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Sunday morning worship

Sunday morning worship
Originally uploaded by JToddNelson.

It appears that I haven't put the choir to sleep YET!

New Blog Address

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Fed's Rate Cut Could Be Last For a While - WSJ.com

Fed's Rate Cut Could Be Last For a While - WSJ.com The Fed is walking a tight rope between liquidity and inflation. The two scenarios play out as such: 1.) Rate cuts tends to place more money into the economy which naturally raises the cost of goods. This is a basic supply and demand equation. The more of something in the market, the cheaper is becomes. Think Beanie Babies a few years back at Christmas. 2.) Meanwhile, without sufficient liquidity to grease the credit markets right now in the face of the sub-prime meltdown, we face deadlock, devaluation, and possible bedlam. Think of it as people not taking your $20 bill at Krogers because they are worried it is so devalued that it is worth considerably less than $20. That is what is happening in the sub-prime credit market right now. However, with oil hovering just under $100 a barrell, it seems that there must be more of a risk of a liquidity crises for the Fed to keep cutting rates. And that is what concerns me right now about the economy. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming!

Personal Update Ramblings

I still can't believe that we have already had 1 month of services at our Andover campus. The time has flown by so quickly. Someone asked me tonight if I was tired. Tired doesn't even describe it adequately, but in a weird way that is not accurate either. I am a firm beleiver that if you are doing what you love to do, with people you enjoy being around, then tiredness is not a bad sign in life, it is rather a positive reinforcement. The highers are higher than I imagined, the lows come quickly and can be devastating for a short while. I vacilate between thinking no one will ever come back and we don't have enough room. Both emotions are helpful and not helpful at the same time. One thing is for sure, I am not an expert at this "start-up" process and will probably never be. The things we have done have been in direct contrast to what all the experts have told us. But they seem to be the right direction for us at this point in time. One of the joys of this new journey is that my family has been able to fully participate in it with me. Susan is working alongide with the children's ministry start-up. Madelyn has been the crucifer each week she has been in town. Marshall and Melisa love to run around meeting new people. In fact, Marshall typically stands with me at the front door and greets people as they leave. I have told many over the past month that we need to enjoy this time. I know that in ten years from now this experience will be a life transforming one for many, me included. But I also don't want to wait 10 years to be able to relish what God is doing right now. It has not been about my strength, or wisdom, or intellect. In fact, God is working in spite of my inadequacies. Which, to me, is another confirmation that God is at work! The friendships we are forging are for a lifetime. The obstacles we are overcoming are making us stronger. And the faith that others have shown in us propels us forward and gives us courage to take more risks, try new things, and see what might happen to grow God's kingdom. That to me is the essence of living. For all you that have been keeping us in your prayers: THANK YOU. Please continue to do so for it is of great help to us.

Rockies Place Their Faith in God, and One Another - New York Times

Rockies Place Their Faith in God, and One Another - New York Times Not sure if this will become a trend in professional sports, but it is a nice story. What I find most intriguing is the oppenness in which the players and management talks about their faith without becoming overbearing or judgemental.

The tension growing in evangelicalism is healthy | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Columnists: William McKenzie

The tension growing in evangelicalism is healthy Dallas Morning News News for Dallas, Texas Columnists: William McKenzie Here is a quote from the above article that I think is noteworthy:

Rice University sociologist Michael Lindsay has come up with the best way to help the rest of us understand this split. He's the author of the new book, Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite. After interviewing some 360 evangelicals, Dr. Lindsay believes the split within the movement is between populists and cosmopolitans.

Here's how he describes populists: "Populist evangelicalism depends on mass mobilizations and democratic action. Populist evangelicalism draws sharp divisions between traditional believers (who are "good") and secular activists (who are "bad"). And capitalizing on evangelicalism's preference for simplicity and pragmatism, populist evangelicalism typically eschews theological sophistication or complexity in sermons."

Here's how he describes cosmopolitans: "They travel frequently, are involved in the arts and live affluent lifestyles. Cosmopolitan evangelicals have greater access to powerful institutions, and the social networks they inhabit are populated by leaders from government, business and entertainment. As one leader described it, this is 'move-the-dial Christianity,' in which evangelicals are in a position to use their faith to influence the rest of society." In an interview last week, Dr. Lindsay told me that this divide goes well beyond simplistic notions of left and right. You will find liberal and conservative populists, just as you have liberal and conservative cosmopolitans.

Interesting piece dissecting the two streams of Evangelicalism today. I would have to say that I see it more and more in my travels as well. You have those who are comfortable in being told what to do and how to think. Others want to struggle a bit and explore their faith in a setting that provides some real boundaries for safety. How we get along is going to be the key to all of this. How will we show grace to each other and the world in the midst of our internal struggles is what the outside world is waiting to see.

The Family Meal Is What Counts, TV on or Off - New York Times

The Family Meal Is What Counts, TV on or Off - New York Times Long live the family dinner. We had one tonight...where we all sat down at the same time and talked about our days. What a great half-hour! Might even try to do it a few times per week. Eating and talking is one of the ways we bond with each other. Eating in front of others creates intimate space because it lowers our guard and makes us more authentic (can't hide that you are actually human and have needs while eating). I wonder how differnt the world would be if we all had to share a meal with each person we come in contact with (grocery store, drycleaner, etc.) Just a some food for thought.

Bernanke has warning for Wall Street - Oct. 15, 2007

Bernanke has warning for Wall Street - Oct. 15, 2007 On the financial front. I have to admit that I follow the world of finance probably more than I have time to, however at this point I consider it more a hobby than anything else. Every once in a while there is a sermon illustration that comes out of this, but mostly it is just for pleasure. I ran across this article tonight about Ben Bernanke, Fed Chief, who was attempting to explain why the Fed cut short term rates by 50 basis points (.50%) this past meeting. I am still not sure I am in agreement with the Fed's latest rate cut but do realize the need for liquidity in the capital markets. Liquidity brings about confidence that buying and selling will continue and that investors are able to continue make transactions. Without this confidence, the market comes tumbling down. But what the Fed did was bail out a bunch of overleveraged and overly-aggressive institutional investors who made large bets in the sub-prime credit market. Instead of getting hit with the full-force of a credit implosion due to foreclosures and asset write-downs, the Fed created a soft landing where the losses were manageable (ie. large but not catastrophic). But what this has done is to probably create more aggressive trading strategies in the future. Hey, why not go for broke, because if we lose the Federal Govt will bail us out if we are big enough. This has happened time and again starting in the 80s with the Savings and Loan crisis, the 90s will Long-Term Capital Management hedge fund and right up until today. At some point, the market, to be a true market, must have true winners and losers. Every time someone gets bailed out, it simply hides the true risk and ups the ante for the next round It is an ever growing cycle of risk that, at some point, will create a big enough mess that no govt entity can solve. I am sure there is a sermon in here somewhere!

