The Meaning of Christmas

I think I've got a little caught up in the commercialism of Christmas. This years we decided we would give the kids a little money to buy their own presents for the family. I was at the mall the other day with my son, and he became very frustrated. He said, "I want to go home," while were looking for mom's gift. The mall was crowded. I found my self nearly saying, "Son, that's what Christmas is all about." Gack. I couldn't believe it. That is not what Christmas is about.

Let's keep a proper perspective this Christmas. It is a celebration of the Savior's birth, not an excuse to spend a bunch of money on a bunch of junk.

Overweight Christians

My fellow blogger, recently blogged this. He talks about the focus of food in church fellowships. Here is an article in the same vein.

I admit that I struggle with food sometimes. It just tastes soooooo good. I find myself trying make the buffet restaurant lose money when I eat there. So, now, I try to avoid such places.

We, as Christians, avoid the awful "vices" of the world (smoking, drinking, etc.), but eating, no way. We eat every time we get together. Donuts for Sunday school. High fat stuff at potlucks. Pancake suppers. Men's breakfast at McDonald's. The list could go on.

Proud of my Daughter

I am so proud of my daughter (in a holy way).

I have contended for some time that the Gospel is less about hearing than it is about doing. James says "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22, NIV).

My daughter has spent the last several months knitting stocking hats for an orphanage in Ukraine. The effects cold weather they experience is lessened by the hats they wear. My mother-in-law taught her how to knit (I certainly didn't have a clue how to do it). She has enthusiastically kept up a good pace and finished about a dozen. I was sure she would do one or two then give up, but she stuck to it.

The hats are knitted out of your run of the mill yarn. It takes her an hour or so to knit a hat, which she often does while watching TV.

She is a doer of the Word rather than a mere hearer of the Word. It is one thing to hear about babies in Ukraine with cold heads, and it's quite another to actually take the time and effort to do something.

Let's not only hear the Word. Let's do it.

Prisoner Released!

Pastor Carlos Lamelas was released from prison in Cuba. He has been forbidden to preach. Here is a link to the story on PrisonerAlert.com.

This is certainly good news that he has been released. He can now be with his family. Pray that he and his family will have strength.

Does the Prosperity Gospel = Karma?

The third funniest show on television is "My Name is Earl." It comes only after "Scrubs" and "The Office," both tied for first (in my opinion). "My Name is Earl" has received its share of criticism from the religious world. It has been said to have "spiritual ignorance" by pluggedinonline.

Earl's life theme is "do good things and good things will happen to you" is a take off on the Hindu concept of karma.

Here are a couple definitions:

• “Karma is best translated as ‘cause and effect.’…The law of karma guarantees that all people get exactly what their actions merit. …karma teaches that whatever happens to people is the result of their personal actions in a previous existence.” (Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faith: A Christian Introduction to World Religions, [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1998] 196.)
• “No deed small or great, good or bad, can be without effect…. Karma makes him [mankind] the creator of his own destiny.” (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, vol. 1, Our Oriental Heritage, [New York: MJF, 1963] 514).

You can look up karma at Wikipedia.

Now look at two quotes from a Christian website:
“A faithful man will abound, or overflow with blessings.” and “Faithfulness is a criterion for promotion.” These are courtesy of Creflo Dollar. Lest I be accused of cherry-picking quotes, here is the link, which has the outline from which these quotes come. Creflo Dollar's quotes seem awful close to karma.

Much of the prosperity gospel crowd espouse a philosophy that says, "If you please God (i.e. do good), then God will bless you." Sounds like Earl's philosophy.

Give Earl a Bible and he could be a prosperity gospel preacher.

Our Obsession with Disaster

Have you noticed our obsession with disaster. This morning on the radio, I heard how our state is worried about a massive outbreak of the flu. They gave stats about how many people who work at the hospital would be out because they were sick or caring for sick family members. Then there would be the overcrowding of the hospital from people seeking treatment. Hundreds, no thousands, would be dead. The carnage would rival the French Revolution.

This past hurricane season was a collosal disappointment for those who love disaster. There were all sorts of predictions that we would exceed last year's (2005) 27 named storms. What a bust. The US was hit with a couple tropical storms, each of which did their share of damage.

We are obsessed with disaster. Why? Personally, I am content living a boring, disaster-free life.

Advent Season, not Christmas, yet

This is not the Christmas season, yet. This is advent. "Advent is a season of preparation for the coming of Christ: preparation to celebrate Jesus' birth at Christmas, to receive faithfully the risen Christ who comes to us in the Word and Spirit, and to await with hope Christ's coming in final victory. The word Advent come from the Latin adventus, which means 'coming.' Our greatest challenge is to make Advent a time of expectation for Christ's coming to be with us, not a frantic time of meeting secular demands of the season" (Pat Floyd, comp., The Special Days and Seasons of the Christian Year: How They Came About and How They Are Observed by Christians Today, [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998]).

As Christians, we should have anticipation about Jesus' coming. His coming is in three phases. First, we anticipate the celebration of his first coming over 2000 years ago. Second, we anticipate his coming in the here and now into our lives. Third, we anticipate his Second Coming at some point in the future.

