Obstacles

I recently read an article which said that the current thought processes for church growth sees ‘traditional worship styles, theological rigor and denominational distinctives’ as obstacles. So that’s what they think of our needs…they’re only obstacles. According to Webster’s, an obstacle is defined as: something that impedes progress or achievement. If our needs are obstacles to the church, exactly what is being obstructed? Do our needs hold back the Kingdom of God? Has the Gospel been squelched? Have needs undermined the Word? No. The real issue is that man has developed his own method for church growth and he won’t allow anyone or anything to get in the way of his vision. Paul has some thoughts on the subject: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (1Cor 3: 6-7 NIV) Sometimes those who focus on church growth have the appearance of holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven. But in reality, their key is nothing more than the same one the janitor has to the building.

Out of Sequence

Right now I have a multi-generational household and we’re all on different schedules. A couple of us may eat breakfast around the same time, however one may be finishing their meal while another is just starting. Since we don’t always sit down to the breakfast table at the same time, we also don’t pray together. A couple days ago I was multi-tasking in my head and forgot to pray until I already had a bit of warm buttery cheese omelet in my mouth. I stopped chewing and tried to thank the Lord, but it just didn’t work. The flavor in my mouth overrode the words in my head. When I finished chewing the unblessed bite, swallowed and again began to pray. I apologized to God…I really was sorry for losing my focus. I felt like I needed to repent before I ask for God’s blessing. It was awkward. Usually when I wake up in the morning I feel like I have a clean slate. I’m just not used to having to repent before 8:00 am.

Father's Day

A couple years ago on Father’s Day three year-old David charged into the house and excitedly handed Bill a card saying, “Happy Mother’s Day Granddad!”

Is and Are

In the midst California wild fires a firefighter was interviewed by a TV reporter. He was asked how they determine if it’s a Red Flag Day. He said, “Low humidity, high heat and strong wind.” The fire department wouldn’t sound a warning for just one of these conditions, but collectively there is cause for alarm. I’ve had folks ask, ‘So Gail, what is the problem at XYZ church?’ It’s impossible for me to answer because its not, what is the problem, but rather what are the problems. It would be great to be able to point to something specific and say, ‘It’s the high heat’. However, I’ve found in the church that only one issue doesn’t warrant raising a red flag.

Lessons from the Prairie Dog

Recently I was at a meeting with an official from a neighboring community. He told the crowd about their prairie dog problem on the floor of a prominent valley. Explaining his situation he said, “The answer is water.” As a snicker went through the audience he said, “No wait, we don’t drown them! We just have to water the grasses. Really… there are people out there that study these things. When the grasses get so high that the prairie dogs can’t see over them, they can’t communicate and then they move on.” Ah-ha, maybe that’s part of the communication problem in the church - the grass is so tall we’re cut off from one another.

Three Minutes

I’m running in another election, but this time it’s for a position on an Executive Board for state municipalities. The annual conference is next week and each candidate will have exactly three minutes to give a speech in which to garner votes. It sort of reminds me of an arranged marriage where the bride and groom don’t meet until they are saying their ‘I do’s’…or as in this case, casting their votes. Often our testimony and witness for Christ is subtle and given over time. I’m wondering what I’d say in a speech if I had only three minutes to make a cause for Christ.

Freebie

Not too long ago, I attended a trade show and met an exhibitor who had self-published a financial advice book. As I thumbed through his book and he said, “You can have the book if you promise you’ll read it.” So what could I say to that? No thanks, you can keep your book… Well, maybe I’ll read it and then again I might not… I took the freebie and walked away feeling very small. Attaching strings to things would be something I would expect from a parent. Can’t you hear a mother say, ‘you can go to the movie if you promise to take out the trash for a week’. Sometimes we believers subtly attach our own strings to Salvation. We know we’re saved but, to be really saved we need to regularly attend church, get into a Bible study and stop all our bad habits. Every once in awhile I get tangled up in my own strings. Then the Lord has to clip them and set me free again.