How did Scripture function in the oral culture?

Ben Witherington: SACRED TEXTS IN AN ORAL CULTURE—How Did They Function? Here is a must read in depth piece from Ben Witherington about how Scripture operated in the early years of Christianity. Far from our "Bible on every corner of the coffeetable" society, you get a new appreciation for how the texts came into being and what kept them going.

Unbelievable First Service

Ernie Stamper sent me this panoramic of this morning. I will upload on flickr for better viewing. I am sure to be adding more as the week goes by and perhaps even a video for those who were unable to make it! Needless to say, today was a dream come true. Thanks for all of your prayers for the Andover startup. They were answered today in such a powerful way as we launched Andover worship services with a bang. We had a good response from First Church members as well as many from the community in the worship service with us. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of people and their patience as we were trying to make more room for everyone to seat. Those kinds of problems are good ones to address. Today was a once in a lifetime experience for me and the entire Andover group. We had no idea what to expect. I will try to put more thoughts out as I have time this week. Check out the Andover blog for the manuscript of today. I will probably be putting more devotional type material out there and saving this space for personal thoughts and musings. Again, thanks for all of your prayers and well-wishes. Today was incredible.

And let the little children come

Andover Preview 009
Originally uploaded by JToddNelson.

What a great sight to see young children at the first preview service. Of course, Susan and I brought three of them ourselves!

Lectionary Text for week of September 30th

NLT 1 Timothy 2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. 7 And I have been chosen -- this is the absolute truth -- as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth.

God wants freedom for each person.  God wants each person to be saved and to understand the truth.  This is the message that we must reclaim.  Sure He does not oppose feeling good about yourself, having sufficient income to live comfortably, and live in harmony with your family, friends and neighbors, but God's main goal for his Kingdom coming near this world is for salvation.

Many times the church gets blamed for being judgmental and condescending because we have the audacity to talk about absolute truth and absolute consequences for our actions.  Instead of seeing an opportunity to find healing and meaning to life, the church is seen as an oppressor and an outdated institution.  Ministers are not seen in a positive light as once was the case particulary in urban and suburban settings.

What a great opportunity exists for the church to reclaim the mantle of teaching truth and faith.  It will not be given to us, but it can be reclaimed through God's grace working in our teaching, serving, worship and love.  I personally get excited about the church seemingly being moved out of the mainstream.  We were, in my opinion, never meant to be there in the first place.  We are a countercultural bunch that works better in contrast rather than in lock-step to the world.

Preview Service Update

To everyone who has been praying and for those who were in attendance this past Sunday evening:  THANK YOU.  For God answered your prayers and your faithfulness in a way that was beyond our wildest expectations.  We printed 100 bulletins and set out 100 chairs.  We had to pull more chairs into the sanctuary while running out of bulletins well before everyone was seated comfortably.  More than the numbers in attendance, God's spirit covered the campus and the faces of those attending as we worshiped, debriefed and eventually ate cake (what else could we do to end such an evening!) People hung around for quite a while afterwards visiting and talking about the future of First Church Andover.

Sunday night was a night of support and excitement.  It showed without a doubt that the church family is behind the effort and willing to do whatever it will take to reach out in the Andover community.  There is much work left to be done, but nothing that is insurmountable.  I am so thankful for the support personally and for the entire team's effort to ready the campus for worship.

I have attached a picture that captures the spirit of the night.  Ernie Stamper snapped this picture at the end of the debriefing session and then photoshopped a certain bear into the picture.   I was trying to be funny, but he got the best of me in the end! 

I will be posting more pictures very soon.  Please keep praying and come if you are close enough to attend this Sunday evening as we consecrate the building and commission the group that is coming to Andover.

Required Reading

The above NY Times article is a powerful piece about the people (women namely) behind much of the civil rights movement.  As I have said many times on this blog, it is far time for women to get their rightful due in terms of historical significance and opportunties for today.  Just one more reminder.

The Shape of Things to Come

When I posted last...

For all you faithful readers who have grown tired of checking the blog and seeing the same thing up (all three of you), I thank you for your patience.   I have included a cute picture of Marshall to help ease the pain.

 Things at the Andover Campus are humming right along for the launch on October 7th. We have two preview services (9/23 and 9/30 @ 5:00pm) to get ready for the 7th.

I have learned much during the process of working with a group of committed servant leaders to begin the new worship service.  

#1 when I get stressed, cheeseburgers and fries help.  

#2 people care about other people and are willing to give of themselves beyond what anyone would guess.  

#3  when I get stressed, cheeseburgers and fries help.  

#4  God is faithful at all times and places even when it may not be apparent to the human eye.

Much of the work is about to be complete on the building.  We expect carpet to be layed tomorrow and chairs arriving shortly after.  A bit of touchup work and settting up of rooms will leave us ready for guests.

Please continue to pray for all the volunteers and for God to begin working in hearts and minds of people who will be inviting and accepting invitations to come.  I am claiming for us all the passage from James that says, "the prayers of righteous people availeth much."  

I will get back to regularly posting shortly and hope to add some audio blogs on a regular basis as well.

A Mother Takes on MIT

I posted the above article is not so much because of the Mom's plight, but rather the response of the adminstrator from MIT. 

"Privacy is important," says MIT Chancellor Phillip Clay. He says MIT protects student privacy not only because it's the law, but because it is central to maintaining students' trust. "Different students will do different things that they absolutely don't want their parents to know about," he says. "Students expect this kind of safe place where they can address their difficulties, try out lifestyles and be independent of their parents."

While I readily admit that I would not want all my lifestory to be published upon a tablet and posted in the town square, I also realize that things that stay in the dark become musty, moldy, and grow to consume all that it comes into contact with.  A life exposed to the light is one that might still be full of mistakes (actually change that might to a will), but it is also a learning and growing experience.  

Many people stay in the dark recesses of hiding their personal lives for fear of judgment.  And judgmental attitudes force others to go underground with their problems, struggles, and personal issues rather than to seek a solution.  And in the darkness, these personal issues grow, fester, and become overwhelming.  Rather than seek help, many people seek escape.  Rather than sense hope, many sense desparation.

