It's that time of year again - the planning season. You know, it's here when the air becomes cool and crisp and the leaves are mostly gone. Then it's time to map out what to do for the holidays.
Some families may do the same thing every year. Everyone knows the routine - where to go, what to bring. But being in the ministry several hundred miles from friends and family is not conducive to this arrangement. So we sit on the phone, calendar in hand. What days are you off? Where will everyone sleep?
This year, the planning season is about a different kind of family gathering. As the new congregation starts to form, I realized that this is part of God's family coming together. It's a joyful thing to meet brothers & sisters in Christ!
We are still trying to figure out how to contact everyone so they won't be left out. And since we haven't talked to them yet, we are making our best approximation for when their calendar might be free. We would like the 'new additions' to the family - the ones that have never seen us all together before - to feel welcome and at home. And of course there are preparations so that there is space for everyone.
With God's help and guidance the plans are coming along. If I weren't here I would expect this new congregation of just a few families to feel fragile at this early stage. But it doesn't. Our foundation is firm. It's going to be an amazing party!
Even so, this is just a preview of the family gathering to come. It's going to be big - not like a Thanksgiving dinner or a birthday party, but a wedding! You see the church is described as Christ's bride as millions and millions of us will gather around God's throne, praising his name, for the ultimate reunion.
I've been to some fantastic celebrations, but I really want to see the shindig that God throws to welcome all his children home.
Don't you?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
How to Help
When friends or family lose someone they love
or have a dream taken away, they feel pain at the loss.
How can you help? Usually, not by fixing it... or them.
What most people who hurt say is:
I just want someone to talk to.
Can you do that?
It's not OUR EYES that matter, but THEIRS.
What do they see? What do they feel?
Ask: How is my friend speaking about their loss?
Ask them: What died for you?
Then reflect their answers back. Use their words.
Resist the urge to share a story of your own.
Or to solve the problem of their pain.
You cannot relate.
And even if you can. This is their pain.
Loving is not talking but taking.
Accept what they give.
Accept who they are.
Christians follow Jesus example.
And our Lord did not stand TALL, he got LOW.
He knelt before his friends and washed their feet.
So can we.
We can:
Listen rather than Tell.
Observe more than Act.
Wait before we can Lead.
do nothing and not Leave.
Pay attention to when people say the loss and grief began.
Give them permission to 'Be o.k. where they are.'
There's a great story in Bible called Job.
His friends came and just sat with him
when his entire world fell apart.
And that was enough.
But then they decided his 'time was up.'
He needed to 'get over the grief'
and realize he was 'part of the problem.'
But people are not the problem
and Job's friends should have kept their mouths shut.
So, God had to come down and talk to them.
And tell them to ask Job to pray for them!
Because they had really missed the point
of just being a friend.
or have a dream taken away, they feel pain at the loss.
How can you help? Usually, not by fixing it... or them.
What most people who hurt say is:
I just want someone to talk to.
Can you do that?
It's not OUR EYES that matter, but THEIRS.
What do they see? What do they feel?
Ask: How is my friend speaking about their loss?
Ask them: What died for you?
Then reflect their answers back. Use their words.
Resist the urge to share a story of your own.
Or to solve the problem of their pain.
You cannot relate.
And even if you can. This is their pain.
Loving is not talking but taking.
Accept what they give.
Accept who they are.
Christians follow Jesus example.
And our Lord did not stand TALL, he got LOW.
He knelt before his friends and washed their feet.
So can we.
We can:
Listen rather than Tell.
Observe more than Act.
Wait before we can Lead.
do nothing and not Leave.
Pay attention to when people say the loss and grief began.
Give them permission to 'Be o.k. where they are.'
There's a great story in Bible called Job.
His friends came and just sat with him
when his entire world fell apart.
And that was enough.
But then they decided his 'time was up.'
He needed to 'get over the grief'
and realize he was 'part of the problem.'
But people are not the problem
and Job's friends should have kept their mouths shut.
So, God had to come down and talk to them.
And tell them to ask Job to pray for them!
Because they had really missed the point
of just being a friend.
Grief and Loss
What you feel tracks with how healthy people grieve.
All loss causes pain. But you know this. Beyond our control.
Behind all we think or do. Before we know it's even there.
The first shocked numbness leaves you breathless.
You can't believe or grasp what really happened.
Or you can and it's just too much.
Then we come into searching, begin yearning.
Who (or what) we lost was a part of us,
even when we didn't really realize it was there.
So we look for what we lost.
Sometimes people hear the voices of those who've died.
They go into the next room to find them. Sometimes
we have an urge to go looking and track them down.
Or I've seen shadows in faces and forms on the street.
Is that him? Was that her? Their posture. Their hair.
That shirt. We're oriented to what we lost. But can't find it.
Then disorientation comes. Letting go begins but our compass
has been set, pointing so long (in our heart, not only our head)
for so long, hard oriented toward our loved one lost...
now we don't know where our soul should go.
Where do we send what we want to love?
Here is a place in our journey with grief
that we're not only lost but don't know where we to go.
What are we living for? Where are we trying to be?
And during all this time, people grieve in a hundred ways.
Sometimes they shop. Sometimes they sleep.
Some cry. Some never do.
All of these are good.
Whatever way we need to grieve in the moment.
And there is no 'time limit' when we should be done.
There is no clock to 'get over' what we're going through.
After about six months, those who care for others, do
by asking questions about where they are, check in.
Is what you're doing helping you grieve?
What would you do without the things you're doing now?
Not judging, just seeing. Where are you? What do you need.
There's no right or wrong. Whatever way we grieve at the time,
we do. But I can tell you that all these also stop.
Even tears and emptiness stop. There is a hope.
There is a point where the 'valley of the shadow of death'
begins to slope upwards, ever so imperceptively,
the canyon walls lower and we even begin to see some light.
Sometimes we look around and suddenly we are out.
This is not a cause to feel guilt but release.
This is the beginning of reorientation and resolution.
Where before we couldn't move or forgot appointments
or how to do things we wanted to do, now we reorganize.
Our thoughts and plans begin facing toward a new goal.
And more importantly for the healing process, though we
never lose contact with memories of a touch of those we love,
we begin to pour our love into new relationships, new things.
We relocate energy from the relationship with one we lost
and direct it to building new relationships. Taking new risks.
New ventures await.
The wounded healer, though is with you through this all.
Jesus, God, has gone through loss and pain... and been with you.
We're not claiming some empty platitude to say: Jesus
is standing by you now.
He is with you and always will be. Wherever you go.
Walking. Waiting. Wondering. With you.
All loss causes pain. But you know this. Beyond our control.
Behind all we think or do. Before we know it's even there.
The first shocked numbness leaves you breathless.
You can't believe or grasp what really happened.
Or you can and it's just too much.
Then we come into searching, begin yearning.
Who (or what) we lost was a part of us,
even when we didn't really realize it was there.
So we look for what we lost.
Sometimes people hear the voices of those who've died.
They go into the next room to find them. Sometimes
we have an urge to go looking and track them down.
Or I've seen shadows in faces and forms on the street.
Is that him? Was that her? Their posture. Their hair.
That shirt. We're oriented to what we lost. But can't find it.
Then disorientation comes. Letting go begins but our compass
has been set, pointing so long (in our heart, not only our head)
for so long, hard oriented toward our loved one lost...
now we don't know where our soul should go.
Where do we send what we want to love?
Here is a place in our journey with grief
that we're not only lost but don't know where we to go.
What are we living for? Where are we trying to be?
And during all this time, people grieve in a hundred ways.
Sometimes they shop. Sometimes they sleep.
Some cry. Some never do.
All of these are good.
Whatever way we need to grieve in the moment.
And there is no 'time limit' when we should be done.
There is no clock to 'get over' what we're going through.
After about six months, those who care for others, do
by asking questions about where they are, check in.
Is what you're doing helping you grieve?
What would you do without the things you're doing now?
Not judging, just seeing. Where are you? What do you need.
There's no right or wrong. Whatever way we grieve at the time,
we do. But I can tell you that all these also stop.
Even tears and emptiness stop. There is a hope.
There is a point where the 'valley of the shadow of death'
begins to slope upwards, ever so imperceptively,
the canyon walls lower and we even begin to see some light.
Sometimes we look around and suddenly we are out.
This is not a cause to feel guilt but release.
This is the beginning of reorientation and resolution.
Where before we couldn't move or forgot appointments
or how to do things we wanted to do, now we reorganize.
Our thoughts and plans begin facing toward a new goal.
And more importantly for the healing process, though we
never lose contact with memories of a touch of those we love,
we begin to pour our love into new relationships, new things.
We relocate energy from the relationship with one we lost
and direct it to building new relationships. Taking new risks.
New ventures await.
The wounded healer, though is with you through this all.
Jesus, God, has gone through loss and pain... and been with you.
We're not claiming some empty platitude to say: Jesus
is standing by you now.
He is with you and always will be. Wherever you go.
Walking. Waiting. Wondering. With you.
Monday, November 2, 2009
What's a Church (not)?
Someone again asked, "So, where's your church going to be?'
I explained, "For us, Church is the people, not a place.
We'll be all over, doing different things."
"Yeah, but where?"
"All over. We do weekly services in three different places.
We host very unusual activities in several different more."
"But where's your Church going to be?"
"The Church is the people, they come and go. They're on the move!"
"But where's the building?"
"We'll hold the musical and monthly preview services
December through March at Perryville High School.
But we'll move around to different parts of the area,
because people around here travel in seven directions,
and there is no central 'there' where people work and play."
"But where will the Church be?"