As the above quote says, we have to get away from the rushing about that is this time of season. We have parties, concerts, plays, get-togethers. Then we have the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of miles that we have to travel to see loved ones. There is the pressure to buy the "perfect" gift. All of this gets in the way of anticipating the coming of Jesus.

One of the names given to Jesus in the prophetic record is Immanuel. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14, NIV). Immanuel means "God with us."

At this time of year, we should be anticipating "God with us."

The traditional Advent song goes, "O come, O come, Emmanuel."

"God, come and be with us."

Persecution in Perspective

The picture at the right is that of Li Ying. She is in jail in China for being a Christian. She edited a Christian magazine and was arrested in April 2001. She has been incarcerated for over 2000 days. You can read her story here at PrisonerAlert.com, a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs.

Her story, and those of others profiled on the website, put in perspective our American whining about how we as Christians are persecuted in the United States. We move about freely. We build huge temples so thousands of our numbers can drive fancy cars wearing fancy clothes to meet together. We enjoy tax-exempt status. We have Christian bookstores, schools, businesses, chambers-of-commerce, yellow pages, and so on. All of which operate legally out in the open. Not one of us is in danger of being tossed in jail for the sole reason of worshiping Jesus Christ. We complain about how no one at Wal-Mart says, "Merry Christmas," and that stupid little thing makes us persecuted. God help us if we really think we, in America, are persecuted. If we faced the same things that Li Yang, and others, face, most of us would renounce our faith.

The next time you think you are being persecuted, say a prayer for Li Ying.

A Real Hero

James Kim is a real hero. Here is the article from NBC. Kim and his family went missing last week in a snow storm in Oregon. He cared for his family: his wife, Kati and their two young daughters. On Friday, James decided that help probably was not coming, so he ventured into the snow to find help to save his family. Apparently he walked for eight miles, but only wound up a mile or so from the car. The family was found on Monday. Unwittingly, James left the trail for rescuers to find his family. A searcher noticed his James' tracks in the snow and followed them to the car, where Kati was waving an umbrella. Unfortunately, James' fortune was not the same as his family's. Somewhere along the way, James succumb to the elements. Trying with his last efforts in this life to save his family.

We often hear about family values. James Kim demonstrated the strongest of all family values. He went to every length, at great risk to his own life, to save his family. The love he had for Kati and the girls was one that could not be stopped by the elements. With his last efforts, he saved his family.

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). James Kim demonstrated the greatest love for his family, he laid down his life that they might live. Jesus laid down his life for us. St. John tells us, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" (1 John 3:16).

James Kim is a real hero and example for us.

Time Crunch

Well it's that time of the semester: FINALS. Well, next week anyway. Students who have slacked for the semester now ask, "What do I need to make on the final to get an 'A'?"

"Well," I patiently tell them, "Your current average is a 52, it would take a change in the laws of mathematics for you to make an 'A' or even pass." I wish I could say that. The final is not the time to learn everything for the first time. It should be review.

Most of my students are great. In one class 5 of the 15 are exempt from the final because they made a 93 average on all their tests. Most of the others left are good students as well. It's just the 2 or 3 that get to me at this time of the semester.

The BCS is a joke

My friend and fellow blogger is upset about Michigan getting left out of the BCS Championship game. Blog 1. Blog 2.

Pee-Wee football has a playoff. High school has a playoff. The NAIA has a playoff. NCAA Division I-AA, Div. II and Div. III have playoffs. The NFL has a playoff. The CFL has a playoff. Why can't NCAA Division I-A have a playoff?

There will be no legitimate champion until there is a playoff. The run that George Mason University made in the NCAA Basketball Tournament last year is proof that it isn't always the big dogs that can win. Michigan deserves a chance to play for the football championship. Boise State deserves a chance.

It is absolutely stupid that only two selected teams get to play for the championship.

Why do we want to be liked?

I guess it's a natural thing for us to want to be liked by others. I don't want anyone to hate me. I don't want to do something to make people hate me.

But, there are way too many thin-skinned Christians out there whining and moaning about the lack of a "Merry Christmas" greeting. Are we so insecure in our relationship with God that we feel the need to have our faith validated by Wal-Mart or Target or Joe's Shoe Shop?

Jesus told his apostles, the night before he was crucified, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19, NIV).

Look, my fellow Christ-followers, the world doesn't like us. It never has and never will. That doesn't mean we should be self-loathing or anything, but we must realize that the world hates us because it first hated our Master, Jesus Christ.

Why are we so worked about whether this store or that store employee tells us "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Should we not be in the business of telling them about Jesus? Jesus ("the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace") is why we celebrate this season. We should be more concerned that others hear that message than that we get our ears tickled by "Merry Christmas."

By the way, "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Season's Greeting" to you.

Keep the Money Happy, or Cha-Ching in the Pew

My main beef with the institutional church (i.e. the modern church, or church as usual) is over the issue of money. Not that I want more, but that money is what makes the whole thing hum.

Here is an example: At a church where we pastored, we had few visitors. One Sunday we actually had two families visit. One was a "respectable" late middle-aged couple. She wore a dress, and he wore a suit and tie. The other family was a mom with two teen-aged children. They wore blue jeans and t-shirts and had multiple piercings. One man in the congregation did his imitation of an Olympic hurdler gliding through the small sanctuary to drool all over the "respectable" couple. He barely acknowledged the existence of the other family. Sad.