The church is a place for broken people.  The church is also a place for people who have found freedom from their brokenness.  The problem is this...so much of the time you can't tell from the outward appearances who is in which camp.  

Day at the Lake

Copy of DSC_0326
Originally uploaded by JToddNelson.

Couldn't resist uploading this pic. Pretty well sums up the day for us as we spent the day with the Oaks on Lake Williamstown. More pictures on the flickr panel for your viewing pleasure.

Major Week Ahead

Andover is getting ready for lift-off this week.  And we need special dose of prayers as we head to the beginning line.  Notice I did not call starting the Andover service a "finish line".  This is an important distinction because a finish line gives off the image that the work is complete whereas a starting line the work is still ahead.  We have been in training camp mode as we prepare for the October 7th first service.  Much has been done on the building (and much left to do), we have met, prayed, planned, and now we begin.  September 9th will be the first preview service which will be followed two weeks later with the second preview service on September 23rd.  Both of these days are important times of preparation for the worship team and entire community.

So this week, we get as much done on the building as humanly possible, prepare a service of worship, and host our family and friends from First Church for a time of worship on Sunday evening.  Major week with a major need for your prayers.

Heading to Louisville for Residency

This is our annual August meeting for all Probationary members of the Kentucky Annual Conference (both elder and deacon).  I will be meeting with my Barnabas team on Monday and then in trainings the rest of the week.  Please pray for the week.  As you know, Andover is set to kickoff with a prayer conference with Terry Teykl on Saturday Sept 8th and then a preview service on Sunday Sept 9th.

Things are coming along very well in terms of people interested in Andover as well as the renovation.  I am so thankful for the many people who have come alongside this effort.  It has been an eye-opening and humbling experience to see all the people and their excitement for what God is doing.

Herme What?

The article above comes from another blogsite and is a great learning piece about reading Scripture.

Homeless in Seattle, or anywhere else for that matter

Do you give money to beggars on the street?  If so, are we helping to solve the problem of poverty or are we simply easing our consciences?  Here is one issue that we all face at some time or another.  How do we respond?  How should we?  Rather than "I think", let's turn to Scripture and see where it leads us.  I pulled these verses for us to consider.

NIV Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

NIV 2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

NIV Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

NIV Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

NIV Matthew 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

There are many others that I could have listed.  Scripture is full of guidance about our interacting with those less fortunate.  But as we can see, not always clear.  I will let us sit on this one for a bit and come back to it.

Sunday, August 26th Lectionary Passages

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Psalm 71:1-7

Hebrews 12: 18-29

Luke 13:10-17

Let's study these passages together this week.  Slowly move through them looking for strings of thought that attach them to one another.  Do some homework on the context behind each one.  Meditate and perhaps memorize parts.  My guess is that God will speak to you, meet you at your point of greatest need, and will be faithful to you as you are obedient to Him.

Sermon Link

If you would like to hear a sermon I did in July, go to the link at our Offerings site www.firstofferings.com and look under the section "Talking Points".  There is a podcast of the July 8th sermon on the Sermon on the Mount.

Harried...

Working women could use a wife This is an interesting article on the impact of two spouses working. I would agree that the "home" load in our society is heavier upon the wife than the husband. I think we have come a long ways over the past generation and we have farther to go. The reason I posted this article is the impact I think it has for the church in general. A top reason that people don't go to church is they say they don't have the "time". George Barna's reseach shows this to be a bigger deterent than "talking about money" or "doctrinal" issues. Not sure what we as the church do with this information, but it must be put into our discussions about reaching the unchurched population. Do we do less programming and more one-on-one mentoring? Do we call people to a greater level of church involvement when their families are suffering? Where is the line we walk and how do we communicate the importance of our spiritual journey versus homelife? Or is there a line? Do we need to begin seeing our spiritual journey as the sum total of our lives (home, career, family, hobby, etc)? As someone who is struggling with these issues both personally and professionally, I do realize the need and the importance of finding an answer. Just not quite sure what it is...

Kindness in the most unusual places

The above article is a great example of people helping other people.  Truly living out the Golden Rule of doing unto others. The issue I want to lift up is the fact that these folks were not expressly or even remotely Christian.  We would all agree that you do not have to be Christian to do good deeds.  We would also agree that the most pleasant acts of kindness are those that are completely unexpected and can never be repaid.  

I was struck by the girls' response to these acts.   They were genuinely thankful and expressed it abundantly.  Saying "thank you" is a lost art and saying "your welcome" is at times more difficult.  Henry Clay once said, "Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart."  I would argue against any courtesy being small or trivial, but I understand the point.  Unexpected, unwarranted, and unanswerable kindness is one of the blessings God has given to all people that make the world a multi-dimensional place.

So great a cloud

Needing rain and attending 5 funerals in the past 10 days has gotten me reflecting.  Here is part of the lectionary text for this week:

NLT Hebrews 11:29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians followed, they were all drowned. 30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho seven days, and the walls came crashing down. 31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute did not die with all the others in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. 32 Well, how much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others trusted God and were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free. They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life. 36 Some were mocked, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in dungeons. 37 Some died by stoning, and some were sawed in half; others were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, hungry and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world. They wandered over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. 39 All of these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race.(1

12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.(1 )He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven.

We are fortunate who have had shoulders from which to stand and move toward the future.  The church is a prime example of people's faithfulness being foundational for the next generation to know Christ.  I grow weary of all the stone throwing about the church.  Sure it is full of problems, but remember it is made up of people like me and you!  Of course there will be issues, even Jesus dealt with them when he was walking on earth.  Remember Peter being referred to as satan?  Remember all the disciples who stood by Jesus during the crucifixion?  Right, because most of them ran for the hills at his greatest moment of need.

But for all our failings, God continues to work in and through us.  It is therefore important that we take some time to remember those who have paved the way for who and where we are today.  As with the post below about praying for children, I encourage us all to take some time and thank God for those living and deceased who were instrumental in our lives of faith!

My how time flies

I have a middle schooler.  No really, I have a middle schooler.  I know you hear this a lot, but it seems just like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital and now she is in 6th grade.  Not only that but she will pass her Mother in height within months it appears.

Instead of bemoaning the fact of my growing old.  I want to celebrate the fact that kids are resilient and are not lacking in their ability to change, adjust, and get along.  I firmly believe that the prayers of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and many friends make a difference in a child's life.  We at times take for granted the important and heavy lifting we partake in as prayer support for each other and in particular children.