"The people are the Church and we have to go find them,
moving around to different places to find who God wants
to gather together into the Rivers of Life."
"But where are you going to build your church, a building?"
"The Church is not a building. We're building a people."
80% of the average congregation's time, money and energy
is focused on the building: decorating, buying, heating,
repairing, going to it, talking/worrying/complaining about it.
What if from the very start of a new congregation,
we focused that 80% time, money and energy on people?
Building, training, healing, supporting, encouraging,
firing up, fixing, FOLLOWING, talking/laughing/crying with
People.
God does not fill buildings will His permanent Holy Spirit.
We are the dwelling places of God.
We are Christ's body.
We are Church.
I explained, "For us, Church is the people, not a place.
We'll be all over, doing different things."
"Yeah, but where?"
"All over. We do weekly services in three different places.
We host very unusual activities in several different more."
"But where's your Church going to be?"
"The Church is the people, they come and go. They're on the move!"
"But where's the building?"
"We'll hold the musical and monthly preview services
December through March at Perryville High School.
But we'll move around to different parts of the area,
because people around here travel in seven directions,
and there is no central 'there' where people work and play."
"But where will the Church be?"
"The people are the Church and we have to go find them,
moving around to different places to find who God wants
to gather together into the Rivers of Life."
"But where are you going to build your church, a building?"
"The Church is not a building. We're building a people."
80% of the average congregation's time, money and energy
is focused on the building: decorating, buying, heating,
repairing, going to it, talking/worrying/complaining about it.
What if from the very start of a new congregation,
we focused that 80% time, money and energy on people?
Building, training, healing, supporting, encouraging,
firing up, fixing, FOLLOWING, talking/laughing/crying with
People.
God does not fill buildings will His permanent Holy Spirit.
We are the dwelling places of God.
We are Christ's body.
We are Church.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
How to Save Souls (short)
The Beatles said it well,
We get by with a little help from our friends.
We all need help from time to time.
But are you prepared to help others... or even yourself?
Study the tiny book of James over six (6) days,
or just think about one (1) word each day...
and you will be.
This little book CLEARS the clutter of our lives:
the clutter of worried minds
the clutter of harmful words
the clutter of social divisions
the clutter of piles of inaction
the clutter of poor decisions
the clutter of obligations
In six little sandwich bites, the tiny book of James
teaches us how to save souls... ourselves and others.
The first and last verses of each section are the bread,
and you can study the meat and cheese each day...
if you want.
But I just repeat the first word to myself all day.
It CLEARS our lives in 6 easy steps.
Consider each challenge a joy (1:2-18)
Listen to others (1:19-27 )
Equalize relationships(2:1-13 )
Act on what you believe (2:14-26 )
Respect other opinions (3:1-17)
Save yourself and friends (3:18-5:20)
Day 1. CONSIDER
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds... He chose to give us birth
through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of all he created.Consider your troubles a joy...
God is doing something new!
Growth always brings change and loss and pain. But grow!
Sheds your skin. Break out of the egg. Leave the cocoon and fly!
Day 2. LISTEN
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone
should be quick to listen, slow to speakand slow to anger...
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to
keep oneself frombeing polluted by the world.
Pure religion, Jesus' brother says, is not telling others
how to live and what you think... it's visiting and listening.
You will never save people who are not first your friends.
Day 4. EQUALIZE
My brothers and sisters [we're all family], as believers in
our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism...
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone
who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Treating people with different incomes, jobs, backgrounds or
any of a million ways we people discriminate, is not God's way.
Treat all people as equally as Jesus died to save every soul.
Mercy trumps judgement!
Day 5. ACT
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith
but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?...
As the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without deeds is dead.
How many piles of To-Do lists clutter your day?
Do it or dump. Fish of cut bait. Then trust God to do the rest.
Day 6. RESPECT
Not many of you should presume to be teachers,
my brothers and sisters, because you know that we who
teach will be judged more strictly... But the wisdom that
comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving,
considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,
impartial and sincere.
When we think we're the boss and rely on our understanding,
we often make bad choices and disasterous decisions.
Humility and respect for the wisdom of others
will save us a great deal of heartache.
This sandwich warns us not to 'teach' but 'submit' to others.
We best teach people to learn by showing we can learn.
And when dealing with people in trouble,
they are the best expert on themselves!
Listen! Know-it-all evangelism is not Jesus' way.
He always asked, 'What do you need from me!'
Arrogance is a big turn-off to hurting people,
and it blinds us to our own troubles.
Day 7. SAVE
Peacemakers who sow in peaceraise a harvest of righteousness...
Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error
of his waywill save him from death and
cover over a multitude of sins.
Even when imprisoned by our own troubles,
we can save up spiritual and financial treasures
that will prepare us to help people when a need arises.
This sandwich speaks a great deal about being available
to do what God wants when God wants you to go.
You tell what's important gy looking only at two things..
a person's bank statements and their calendars.
How we committ our time and treasure tells all.
James says... CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE AND YOUR DEBTS.
Don't lock yourself in saying, I'll go here a year and do this.
You don't know what God has in mind.
From Genesis 1 to the Ten Commandments, God says
DON'T OVERBOOK!
Set aside time to listen to yourself and to God. Relax!
Divert Daily.
Withdraw Weekly.
Move on Monthly.
Quit Quarterly.
Adventure Annually.
To be useful to God, we've got to regularly break out of
who we are and society's demands on us.
Who we are is not who we will be!
When we borrow money, we say we know our future
and promise to spend our time repaying that debt.
Don't steal from God! Take a break.
Our time is not ours to commit.
And it breaks my heart to see people wracked with guilt.
Don't steal from God! Jesus paid for ALL your sins.
Take time to rest and think and be open to life changes!
We get by with a little help from our friends.
We all need help from time to time.
But are you prepared to help others... or even yourself?
Study the tiny book of James over six (6) days,
or just think about one (1) word each day...
and you will be.
This little book CLEARS the clutter of our lives:
the clutter of worried minds
the clutter of harmful words
the clutter of social divisions
the clutter of piles of inaction
the clutter of poor decisions
the clutter of obligations
In six little sandwich bites, the tiny book of James
teaches us how to save souls... ourselves and others.
The first and last verses of each section are the bread,
and you can study the meat and cheese each day...
if you want.
But I just repeat the first word to myself all day.
It CLEARS our lives in 6 easy steps.
Consider each challenge a joy (1:2-18)
Listen to others (1:19-27 )
Equalize relationships(2:1-13 )
Act on what you believe (2:14-26 )
Respect other opinions (3:1-17)
Save yourself and friends (3:18-5:20)
Day 1. CONSIDER
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds... He chose to give us birth
through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of all he created.Consider your troubles a joy...
God is doing something new!
Growth always brings change and loss and pain. But grow!
Sheds your skin. Break out of the egg. Leave the cocoon and fly!
Day 2. LISTEN
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone
should be quick to listen, slow to speakand slow to anger...
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to
keep oneself frombeing polluted by the world.
Pure religion, Jesus' brother says, is not telling others
how to live and what you think... it's visiting and listening.
You will never save people who are not first your friends.
Day 4. EQUALIZE
My brothers and sisters [we're all family], as believers in
our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism...
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone
who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Treating people with different incomes, jobs, backgrounds or
any of a million ways we people discriminate, is not God's way.
Treat all people as equally as Jesus died to save every soul.
Mercy trumps judgement!
Day 5. ACT
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith
but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?...
As the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without deeds is dead.
How many piles of To-Do lists clutter your day?
Do it or dump. Fish of cut bait. Then trust God to do the rest.
Day 6. RESPECT
Not many of you should presume to be teachers,
my brothers and sisters, because you know that we who
teach will be judged more strictly... But the wisdom that
comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving,
considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,
impartial and sincere.
When we think we're the boss and rely on our understanding,
we often make bad choices and disasterous decisions.
Humility and respect for the wisdom of others
will save us a great deal of heartache.
This sandwich warns us not to 'teach' but 'submit' to others.
We best teach people to learn by showing we can learn.
And when dealing with people in trouble,
they are the best expert on themselves!
Listen! Know-it-all evangelism is not Jesus' way.
He always asked, 'What do you need from me!'
Arrogance is a big turn-off to hurting people,
and it blinds us to our own troubles.
Day 7. SAVE
Peacemakers who sow in peaceraise a harvest of righteousness...
Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error
of his waywill save him from death and
cover over a multitude of sins.
Even when imprisoned by our own troubles,
we can save up spiritual and financial treasures
that will prepare us to help people when a need arises.
This sandwich speaks a great deal about being available
to do what God wants when God wants you to go.
You tell what's important gy looking only at two things..
a person's bank statements and their calendars.
How we committ our time and treasure tells all.
James says... CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE AND YOUR DEBTS.
Don't lock yourself in saying, I'll go here a year and do this.
You don't know what God has in mind.
From Genesis 1 to the Ten Commandments, God says
DON'T OVERBOOK!
Set aside time to listen to yourself and to God. Relax!
Divert Daily.
Withdraw Weekly.
Move on Monthly.
Quit Quarterly.
Adventure Annually.
To be useful to God, we've got to regularly break out of
who we are and society's demands on us.
Who we are is not who we will be!
When we borrow money, we say we know our future
and promise to spend our time repaying that debt.
Don't steal from God! Take a break.
Our time is not ours to commit.
And it breaks my heart to see people wracked with guilt.
Don't steal from God! Jesus paid for ALL your sins.
Take time to rest and think and be open to life changes!
Monday, October 12, 2009
How to Save Souls (long) please read over 7 days
Day 1. We all need rescuing... healing... saving.