Equality

I think it’s safe to say that, in one fashion or another, all churches support missionaries on the field. It’s interesting to me that Paul gives us the example of the Macedonian churches supporting other churches. I don’t think we see that same grace of giving played out today. We don’t support our own denominational churches in neighboring towns, much less support the church down the street. Yes, we may join forces on a project that benefits the Christian community, but we don’t support the needs of other churches. Seriously, aside from a national disaster I can’t imagine any of our congregations contributing to the building fund of another church or helping them with the needs of their shut-ins. Paul says, “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality…” (2 Cor 8:13-14 NIV) I wonder what equality amongst our churches might look like.

Peripheral Believers

In his book Exodus, author Dave Shiflett delves into what makes liberal churches tick. One of Dave’s interviewees is a man named Gary who says, “Any sane person would agree that you’ve got problems if you’re losing a great portion of your church population. But the liberal priests would actually say it was a good thing. They said [that] ‘what we’re losing are the peripheral believers’ and that shedding all those people would actually make the church stronger.” Certainly the Good Shepherd who goes after one lost sheep would disagree. I’m amazed that we allow it to be said that believers, peripheral or not, are expendable. Satan must be celebrating at the thought of a ‘core group of people’ getting the credit for strengthening the church.

Taking the Plunge

For over seven years I’ve worshiped and fellowshipped with Ms. Clair, who is a dyed in the wool Catholic. She has faithfully attended my independent, emersion believing church, all the while lovingly and vehemently maintaining, “I’ve been sprinkled and saved. There’s no way you’re going to get me in that bathtub (baptismal).” I and many others are scraping ourselves off the floor as this senior citizen has just decided to take the plunge. Oh my goodness, just tell me the Holy Spirit doesn’t humor us! Clair is not the ‘river’ or ‘pond’ type, so she is waiting for the preacher to locate a church willing to loan out their baptistery. This will be the third baptism for one of the new start-up churches. As word spreads about Clair’s decision many of us are inviting ourselves to her baptism. I really think she could sell tickets!

Have a Seat

I have chemical allergies (perfumes and scents) to deal with and the best seat for me is in the back of a room near a door. I always try to arrive early to an event so I can find the most comfortable place to sit that meets my needs. When I go to a movie theater I won’t give up my seat for the elderly, the handicapped or the late arriver because I figure its first come, first serve. In my former church there was plenty of seating, however in my new place of worship, the seating is limited and fills up quickly...and I have a problem. From my seat in the back row I can see all the late arrivers and I feel guilty for not wanting to give up my seat to them. For some reason the first come, first serve rule works better in the world than it does in the church.

Adding to Their Number

We just had another baptism, but rather than the river, this young lady opted for a pond. At one time our denominational churches all attended a camp facility located in the mountains. Every summer attendees restacked river rocks and maintained a make-shift baptismal in the clear running river winding through the camp. Normally at a baptism you need only the dunker, the dunkee and any witnesses you can round up. At church camp however, we also had to have two or three men stationed down stream just in case the newly saved soul slipped out of the preacher’s hands. Of late we become so accustomed to not having baptisms that having two of them within a matter of a few weeks gives me a lump in my throat. I can’t even imagine how I’d react if we were like the early church where “…the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47b NIV)

Outsourcing

Today we hear a lot about jobs being outsourced to foreign markets where other countries are touted as being better producers than the United States. In a sense Jesus outsourced the Gospel when He told the chief priests and Pharisees, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matt. 21:43 NIV) It takes very little imagination for me to apply Jesus’ statement to churches in America today. Reportedly the Gospel is exploding in many areas around the world while U.S. churches and denominations are imploding. It makes me wonder if it’s a matter of who’s producing the fruit.

Ignorant of God

According to Webster’s a person can be described as ignorant when they are “lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified.” Although I probably wouldn’t say it to their face, I have some friends and family members who are indeed ignorant of God. However in the church it never crosses our minds as to whether or not someone knows God. After all, if they don’t know God, why on earth would they be coming to church?And yet, that’s exactly what Paul says to the Corinthian Church. “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.” (1 Cor 15:34 NIV). I can’t imagine thinking, much less declaring to others, that one of my fellow congregants is ignorant of God.