So I encourage us all today to pray for our schools, teachers, and most of all the children who inhabit them.  We stand in the midst of a new and brave world (as has each generation before us) that will take more from us than ever before.  Let us join our hearts and minds and passions together in prayer.

Posting Purgatory

Thanks for keeping up with the blog over the past couple of weeks.  I will try to get back to a regular posting pattern this week.  Please keep praying for the Andover start-up as well as our family as we head back to school.

Praying Earnestly Manuscript

TEXT:  Acts 12:1-19

 

My earliest memory is of my 3rd birthday.  I remember it so fondly because it was to be such a big celebration.  Cake, ice cream, and a party with friends.  What 3 year old boy could want anything better?  Little did I know that this birthday would be like no other, and like all the rest to follow.  You see, one of my birthday presents that year was a baby brother.  A cute, cuddly, bundle of joy.  That ruined my birthday and ends up sharing my special day each and every year.

 

The bad taste has about left me.  I take some consolation that I had 2 birthdays (even though I can't remember them)  to myself and poor Mark has yet to have one by himself.   Garth Brooks sings a song about the best answers to prayer are the ones that were a "no".  I echo that sentiment, even though I dare not sing the tune.

 

The sermon series we are in is entitled "When God gets out of the box" and is a study of ten chapters in the book of Acts.  During my study this week, it was not readily apparent when God was ever in a box about prayer.  Scripture is replete with what seems to be contradiction when it comes to this ever important spiritual discipline of prayer.

 

Let's review a few of the major passages about prayer and see the contradiction that abounds.

 

1. We see Moses in Exodus 32:14 beseeching God to not destoy the Israelites for their lack of faithfulness and Scripture tells us that "God changed His mind."  Want to talk about the power of prayer.  Changing God's mind.

 

2. In the same breath we realize Job's plight and how he suffered mightily under the weight of God's hand being removed.  Even fervent prayer and fasting could not bring relenting.

 

3. Or what about King David beautiful request and  for forgiveness which he received as recorded in 2 Samuel 12 and the resulting loss of his firstborn with Bathsheba even after much "begging" of God.

 

4. Remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Praying  so hard that he sweated blood to his heavenly Father to let this cup pass.  Wanting to hear that there was another way, but it was not so.  All of this on the heals of Jesus telling his disciples to ask, knock and seek and that God will receive, be opened to, and find.

 

5. Paul tells the church in Corinth that he had a "thorn in the flesh" and three times he prayed that God would take it away to no avail.  All of this while Paul tells the church in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing.

 

6. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective James tells us in James 5.

 

And this bring us to our passage this morning.  A tale of two prisoners let's call it.  In a few short chapters, it seems that the church has gone from "finding favor with all people" (Acts 2:47) to being persecuted by the Roman government as they sought the favor of the  Jewish people.  How quickly you can go from being "in" to "out".  There is a sermon in there somewhere.  The politicians in the room understand what I mean.

 

Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, and ruler of Judea arrests James and has him put to death by the sword.  Agrippa found so much favor from the Jews from this one act that he decides that arresting Peter would be a wise move.  He not only arrested Peter, but to ensure his remaining in captivity, Herod assigned sixteen guards to keep watch in order to assure his safe delivery to the trial.

 

Okay, do we have the image in our heads?  The story begins to turn in verse (5) as the writer tells us, "but while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him."  The word that most of the translations have is earnestly meaning, " strictly in an extended way; hence eagerly, fervently, earnestly"  The mental image is speaking from the heart while the arms are extended.  It is a raw and emotional manner of communicating.  Part humble begging, part expectant waiting, part overwhelmed.  Think Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane with blood streaming done his face and you get a picture of praying "earnestly".

 

The writer wants us to know that this is the defining triggering event that changes the course of this narrative.  The prayers of the faithful are about to be answered in a mighty and powerful way.  But let's wait just a minute.  I called this passage a "tale of two prisoners" just a few minutes ago.  What about James?  I can't imagine a scenario where the same type of praying wasn't happening for him to be released.  He was a beloved disciple, an apostle, a special friend of Jesus and an eye witness to the resurrection.  Certainly the church cared about him just as much as Peter.  And yet, there is not "but" in his story.

 

And so in lies the tension in prayer.  Results.  How can the same group of people pray for two people with such a drastic difference in outcomes?  Are we to simply assume that outcomes are purely by chance and therefore prayer has no impact upon them?  That flies in the face of the rest of the passage and many other passages such as James 5 and Exodus 32.  Or do we extrapolate this narrative and say that prayer is effective 50% of the time or some other ratio?

 

I think this tension about results is a major reason why we don't pray.  How often would you work out if your chances of getting fit were not well quantified?  Would we stick money in the stock market without a determination of increase in value?  Let's face it, we are a results driven society.  The buzz words just from my personal bookshelf are obvious.  Execution.  In search of excellence.  Pay for performance.  Performance enhancing drugs.  7 habits of highly effective people.  Less is more leadership.  The one-minute manager.  Barney goes to the Zoo.  But when it all stops, do we even know who we are or more importantly who God is? 

 

We tend to be practical theologians.  We determine who God is by how our life turns out.  A tough stretch in life and we begin to think that God is a deity who doesn't care, can't help, or is punishing us.  A great stretch of life and we say God is blessing us, He is powerful and mightily holds the keys to the Kingdom.  Based on results, last August was a terrible time in the life of our church which concluded with the crash of Flight 5191.  But we cannot say that God left us.  No, rather than leaving us, we must trust that these events are being used in a way that bring glory to God.

 

Most Christians, when asked, will admit to feeling inadequate in their prayer life.  I believe that our felt inadequacy is created by a misdirected emphasis we put on prayer results.  In order to become an effective  praying people, we need to stop the merry-go-round of results based theology, get off, and begin looking for another paradigm.  A paradigm of prayer that transcends results.  One that is focused on the character of God and not His perceived efficacy.

 

Prayer will take on a different life when we realize that it is more about a relationship instead of results.  Think about Adam and Even in the garden.  God walking with them.  God talking with them.  They had a real relationship.  That is what God intends for us as well.  He wants to hear from us.  He waits to hear from us.  He initiates the contact if we will simply listen.  Do you have a friend who you love to spend time with?  Can't wait to have dinner with or talk on the phone to or see at some social function.  You got that way through spending time with one another, shared experiences, and sharing each others burdens.  That is what prayer is all about.  It is our ability to share time with the Creator of the Universe.  To have a conversation.  Speaking and listening.  Not focusing on what He can do for us, but focusing on who He is to us.