The Beatles said we get by with a little help from our friends.
Our lives are cluttered...
with problems we didn't cause and many we did.
But how do we help others? How do we face our own troubles
let alone find the time, wisdom and chutzpah to help friends?
We're no better... and when people are panicked,
they're rarely able to listen to reason anyway.
Fear is an animal instinct that rarely helps
face our complex human problems.
Last Sunday, a friend asked me not to prepare a sermon,
but to come to his congregation and just let God speak.
Here's what God led me to share a 6-day study of James.
I'd never noticed how this tiny book in the Bible,
CLEARS away the clutter of our lives and
CLEARS a way for us to save others.
Sunday Night
Bonnie and Joe led amazing worship music.
They looked so comfortable together, and Nat said:
"I could listen to Bonnie's voice forever."
This new church launch is going to work!
We've got a great launch team and a
growing vision of what God will do.
I preached that morning at St. Paul's Lutheran in Newark,
a most touching liturgical service and sweet church spirit.
Pastors John and Greg show such true brotherly love
but have a real mischievous, casual quality : )
My sermon on COURAGE was well-received, but I accepted
Pastor Rich's challenge to find the courage myself to
'wait on a word from the Lord.'
Heading for Trouble
Jeremiah was a bit of a complainer, but he had
the longest-running career of any PROPHET.
Now a prophet doesn't predict the future
(though that's often a part of what they share.)
A prophet shares what's on God's heart and mind.
And God's heart was breaking for the people.
They were in deep spiritual trouble, and
God knew their path leads to death!
Do you know people heading for disaster?
But they don't see it or know how to break free?
Are you or others in debt but see no way out?
Jeremiah told the leaders that all of Israel would fall,
the land would be conquered and the people enslaved.
All this came true, but no one wanted to hear it.
The leaders said Jeremiah was a not a team player.
But he still insisted the WHOLE LAND WOULD FALL!
So they beat him, mocked him, and threw him in jail.
All because he shared God's warning and
God's burning desire to save the people from their sins.
My Redeemer Lives
There's an old tradition in Judaism that when you're in
serious FINANCIAL TROUBLE, a relative bails you out.
That person is your REDEEMER,
like buying back an item you sold to a pawn shop.
Redeemers cancel all debt and saved relatives from slavery.
We all need a redeemer sometime. A lifeguard if you will.
In my life, during a very bleak business time, I sang a song
every day from Job.
Job, in his suffering lost his family, health and wealth.
When his loving wife could stand his suffering no longer
and advised him to just 'curse God and die!'
But he prophetically predicted Jesus' coming
and said, 'I know my Redeemer lives!'
We need a redeemer who CLEARS away our debts...
and heals our brokenness
and swims out to where we're drowning an pulls us in.
And we can all be a redeemer for someone else.
Jeremiah's uncle came to him in prison and said his cousin
needed to sell his land quickly or he would become a slave.
Well, Jeremiah had said the whole land would be worthless
and that everyone was going to die or become a slave.
So everyone was shocked when Jeremiah pulled out
cash he had saved... and said yes!
Why? Because it is always on God's heart... and our job,
to be a Redeemer for others.
It sounds very un-Lutheran... but we are sent to save souls.
To Save means many things.
Save from a living hell or future loss.
To rescue from imminent disaster or danger.
But 'to save' literally means 'to heal.'
We are called to bring peace and healing to peoples' lives.
Six Sandwiches... one for each day
Jesus and James were brothers. They grew up together.
So, James probably knows what he's talking about.
And we'd do well to listen.
His little book in the Bible
CLEARS the clutter of our lives:
clears the clutter of our thoughts
- our minds are so worried -
clears the clutter of our words
- our words cause such trouble -
clears the clutter of our society
- so many rules telling who's in and who's out -
clears the clutter of our inaction
- so many half-started projects pulling on us -
clears the clutter of our judgements
- so many poor decisions hurting us -
clears the clutter of our obligations
- so many commitments tying our hands -
FOR SIX (6) DAYS, study the little book of James.
Six little sandwiches to teach us how to save souls.
The first and last verses of each section are bread,
and you can study the meat and cheese each day,
if you want.
But I just repeat the first word to myself all day.
It CLEARS our lives in 6 easy steps.
Consider every trouble a joy (1:2-18)
Listen to others, slow to talk or get mad (1:19-27 )
Equalize relationships, treat others as equals (2:1-13 )
Act on what you believe (2:14-26 )
Respect other opinions (3:1-17)
Save yourself and others (3:18-5:20)
Day 2. CONSIDER
James 1:2-18 Clears harmful, worried thoughts
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds... He chose to give us birth
through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of all he created.
Consider your troubles a joy... God is doing something new!
Growth always brings change and loss and pain. But grow!
A snake sheds it's skin. A tight cocoon will let you fly!
Day 3. LISTEN
James 1:19-27 Clears our harmful talk (& email!)
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry... Religion that God our Father
accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans
and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from
being polluted by the world.
Pure religion, Jesus' brother says, is not telling others
how to live and what you think... it's visiting people
and listening to them when they're in trouble.
Just be a friend.
You will never save people who are not first friends with.
Day 4. EQUALIZE
James 2:1-13 Clears away social distinctions
My brothers and sisters [we're all family], as believers in
our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism...
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone
who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Treating people with different incomes, jobs, backgrounds or
any of a million ways we people discriminate, is not God's way.
Treat all people equally as our glorious Lord Jesus Christ,
died to save every single soul.
Mercy trumps judgement!
Day 5. ACT
James 2:14-26 Clears away half-finished projects
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith
but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?...
As the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without deeds is dead.
How many piles of To-Do lists clutter your day?
How many half-started projects clutter your house?
Don't let even hopeful inactions tangle your life. Act.
Do it or dump. Fish of cut bait.
And then trust that that God will do the rest.
Day 6. RESPECT
James 3:1-17 CLEARS AWAY BAD DECISIONS
Not many of you should presume to be teachers,
my bro and sisters, because you know that
we who teach will be judged more strictly...
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure;
then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy
and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
When we think we're the boss of the whole world
and always rely on our own limited understanding,
we often make bad choices and disasterous decisions.
We need to be humble and respect the wisdom of others.
This sandwich warns us not to always 'teach' others
but to 'submit' to them and sincerely learn.
When you're dealing with people with problems,
they are the expert on themselves!
Here/s where Day 2 Listen skills really come into play.
Know-it-all, my-way-or-the-highway evangelism
is not Jesus' way... and it just won't work.
It's a big turn-off to anyone in trouble.
And it blinds us to the troube we're in ourselves.
Day 7. SAVE
James 3:18 -5:20 CLEARS AWAY OBLIGATIONS
Peacemakers who sow in peace
raise a harvest of righteousness.... Remember this:
Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way
will save him from death and
cover over a multitude of sins.
Even when we're in our own troubles, like Jeremiah,
we will have saved up a store of spiritual treasure
-- and good stewards save financial resources --
that will prepare us to truly listen to needs
and possibly help save them.
We can be Redeemers for brothers and sisters in Christ.
But we can't do that fighting and demanding.
And we can't do that if we book up our schedule
with all of our own opportunities and obligations.
This sandwich speaks a great deal about being available
to do what God wants when God wants you to go.
You can tell what is REALLY important to a person
by looking only at two things...
their bank statements and their calendar.
How we committ our time and treasure tells all.
CLEARING OUR SCHEDULES AND DEBTS
James says, Don't lock yourself into saying,
I'll go here a year and make money. You don't know
what God has in mind.
And from Genesis 1 to the Ten Commandments,
God tells us not to overbook.
Set aside time to listen to yourself and God. Relax!
Divert Daily.
Withdraw Weekly.
Move on Monthly.
Quit Quarterly.
Adventure Annually.
To be useful to God, we've got to regularly break out
of who we are.
Who we are is not who we are going to be!!
And when we borrow money, we are saying
we know what our future earnings will be
and we're promising to spend our time repaying that debt.
Don't steal from God!
Take a break. Our time is not ours to commit.
It belongs to our gloriuos Lord's Jesus Christ.
And it breaks my heart to see people who admit their
failings and weaknesses but are still wracked with guilt.
Don't steal from God!
Jesus bought and paid for ALL your sins.
And when you take them back on yourself
and live with guilt or try to 'fix it' yourself,
you are taking what Jesus rightly bought.
You are redeemed!
And as a debtor, sinner, troublemaker, failure, victim
who has been fully redeemed from all your troubles,
you are able to help save others.
By pointing to your own life and saying,
"I know that your Redeemer lives, too!"
The Beatles said we get by with a little help from our friends.
Our lives are cluttered...
with problems we didn't cause and many we did.
But how do we help others? How do we face our own troubles
let alone find the time, wisdom and chutzpah to help friends?
We're no better... and when people are panicked,
they're rarely able to listen to reason anyway.
Fear is an animal instinct that rarely helps
face our complex human problems.
Last Sunday, a friend asked me not to prepare a sermon,
but to come to his congregation and just let God speak.
Here's what God led me to share a 6-day study of James.
I'd never noticed how this tiny book in the Bible,
CLEARS away the clutter of our lives and
CLEARS a way for us to save others.
Sunday Night
Bonnie and Joe led amazing worship music.
They looked so comfortable together, and Nat said:
"I could listen to Bonnie's voice forever."
This new church launch is going to work!
We've got a great launch team and a
growing vision of what God will do.
I preached that morning at St. Paul's Lutheran in Newark,
a most touching liturgical service and sweet church spirit.