Churches are encouraged by denominational officials to watch the bottom line. Raise more money. Keep the existing money happy. When I was pastoring, I was handcuffed by the big shots in order to keep "anonymous" donors happy.

What are we trying to do? Keep money happy, or do the work God wants us to do? This is a sad state of affairs. Serve God. Do as he wants us to do, regardless of what the money wants.

Egads! Part Two

Michael Richards' (aka Kramer) episode last weekend really illustrates our need to tame our tongue. Who of us has not spouted something that we later wished could be erased from the memory of those that heard it? If I had a nickel for every stupid thing I said ...

The Apostle James reminds us, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (James 1:19).

Slow to speak means that we must be careful of the words we choose. This is true no matter what the conversation may be about. I remember some advice I received as a child: count to 10 when you are angry before you say something. That would be good advice for any of us. Don't get caught up in the heat of the moment. Slow down. Think about what you are going to say and how it will impact those that hear it.

Egads!

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19.

Just in case you missed it, here is a link to the story.

Don't Rock the Boat, Don't Rock the Boat

Someone recently quoted me a stat that made my head spin. Dr. Jerry D. Porter, General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene stated that over one-half of pastors quit within the first five years of pastoring.

I am close to that category. I pastored for 3 1/2 years. I have not decided to give up permanently, but I have seriously considered it.

This trend disturbs me greatly. It seems (from personal experience, not scientific study) that most pastors who remain in the position for years and years are ones who do not rock the boat. They play maintenance man (or woman). They keep the flock happy, content to report growth that comes mainly from other churches. When times get a little rocky, they pack up and go somewhere else.

The pastors who desire to make changes are badgered until they submit to the tyranny of tradition or are run out of town.

In my experience, we were threatened with pay cuts to toe the line. We held firm, and everyone just bailed out.

The problem is both from the congregation and the denominational leadership. The tyranny of tradition is killing the church. We must do things the way we have always done them. If it doesn't work, just try harder. Don't dare think of doing something new or different.

My advice: if you want to stay in the pastoral "biz" for a long time, don't rock the boat. If you truly want to purse ministry, perhaps non-traditional ministries are the place for you.

What do you have to say?

What are the most memorable speeches in history? Short ones. Think of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It was a mere 267 words (if I counted correctly). Mark Antony's "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" speech in Julius Caesar (Shakespeare) contains only 270 words. Does anyone remember any President's State of the Union address? Hardly. They are long and boring.

When it comes to preaching, the same thing goes. Why do preachers feel it necessary to gas on for 45 minutes? Fifteen to twenty minutes is usually enough time to finish saying what you have to say. There is not need for redundancy. No one needs to say the same thing over and over. Repetitiveness adds nothing.

Keep it short and simple. It will be memorable. It will impact. It's hard to have impact on someone when they are asleep or mentally checked out.

What's your motive?

In the move Apollo 13, the astronauts contemplate what it would be like to land on the moon as they struggle to make in back to earth. Tom Hanks (playing Jim Lovell) says, "Gentlemen, what's your motivation? I want to go home."

My fellow blogger blogged about "Superstar Pastors." In it he talks about how pastors become celebrities, and people go to a church based on the particular pastor's persona. Unfortunately, I agree with this blogger. Often pastors do become superstars, with followings like rock stars.

I want to take this a step further. Having been a pastor, I found myself dreaming of a large church. But, what was my motive? Was it to see lost souls find peace in Jesus? Or, was it so I could be come a superstar?

I have worked in the corporate world. I had to fill out a weekly productivity report. Essentially, I was justifying my position through numbers. I logged the number of reports created, searches done, and so on. I was eager to move up the corporate ladder. How many pastors are seeking to move up the corporate ladder? It seems that many are always on the look out for the next big church. A bigger church means a bigger salary, a bigger ego, and validation. Then there may be a job offer with a district office or the general church. A growing church isn't so much about growing God's kingdom as it is about validating a pastor's existence.

As our church was imploding, a parishioner essentially told me that I wasn't charismatic enough. It wasn't in so many words, but that was the gist.

Man, I sound cynical.

What is our motive?

Why the Interest in NASCAR?

What is the big attraction to car driving around in a huge circle? (Okay, I now it's not technically a circle. More of an oval, I guess.)

I don't understand why people would pay hundreds of dollars to sit in horrible traffic to get the the racetrack to watch cars turn left. They don't go anywhere, just around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around....

Here is an idea to make it more interesting: Make the track a figure eight. Now that would provide some interesting television.

People Are Going To Do It Anyway

I am always astounded by people who say that: "People are going to do it anyway."

It is usually used in conjunction with teenage sex, abortion or drug use. The logic runs this way: Teens are raging with hormones; they want to have sex; they are going to have sex; we have to make it "safe" for them. You could substitute abortion or drug use.

Let's carry this logic out. People want to drive drunk. People are going to drive drunk. Forget about stopping them. They are going to do it anyway. People are going to rob banks. Husbands are going to beat their wives. People are going to kill other people.