 

Prayer also takes on a new life when we realize that we are called to persistence instead of performance.  Jesus told his disciples and us today that the key to prayer is persistence.  Any good relationship takes time and effort.  Jesus said that we should keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.  He told two parables about prayer in particular that emphasized this notion of persistence. One of a widow and a judge and the other about a friend asking for bread in the middle of the night.  Paul continues in the vain when he tells the church in Thessalonica  to "pray without ceasing".

 

 

And this brings me to my final point about prayer.  Prayer takes on a whole new meaning when we focus on our earnestness and not His perceived effectiveness.  It is our earnest prayer, the kind with our heart wide-open that pleases God.  At times, I think that the church has made prayer out to be a special art form practiced by only the most skilled.  In the end, we have pushed people away from prayer instead of inviting them closer.  Let me go on the record this morning saying that whether we pray aloud, or on our knees, or on the street corner is not the issue.  Sometimes we get hung  up on "how" we pray and feelings of inadequacy overtake us and we simply do not pray.  God wants to hear from us.  He does not care where we are or how we say it.  None of us truly knows how to pray anyway.  In fact, Romans 8:26 says:

 

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for a)we do not know how to pray as we should, but (b)the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

 

This indicates to me that God "reads" the desires of our heart.  Words are just our way of expressing what is in the depth of our hearts.  God does not need these words, just our open and receptive heart.  Do you see then how little it matters if we "know" how to pray? 

 

Let's stop praying what we think God wants to hear from us.  What others want from us.  Let us open our hearts with our proverbial arms extended wide and share with God our deepest needs, wants, concerns, fears, joys, and praises.  That my friends is what God longs for from us.  No pretenses, just raw emotion flowing from our heart to God.

 

I said it last week and will reiterate it again.  One of the keys to our spiritual growth is prayer.  We cannot kid ourselves into thinking that simply knowledge or what Wesley called mental ascent will grow us closer to God.  It is a relationship.  It is an experience.  It is our very life.  I believe that our prayer life will begin to take on new meaning when we remove the focus from what God is doing for us and rather place the focus on our relationship we are building, our persistence in praying even when it seems to not be "working", and our earnestness in sharing our heart with God.

Lost My Religion Manuscript

TEXT:  Acts 10:24-48

 

With the onset of summer and all the re-runs, we have in a good way stopped watching TV much at all. Oh, the occasional sporting event or newscast, but for the most part nothing else.  But in the last week, I have been smitten by a couple of shows on the Discovery Channel.  One is the show "man versus wild".  I thought at first it was a take-off of "The Nanny", that show about parenting.  I just imagined a dad sitting in the living room that was burned down, or a kitchen full of food, on the floor.  Do you get the image?  I was scared that it might be  a Michael Moore documentary of my home life…"man versus wild.

 

The other show is called "Myth Busters" where  Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage who combine science, special effects and technology to determine if the myth is actually true or an old wives tale handed down for years without merit.  This past Wednesday evening, Jamie and Adam helped me out quite a bit.  My wife Susan and I had a rather pleasant discussion about cell-phone use while pumping gas.  She was under the impression that it was against the law, or at least a bad idea because cell-phones could cause a spark which might ignite the station.  I, of course, have never seen a cell-phone on fire, nor a gas station explode.  Have you?  I didn't think so.

 

These urban legends, or myths, or old wives tales (ever wonder why there not called old husbands tales, or high school boys tales, or…you get the point?) are fascinating to me.  We order our lives around them in many ways.  Take the cell-phone one I just mentioned.  Or what about these:

 

1. Chewing gum takes 7 years to pass through your body.
2. Those who go swimming less than 1 hour after eating will cramp up and drown.
3. Hair grows back darker and/or thicker after it has been shaved.
4. A good way to remove an embedded tick is to swab it with liquid soap.
5. Gender of a child can in-utero can be detected by heart rate, or the Mother's indigestion, or the

 

Us religious types are not immune to this.  Do you know what the most quoted scripture is?  "God helps those who help themselves?"  Do you know where it is in the Bible?  Good.  But it is a quote from Ben Franklin and not in the Bible.  My Mother, for years, tried to tell my brother and I that, "cleanliness is next to godliness."  I learned in seminary that this is not in the Bible.  Years of guilt just melted away!

 

Religion, in its simplest sense is a set of common beliefs and practices, both corporate and personal, generally held by a group of people.  It is those things we hold out as truths that we center our words, deeds, and very lives around.  And it is these beliefs that dictate who we are and what we as a people and individuals are becoming.  Everyone, even athiests are religious.  We all have a set of beliefs that we hold as truth.  Some are very helpful  to our lives, some are holding us back from God.

 

There are many I struggle with and am sure you do to?  I grew up in a highly segregated town.  My words, actions and thoughts were not what they needed to be in terms of racial issues.  It wasn't until after college that God showed me the err of my ways and I have been working toward righting many wrongs ever since.  Upon coming  to the United Methodist Church, I did not think that women should be in a pastoral role of ministry. It is through God's grace that I have come to understand how wrong I was.  Maybe it is not a major social issue for you, perhaps it is not wanting to look silly in public.  Or your belief that success is defined by education, wealth, and prestige.  Or the belief that your past wrongs will never be let go of and that they invalidate any good you can do in the future.  Those are just a few of my "beliefs" that I have am constantly working on.

 

Both of the figures in our passage this morning carried with them "expectations"  and a set of beliefs that could have impacted their actions.  Remember Peter, the first thing he does upon entering Cornelius' house is to proclaim, "I shouldn't be here."  That is what I call some serious baggage.

 

Peter had a religion, a set of beliefs, that were central to his life and more importantly his salvation.  The purity standards for the nation of Israel were not just good things to do, they were imperative.  And it is in this context that Peter 

 

Cornelius, a roman soldier in the Italian regiment, also was part of a culture that dictated much of his actions and thinking. His co-horts in the roman military were not inclined to be nice to Jews, give to the poor, much less pray to God.  He was definitely part of a society hostile toward the God of Jacob and Jesus his son.

 

Both of these men were willing to set aside what their religion, set of beliefs,  and move toward what God wanted from them.  Peter had so much to lose by becoming "unclean" as he met with the Gentiles of this story.  And Cornelius was breaking from his culture as well when he was kind to the Jews and gave to the poor and prayed to God.

 

Jesus understood the temptation we would have to conform to our personal belief system.  He also knew that it would drag  us away from God.  In Mark chapter 8 verse 34 Jesus says,

 

NLT Mark 8:34 Then he called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. "If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. 36 And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul(1 )in the process? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul?