Pastors John and Greg show such true brotherly love
but have a real mischievous, casual quality : )
My sermon on COURAGE was well-received, but I accepted
Pastor Rich's challenge to find the courage myself to
'wait on a word from the Lord.'
Heading for Trouble
Jeremiah was a bit of a complainer, but he had
the longest-running career of any PROPHET.
Now a prophet doesn't predict the future
(though that's often a part of what they share.)
A prophet shares what's on God's heart and mind.
And God's heart was breaking for the people.
They were in deep spiritual trouble, and
God knew their path leads to death!
Do you know people heading for disaster?
But they don't see it or know how to break free?
Are you or others in debt but see no way out?
Jeremiah told the leaders that all of Israel would fall,
the land would be conquered and the people enslaved.
All this came true, but no one wanted to hear it.
The leaders said Jeremiah was a not a team player.
But he still insisted the WHOLE LAND WOULD FALL!
So they beat him, mocked him, and threw him in jail.
All because he shared God's warning and
God's burning desire to save the people from their sins.
My Redeemer Lives
There's an old tradition in Judaism that when you're in
serious FINANCIAL TROUBLE, a relative bails you out.
That person is your REDEEMER,
like buying back an item you sold to a pawn shop.
Redeemers cancel all debt and saved relatives from slavery.
We all need a redeemer sometime. A lifeguard if you will.
In my life, during a very bleak business time, I sang a song
every day from Job.
Job, in his suffering lost his family, health and wealth.
When his loving wife could stand his suffering no longer
and advised him to just 'curse God and die!'
But he prophetically predicted Jesus' coming
and said, 'I know my Redeemer lives!'
We need a redeemer who CLEARS away our debts...
and heals our brokenness
and swims out to where we're drowning an pulls us in.
And we can all be a redeemer for someone else.
Jeremiah's uncle came to him in prison and said his cousin
needed to sell his land quickly or he would become a slave.
Well, Jeremiah had said the whole land would be worthless
and that everyone was going to die or become a slave.
So everyone was shocked when Jeremiah pulled out
cash he had saved... and said yes!
Why? Because it is always on God's heart... and our job,
to be a Redeemer for others.
It sounds very un-Lutheran... but we are sent to save souls.
To Save means many things.
Save from a living hell or future loss.
To rescue from imminent disaster or danger.
But 'to save' literally means 'to heal.'
We are called to bring peace and healing to peoples' lives.
Six Sandwiches... one for each day
Jesus and James were brothers. They grew up together.
So, James probably knows what he's talking about.
And we'd do well to listen.
His little book in the Bible
CLEARS the clutter of our lives:
clears the clutter of our thoughts
- our minds are so worried -
clears the clutter of our words
- our words cause such trouble -
clears the clutter of our society
- so many rules telling who's in and who's out -
clears the clutter of our inaction
- so many half-started projects pulling on us -
clears the clutter of our judgements
- so many poor decisions hurting us -
clears the clutter of our obligations
- so many commitments tying our hands -
FOR SIX (6) DAYS, study the little book of James.
Six little sandwiches to teach us how to save souls.
The first and last verses of each section are bread,
and you can study the meat and cheese each day,
if you want.
But I just repeat the first word to myself all day.
It CLEARS our lives in 6 easy steps.
Consider every trouble a joy (1:2-18)
Listen to others, slow to talk or get mad (1:19-27 )
Equalize relationships, treat others as equals (2:1-13 )
Act on what you believe (2:14-26 )
Respect other opinions (3:1-17)
Save yourself and others (3:18-5:20)
Day 2. CONSIDER
James 1:2-18 Clears harmful, worried thoughts
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds... He chose to give us birth
through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of all he created.
Consider your troubles a joy... God is doing something new!
Growth always brings change and loss and pain. But grow!
A snake sheds it's skin. A tight cocoon will let you fly!
Day 3. LISTEN
James 1:19-27 Clears our harmful talk (& email!)
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry... Religion that God our Father
accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans
and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from
being polluted by the world.
Pure religion, Jesus' brother says, is not telling others
how to live and what you think... it's visiting people
and listening to them when they're in trouble.
Just be a friend.
You will never save people who are not first friends with.
Day 4. EQUALIZE
James 2:1-13 Clears away social distinctions
My brothers and sisters [we're all family], as believers in
our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism...
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone
who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Treating people with different incomes, jobs, backgrounds or
any of a million ways we people discriminate, is not God's way.
Treat all people equally as our glorious Lord Jesus Christ,
died to save every single soul.
Mercy trumps judgement!
Day 5. ACT
James 2:14-26 Clears away half-finished projects
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith
but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?...
As the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without deeds is dead.
How many piles of To-Do lists clutter your day?
How many half-started projects clutter your house?
Don't let even hopeful inactions tangle your life. Act.
Do it or dump. Fish of cut bait.
And then trust that that God will do the rest.
Day 6. RESPECT
James 3:1-17 CLEARS AWAY BAD DECISIONS
Not many of you should presume to be teachers,
my bro and sisters, because you know that
we who teach will be judged more strictly...
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure;
then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy
and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
When we think we're the boss of the whole world
and always rely on our own limited understanding,
we often make bad choices and disasterous decisions.
We need to be humble and respect the wisdom of others.
This sandwich warns us not to always 'teach' others
but to 'submit' to them and sincerely learn.
When you're dealing with people with problems,
they are the expert on themselves!
Here/s where Day 2 Listen skills really come into play.
Know-it-all, my-way-or-the-highway evangelism
is not Jesus' way... and it just won't work.
It's a big turn-off to anyone in trouble.
And it blinds us to the troube we're in ourselves.
Day 7. SAVE
James 3:18 -5:20 CLEARS AWAY OBLIGATIONS
Peacemakers who sow in peace
raise a harvest of righteousness.... Remember this:
Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way
will save him from death and
cover over a multitude of sins.
Even when we're in our own troubles, like Jeremiah,
we will have saved up a store of spiritual treasure
-- and good stewards save financial resources --
that will prepare us to truly listen to needs
and possibly help save them.
We can be Redeemers for brothers and sisters in Christ.
But we can't do that fighting and demanding.
And we can't do that if we book up our schedule
with all of our own opportunities and obligations.
This sandwich speaks a great deal about being available
to do what God wants when God wants you to go.
You can tell what is REALLY important to a person
by looking only at two things...
their bank statements and their calendar.
How we committ our time and treasure tells all.
CLEARING OUR SCHEDULES AND DEBTS
James says, Don't lock yourself into saying,
I'll go here a year and make money. You don't know
what God has in mind.
And from Genesis 1 to the Ten Commandments,
God tells us not to overbook.
Set aside time to listen to yourself and God. Relax!
Divert Daily.
Withdraw Weekly.
Move on Monthly.
Quit Quarterly.
Adventure Annually.
To be useful to God, we've got to regularly break out
of who we are.
Who we are is not who we are going to be!!
And when we borrow money, we are saying
we know what our future earnings will be
and we're promising to spend our time repaying that debt.
Don't steal from God!
Take a break. Our time is not ours to commit.
It belongs to our gloriuos Lord's Jesus Christ.
And it breaks my heart to see people who admit their
failings and weaknesses but are still wracked with guilt.
Don't steal from God!
Jesus bought and paid for ALL your sins.
And when you take them back on yourself
and live with guilt or try to 'fix it' yourself,
you are taking what Jesus rightly bought.
You are redeemed!
And as a debtor, sinner, troublemaker, failure, victim
who has been fully redeemed from all your troubles,
you are able to help save others.
By pointing to your own life and saying,
"I know that your Redeemer lives, too!"
Friday, October 9, 2009
A Little Child Will Lead Them
So the morning of the Fall Festival in Havre de Grace,
I'm running late. Only by about an hour and fifteen minutes!
But I learned long ago to not worry and just 'go with the flow.'
Everyone's setting up, behind schedule, but it's a new thing.
So I decide to just take off and visit a neighborhood.
Levin says he'll join me and off we go at 10am on a Saturday.
Doing early morning door knocks in the projects does not
sound like a great strategy for successful marketing.
But we saw this grandmother out with two little kids.
So, I ran across the parking lot before they went in.
And we invited them to the party and said there's a
jumpy thing...
(BTW, the week before the event, the Mission called
and said they'd run out of money and we could NOT
have a jumpy thing / moon bounce.
So I called a local church and they said no can do.
But then I preached there that weekend, and they
came up and gave me $300 for the Mission!
So the Mission's event person got a moon bounce
and two games for $300 delivered. But when I went to
pick it up, to save money, they said my van was not
allowed by insurance.
** see my rant entitled 'Egg Shells' **
But I walk across the street to a real estate company,
and they say I can use their moving truck for free.
Then the rental place gives me a 25% discount
without me ever even asking.
So the Mission gets $300 of stuff for $135!!
And a Moon Bounce is critical for a successful kid event.)
Back to the kids.
So, I ask the little boy, he's much younger than Levin (7)
if any of the neighbors have children.
And his grandmother let's him and his littler sister
take me and Levin all around to every one of his friends,
-- waking up moms and dads, uncles and grandmoms --
but with these little kids, no one cares.
Then we say goodbye and go join the party,
which is really doing well... until after lunchtime.
And just in the lull, I look up and around the corner
little Chris and his sister are leading a crowd of
15 people... all coming to event.
We not only made so many cross-connections with neighbors,
we learned about some things desperately needed that
we had no idea they were problems, or how to solve.
This was such a blessing... and God did so much of it,
all through a little child!
I'm running late. Only by about an hour and fifteen minutes!
But I learned long ago to not worry and just 'go with the flow.'