It Still Fits

This last Monday at a war memorial dedication it was nice to see some veterans in attendance wearing their military uniforms. There was one 92 year-old gent and his senior citizen son who were each wearing their respective Army uniforms. Since there is no way I could even think about getting into my Navy uniform, I was impressed. I complimented these veterans on their achievement and a voice from the back of the crowd said, “Yeah, now if I could only breath.” I’m thinking it might be a good idea for me to pull out the amour of God (Eph 6:13) and see if it still fits as well as it used to. If I’m truthful, I spend more time polishing and sharpening my sword than I do seeing if my breastplate is in position. And no doubt my readiness shoes could use some attention.

Grief

As I’ve discussed church turmoil over the last couple years, one reader asked me if some folks are ‘harboring extremely hard feelings regarding their previous church experience’. The inquiry was not judgmental, but rather out of concern for fellow believers. I suppose the answer lies in the word harboring, which means, “to give shelter or refuge; to hold especially persistently in the mind.” (Webster’s). In context with church strife, I believe that what some may view as ‘hard feelings’ are in fact signs of grief. I don’t think there is a prescribed way to grieve over the loss of one’s church fellowship. I’m always one for wanting to tidy things up quickly, whether it is hard feelings or grief. However, the Holy Spirit doesn’t always heal quickly.

Memorial Day

“…Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb…” (John 20:11 NIV) Today we too have the opportunity to look into the tombs of those who’ve shed their blood for America’.

FYI

Daniel just posted a comment on the April 24, 2008 blog ‘Beginnings’.

Time Sensitive

I’m finding myself on committees that sometimes deal with time sensitive material. It’s not that we can’t ever tell others the information we’ve been given; we just have to wait for the appropriate time to share the information. This, ‘think before you speak’ stuff is really hard work. I literally have to stop and ask myself where I heard what I heard and when can I talk about it. I can so sympathize with the man healed of leprosy. Jesus warned him, “See that you don’t tell this to anyone… Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places...” (Mark 1:44a, 45a NIV)

Got an Angel on My Shoulder

Years ago my family visited an old, well established Presbyterian Church in a neighboring community. The pastor opened his sermon by telling the small congregation what Scriptures he’d be using for the message. The sound, as we thumbed through our Bibles to find the text, was deafening. No one else in the sanctuary even cracked a Bible. If it hadn’t been for the four of us flipping the pages you could’ve heard a pin drop. I felt like every eye was on me as my Bible hummed, ‘I’m a visitor. I’m a visitor.’ Peter tells us that the angels long to look into the gospel (1 Pet 1:12). Can’t you just imagine an angel peering over some guy’s shoulder while he sits in church with a closed Bible and thinking, “Ah man…Come on.”

Repetitive

Sharing an observation, a friend told me he thought there was more gossip, back biting and meddling in the work place when an employee’s job function was one of repetitive work. It was his belief that employees who aren’t stimulated in the work place look for something to break the boredom…even if they have to help create the drama themselves. It’s an interesting theory. Applying this line of thinking to the church, we might then say that believers who aren’t spiritually stimulated could easily fall into gossip, back biting and meddling. I can see that happening, there’s not much spiritual stimulation when we’re all reading the same books, adopting the same mission statements and borrowing one another’s marketing strategies.

Backwards Glance

Last weekend at a college graduation party I met up with an old preacher friend who I’ve not seen for years. We discussed church politics and the recent church plants in the area and he asked, “So then, how are things going at the mother church?” Actually, I haven’t a clue. And what I find really surprising is that I don’t have a huge case of Lot’s-wife-itis urging me to look back over my shoulder and see what’s happening. I’ll admit that for the sake of the church family I considered trying to keep one foot in each congregation. But that was before the Lord and I had the following conversation, “…‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:61-62 NIV)

Smiley Faces

As congregations are being dismantled and remolded there are unhappy faces all around. Those in leadership want carte blanche when it comes to implementing their targeted vision, and those in the layman classification want consideration for all the membership. Both sides have taken the turn the other cheek teaching to a whole new level…we’re turning our backs to one another. One of the accusatory comments directed towards older, more mature people is that they don’t like change. We’ve been force fed this mantra so often that many not only accept it as fact, but they’re starting to repeat it themselves. In truth, people willingly accept change when they see God’s hand in those changes. Besides, how else can you explain all those smiley faces seen in new church plants? Talk about change!