 

We sit here this morning with God wanting to use us.  That is a given based on Scripture.  Many times it is our belief system, our religion, that prevents us from being used.  I wonder if Jesus' words were ringing in Peter's ear about losing one's life in order to gain God's kingdom?  For both Peter and Cornelius had much to lose.  Peter, a way of life and  a people.  For Cornelius, a livelihood, power, and prestige.  We know that they made the right decision by losing their religion, but what about us?

 

So, how do we know what to let go of?  How do we tell the difference between what is our "set of beliefs" and what is "God's ordained will to follow?" How can we get to the place where our religion is made up of truth from God and not self-delusional facts that we hold in order to satisfy ourselves and those around us?  I am not sure I fully know.  How is that for an answer!  Let's wrestle with this question for a minute.

 

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God  says to King Solomon upon completion of the Temple that,

 

 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

 

Remember Peter and Cornelius?  The place they started "losing their religion" is through their humility.    Both were not too proud as to not understand how empty their former belief system was compared to what God was offering.  They were willing to be teachable, and open to what God might be doing in their lives.  It is through our humility that we are able to see our true lives and ascertain what we may be carrying around with us that is carrying us away from God.

 

Jan Johnson, a noted author and lecturer on prayer, says that as we sit down and pray we should acknowledge all the hats we are wearing to our time with God.  There's that "pleaser" hat, and perfectionist hat, and materialistic hat, and lack of self-esteem hat.  Identify them so that we can begin to discern if the voice is God we are hearing or if it is our own. 

 

Humility  allows us to see ourselves as incomplete and therefore opens the door for God to work.  It is humility that softens our hearts  so that we can hear from God.  And it is hearing from God that changes us, not our will.

 

Think about Peter and Cornelius for a moment.  Where did they first come to realize that God was calling them to do something?  How did they do their waiting?  It was in prayer.  We cannot expect to hear a word from God.  We cannot expect to be able to discern what in our life is holding us back from God's pleasure unless we listen.  Peter did, and God spoke to him and led him to understand that because of what Christ had done on the Cross, the Jewish system of salvation via purity laws were null and void.  Major change.  Major message.  Major hearing.  Same way with Cornelius, he was in a time of prayer and God sent an angel to give instructions to send for Peter who would bring the Gospel Message.

 

I have to be honest with you this morning.  I am in a bit of a dry and dusty land in terms of prayer.  I sit down to pray and my mind wanders, the phone rings, I get email.  It just seems that I am way off track.  Now, I know that God knows my needs, he understands my hurts, and is there for me.  I don't worry about that.  But what I do get concerned about is MY MISSING God's instruction for me.  He may know what I need, but I don't know what He wants.  I don't want to go off on some tangent that I think is God's will when God really has something very different in mind if I will just listen.

 

Along with prayer, Scripture is another important way God speaks to us.  The Bible is not so much an instruction book as it is a love story.  But it does in place hold great themes of instruction.  Take James 3:17 for instance.  You want to know what God's wisdom looks like?  Ever need to discern if the answer you receive came from your wants or from God's heart.  Hear these words,

 

" But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere."

 

James gives us almost a check-list to work from.  Think about the list in context with Peter and Cornelius.  Was it pure?  Was it full of good works?  Was it peaceable?  Was it willing to yield to others?  Yes, Yes and Yes.  I believe that Scripture is God's primary vehicle of speaking to us.  As 2 Timothy 3:17 says,

 

NLT 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. 17 It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

 

We cannot hope to understand God's will for our lives without studying God's word for our lives.  If we want to discern what in our life is false beliefs, I know no better way to start than to become immersed in Scripture.

 

Peter and Cornelius lost their religion alright.  And in its place, gained God's favor.  I'd say that is a pretty good trade-off.  The same can be said for you and me today.  What things are you wrestling with in your life?  What is holding control over you?  Expectations of others?  Need for control?  A past failure that you think invalidates any future good?  Or maybe a life choice in terms of job or school or family matters?  Are we attempting to gain the whole world, and in the end losing our life?  I echo Jesus' words by saying, what benefit is that?

 

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

 

 

How To ... Use ice cream as a personality reader

How To ... Use ice cream as a personality reader Came across this piece just after finishing a glass of vanilla ice-cream.

Truth or Fiction?

Steven Covey Quote of the Day from the Franklin Covey website:

"Nothing you do is a deposit unless the other person perceives it as such."

Without knowing the exact context Mr. Covey is making this statement, it is difficult to know how far off base it is.  I hope he does not mean to say that other people must validate what you do before it counts.  Or that someone must realize the good we do for them before it can be deemed "good". 

 In his book, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", he spends time forwarding the concept of "win-win" in dealing with relationships.  While that sounds good on the surface, it does not square with my reading of Scripture.  Jesus says things like, "If someone takes your coat, give him your shirt as well."  "If someone asks you to go one mile, go a second mile without being asked."  

These are not win-win propositions.  Rather they are evidence of a life lived in submission to God's Word and a life full of caring for others.  We are not to be doormats for everyone else, but there is something powerful about not needing to always win, come in first, be in control, etc.  The movie "End of the Spear" has a wonderful line near the end of the movie that goes something like this, "Dad did not lose his life, he freely gave it away."  That my friends is the very essence of Jesus' teaching and actions.  That is the highest calling for all of us.  People may never know, understand, comprehend, or appreciate our lives of giving, but that doesn't mean we aren't making a difference.

Practical Theology?

The Wall Street Journal did a nice piece on Elizabeth Edwards this past Saturday.  She has stage 4 cancer that has gone to her bones.  The life expectancy is a few years and is almost always fatal for her condition.  The Journal reflects upon her choice to carry on with her husband John's campaign for President.  I was floating along through the article when all of a sudden Elizabeth made this comment.  

"I don't pray for my cancer.  I had to come to grips with a God who allows Wade (her young son who died in a car accident) to die, who doesn't intervene...if I could have a prayer answered, it wouldn't be for my cancer, it would be for Wade...but that wasn't God's will."

My heart breaks for this family and for the parents in particular.  What a tradgedy to lose a child at a young age.  If I read the quote right (and it was written correctly), Elizabeth's theology about God is that He does not intervene and therefore prayer is not effective.

Okay...the question I ask is this, "How much of our theology comes from our experience?"  Do we extrapolate our circumstance into maxims or truths about who God is and how God operates?  What about the hard truth in Matthew 6 about asking, knocking, and seeking that results in hearing, answering, and finding?  Or what about the Scriptural truth about the widow who bugs the judge until he finally relents and answers her request?