If we are going to use that logic, why can't I do whatever I want to whomever I want?

We live in a society of laws and morals (in theory anyway). We have standards. I don't accept the fact that my kids are going to "bed-hop" when they are teenagers. I pray they don't. Why do we have to accept certain behaviors just because?

Am I unique?

This is wild:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 76 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

The Church's Role in Society

One of the big problems that I have with most churches is that they have a "come-and-see" approach to touching the community. Come to "Friend Day." Come to the Christmas program. Come to the potluck. Come to the Halloween party (or alternative). Come to this function or that program. There is very little "go-and-tell." (Now when I refer to go-and-tell, I am not refering to the guy who stands on the corner shouting damnation into a megaphone.)

There is resistence to getting our hands dirty dealing with "those kinds of people." Jesus told us to "go into the world," not "wait for the world to stumble in your door."

We are so busy with all these programs at the church building that we don't have time to be the Church out in our communities. I have been saying for some time, in relation to church activities, "less is more."

(Just a brief rant while I'm bored, sitting a computer lab.)

The Role of the Bible in "Bible-Believing" Churches

I am curious about what role the Bible plays in the worship gathering of most so-called "Bible believing" evangelical churches.

Most churches that profess to believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God rarely read from the Bible during the usual worship gathering. The only portions of scripture are at the beginning of the sermon. A three minute trek through the "inerrant" Word of God is often followed by 45 minutes of lecture that has little to do with what was read. Where is the Bible?

In the "liberal churches" that I have attended read more scripture in one worship gathering than most evangelical churches read in a month. They read a passage from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament and the Gospels. How is that these churches that are often accused of not really believing the Bible read from it more than the so-called Bible believing churches?

If we really believe the Bible, why don't we read from it more?

The Gambler's Hand in Shutting down the Cardinals

Apparently, Kenny "The Gambler" Rogers had some substance on his hand during the first inning of Game Two of the World Series. If it was a foreign, illegal substance he should have been tossed from the game. He was asked to wash his hands (and perhaps brush his teeth?) before the second inning. Whatever it was, it didn't appear to give him an advantage, as he held yet another team scoreless for eight innings.

Was it illegal? I don't know. All I know is that The Gambler shut down the Cards.

Doubt

I used to read Sweet Pickles books when I was a kid. There were 26 characters in the books, one animal for each letter. One character was named Doubting Dog. He would run around saying, "I doubt it." No matter what was going on that was his response to everything.

Some people are forever submerged in the foggy abyss of doubt that they cannot see their hand in front of his face. Others battle times of intense doubt.

One of Jesus' disciples has been slapped with the label of "doubter." The story runs as such:

After Jesus was dead and buried, he rose again. He appeared to a number of women who had been his followers. He appeared to 10 of 12 disciples. Judas the betrayer had done himself in. Thomas was not there, probably just needing to be alone.

St. John (chapter 20:24-29) picks up the account as follows:
24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Thomas has forever been labled "Doubting Thomas." Was Thomas wrong for wanting proof? I have been skeptical on hearing things that I didn't think could be true. On 9/11 I was a doubter when a co-worker told me about the attacks.

So what of Thomas' doubt? Have you ever doubted God? If you said "no," I doubt that.

As our church was imploding, I doubted God. I argued with God. I wagged my finger in his face. I questioned him: "Why on earth did you drag me here for this? I was perfectly happy where I lived before?"

I was a time of intense struggle for me. I was angry with God. I doubted that I was doing what I should be doing.

When we have doubts, where do we find the answer?

William Barclay notes, "Certainty came to Thomas, not through intellectual conviction of the truth of a creed, but through firsthand experience of the power and presence of Jesus Christ. Thomas became sure, not of things about Jesus Christ, but of Jesus Christ himself." (From The Master's Men.)

Doubts are overcome when we honestly face them. When we doubt God, the solution is not run away from him. We need to run to him. We need to talk to him. We need to tell him our doubts, frustrations or anger.

"I tried to pray without cussing."

That was a comment I heard a man say not so long ago. My daughter plays on a softball team that has many Christians on it. When they play, especially on Sundays, they always have a devotional and prayer before the games. One Sunday, the usual designated pray guy was busy, and someone else filled in. He offered a brief prayer for the safety of the girls and some other words. I could tell he was not at his most comfortable conversing with the Almighty. Later he went up to the man who usually prayers and said, "I tried to pray without cussing."

I thought about how offended some goody-goody Christians would be if they heard such a comment. I can heard the snide comments now. "How dare you say such a thing." "How could you even contemplate praying and cussing."

If some cusses while they pray, I say, "At least they are interacting with the Creator." What the hell? Let's all pray.

The Fall of the "Evil Empire"

No, I'm not 15 years late writing an obituary for the Soviet Union. I mean the fall (i.e. crash and burn) of baseball's mighty Yankees. I just watch a 23 year-old make the vaunted Yanks look like a bunch of tee-ballers swinging the bat. How on earth does that payroll get no-hit for 5 innings?

Congratulations to the long-futile franchise of the Detroit Tigers. The last time they were in the playoffs, Ronald Reagan was president.