The Middle Man

I once had to call an ambulance for a family member who fallen and broken a hip. Reeling from pain the patient kept saying, “Jesus help me...Oh Jesus, please Jesus.” When I’m in dire straights my heavenward cries are more directed to the Father or God. And, depending on how much pain or distress I’m in, I sometimes add, 'in the name of Jesus.' When Jesus was on the cross he cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” - which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(Matt 27:46 NIV) According to my study Bible footnote, Jesus’ words are a mixture of Aramaic and Hebrew. Because of the language barrier I can understand those at the foot of the cross not knowing who Jesus was calling out to. But what I find interesting is that they would take a wild guess that Jesus was calling out to Elijah. Not taking anything away from the Elijah, but I find it odd that they would think Jesus was invoking the name of a middle man prophet rather than calling on the God of Israel.

Making Do

During my junior high school years I attended a one room school house. On Sundays the school house became the community church. Everyone came together for a time of worship and when it was time for Sunday school the kids left the building. In the summer our class was held on the merry-go-round and in the winter we’d climb in the teacher’s car and turn on the heater to stay warm. Twisting sideways and putting her back toward the steering wheel Mrs. Harrington used the headrest area of the seat as a lectern to give us our lesson. In today’s church we are so worried about making everyone comfortable that we often forget our service can still be productive even when the environment is lacking. One of the start-up churches just had its first baptism…down in the local river. Do you know how cold the spring runoff is right now? Congratulations to the young man who humbly faced Christ and braved hyperthermia!

Quasi

Since I’m now in the political arena I’m learning a whole new vocabulary. Right now I’m struggling to wrap my head around quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative. According to Webster’s, Quasi is an adjective which means, “having some resemblance usually by possession of certain attributes.” I think my new word also fits in the religious arena. Cults become quasi-churches, false prophets are quasi-prophets and Satan is a quasi-Christ. And I finally know what to call all those really good and kind people who refuse to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior…quasi-Christians.

A Book and Its Cover

In the February 2008 issue of the Christian Communicator there is an article on self-publishing written by Athena Dean. She says, “We know the saying, ‘You can’t judge a book by the cover’ isn’t true. You can and you do, and so does the buying public.” Ms. Dean points out that if a potential buyer likes the cover they’ll then turn the book over and read the back-cover copy. However let’s face it; we also judge people by their appearances, as well as their actions, before making a personal investment. Haven’t we all known brothers and sisters that upon first glance, we wouldn’t even consider taking off the shelf? What I think many of us fail to realize is just how important they are to the cause of Christ. --Gail

Accomplished

In the Letter to the Editor column of my local newspaper a gentleman wrote, “…in my opinion anyone who portrays a half truth as a whole truth is a complete liar. One could even assume the word ‘complete’ [liar] to mean ‘accomplished’ [liar].” I think the writer makes an interesting observation. If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time you’ve probably heard half-truths spoken in the church. Most of us can’t bare the thought of calling a fellow believer, or even a family member for that matter, a liar. When we hear a half-truth our tendency is to make excuses for the offender by rationalizing that it was an oversight, a misunderstanding, or they didn’t have all the facts. How is it I can so easily overlook the offense in others, when I know that if my children tried to speak in half-truths, I didn’t think twice about applying discipline?

Bells and Whistles

We just got a new van and I’m embarrassed to admit how many bells and whistles it has. Suffice it to say as Leslie was exploring buttons in the back seat and the Cartoon Network appeared on the DVD screen. Buying the van on Wednesday and going to Denver on Thursday there was no time to read a two inch thick operator’s manual. I’m not as adventurous as the rest of my family and normally I don’t push a button until I know what will happen. I told Bill, “Just give me the basics. How do you turn on the headlights, operate the windshield wipers and run the air conditioner.” I am literally rejoicing that the gas tank lid isn’t controlled by another button hidden under the dashboard. I had these same kinds of feelings when I became a Christian. The Operations Manual was so thick I was overwhelmed. Thank goodness for Sunday School teachers and Bible Study leaders who started me on the road with the basics.