Everyone's setting up, behind schedule, but it's a new thing.
So I decide to just take off and visit a neighborhood.
Levin says he'll join me and off we go at 10am on a Saturday.
Doing early morning door knocks in the projects does not
sound like a great strategy for successful marketing.
But we saw this grandmother out with two little kids.
So, I ran across the parking lot before they went in.
And we invited them to the party and said there's a
jumpy thing...
(BTW, the week before the event, the Mission called
and said they'd run out of money and we could NOT
have a jumpy thing / moon bounce.
So I called a local church and they said no can do.
But then I preached there that weekend, and they
came up and gave me $300 for the Mission!
So the Mission's event person got a moon bounce
and two games for $300 delivered. But when I went to
pick it up, to save money, they said my van was not
allowed by insurance.
** see my rant entitled 'Egg Shells' **
But I walk across the street to a real estate company,
and they say I can use their moving truck for free.
Then the rental place gives me a 25% discount
without me ever even asking.
So the Mission gets $300 of stuff for $135!!
And a Moon Bounce is critical for a successful kid event.)
Back to the kids.
So, I ask the little boy, he's much younger than Levin (7)
if any of the neighbors have children.
And his grandmother let's him and his littler sister
take me and Levin all around to every one of his friends,
-- waking up moms and dads, uncles and grandmoms --
but with these little kids, no one cares.
Then we say goodbye and go join the party,
which is really doing well... until after lunchtime.
And just in the lull, I look up and around the corner
little Chris and his sister are leading a crowd of
15 people... all coming to event.
We not only made so many cross-connections with neighbors,
we learned about some things desperately needed that
we had no idea they were problems, or how to solve.
This was such a blessing... and God did so much of it,
all through a little child!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
For the Record
So I don't forget what one day can bring...
Just today:
- a member of our launch team created our first directory
- Band Jam time and location locked
(Sat. Oct 17, 2:30-5 at Rising Sun High School)
- we were asked to apply for three program grants
(funding a month's rent, mailers and the musical)
possibly totally more than our entire seed funds to date!
- a pastor met with me to prepare a dialogue sermon
to be delivered with him at all three of his services
discussing the exciting stories of this new mission
(St. John Sweet Air Phoenix, Oct 18)
- the Order of Stephen Deacons approved us to
develop a tailor-made program with them
to officially train and call Rivers of Life people
to works of word and service!
- the community college included me in a readers' theatre
- heard I may start a part-time economics MA this spring
(a long-term plan recommended by my home synod)
- and found out this program may be paid for in full!
- a local pastor called another local pastor and asked if
we could use their facilities sometime... he said yes!
- the Musical Gift of the Magi seems to be going forward!
- the Chicago and Baltimore offices are discussing changing
how this mission site is funded and structured
(maybe scary, but a joyful opportunity to see God work
to create a better strategy for service & success)
- Natalie made great progress on her job
- the kids are happy and home
- Levin received Challenge Math at school!
- I connected with MANY people in the community and
felt God moving and moving us in great ways!
Plus probably many more things big and small : )
Just today:
- a member of our launch team created our first directory
- Band Jam time and location locked
(Sat. Oct 17, 2:30-5 at Rising Sun High School)
- we were asked to apply for three program grants
(funding a month's rent, mailers and the musical)
possibly totally more than our entire seed funds to date!
- a pastor met with me to prepare a dialogue sermon
to be delivered with him at all three of his services
discussing the exciting stories of this new mission
(St. John Sweet Air Phoenix, Oct 18)
- the Order of Stephen Deacons approved us to
develop a tailor-made program with them
to officially train and call Rivers of Life people
to works of word and service!
- the community college included me in a readers' theatre
- heard I may start a part-time economics MA this spring
(a long-term plan recommended by my home synod)
- and found out this program may be paid for in full!
- a local pastor called another local pastor and asked if
we could use their facilities sometime... he said yes!
- the Musical Gift of the Magi seems to be going forward!
- the Chicago and Baltimore offices are discussing changing
how this mission site is funded and structured
(maybe scary, but a joyful opportunity to see God work
to create a better strategy for service & success)
- Natalie made great progress on her job
- the kids are happy and home
- Levin received Challenge Math at school!
- I connected with MANY people in the community and
felt God moving and moving us in great ways!
Plus probably many more things big and small : )
Launch Prep
We've not started the count down, but I can fee the
engines rumble in my mind.
The most exciting thing is watching God work
and watching people connect with each other.
In the last week alone, to think about it, probably
300 people and I have met in some close way,
and the results have been astounding.
It's electric to be around people, knowing that
God's own Holy Spirit is truly moving and that
we together are experiencing Jesus being with us!
A self-described 'formal' liturgical service full of
older retirees said, 'It's good to cut loose.'
A nursing home fellowship hall full of Baptists
who have never worshipped with robes and albs
were visibly touched by God after a liturgical communion.
Three small groups of people shared themselves and
connected with others to teach and learn about life,
about the amazing opportunity and struggle God gives!
A small boy and his even smaller sister, having faced
ENORMOUS tragedy volunteer to lead me house to house
to visit all their neighborhood friends one Saturday
and then at the Fall Festival I look up to see them
leading a group of 15 people to the fair!
I'd love to map out the plans, and we're doing that.
But the view is so incredible! I can't stop looking out the window.
I love where God is driving us!
Driving us? No. Lauching us.
This is going to be an unbelievable launch,
and we are going to hit atmosphere and go beyond
like a rocket destined for great places!
engines rumble in my mind.
The most exciting thing is watching God work
and watching people connect with each other.
In the last week alone, to think about it, probably
300 people and I have met in some close way,
and the results have been astounding.
It's electric to be around people, knowing that
God's own Holy Spirit is truly moving and that
we together are experiencing Jesus being with us!
A self-described 'formal' liturgical service full of
older retirees said, 'It's good to cut loose.'
A nursing home fellowship hall full of Baptists
who have never worshipped with robes and albs
were visibly touched by God after a liturgical communion.
Three small groups of people shared themselves and
connected with others to teach and learn about life,
about the amazing opportunity and struggle God gives!
A small boy and his even smaller sister, having faced
ENORMOUS tragedy volunteer to lead me house to house
to visit all their neighborhood friends one Saturday
and then at the Fall Festival I look up to see them
leading a group of 15 people to the fair!
I'd love to map out the plans, and we're doing that.
But the view is so incredible! I can't stop looking out the window.
I love where God is driving us!
Driving us? No. Lauching us.
This is going to be an unbelievable launch,
and we are going to hit atmosphere and go beyond
like a rocket destined for great places!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Final Stretch
Things are so ready to take off here.
We're like archaeologists dusting off bones,
uncovering what God already put in the ground.
The vision cast last spring is coming to life.
Flesh on bones. Fossilization in reverse.
In January, when monthly 'preview services' start,
we will see a new thunder-lizard live!
As mission developers, we meet so many people
Natalie and I are quickly coming up to speed
on what's what in our extended region.
And it is extended! People drive!!
God has blessed us - i.e. done us a big happy favor -
by connecting amazing people to our lives.
So many have welcomed us into their homes and lives
and answered God's promise that wherever we go
God will provide us with new family and friends.
Some unusual happenings...
a college student from India is living with us.
I've been in community theatre, and
we're helping start a new soccer program with area churches.
I find the area's successful congregations,
who know what they're doing and doing it well,
are incredibly generous and supportive of our new work.
We're still looking for places to meet.
But I'm not going to turn that opportunity,
of not being down to one area or building,
into an obstacle.
They say, 'Patience is waiting on God's timing.'
It's scary, but I'm trusting God is working
in the roving chapel concept we follow.
If people won't come to the church,
then the church will come to the people.
And a wonderful teacher developed an innovative web site,
limited only by my material, which will soon improve : )
LutheranChapel.net
It's true I told three bishops I wouldn't do a parachute drop...
and that this is a parachure drop (where we're not only
kicked out of a plane at 20,000 feet and building our
own parachute as we fall to the ground,
but we're loving it!
We have the exciting opportunity as St. Paul said,
to not build on any one else's foundation.
And with the incredible re-alignment of international
denominational partners, this is an excellent time
to be a new pastor in Christ's universal church!
We're like archaeologists dusting off bones,
uncovering what God already put in the ground.
The vision cast last spring is coming to life.
Flesh on bones. Fossilization in reverse.
In January, when monthly 'preview services' start,
we will see a new thunder-lizard live!
As mission developers, we meet so many people
Natalie and I are quickly coming up to speed
on what's what in our extended region.
And it is extended! People drive!!
God has blessed us - i.e. done us a big happy favor -
by connecting amazing people to our lives.
So many have welcomed us into their homes and lives
and answered God's promise that wherever we go
God will provide us with new family and friends.
Some unusual happenings...
a college student from India is living with us.
I've been in community theatre, and
we're helping start a new soccer program with area churches.
I find the area's successful congregations,
who know what they're doing and doing it well,
are incredibly generous and supportive of our new work.
We're still looking for places to meet.
But I'm not going to turn that opportunity,
of not being down to one area or building,
into an obstacle.
They say, 'Patience is waiting on God's timing.'
It's scary, but I'm trusting God is working
in the roving chapel concept we follow.
If people won't come to the church,
then the church will come to the people.
And a wonderful teacher developed an innovative web site,
limited only by my material, which will soon improve : )
LutheranChapel.net
It's true I told three bishops I wouldn't do a parachute drop...
and that this is a parachure drop (where we're not only
kicked out of a plane at 20,000 feet and building our
own parachute as we fall to the ground,
but we're loving it!