The hard part for them is going to be keeping up the intensity when facing Oakland.

One can only imagine the rampage that George Steinbrenner is on. Is anyone safe? Good-bye A-Rod? Good-bye Torre? The Yanks haven't been the same since George Costanza was there.

Reflections on having a 10 year old

I am not old enough to have a ten year old, but nonetheless my oldest child is now one decade old. It seems like yesterday I woke up in haze to my wife saying, "I think my water broke!" What a shock that was.

I think back over the changes of the last 10 years, and then I look ahead. My oldest will 20 in another 10 years. It seems like the last 10 years have been a blur. I can only imagine what the next 10 will be.

Enjoy the kids while you have them. Savor each stage of life. Don't rush things. Like Ferris Buehler said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."

Our problem with "them"

I get so sick and tired of people griping about sinners in church. "All that guy does is stand outside and smoke." That was a comment made by someone.

Does smoking send someone to hell? Does not smoking get us to heaven?

Don't smokers need the love of Jesus just as much as the goody-goodies?

The scriptures say:

15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" (Mark 2:15-16).

The Church does not exist solely for the benefit of those who have their act together. I would say that the Church exists more for the benefit of those who need the touch of the "Friend of Sinners."

The dulling of the "Tomahawk Chop"

Well, the Atlanta Braves have been officially dethroned. The New York Mets have done what no one has been able to do since 1990. The Mets have become National League Eastern Division champs. The last time the Brave did not win the division, George Bush (H. W. that is) was president. Vanilla Ice was popular (still can't believe he ever was). The Milwaukee Brewers were still in the American League. No one had ever heard of the Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, or Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Washington Nationals were a historical footnote (having moved to Minnesota in the early 1960s). The Wild Card was term associated exclusively with the NFL.

The Braves won an amazing 14 consecutive division titles, a feat not even equalled by the vaunted New York Yankees. In those 14 years, the Braves won 5 pennants and only one World Series. The Florida Marlins, in the last 10 years, won two World Series. During the last 14 years, the Toronto Blue Jays won two. The Yankees won four.

It seems to me that the Braves were among the biggest underperformers in the post season. It's nice to see some new faces. Now, if we could just get the Yankees to lose.

Spontaneity vs. planning

I've been thinking lately about spontaneity versus planning in worship. The tension that arises when considering that the two lies in the seemingly irreconcilable difference between the two. Planning seems to eliminate the possibility of anything spontaneous happening. Planning stifles spontaneity.

The problem that I see is this. Lack of planning looks more like chaos than spontaneity. When we don't plan there is no flow. It meanders here and there. Ebbing this way, and flowing that way. It lurches this way then that. There is no discernable beginning and the ending seems anticlimactic.

Planning gives us focus and direction. Within that framework we can allow for spontaneity. We need to know where we are going, or we will never get anywhere.

On our recent vacation (see previous post), we had a plan about what direction we were going. Within that plan, we did some spontaneous things.

Worship is no different. Direction gives us destination, while allowing for the spontaneous.

The dream is dead

The Kansas City Royals were officially eliminated from all post season consideration yesterday, August 30. I'll sleep on a tear stained pillow tonight.

Commitment to God

What is commitment to God? Is it a commitment to a church? Is it a commitment to the Church? Is it commitment to other people? Is it a commitment to pray? Is it a commmitment to read the Bible? Is there a specific time to be committed to God? Is it commitment to spiritual growth? Is it commitment to a pastor?

Is there something special about the time and place one expresses their commitment to God? Does it have to be at 11:00 on Sunday morning?

I think that it is a commitment to spiritual growth. It is spiritual growth that brings us closer to God. It is spiritual growth that makes us more like Christ. What good is church if we are not changed? It's no more useful than sitting and staring at the wall. The same could be said for prayer and Bible reading. If it doesn't change us, it's useless. Church, prayer and Bible reading, among other things are tools to our spiritual growth.

A momentous day in baseball

Well, August 24 is a momentous day in baseball, especially for the once proud franchise Kansas City Royals. The team of Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett. They have been officially eliminated from contention of the American League Central division. They were eliminated before the end of August. That is absolutely amazing. It's still a week and a half before Labor Day, and the Royals are finished.

But wait! There's always the wild card. The Royals are not officially, mathematically eliminated from that, yet. Imagine with me. There is a monumental collapse on the part of the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim), Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. All those teams (every one of them) falls completely apart. The Royals pull it together, and hello, October. It could happen. Keep the dream alive.

This was a team that was in post-season play seven times between 1976 and 1985, including two pennants and a world championship. In the last 21 years? Nothing. Nada. Zippo. A goose egg.

This is a profound embarrassment for anyone associated with that franchise. Don't boo-hoo about small market this and that. The Oakland A's, Minnesota Twins, and Cincinnati Reds are all small market teams that have been successful. The Twins and A's have even had sustained runs over the last 5-7 years.

School Time

School is back in session for the fall semester. We started last week. I've jumped up to four classes from three. I'm excited about it. I'm teaching a new class this fall. Who would have ever thought that someone with a degree in history would be teaching math.

I'm looking forward to this semester. My classes seem to have many good students, and some duds too.