I believe Scripture to be our "final answer" in view of theological truths.  I also believe that our experience, church tradition, and reason can offer valuable insights from which to understand Scripture.  But make no mistake.  When our experience runs contrary to Scripture (or so it seems), it is our experience that needs to be questioned, examined, and left unexplained.  It is at these times we are called on to live by faith and not by sight.

I know that I have overly simplified this most difficult issue.  But it is something that all of us might take some time to ponder.  What about our view of God's character or M.O. comes from our experience and is not backed up by Scripture?  Yes, Scripture is difficult in places and it would be easier for some things to just go away.  But then, that wouldn't require faith either would it?

Lectionary Passages for Sunday July 22nd

Amos 8:1-12

Psalm 52

Colossians 1:15-28

Luke 10:38-42

The Amos and Psalm passages are particularly ominous in tone.  It does not take but a little Old Testament to reset your worldview.  God's judgment is just, gracious, and timely for sure.  It takes an act of faith to believe that the judgment is used to not simply punish, but to direct, guide, and bring back into relationship.  We see it used time and again in the O.T. to keep the Israelites moving toward God.  But how comfortable are we today in talking about God's judment?  I know that I get leary about how I am being perceived when bringing up the subject.

The Amos passage says that a time will come when there will be a famine of God's words.  No matter who seeks, there will be a void in the communication.  We know that this prophesy came true during the inter-testamentary period when there was no word from God prior to the time around  Jesus' birth.

What would be worse...God's correction or God's withdrawal.  At least with correction you get the sense that there is hope and meaning for your life because God cares enough to put you back on the right path.  Some talk about the "dark night of the soul" which is a season of life described as "dry and desert-like".  Even though God never leaves us, it seems that there times that the "feelings" do.  It is during this time that growth takes place as our faith continues to lead us forward into the abyss of spiritual dryness.

I for one do not look forward to either of the seasons (correction or darkness), but must admit that they will come in every believer's life.  It is during these times that we must draw upon the community around us to find comfort, strength, and guidance.  It is my prayer that we will all have such a place...it is called the "church".  Let us all thank God for our place in His church.  If you do not have a place at this point, I pray that God will quickly lead you to one.

Perseverance, Endurance, Patience

The above article states that becoming an expert is more about diligence, intentionality, and practice than raw talent. This is so true when it comes to our Christian growth.  Those Bible says in Matthew 7 to keep seeking, keep asking, and keep knocking and God will faithfully meet us.  Times of dryness come to all of us.  You may be in one of those periods right now.  But if we will not grow faint or lose heart, God will not let us down.  Throw timing out the window for it is a human construct to appease and measure our lives.  Trust in God's perfect timing, perfect answer, perfect power, perfect love, perfect grace to complete us.

Pope Reasserts Primacy of Catholic Church

Pope Benedict is reclaiming the notion that the Catholic Church is the one "true" church.  The argument seems to turn upon the ability of the Catholic Church to claim apostolic succession for their ordained clergy.  Interesting assertion given the trend toward ecumenism.  Not sure why in this post-modern culture that sees community as a powerful tool for transformation that the Catholic Church wants to risk pushing all other faith communities away?  I know we are to be counter-cultural, but this theological stance seems to potentially do more harm than good.  My prayer is that we focus and unite on the major truths of our faith and not be distracted over other things. (Of course, the trick is for us to agree what is "major" and what is merely a distraction!)

Here is a stab at defining Apostolic succession:  the ability of a religious group to trace their "ordinands" through to the Apostles.  It is like a family tree for clergy (eg. Paul ordained Timothy who ordained X who ordained Y who ordained Z). If you can't trace your clergy roots back to Christ, you do not stand in apostolic succession and therefore the Catholic Church asserts you are not endowed with the ability to bring salvation since you are not part of the "one true church".

Amazing Factoid

The NY Times reports that a $10,000 investment in Donald Trump's enterprises when it went public in 1994 would have netted you $636 today.  Almost a total loss of your initial investment?  Not sure what the moral of the story is, but I am sure there is one!  1>Don't believe the hype? 2>Keep your money under your mattress? 3>Buy CD's:  their guaranteed!

Feel free to add your own.

Lectionary Passages for Sunday July 15th

Amos 7:7-17

Psalm 82

Colossians 1:1-14

Luke 10:25-37

Colossians 1:9b-10 says, "We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  THEN the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.  All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better."

Paul prays that God will give the people of Colosse knowledge of His will and the insight from which to learn from it.  How many times have I known "what" God wanted me to do, but had know idea "why".  The first part of stepping out is with faith of course, but the full measure of growing in God is to begin to understand the "why".  This, for me, usually comes AFTERWARDS!  

For instance; Why did God give me the courage to answer the call to ministry after 17 years?  It has become apparent, to me at least, that the years of struggling with the call were growing times that were necessary to fulfill what God called me to do.  I am now more prepared for God to use.  Not totally prepared of course, that would negate any type of faith.  And things that do not require faith run contrary to how God works.

So I pray Paul's prayer for all of us, "may we know God's will and then be given understanding to learn from it."  It is in the leaning on God and learning His ways that we grow and are equipped for further service.  What a beautiful circle of fulfillment!

The rich get richer

The above article discerns that the your economic head-start is a key determinant in economic viability for individuals.  As we the church attempt to address the widening economic gap in our own country and other countries around the world, we might want to begin looking at the systemic issues that are causing the gap to widen.  As I have stated before, there is a great need for immediate care of food, clothing, and shelter. But that is only the beginning of the solution.  The other side of the equation is helping break the cycle which, in my opinion, is grounded in but not limited to education, micro-credit lending, and mentoring.

Lectionary Thought for week ending July 8th

2 Kings 5:1-14

Take a fresh look at the healing of Naaman in this weeks lectionary passage.  

After coming to see Elisha and being told to dip in the Jordan 7 times, Naaman becomes mad and walks away.  

To which his officers reasoned with him and said, "If the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, would you have done it?  So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, "Go and wash and be cured."

How many times do we look for the complex answer/solution and miss the readily accessible one?  Complexity provides a smoke-screen from which accountability is rarely achieved.  This is one of the reasons we take complex over simple.  We also might think that the straightforward solution is too easy to work.  But it worked for Naaman.  It worked for Peter who chose to repent and make amends with Christ rather than run and hide after his denial.  It worked for Paul who accepted the forgiveness offered and faced the very people he persecuted and won their trust.  And it will work for us if we will face things head-on and do it quickly.