We have the exciting opportunity as St. Paul said,
to not build on any one else's foundation.
And with the incredible re-alignment of international
denominational partners, this is an excellent time
to be a new pastor in Christ's universal church!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Godly Glory
Watching sports isn't really my thing, but when I play,
sports teach me so much about God.
And I learned more about being a pastor
from coaching kids than six years of seminary.
So our congregation has a motto: 'Church is a Team Sport.'
We do things together, working for a common goal.
Like sports, being part of Jesus' team
strengthens us as we practice and exercise,
empowers us to do more than we can alone,
follows the guidance of our coach (God)
and is fun.
If you don't enjoy Church, you may not be familiar with
the Church created by Jesus, a guy who named his
best friends 'Rock' and 'Sons of Thunder.'
I'm not a big sports junkie. (Like I don't talk about weather.)
My main focus is God.
God is my goal, what I want most in life.
But I'm not perfect.
So I used to read the word 'GODLY' and cringe.
It felt like watching Olympic athletes do floor exercises.
'It can be done... just not by me. '
Finally, I looked up the word and was surprised.
Godly doesn't mean good or perfect at all.
Godly simply means 'God-focused.'
What draws your attention. And directs your aim.
What are you shooting for? What are you striving for?
Are you driven to money or power?
Do you want to be attractive or liked?
Do you work out to be strong or live long?
Are you seeking thrills?
All that evaporates over time. You'll need more.
What are people around you really about?
You may know them better than they know themselves.
And they may know you, too.
So, ask someone. See what they say.
You may be surprised.
King David (an exceptional athlete and team captain) said,
'Let everyone who is godly pray to you.'
To be 'GODLY', you don't have to be great or even good.
You just have to pray,
to focus on God,
to involve God,
to follow God.
David's playbook for becoming Godly is Psalms.
This particular play ('Pray!') is from Psalm 32:
"Blessed is one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered... and not counted against him.'
A great thing about sports is how sins are forgiven.
The metaphor breaks down, of course, but
yes, you have to pay the penalty or may go to the box,
but fouls do not follow you every game.
They don't even go beyond one play.
We teach kids in sports to get up when you mess up.
And you will mess up!
'Let it go and get back in the game.'
I say, 'Like water off the back of a duck.'
Batman's dad said, 'We fall down to learn how to get up.'
A Japanese proverb goes, 'Fall down 7 times. Get up 8.'
Being a Christian, a part of Jesus' team,
is not about perfection but practice.
Friday night football used to begin with prayer.
Everything we do should still start with prayer.
Because ultimately it's not about our glory.
It's about God's glory.
Being Godly is about focusing on God's glory, not ours.
There may be no 'I' in TEAM, but 'UR' part of CHURCH.
And the Apostle Paul says the Church shows God's Glory.
We don't produce this Glory with jazzy ESPN clips
or multi-million-dollar contracts. God already has it.
God's glory is greater than winning the gold or a super bowl,
clinching a series or getting a hole in one.
When I go to Neyland Stadium for UT football
and see 100,000 bright orange Volunteers...
or watch thumping ESPN clips of best plays...
or have an amazing comeback on a critical score...
WE glimpse glory and realize God's is so much more.
And it's going on around us all the time.
The Church's job is to be His team on earth
to reveal this glory to 'all the powers in heaven.'
This amazing revelation is in Ephesians 3:10.
Paul goes on to say God's POWER is at work in us
to do more than we can ever ask or even imagine. (v. 20)
It's not up to us. It's not about us. It's not because of us.
All we do is join Jesus' team.
We put on a jersey accepting Christ as Lord and being baptized.
We get on the field, training to use the God gifts in our position.
We score by focusing on the goal... simply looking to God.
And when we fail, we pray God will forgive us.
Then we get right back up and play on
with all our hearts.
sports teach me so much about God.
And I learned more about being a pastor
from coaching kids than six years of seminary.
So our congregation has a motto: 'Church is a Team Sport.'
We do things together, working for a common goal.
Like sports, being part of Jesus' team
strengthens us as we practice and exercise,
empowers us to do more than we can alone,
follows the guidance of our coach (God)
and is fun.
If you don't enjoy Church, you may not be familiar with
the Church created by Jesus, a guy who named his
best friends 'Rock' and 'Sons of Thunder.'
I'm not a big sports junkie. (Like I don't talk about weather.)
My main focus is God.
God is my goal, what I want most in life.
But I'm not perfect.
So I used to read the word 'GODLY' and cringe.
It felt like watching Olympic athletes do floor exercises.
'It can be done... just not by me. '
Finally, I looked up the word and was surprised.
Godly doesn't mean good or perfect at all.
Godly simply means 'God-focused.'
What draws your attention. And directs your aim.
What are you shooting for? What are you striving for?
Are you driven to money or power?
Do you want to be attractive or liked?
Do you work out to be strong or live long?
Are you seeking thrills?
All that evaporates over time. You'll need more.
What are people around you really about?
You may know them better than they know themselves.
And they may know you, too.
So, ask someone. See what they say.
You may be surprised.
King David (an exceptional athlete and team captain) said,
'Let everyone who is godly pray to you.'
To be 'GODLY', you don't have to be great or even good.
You just have to pray,
to focus on God,
to involve God,
to follow God.
David's playbook for becoming Godly is Psalms.
This particular play ('Pray!') is from Psalm 32:
"Blessed is one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered... and not counted against him.'
A great thing about sports is how sins are forgiven.
The metaphor breaks down, of course, but
yes, you have to pay the penalty or may go to the box,
but fouls do not follow you every game.
They don't even go beyond one play.
We teach kids in sports to get up when you mess up.
And you will mess up!
'Let it go and get back in the game.'
I say, 'Like water off the back of a duck.'
Batman's dad said, 'We fall down to learn how to get up.'
A Japanese proverb goes, 'Fall down 7 times. Get up 8.'
Being a Christian, a part of Jesus' team,
is not about perfection but practice.
Friday night football used to begin with prayer.
Everything we do should still start with prayer.
Because ultimately it's not about our glory.
It's about God's glory.
Being Godly is about focusing on God's glory, not ours.
There may be no 'I' in TEAM, but 'UR' part of CHURCH.
And the Apostle Paul says the Church shows God's Glory.
We don't produce this Glory with jazzy ESPN clips
or multi-million-dollar contracts. God already has it.
God's glory is greater than winning the gold or a super bowl,
clinching a series or getting a hole in one.
When I go to Neyland Stadium for UT football
and see 100,000 bright orange Volunteers...
or watch thumping ESPN clips of best plays...
or have an amazing comeback on a critical score...
WE glimpse glory and realize God's is so much more.
And it's going on around us all the time.
The Church's job is to be His team on earth
to reveal this glory to 'all the powers in heaven.'
This amazing revelation is in Ephesians 3:10.
Paul goes on to say God's POWER is at work in us
to do more than we can ever ask or even imagine. (v. 20)
It's not up to us. It's not about us. It's not because of us.
All we do is join Jesus' team.
We put on a jersey accepting Christ as Lord and being baptized.
We get on the field, training to use the God gifts in our position.
We score by focusing on the goal... simply looking to God.
And when we fail, we pray God will forgive us.
Then we get right back up and play on
with all our hearts.
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Early Bird
... gets the worm. But how does the worm feel?
Yesterday, a beautiful blue jay swooped onto our walk.
I didn't see the worm, and it certainly didn't see the bird!
But there he was, flying off as a big juicy meal.
I thought of this as we did a chapel service at our nursing home.
For this new congregation, chapel services are a mobile way
to meet people where they are.
Drinks and shade on a hot day at the fair.
A morning prayer at the train station.
A weekly service at a thrift store.
A kind word at the park.
A burden shared is a burden lightened.
Whatever people need. Wherever they are.
Our motto is...If people don't come to church,
the church will come to the people.
(Church, of course, is the people, not a building or place!)
So we've got a few locations around the area for 'chapel.'
And as I led a prayer workshop at the nursing home,
I thought of this little, unfortunate worm.
It's like us. We can feel like a little worm.
Not just people strapped to a wheel chair in a nursing home,
but I meet people everyday who feel stressed out
and overwhelmed by the big world around them.
So, in this workshop, we talked about Jesus' on the cross.
He quoted Psalm 22 (reading a Psalm is a good way to pray!)
which says, "I'm a worm and no man."
It's the prayer that begins, 'My God, my God!
Why have you completely abandoned me?'
Jesus said this. Jesus was the little worm.
So, it's definitely ok for us to pray that way, too.
Sometimes people ask me, 'I never complain to God.
How can I pray when I'm mad or disappointed or hurt?'
I think they just did.
Just saying to God what you think and how your feel
is ALWAYS a good step in prayer.
But the second step in Psalm 22 that Jesus prayed
was a fascinating insight repeated nowhere else.
That 'God lives in our praises.'
Part of prayer is saying exactly what we think is going in,
and the other part is stating what we do know about God.
Recall some time in your life when God has helped you or someone you love.
Remember Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd)
or some othe verse you know that describes God
as being trustworthy, faithful, loving or strong.
It's not just like the worm saying, 'What a great view!'
as the bird whisks it away : )
The truth is, both parts of prayer give us peace.
Realizing we are not alone in our struggles.
That our pain is real... but God is more real.
A mountain climber sliced 5 of his 7 strands of his rope.
He was convinced he was about to fall and die
before his friends could get him another rope.
But as he prayed, reconciling himself to God
and to his death in a few seconds, he relaxed.
And by not panicking, his remaining strands were not cut
on the rock... and in two minutes, he was saved.