It's kind of strange. Back when I was in college, my goal was to be a college professor (in history, of course). Then I answered God's call into the ministry. Now, I teaching, but in math. I still have the opportunity to minister at the church we are currently attending.

For all the students out there, have a great semester.

Vacation

We just got back from vacation the other day. We visited the northeast part of the United States.

We visited the Baseball Hall of Fame (the picture above) in Cooperstown, NY. Having been a baseball fan for years, I was like a kid in a candy store. Never have I seen so many middle-aged men bouncing around a museum gleefully followed by so many bored wives.

After that we headed to New Hampshire via the Vermont. Then we went on to Massachusetts. We went up to Maine for a lobster dinner.

We spent a couple days in Boston. We visited the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. We then walked The Freedom Trail in Boston. This included the Old State House of Massachusetts, Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church, and other places. The next we looked at the Adams Historic Park in Quincy, Mass. just south of Boston, and then we visited Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

After that, we headed for New York City. I have never seen so many people. We visited Ground Zero where the World Trade Center was attacked, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and went to a New York Yankees game. We even rode the New York City subway. We got back from the game after 11:00 PM. I was a little nervous about our two-block walk to the hotel at that hour. I thought the streets would be desserted. At that hour, the streets were full. I could not believe it. It really is "the city that never sleeps."

We also stopped in Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, which was smaller than I had thought it would be.

It was good to get away, but it was also good to get home again.

Feeding the hungry

Our last official act as the pastor of our church was to serve lunch at the community shelter. Our new church is eager to pick up the torch here, which is great.

Jesus spoke about feeding the hungry when we talked about the sheep and goats. His brother, James wrote about faith in action using the example of feeding the hungry. In effect, James says that we are useless to God when we tell a hungry person, "Good luck with your food search." How useless is that? It doesn't do one single thing to fill their stomach.

My goal is to be someone who is used by God. What good am I if I stay locked up in the church never to touch the people that are hurting and hungry.

I want to share this with my kids. We took them. It was great. They were great. They loved it. They really liked helping others. My daughter commented how much she appreciated what she had.

I have never met anyone who wasn't moved or affected by helping those in need. I've never heard anyone that didn't want to help again.

An Incredible Journey

I just finished Donald Miller's book Through Painted Deserts. I had previously read Blue Like Jazz and Searching For God Knows What. I really enjoyed both of those books. I love Miller's style. I showed someone his Searching For God Knows What book, and the person flipped through it, and said, "He has a relaxed writing style." I agree. It's so easy. He draws you into the book.

If you are contemplating reading Blue Like Jazz, read this book first. It sets the stage. It's a prequel of sorts. Actually it's a rewrite of his first book Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance.

In the book, Don and his friend Paul set out from Houston (Don's hometown) in 1971 VW van (the hippie van). They find all kinds of adventure. They meet some very interesting people along the way. They talk about life, girls, and everything.

I found myself wishing I could hop in an old VW van and hit the road for three months. I highly recommend this book, or the other two that I've read. I haven't read To Own a Dragon yet, but if it's anything like these I should be a great read.

I guess I should tell you what I learned from the book. Well, basically I have come to realized (although not entirely through this book) that the real issues of life aren't what we always think they are. As Miller says, we spend so much worrying about the how of life that we neglect the why of life. It's not about how I can get ahead, but why am I here and what does God want to do with me? Tough question with no easy answers.

Prayer: What's the point?

This kind of hit home to me this past Sunday. As I mentioned in my previous post, the church we were pastoring died. Now, we are going to a new church that is great. One thing I don't like, though, is the prayer time. It seems like it's the "let's-catch-up-on-the-gossip-of-the-church" time. Someone said (and the names have been changed, maybe), "The Doddleberry family isn't here this morning. They're having real problems. I don't know what they are, but they are going through some rough times." Gack! My wife said she almost stood up and said, "Be QUIET!" which isn't like her at all.

But that brings me to my question. What is the point of prayer?

This is how some view it:

• It's a laundry list of wants. We toddle up to Santa God with our wish list of this, that and the other thing. Hopefully he sees that we've been good boys and girls, and we get all the cool presents we asked for.
• It's gossip time. How is brother Elmo's flaky rash that he has on his butt?
• It's candy time. We slide onto the lap of forgetul old geezer God and ask for a piece of candy. He seems to forget that it has been ages since we visited, but he's so happy to see us that he reaches into his pocket to give us pepperment flavored disc of sugar.

Is that all there is to prayer? I hope not.

In thinking about all this, I asked myself, "Self, why do you talk to that beautiful wife you have?"

I replied to myself, "Well, self, I want to get to know her better. Sure, we've been married quite a while, but I still learn things about her. Even when she's out of town, we talk on the phone."

I talk to and spend time with her to know. Isn't it the same with God. My wife is finite creature (albeit a gorgeous one). God is infinite. If I learn things about my finite wife after over a decade of marriage, how much more can I expect to learn about God. If talking to wife makes me closer to her, doesn't prayer bring me closer to God.

Prayer is less about we what can squeeze out of God, and more about getting closer to him.

Where do I go and where do I fit?

