jesus' words a lot during the past week after returning from a time set aside for evaluating those who wish to become United Methodist clergy.

I spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday interviewing people who were at various stages of trying to become clergy members of the Tennessee Annual Conference. The interviews were done under the guidelines and auspices of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, a group consisting of mainly clergy but also some laity who are charged with making sure the conference receives a called and well-trained group of clergy. The candidates submit references, written work, videotaped sermons and Bible studies, are examined by a physician and a psychologist, and present evaluation forms from churches, former employers, colleges and seminaries for review.

After four years of doing these evaluations and interviews, I can truly say it is the most gut-wrenching work I have ever been involved with. It seems that each year there are a few candidates who end up being deferred, learning that instead of being commissioned or ordained they will instead have to come back before the board at a later date, with hopes of their using the additional time to strengthen weaknesses or reflect on their call. Most of those deferred are heartbroken and angry, though many come back again and are affirmed in their call after they have done the required work.

I am troubled by all the requirements placed on ministerial candidates. On one hand, I see their necessity in helping to bring qualified and professional clergy to the church for ordination. But I also see that our system is unable to appreciate those whose gifts, talents, education, and call lie beyond what are considered the 'norms.' Too often it seems we get caught up in what Jesus accused the Pharisees of doing--'straining gnats and swallowing camels.'

Perhaps we as a board and as a church need to reread the book of Numbers, chapter 11. Seventy Israelite leaders are supposed to gather under a tent to receive the spirit of God in order to be able to assist Moses. Two men, Eldad and Medad, somehow don't end up under the tent. Remarkably, the spirit of God falls on them anyway! Someone sees this and reports it to Moses. Joshua, Moses' right hand man, gets in a huff and wants Moses to stop Eldad and Medad. Moses' answer is enlightening--“Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!” (Numbers 11:29 NLT).

Indeed.

What Would Jesus Build?

2007-03-01T13:14:00.000-06:00

This week I have been in class in Montgomery, Alabama. The title of this class is "Mobilizing the Laity." We heard two rousing presentations this morning from Jim Garlow, pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, formerly pastored by leadership guru John Maxwell.

In his presentation, Garlow referred to the many obstacles the church has faced in building on the land they own. Most of the problems were caused when environmentalists sued because there was a certain rare type of bird that made its home on the property. The long and short of it is that the church has paid about $37 million dollars worth of legal fees and such trying to build.

While I admire their perseverance, I wonder--would Jesus spend $37 million dollars just for the privilege of having a church building in San Diego? While the church there has interpreted these obstacles as a call to persevere, one might consider if perhaps God was not calling the church to go in a different direction. It can be a difficult proposition indeed to determine when to persevere and when God might have something else in mind.

Pricey California real estate aside, $37 million is a lot of money for a church to spend for the mere opportunity to have their own place.

Hannah's Fast

2007-02-24T21:10:00.000-06:00

The youth at Rehoboth participated in the 30 Hour Famine to raise money for hunger. As far as I know, it was the first time my daughter Hannah, who is 13 years old, had ever fasted. She described her experience in saying that at first she had a lot of energy. Once that wore off, Hannah says everything began to remind her of food. She even described hallucinating, imagining that everywhere she looked there was food, even though no food was around. We had a great talk about what it must feel like to involuntarily fast and how so many people around the world are hungry with no chance to eat.

I'm really proud of Hannah. She takes her faith very seriously and even challenges her father (that would be The Pastor) to take his faith more seriously. Hannah's witness at school and the ridicule she has received from her peers about how 'religious' she is reminds me that Jesus never said being a follower would be easy. Hannah's willingness to be faithful to God is a gift to me and an inspiration to us all.

The Joy of Discipline

2007-02-20T17:13:00.000-06:00

dis·ci·pline [dis-uh-plin] activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training. (from American Heritage Dictionary)

Wednesday February 21 begins the season of Lent, the 40 days (not counting Sundays) prior to Easter. Lent has traditionally been a time of fasting, prayer, and self denial, designed to help us remember and reflect upon Christ’s journey to the cross. One of the words that come to mind as I think about Lent is the word discipline, specifically spiritual discipline. To be a great athlete, or a great musician, or a great anything one must discipline the body and the mind. To be a follower of Christ, we must use spiritual disciplines to train ourselves.