Never Boring

Every once in awhile Leslie totally rejects one of my blogs on the grounds that it’s something I’ve already written. Sometimes I rewrite it, but even if I change a few phrases it may still come out sounding like the original. I empathize with ministers who’ve serve one congregation for years and work hard to keep their sermons relevant, yet different. A friend recently said, “Some preachers seem to be worried we’ll get bored if they keep repeating the same gospel message, so they add other things to it. I think they forget that the Gospel isn’t boring. I never get tired of it. It renews and refreshes me every time I hear it.” Too bad it won’t work with Leslie. --Gail

Committed

Statistics for a prison ministry reported that in 2007 they had 71 baptisms, 89 first time commitments to Christ and 238 rededications to the Lord. Wow! That’s a great harvest for a limited captive audience. Many of our churches, where there’s opportunity to preach the gospel in the whole community, pale by comparison. In today’s church vocabulary we understand the meaning of ‘first time commitment’ and ‘rededication’. However, I wonder how our Groom feels about his Bride talking of first time commitments, as opposed to second and third, and rededications. --Gail

FYI

Callie has posted an interesting comment on the April 14, 2008 blog, ‘Out of the Ashes’.

Something New

Not long ago at the fitness club I watched a physically fit young woman while she was multi-tasking. She was reading a paperback novel, wearing ear plugs connected to her IPOD and sitting on a weight machine. After about five minutes she came to a stopping place in her book, put in her book mark and laid it down. She then took time to make a different song selection on her IPOD before finally beginning to exercise. The poor thing was oblivious to the fact that there were two men behind her and off to one side waiting somewhat impatiently for her to get off the machine so they could crunch some abs. In the church I think some of us in long held ministry positions need to think about getting off the machine so that others can exercise their gifts and talents. Just as in a gym where there are other exercise machines, we also have other ministry opportunities to take advantage of in the church.

Clean and Shiny

An older friend recently phoned to compliment Bill on the communion meditation he’d given during the worship service. Her comments, along with those of a few others, included a rave review of his attire – a sports jacket and tie. She reminded me that her husband Bob (now deceased) was just a plain ol’ dirt farmer, but that he wanted to be clean and shiny for church on Sundays. Bob, a faithful member of the church, survived a heart attack and the coma that followed. “When we got Bob back home [after the coma] he was real clear minded, he’d just lost his memory. He knew he’d be slipping up on some things, but he told me, ‘Just make sure I dress nice for church.’” We all know that worship is not about the clothes we wear, but I think Bob knew that the Lord is pleased when we’re clean and shiny.—Gail

Throw 'em a Bone

During some recent church turmoil the elders descended on my Sunday School class and the evening Bible study. As they fielded questions and comments, they held fast to the party line constructed by the staff. In the Bible study setting an older gentleman boldly spoke up and referring to the present church atmosphere said, “We don’t feel the love at XYZ Church anymore.” The following Sunday, after years on our hymn free diet, the worship songs were all traditional hymns. If the leaders could only understand that it’s not all about the music. Can’t you just feel the love? --Gail

Home

I recently met a young man at work who has only lived here two weeks. During our get to know you conversation, he said he noticed one major difference between where he was from and the folks here. He was surprised that people here didn’t glare at you when you went to the supermarket. I can understand his reaction. With things at XYZ Church becoming more and more skewed, I began attending other local churches. As I sampled each church, I found it a bit odd that although I knew people at each church, or in one case went with a friend, no one really went out of their way to welcome me. I have no doubt that these churches love the Lord and His word, but for being more ‘seeker friendly’ (if that term is still being used) they didn’t seem as friendly as I remembered. Since beginning services at my new church I have come to the realization of what seeker friendly truly means. It is the genuine desire of those of like faith to want a brother or sister, flaws and all, as Christ wants us. The last two Sundays, hugs have abounded and my heart is overflowing. Those hugs however aren’t just from those I have grown up admiring, I’m getting hugs from people who I only know in the Spirit. I’m glad I didn’t have to go as far as my young friend to find people who care. You were right here all along.--Leslie

Census

Since beginning this blog, I’ve not known how many people read it and actually, I’ve had mixed feelings about putting in a counter. When I first began posting blogs, knowing the number of readers had the potential to be either inflating or deflating. I couldn’t help but remember King David’s ill-conceived idea of taking a census of the fighting men of Israel. Afterward David said to God, “…I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” (1 Chronicles 21:8 NIV). Had I started counting readership two years ago it might have been for the wrong reasons. Recently however, friends have shown an interest in knowing how many readers we have, so I’ve installed a hit counter at the bottom of the blog and oh, my goodness! --Gail