My life in ministry has changed much over the last few months. The church that I was the pastor imploded and nothing is left. We have started attending another church, and have sought opportunities for ministry. (I can't stand doing nothing.) It's strange not being the one up front. One of the hard things, having preached every Sunday for nearly 4 years, is that I tend to listen with a critical ear. It's not critical in the sense that I say, "That was awful," but in the sense of this was good or that was bad in terms of delivery. It's hard to allow God to speak to me when I do that. I hate doing it.

I have never doubted God's call on my life to be where I'm at right now. I just want to do what God wants me to do.

The church family we are currently with is great. The people are nice and friendly. I really get the sense that they care, and that's cool. So many churches aren't like that.

Sometimes I wonder, though, if I fit in. I've always tended to be a sort of a loner, and that makes people think I'm aloof. All the questions run through my mind, "Will I fit in here? What will others think? Is this the right place?" I guess I'm a little insecure right now.

God is working me through this.

The little known (and thought of) characters of the Bible

I've been thinking some over the past few days about the "little guy" in the biblical narrative. I read Variety in Biblical Preaching (see previous post), and was struck by the things that were said about the narrative and dramatic monologue sermon. I had always come from the approach at looking at the "star of the show" and his/her perspective.

For example, I've been intrigued about the narrative of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17 (the picture is one I found on the Internet depicting the scene). In the past, I would have looked at this from the viewpoint of Elijah, who was the "star of the show." We encounter Elijah at numerous points in the following chapters. He is a revered prophet in Jewish history. He stands out as a giant in the landscape.

But, what of the widow? Or, what of the son? Here is a boy who is being raised by a single mother. Widows at that time were destitute beyond anything we could imagine. We don't know the mother's name, much less the son's name. (Was it Bill? Or, Fred?) They were suffering from a drought, ready to eat their last meal and wait for starvation to overtake their bodies when Elijah walks into their life. He asks the mother for a drink and a biscuit.

From there the mother's flour and oil are endless in supply. This is a miracle from God. Then the boy gets sick and dies. (Who was this boy?) The mother blames Elijah for the calamity. All this after she had given up. Elijah prays for the boy and carries him back to his mother.

Who was the boy? I imagine (this is all speculation) he was a boy like any other boy. I sure he like to run and play (I know I did, when I was younger). I wonder how old his was. I can't imagine he was more than ten or so. The Bible says that Elijah carried him, so he couldn't have been too old, unless Elijah was a really strong man.

After this we hear nothing about the woman or the boy. Jesus made a reference to Elijah and the woman, but not the son. There is a passing reference to this episode in Hebrews. Beyond that? Nothing. Not a word. What happened to the boy later? Was he the talk of the town? You know, the boy that was dead then alive.

I think I'm going to work up a dramatic monologue sermon on this passage from the perspective of the boy.

Variety is the spice of . . . Preaching

I just finished a book called Variety in Biblical Preaching by Harold Freeman. It was published in 1987. I believe it to be out of print at this time, as I was only able to find copies of it on the internet at "used" book sites. I cannot remember where I got this book. It was either as a part of lot from ebay or from another pastor. I was also a little skeptical that this book would be helpful, because it is nearly 20 years old.

Much to my surprise, it was a great book. It was an easy read. It was a quick read. It was packed with a great deal of help.

The main points are as follows:

1. Freeman is concerned with "biblical preaching." His concern is that the sermon is both faithful to the text of scripture and applicable to contemporary life. No matter what form of sermon a pastor would choose to use, the sermon must be biblical and applicable.

2. The first type of sermon discussed is the "dramatic monologue" in which the pastor enters the role of a biblical character to tell the story. For example, one would "become" Peter and reflect upon events that happened and deliver the message as Peter.

I have used this a couple times. The first time I did, I borrowed a sermon from a classmate in preaching class. I also wrote one of my own. I really liked doing these, and would like to do more of them in future.

3. The second type of sermon was the "dialogical message." This is when the minister "dialogues" with the congregation. There are numerous dangers in this method. Freeman asserts that one can be dialogical in principle while being monological in method. In this method the speaker anticipates questions that would arise from the congregation and answer them. It could go so far as allowing spontaneous questions and discussion.

The danger is that open-ended discussion can cause people to think that anything goes. Freeman says that questions can be predetermined, but that could seem contrived. If one is to use the dialogical method, one has to be careful.

4. The third type is the "narrative message." Freeman notes that the main difference between this and the dramatic monologue is that the narrative message is told in the third person rather than first person. The preacher retells the biblical story, either as it occurred or in a modern, updated form.

I have used this, especially with the parables of Jesus. I told the story in modern form, read the scripture and the offered application. (I'll talk more about application in a minute.)

5. He discussed briefly the "media-augmented message," the "inductive message," the "segmented sermon," and the "drama-augmented sermon."

a. In the discussion of the media-augmented message, the books age is most clear. He talks of slides rather than PowerPoint.

b. The inductive message is basically the reverse of the traditional sermon.

c. The segmented sermon is just that, segmented. One would preach for a time, take a break to do a reading or sing, then preach some more. I used this once on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church; it went well.

d. The drama-augmented sermon is basically where one would have people act out the scene before, or during, the message.