Even when your life is literally hanging by a thread,
it is always to early to give up and never too late to pray.
This is a great reminder that prayer is not only good
in a crisis... but as a great way to start every day!
Before the crisis begins!
And then, as they say, the early bird will indeed get the worm.
Yesterday, a beautiful blue jay swooped onto our walk.
I didn't see the worm, and it certainly didn't see the bird!
But there he was, flying off as a big juicy meal.
I thought of this as we did a chapel service at our nursing home.
For this new congregation, chapel services are a mobile way
to meet people where they are.
Drinks and shade on a hot day at the fair.
A morning prayer at the train station.
A weekly service at a thrift store.
A kind word at the park.
A burden shared is a burden lightened.
Whatever people need. Wherever they are.
Our motto is...If people don't come to church,
the church will come to the people.
(Church, of course, is the people, not a building or place!)
So we've got a few locations around the area for 'chapel.'
And as I led a prayer workshop at the nursing home,
I thought of this little, unfortunate worm.
It's like us. We can feel like a little worm.
Not just people strapped to a wheel chair in a nursing home,
but I meet people everyday who feel stressed out
and overwhelmed by the big world around them.
So, in this workshop, we talked about Jesus' on the cross.
He quoted Psalm 22 (reading a Psalm is a good way to pray!)
which says, "I'm a worm and no man."
It's the prayer that begins, 'My God, my God!
Why have you completely abandoned me?'
Jesus said this. Jesus was the little worm.
So, it's definitely ok for us to pray that way, too.
Sometimes people ask me, 'I never complain to God.
How can I pray when I'm mad or disappointed or hurt?'
I think they just did.
Just saying to God what you think and how your feel
is ALWAYS a good step in prayer.
But the second step in Psalm 22 that Jesus prayed
was a fascinating insight repeated nowhere else.
That 'God lives in our praises.'
Part of prayer is saying exactly what we think is going in,
and the other part is stating what we do know about God.
Recall some time in your life when God has helped you or someone you love.
Remember Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd)
or some othe verse you know that describes God
as being trustworthy, faithful, loving or strong.
It's not just like the worm saying, 'What a great view!'
as the bird whisks it away : )
The truth is, both parts of prayer give us peace.
Realizing we are not alone in our struggles.
That our pain is real... but God is more real.
A mountain climber sliced 5 of his 7 strands of his rope.
He was convinced he was about to fall and die
before his friends could get him another rope.
But as he prayed, reconciling himself to God
and to his death in a few seconds, he relaxed.
And by not panicking, his remaining strands were not cut
on the rock... and in two minutes, he was saved.
Even when your life is literally hanging by a thread,
it is always to early to give up and never too late to pray.
This is a great reminder that prayer is not only good
in a crisis... but as a great way to start every day!
Before the crisis begins!
And then, as they say, the early bird will indeed get the worm.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Eggshells
Ever around people that make you behave? Or feel you should?
I call them 'eggshells.' Proper-parlor people.
But I don't walk on eggshells.
I'm more an omlete than hard-boiled type.
You gotta break a few now and then.
But some people don't.
Many people say those types are dull, straight-laced Christans,
but I find them inside and outside the Church.
Lots of do's and don'ts. Buckle up and recycle folks.
Save the wrappers... save the planet.
They say things with a straight face like,
'The insurance company won't let me do that.'
How easily some applecarts are upset.
Heaven help us; we might lose everything
... or anything.
But real church people say, 'Yeah. So what? It's all God's.'
A friend today referred to 'churched people' (positively)
as people who behave.
But did Jesus? Ever?
What does being proper have to do with looking for Jesus
in the face of strangers?
We don't even talk to strangers.
We certainly don't let our children.
(And so we never teach them how to make
strangers into friends when they go out on their own.)
Playing it safe makes a world full of strangers
and makes our world stranger every day.
What does walking on eggshells have to do with chasing
the Wind Blowing, Fire Breathing, Water Walking, Living God?
To me, God is a person who never leaves well enough alone.
Always stirring things up. Always doing something new.
Always jumping out of a perfectly good boat.
If that doesn't sound like any church you know,
maybe you don't know the real Church.
... at least the faith community God's forming here.
Yeah, we need a lot of people who keep things tidy.
But some of those are braver than you think.
Perhaps behind the mind-your-manners, mild-mannered
'behaves' are B-HAVs... big, hairy audacious visions.
Perhaps they know something others only suspect,
that right in front of our frightened eyes is an vision,
largely unseen, of what God will do.
The Resurrection One. Waiting to turn every dead seed,
into a towering oak.
Who'd a thunk it?
An amazingly greater Divine Potential Opportunity in
every moment wants to break through our eggshell lives.
Fragile. Safe. Thin. Crumbly.
So strong we act like we've got it all figured out.
So weak we can't be called an unfair name.
Don't talk to me that way. I might break!
At least I'll break away from you.
So we're left with an isolated society of self-serving,
never-sacrificing, small-minded, myoptic mini-me's.
Perhaps real 'churched people' are the ones who see that.
They grin impishly like they could walk on water.
I recognize people who're alive in Christ
They're different.
They're not afraid to die.
More importantly... they're not afraid to live.
We forgot that from Jesus' death for 300 years
that's what it meant to be Church... a target for death.
To be part of Christ's church was to have everything taken
(or given freely)... just because you belong to God.
Today the Barnabas Fund prays for Christians in Egypt,
Church People who are not allowed to pray together.
Not allowed to work. Not allowed to marry.
Not allowed to move.
We should pray for them. Pray they'll be free.
But we should also thank God for what they see,
a vision of a life worth dying for.
Some want church people to just behave.
To walk on eggshells and act like they're 'safe' or 'saved.'
Saved for what? A rainy day?
Church people are rain makers!
They let God make every day what it can be.
I don't want to be safe. I want to run the bases.
I don't want to be 'saved.' I want to swim the tides.
Church people suspect... that with Jesus we can.
The 'hidden church' knows that's what we do.
I googled 'hidden church' and was pleasantly surprised
to find a friend's blog
thefeatherblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/tillich-and-church.html
Charles and I agree that Tillich's Small, Averse Vision of church
as a SAVed community organization for an eggshell world is not
the hidden treasure God planted to grow out of bounds.
Charles and I often don't agree, but we less often conform.
And it was that egg-breaker St. Paul who said,
'Offer your bodies as living sacrifices to God.
Don't conform to the culture of this world.
But be transformed by renewed minds.
Then you can test and prove what is
the good and acceptable and perfect
will of God.'
Romans 12 sounds NOTHING like
play it safe... behave... go along... act like you're fine.
Only when you've offered your whole little life,
not as a sacrifice that lays down and dies,
but as a sacrifice that gets up and lives;
Only when you hear God's unbelievable words
(which 'incredible' means) and have your mind changed
can you have an inkling of what's 'good and acceptable.'
Proper eggshell-heads think they know.
But here's a hint: it's not your IRA.
We can know. But only when we break out
and lay it all on the line and stretch our wings,
can we test how high God wants us to fly.
Life is not a dinner party where God's serving hors d'oeuvres
and when he comes around with the silver platter we say,
'No thanks, G. I'm stuffed. But how bout some nice Chardonnay.'
God pushes back tables to make room for us to dance!
Church people are often criticized as being hypocrites
for striving for a standard higher than we can reach.
That is a problem if we pretend we can do it alone
or are somehow better than anyone else.
But Jesus says, 'If you want to cower and bury your gifts
and act like you've got it all together and are fine like you are
(which is what a 'hypocrite' literally mean, a 'super-actor')
then you're a stuffed-shirt, stuffed bird...
and don't have the guts to hang with me.'
Whether you're a tough biker or a smart lawyer
(and around here we have both, often in one person),
if you don't have the courage to jump out of the boat
(no matter how nice it is) and walk on water with Jesus,
I wouldn't say that you're weak and dumb,
but you're definitely missing out.
Because one day you will die.
In fact, you're dying right now.
And only Jesus can let you stop dying and finally live.
For church people, eternity begins today.
Because we're following the Resurrected Jesus who
doesn't edge along the shore or walk on eggshells.
But walks on the waves.
I call them 'eggshells.' Proper-parlor people.
But I don't walk on eggshells.
I'm more an omlete than hard-boiled type.
You gotta break a few now and then.
But some people don't.
Many people say those types are dull, straight-laced Christans,
but I find them inside and outside the Church.
Lots of do's and don'ts. Buckle up and recycle folks.
Save the wrappers... save the planet.
They say things with a straight face like,
'The insurance company won't let me do that.'
How easily some applecarts are upset.
Heaven help us; we might lose everything
... or anything.
But real church people say, 'Yeah. So what? It's all God's.'
A friend today referred to 'churched people' (positively)
as people who behave.
But did Jesus? Ever?
What does being proper have to do with looking for Jesus
in the face of strangers?
We don't even talk to strangers.
We certainly don't let our children.
(And so we never teach them how to make
strangers into friends when they go out on their own.)
Playing it safe makes a world full of strangers
and makes our world stranger every day.
What does walking on eggshells have to do with chasing
the Wind Blowing, Fire Breathing, Water Walking, Living God?
To me, God is a person who never leaves well enough alone.
Always stirring things up. Always doing something new.
Always jumping out of a perfectly good boat.
If that doesn't sound like any church you know,
maybe you don't know the real Church.
... at least the faith community God's forming here.
Yeah, we need a lot of people who keep things tidy.
But some of those are braver than you think.
Perhaps behind the mind-your-manners, mild-mannered
'behaves' are B-HAVs... big, hairy audacious visions.