What is it that you struggle with today?  Are you taking a very long road around something when a more direct route would be better?  Are you running from or running toward the solution?

Then there were three

DSC_0100
Originally uploaded by JToddNelson.

Snap the picture already Mom, we have things to do! Melisa, Madelyn and Marshall relaxing on the swing in Texas between rain drops.

Galveston, oh, Galveston

Sorry for the long delay between postings.  We are getting over jetlag, or something like that!  Galveston was great.  The seaweed was plentiful.  Many memories that we will take with us.  I will post the rest of the pictures on the flickr site (except for the ones of me on the beach of course!).

This is our three and their Texas cousins from Weatherford.  The kids had the best time playing and splashing in the gulf, pool, and hot tub.

PowerPoint Purgatory

Story (narrative) is the story.  Good reminder to anyone who has to communicate.  Which is all of us.

Post on behavioral economics

This is mainly for my benefit, but if you are interested in the constraints in breaking the cycle of poverty, read on.  We do a really good job defining the problem.  The solution is what is illusive.

The Spot Night #1

Night #1 of vacation was spent eating a large piece of meat with guacamole, jalapenos, and some fine salsa.  Oh yes, and the Gulf of Mexico across the street.  We arrived this evening about 6:00 and are making ourselves at home.  The seaweed disturbed the kids for a few minutes, but it didn't take long to before they were splashing and romping.

By the way, a huge praise.  First Church approved a budget of $199,000 to renovate and re-start a worship service at Andover.  Much work to be done, but what an act of faith taken by the church tonight.  Definetely a night to remember.

TEXAS BOUND

The family is heading to Galveston tomorrow.  Would appreciate your prayers for travel and relaxation!  The kids have not been to a beach and are beside themselves with excitement.  I may post a bit along the way...or not.

Stop, slow, fast

Was working out this morning on the 18th floor of the Galt House which overlooks the mighty Ohio river. Breathtaking view almost takes your mind off the pain...About half-way through my workout I saw the very front edge of a barge going upstream towards Cincinnati. It was moving painfully slow, but at the end of my workout the barge had made its way through downtown Louisville and downstream out of sight.

Got me to thinking: Here I was running on a treadmill going nowhere. The barge was moving slowly, but it was moving. And I am sure there will be a speed boat out sometime today on that same stretch of river. These are all metaphors for how God works in our life. There are times of preparation where we run in place and build up our stamina, endurance, and become readied to serve. There are other times when we move ahead ever so slowly, but progress is made. And we all know the feeling of being on a speeding boat of life with things rushing at us.

The common denominator is that God is in control and working in all three experieces. We sometimes think about God working only in the rushing times of our lives, but I believe that Scripture clearly tells us about waiting and persevering as God's will in our lives. The key for us is to identify what stage we are in and remain steadfast to God throughout. Don't rush out of a treadmill time in your life before God finishes with you. Don't swim too hard upstream during a slow moving time and miss the relationships God wants for you. Don't expect the times of speeding to last but enjoy them and get prepared for the next stage.

Annual Conference Update

We had a quiet clergy session last night (which is good actually!) and a quite interesting morning worship time with Bishop King. In his sermon, he equated the decline in church membership/attendance to a lack of small group fellowship and accountability. The UM roots are steeped in both of these things and he thinks that if we would just get back to our foundation that we could become a vibrant and growing denomination again.

I am struck by this need as well. The difficulty in finding a church home for many people is that they do not feel included and/or needed. This is one of the reasons why church planting has become such a focus across churches. A new place where everyone is on equal footing is a more inviting environment for many people in our society than an established place where friendships are already established. It also goes to reason that new churches are more sensitive to new people out of necessity and therefore more likely to be inviting. These are grand generalizations I know, but you get my point.

Heading to the Kentucky Annual Conference

Sunday through Thursday I will be in Louisville, KY at Annual Conference. I am looking forward to getting caught up with friends across the Commonwealth. Never Alone is not only the theme for the Conference is it also a reality for the week! Imagine hundreds of pastors converging on the Galt House. A convention center full of extroverts! I am going to stop now... I get back on Thursday we head out again for a much needed two week family vacation with stops in Galveston and Richland Chambers Creek Lake near Corsicana, TX.

Articles Of Faith: Emerging churches may keep Christians separated

Articles Of Faith: Emerging churches may keep Christians separated The above article is one of the best observations of the "emerging" church I have found. It is even-handedly written and makes the case of the need for and the problems with starting churches for a narrow segment of the population. It appears to me that the emerging church is to the Gen-X population what the Mega-church is for the Baby-boomers. In a "perfect" world, we could do church with a multi-generational, racial, and socio-economic blending, but until then it seems that the direction that people are responding too is niche based. It has been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in our society. I can't believe that this is what God wants from the church, but I am at a loss as to how we correct it.

The Mansion dropping formalities | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business

The Mansion dropping formalities | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business Put these two little tidbits from the above article in your bag of trend information. 1.) The Mansion, Dallas oldest and most well-known upscale dining establishment, is having to drop its dress code (and even allow jeans) in order to compete with other upscale restaurants. Even if the patrons don't necessarily want to dress in jeans, they apparently still want the choice... 2.) The Mansion's quality (food, experience, etc.) will remain the same, but the context of presentation will change in order to continue to reach the culture they operate within. I won't draw too many conclusions and leave most of them up to you. But here are a couple that jump out at me. a.) The life-changing message of the Gospel must never change, but the transmission changes (music, preaching/teaching style, etc) because the context (people and culture) are changing. This does not necessarily mean that we throw out all the "tried and true" for the "new and improved". But it does mean knowing why you are using the "tried and true" and constantly assessing its impact. If it loses it's flavor, either you are not doing it well or the culture has simply moved away from it. b.) Those institutions which do not stay close to their community in terms of understanding demographic and social trends will cease to be effective in reaching their community.

Lectionary Texts for Sunday June 10th

2nd Sunday in Kingdomtide 1 Kings 17:8-24 Psalm 146 Galatians 1:11-24 Luke 7:11-17

You think you got troubles at work?

You have got to be kidding me? All of this over called "balls and strikes" which you can never win because the strike zone is subjective...but I digress. I give the guy an A+ for originality when he uses the Caddyshack move. This just makes me chuckle all day long. FYI..if you click the big play button in the middle once and then the play button on the bottom lefthand corner of the screen once, the clip will play in this window without taking you to YouTube.