When it comes to application, Freeman seems to prefer direct application where the minister tells the congregation directly what the application is. Indirect application can lead to subjective application.

If you can find the book, I recommend it.

Relationship is what matters

I recently finished reading (for the second time) a wonderful little book by Michael Lodahl and Thomas Jay Oord called Relational Holiness. The authors seek to find the "core notion of holiness." In an effort to find that core they explore the "contributing notions of holiness." They list several, but I think you can boil it down to two streams of thought. Essentially holiness has been understood in three ways (two contributing and one main). Two of these ways are the boiled down version of Lodahl and Oord's contributing notions.

First, you have holiness by right actions. This is little more than rule keeping. This is the holiness model I was raised with. It did not matter why you kept the rules, so long as you kept the rules. We did not smoke, drink alcohol, dance, go to movies (however, we could watch them on TV or video), wear two-piece bathing suites, etc. The wise counsel of the church elite crafted a list. One was holy if one followed the rules.

Second, you have holiness as right belief. This is the fundamentalist view. As long as you hold a certain set of beliefs you are okay. The beliefs may vary from place to place and time to time, but no one should ever question the belief. Our actions really do not matter so long as we believe the correct things.

Third, you have holiness as right relationship. This would include our relationship with God and others. Jesus was once asked what the greatest commandment was. He replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." He went on to add, "Love your neighbor as yourself." At another time Jesus clarified who our neighbor is. It is any other member of the human race (white, black, Latino, Asian, Christian, Jew, Muslim, heterosexual, homosexual, or any other label we slap on someone). When our relationships are right, we are holy. We love God and we love others. Lodahl and Oord suggest that love is the core notion of holiness.

The thing about relationships is that they are dynamic. They change. My relationship with my wife is different than it was when we got married. It is different than it was a year ago. My relationship with God is changing. It ebbs and flows. What God wanted me to do ten years ago is not necessarily what he wants me to do today.

The bottom line is this: God cares more about a relationship than he does about rules and beliefs.

The problem is that relationships are not quantifiable. I cannot quantify how much I love my kids. I cannot quantify my relationship with God. Rules, on the other hand, are easily quantifiable. I went to church this many times. I read this many chapters of the Bible. I don't smoke. I don't dance. Beliefs are also quantifiable. I believe this, that and the other thing. Rules and beliefs are also transferable to others. Everyone will follow the same rules and hold the same beliefs. Relationships look different for everyone. My relationship with God will look very different from yours.

Relationship is what matters.

One thing I hate about being a minister

Don't get me wrong. I love being a minister, even the challenges.

There is one thing, though, that bugs me. People think that I have God's secret cell phone number. They think that someone, as a man of the cloth, my prayers ring louder in God's ears than anyone else's.

Not true. Not true at all. Everyone has equal access to God because of Jesus Christ. With that thought in mind, our church has banished the "pastoral prayer" time in worship. (I remember as a kid and teenager, the agonizingly long pastor's prayers that would seem to drone on for hours, as he prayed for the Millie's sore toe, and Jethro's finger, and so on in a monotone that would put the worst insomniac to sleep.) We have returned to the prayers of the people. Instead of me droning on about this and that, people can write in prayer journals. They can be as personal as one would like. It gives everyone equal access to God.

Also instead of a free-form closing prayer, we pray in unison a prayer. Some of these prayers come from The Book of Common Prayer, others from The Oxford Book of Prayer edited by George Appleton. Everyone prayers. Everyone processes the words of the prayer.

Prayer is for the people. It's not just for the minister.

Let's Quit Beating Our Heads Against The Same Old Wall

One thing that I've noticed in my few years in the ministry is the resistance to change, to try anything new. Everyone loves the glory days.

The problem is that most people couldn't care less about what happens in the church-world.

The thought line of most leadership runs this way: if we just keep doing what we've always done but try just a little harder we will see success. All the while fewer and fewer people care about what goes on. We try harder, but nothing.

Hey folks, let's try something new. Let's try listening to people and engaging in conversation. Let's quit trying to shout everyone down. Let's quit trying to prove that we are right. Let's quit being defensive. Let's quit waiting for the great hoards of the unwashed to clean up and come to us. Let's get off our butts and get involved with people. Let's get out the four walls of the church and engage our community where it's at. Let's spend time with people who don't go to church.

Jesus didn't hideout in the synagogues or the temple. He got involved with the lives of people. He talked to a woman by a well. He forgave prostitutes. He loved people who needed him. Let's show a little of that love and compassion.

Most people outside the church don't care about us, because they think we don't care about them. If they think we care, it's only to the extent that we can shake them down for money, or count them in our attendance figures.

Let's quit beating out heads against the same old wall.

My first blog post

I'm trying this for the first time. Like a lot of other stuff I try, I'll probably not post much. I'll hit a posting frenzy, then forget about for a while.

I've been on a spiritual journey for the past few years. I was raised in the Church of the Nazarene. I always thought that Christianity was a cookie-cutter thing. I am learning the richness of a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. It has ups and downs, much like any other relationship.

I am in the ministry. At the moment, I am the pastor of a Church of the Nazarene. I have also learned how worship and ministry is changing.

I hope to post more thoughts in the future.