Perhaps they know something others only suspect,
that right in front of our frightened eyes is an vision,
largely unseen, of what God will do.
The Resurrection One. Waiting to turn every dead seed,
into a towering oak.
Who'd a thunk it?
An amazingly greater Divine Potential Opportunity in
every moment wants to break through our eggshell lives.
Fragile. Safe. Thin. Crumbly.
So strong we act like we've got it all figured out.
So weak we can't be called an unfair name.
Don't talk to me that way. I might break!
At least I'll break away from you.
So we're left with an isolated society of self-serving,
never-sacrificing, small-minded, myoptic mini-me's.
Perhaps real 'churched people' are the ones who see that.
They grin impishly like they could walk on water.
I recognize people who're alive in Christ
They're different.
They're not afraid to die.
More importantly... they're not afraid to live.
We forgot that from Jesus' death for 300 years
that's what it meant to be Church... a target for death.
To be part of Christ's church was to have everything taken
(or given freely)... just because you belong to God.
Today the Barnabas Fund prays for Christians in Egypt,
Church People who are not allowed to pray together.
Not allowed to work. Not allowed to marry.
Not allowed to move.
We should pray for them. Pray they'll be free.
But we should also thank God for what they see,
a vision of a life worth dying for.
Some want church people to just behave.
To walk on eggshells and act like they're 'safe' or 'saved.'
Saved for what? A rainy day?
Church people are rain makers!
They let God make every day what it can be.
I don't want to be safe. I want to run the bases.
I don't want to be 'saved.' I want to swim the tides.
Church people suspect... that with Jesus we can.
The 'hidden church' knows that's what we do.
I googled 'hidden church' and was pleasantly surprised
to find a friend's blog
thefeatherblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/tillich-and-church.html
Charles and I agree that Tillich's Small, Averse Vision of church
as a SAVed community organization for an eggshell world is not
the hidden treasure God planted to grow out of bounds.
Charles and I often don't agree, but we less often conform.
And it was that egg-breaker St. Paul who said,
'Offer your bodies as living sacrifices to God.
Don't conform to the culture of this world.
But be transformed by renewed minds.
Then you can test and prove what is
the good and acceptable and perfect
will of God.'
Romans 12 sounds NOTHING like
play it safe... behave... go along... act like you're fine.
Only when you've offered your whole little life,
not as a sacrifice that lays down and dies,
but as a sacrifice that gets up and lives;
Only when you hear God's unbelievable words
(which 'incredible' means) and have your mind changed
can you have an inkling of what's 'good and acceptable.'
Proper eggshell-heads think they know.
But here's a hint: it's not your IRA.
We can know. But only when we break out
and lay it all on the line and stretch our wings,
can we test how high God wants us to fly.
Life is not a dinner party where God's serving hors d'oeuvres
and when he comes around with the silver platter we say,
'No thanks, G. I'm stuffed. But how bout some nice Chardonnay.'
God pushes back tables to make room for us to dance!
Church people are often criticized as being hypocrites
for striving for a standard higher than we can reach.
That is a problem if we pretend we can do it alone
or are somehow better than anyone else.
But Jesus says, 'If you want to cower and bury your gifts
and act like you've got it all together and are fine like you are
(which is what a 'hypocrite' literally mean, a 'super-actor')
then you're a stuffed-shirt, stuffed bird...
and don't have the guts to hang with me.'
Whether you're a tough biker or a smart lawyer
(and around here we have both, often in one person),
if you don't have the courage to jump out of the boat
(no matter how nice it is) and walk on water with Jesus,
I wouldn't say that you're weak and dumb,
but you're definitely missing out.
Because one day you will die.
In fact, you're dying right now.
And only Jesus can let you stop dying and finally live.
For church people, eternity begins today.
Because we're following the Resurrected Jesus who
doesn't edge along the shore or walk on eggshells.
But walks on the waves.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Trying Patience
Before kids, we'd eat anytime we wanted.
Anything we wanted. And we'd skip meals.
Now... kids don't just eat every day,
they need regular meals.
And they need healthy, balanced nutrition.
Oh, my!
It seems every moment of our 'free time' is spent
preparing, consuming or being interrupted by meals.
And that tries my patience!
But, of course, it's better to limit my schedule
and see our kids grow into all they can be.
If I let them (and myself!) just eat and do
what they want... we'd never reach our potential.
So it is with starting a new congregation.
We intentionally seek to partner with others.
Our motto is: We're Better Together.
And we're going to pursue that vision.
Even if it takes a little longer.
But many people tell us to focus on ourselves.
They want to see results...
'Get your members. Get your numbers.'
But if we start this congregation focusing on ourselves,
we'll never grow into a congregation that focuses on others.
Our relationships with neighbors and partners,
even those that never think they can 'help' us
must be fed and nourished.
Even if we'd rather just 'get on' with our own agenda.
Even if they'd rather we just 'get on' with our own stuff!
As we develop relationships, we're hopefully modelling
the kind of bloom-where-you're-planted creative mission
we hope our future congregation will embody.
So, we take the time to get to know other churches.
We take the time to find out their passions and gifts.
Not to use those gifts for ourselves but to see them succeed!
My goal is not to discover how they can meet 'our needs'
but what they most enjoy so we can help them to achieve.
Or at least cheer them on.
I want to be proud of my brothers and sisters in Christ!
Because we really are better together.
If we start this new congregation by only focusing on ourselves,
we will create yet another church primarily focused on itself.
Frankly, there are too many of our congregations
that ignore Jesus' clear command that we must
die to ourselves to give birth to our true seeds.
People tell me to wait until we're set to try cooperation.
But the time to cooperate is from the very beginning.
When we intentionally support another group's dreams,
many people ask me, 'What's in it for you?'
The answer is both 'nothing' and 'everything.'
By living out self-giving partnerships, we gain much.
It is our mission to support the mission of others.
That's the self-giving love Jesus demonstrates,
and it's the kind of mission -- from Day 1 --
that Jesus asks us to do here today.
God knows we need to gather people and find a place
to develop partnerships and create our own programs.
But our mission is to demonstrate loving support
among God's family... including other denominations.
That's why I spend so much time learning about the
Episcopals and Catholics, Baptists and Charismatics,
Pentecostals and Independents... and, yes, even
the Missouri Synod Lutherans!
Not to duplicate their work. Quite the opposite.
I don't want to do what they are doing but to
do what they are not doing.
But I want to encourage them to fulfill their dreams.
Every part of Christ's body has an important role to fill!
Encouraging those gifts in others is all this
little new congregation in rural Cecil County can do.
But it is a gift we give gladly!
Even if waiting to understand our neighbors
and to support our partners
and to wait on our friends
takes a little longer or
goes a little slower
... and tries my patience!
We will try patience.
And we will grow together : )
Anything we wanted. And we'd skip meals.
Now... kids don't just eat every day,
they need regular meals.
And they need healthy, balanced nutrition.
Oh, my!
It seems every moment of our 'free time' is spent
preparing, consuming or being interrupted by meals.
And that tries my patience!
But, of course, it's better to limit my schedule
and see our kids grow into all they can be.
If I let them (and myself!) just eat and do
what they want... we'd never reach our potential.
So it is with starting a new congregation.
We intentionally seek to partner with others.
Our motto is: We're Better Together.
And we're going to pursue that vision.
Even if it takes a little longer.
But many people tell us to focus on ourselves.
They want to see results...
'Get your members. Get your numbers.'
But if we start this congregation focusing on ourselves,
we'll never grow into a congregation that focuses on others.
Our relationships with neighbors and partners,
even those that never think they can 'help' us
must be fed and nourished.
Even if we'd rather just 'get on' with our own agenda.
Even if they'd rather we just 'get on' with our own stuff!
As we develop relationships, we're hopefully modelling
the kind of bloom-where-you're-planted creative mission
we hope our future congregation will embody.
So, we take the time to get to know other churches.
We take the time to find out their passions and gifts.
Not to use those gifts for ourselves but to see them succeed!
My goal is not to discover how they can meet 'our needs'
but what they most enjoy so we can help them to achieve.
Or at least cheer them on.
I want to be proud of my brothers and sisters in Christ!
Because we really are better together.
If we start this new congregation by only focusing on ourselves,
we will create yet another church primarily focused on itself.
Frankly, there are too many of our congregations
that ignore Jesus' clear command that we must
die to ourselves to give birth to our true seeds.
People tell me to wait until we're set to try cooperation.
But the time to cooperate is from the very beginning.
When we intentionally support another group's dreams,
many people ask me, 'What's in it for you?'
The answer is both 'nothing' and 'everything.'
By living out self-giving partnerships, we gain much.
It is our mission to support the mission of others.
That's the self-giving love Jesus demonstrates,
and it's the kind of mission -- from Day 1 --
that Jesus asks us to do here today.
God knows we need to gather people and find a place
to develop partnerships and create our own programs.
But our mission is to demonstrate loving support
among God's family... including other denominations.
That's why I spend so much time learning about the
Episcopals and Catholics, Baptists and Charismatics,
Pentecostals and Independents... and, yes, even
the Missouri Synod Lutherans!
Not to duplicate their work. Quite the opposite.
I don't want to do what they are doing but to
do what they are not doing.
But I want to encourage them to fulfill their dreams.
Every part of Christ's body has an important role to fill!
Encouraging those gifts in others is all this
little new congregation in rural Cecil County can do.
But it is a gift we give gladly!
Even if waiting to understand our neighbors
and to support our partners
and to wait on our friends
takes a little longer or
goes a little slower
... and tries my patience!
We will try patience.
And we will grow together : )
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