Lent is best known as a time when people give something up. In the past years I have given up sweets, sodas, television, surfing the Internet and eating meat during Lent, just to name a few. While the discipline of doing without these things reminded me of Jesus’ sacrifice, it also seemed to leave a void. Jesus once told a story about an evil spirit leaving a person for a while only to return to find its former home ‘swept clean and in order.’ The spirit then brings an additional seven spirits so that the person is worse off than before! (Luke 11:24-26 NLT) The point of the story is that we can sweep our lives clean by letting go of habits, attitudes, and actions that do not help us get closer to God, but if we don’t replace those habits, attitudes and actions with disciplines that grow us in God's love we may find ourselves worse off than before.

That is where spiritual disciplines come in. Adding times of prayer, Bible reading, journaling, fasting, meditation, and acts of service to others can fill the void left when we give up the things that don’t help us grow spiritually. Regular practice of the spiritual disciplines can help us grow closer to Christ and to better love others. While it might seem daunting to try to begin each one of the spiritual disciplines this Lent, maybe we should just try to add one to our list. Perhaps a time of prayer to begin or end each day would be a good place to start. Or reading a passage or chapter of scripture each day and writing a few lines to God in a journal. Or each day doing something for someone who cannot repay you in any way might help remind you how much God’s grace blesses your own life. Maybe we might even try (gasp!) fasting from food one day a week. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, prescribed a fast each week from noon on Thursday to noon on Friday. My own experience with fasting has shown it to be a rich practice that reminds me ‘man does not live on bread alone'.

My hope and prayer for all is that the disciplines practiced during Lent, whatever they might be, would not come to a screeching halt on Easter morning but instead become lifetime practices as we seek to be followers of Jesus. May our joy on Easter be full because we dared to discipline ourselves to walk with Christ during the Lenten season.

What's Up, Doc?

2007-02-15T19:51:00.000-06:00

Today I spent a great deal of my time reading a book written in 1958 by a Dutch man named Hendrik Kraemer titled A Theology of the Laity. You are right if you are thinking to yourself that this is not a book someone would pick up and read for pleasure! I began last week to work on a Doctor of Ministry degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. And yes, I have been asking myself why I chose to do this when I had to stay up late one night reading and writing...with all the other things a busy pastor has to do. Ultimately the learning I will gain is important and will be very helpful in my ministry.

My current class is titled "Theology of the Laity" and its concern is how best to rethink the theology of the laity and thus mobilize the laity (the loose definition of laity is everyone in the church that is not ordained). Reading I Corinthians 12 where Paul talks about how everyone has a necessary place to serve in the body of Christ, somehow has not translated into most church folks realizing they have a valid ministry God has called them to in and out of the church. Our consumeristic society which trains us how to receive but not how to give, some faulty theological thinking throughout the ages as well as clergy who have propagated an us/them mentality are likely a few of the culprits.

The effect of a faulty theology of the laity can be seen when laypeople feel the nudge of the Spirit calling them to ministry and they feel somehow unfulfilled unless they become ordained. (For the record, the priesthood of all believers concept that was championed by Luther during the Reformation unfortunately has not resulted in laity being accepted as ministers in the true sense of the word.) The clergy/laity split causes lay ministry to be seen as lacking somehow, which is unfortunate--if the clergy could somehow set the laity free to do ministry where they are in the world, more of Christ's ministry gets done and ministry gets multiplied in places clergy will never go.

I am trying to rethink my own ideas and learning about the laity and would like to know what you think. How do we unleash the ministry of the laity in the church? How do we get people to live out their God given vocation without them having to become ordained? How can ordained ministers (like me) best help to facilitate more laity involvement in ministry?

The Blasphemy Challenge

2007-02-14T10:42:00.001-06:00

The Blasphemy Challenge?

2007-02-14T09:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Philip Eubanks, who is on staff with me at Rehoboth UMC, shared with me something that I found extremely disconcerting. On the 'You Tube' website, a group called the 'rational responders' has posted a video encouraging people to take the blasphemy challenge. Quoting Matthew 12:21, where Jesus says that 'blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven', the video encourages people to film themselves denying the Holy Spirit. After watching a few of the submitted 'blasphemy' tapes, I had to stop because of the revulsion I felt.
While the scholars debate over the exact meaning of this passage from Matthew, I am quite sure that a simple denial of the Holy Spirit is not the unforgivable sin.
I debated on whether or not to include the video, but decided that you might want to see this for yourself. May God help us all!