Forgotten Words

For songs of worship I’m more of a hymnal fan than I am a supporter of video screens. The last two Sundays however, I’ve been grateful for the words on the wall because the start-up church I attended doesn’t yet have hymnals. At the prospect of singing traditional hymns I was prepared. I know most of these songs by heart…well at least the first, second and fourth verses of all of them. However, much to my chagrin, I discovered I’d forgotten some of the words to my favorite hymns. For me this is just another reminder of how vital it is to be consistent with reading the Word. If, over time, we can forget the words of classic hymns, then we can also forget the Word of God.--Gail

Praise of Men

When a local preacher told his congregation that he was incorporating some of his internet reading into his sermons, his messages began leaning toward praise of men. A past member of this congregation said, “I don’t know what he was doing. I guess he was putting in some New Age stuff.” Paraphrasing, the preacher has said, “We need to bring Jesus down to our level and not hold him up so high on a pedestal. People on earth are doing all the work, and they deserve some of the credit. Why should God get all the praise? We deserve some praise.” Whoa! It’s my understanding that this once healthy congregation has now dwindled to just a few people. Please don’t get me wrong, I know this is a situation that we all grieve over. However, I’m just trying to imagine sitting through a ‘praise of men’ sermon with only a couple of families in attendance. What is he going to do when there is no one left in the audience to praise? --Gail

Partiality

For many years now our women’s ministry has two study sessions annually, one in the fall and one in the spring. We’ve often tapped good teachers from other churches to present classes for some of the sessions. The staff has just decided that anyone who leaves the church and goes to one of the new start-up churches may come back and attend the women’s classes; however those who leave will no longer be allowed to teach. It’s still OK to use teachers from other churches; you just can’t invite those who’ve fled the coop to teach again. I’ve heard rumblings of insinuation that leaving the church is an evil thing. I suppose locking the teacher door after someone leaves could be considered just a new technique to protect the flock.--Gail

Beginnings

Last Sunday I attended the very first service of a new church plant. If I were using a preacher’s count I’d tell you we had 100 people, but the reality is there were 91. As the organizers quickly set up more chairs they wondered aloud if we might also have to fill additional communion cups. I happened to be one of the last to be served the emblems. Reminiscent of Jesus feeding the five-thousand and the disciples picking up basketfuls of leftovers, when the communion tray was handed back to the server, only one cup of grape juice remained. --Gail

Cover Ups

Last Sunday I spoke with a well respected woman who told me she’d been reading the blog and, “…so far I’ve found nothing that I disagree with.” Her comment was a blessing to me and I value the compliment. It can be difficult to be honest about situations in the church. I learned early in life how to look the other way and make excuses for my abusive alcoholic father. When mom had a black eye she tried to cover it up with make-up and dark glasses, and we didn’t talk about it. Similarly, many of us cover-up and make excuses for situations in the church. We really do try to help the church save face. The reality is that cover-ups don’t work.--Gail

Hello?

For the last 10 years my church has gone through, and continues to go through, difficulties. Just recently two churches that I’m aware of have spun off from, for lack of a better term, the mother church. No doubt mother is out of sorts with those leaving the nest, but it appears these fledglings are successfully taking flight. I’ve always maintained I’d not leave my church (of 45 years) unless God called me to do so. Holding me accountable, Leslie asked, “So tell me, if you’re thinking about going to this other church, has God told you that’s what you’re supposed to do?” Well, audibly…no. I really hadn’t expected to get ‘the call’ to leave. Wait a minute, is that the phone I hear? --Gail

Co-Writer

I should have updated the bio information on the blog some time ago to include Leslie (my daughter) as editor and proof reader. Not only does she catch most of my grammatical errors, she also critiques my writing. Some of her helpful phrases are, “That sounds snarky. So, what’s your point? You’re sounding too much like a reporter, you need to be conversational.” As my schedule is getting some what busier, I’ve ask Leslie to write some of the blogs. So, even though I’ve been remiss in giving her credit as an editor, I’ll now give her the credit she deserves as a Co-Writer. Leslie and I will each sign the blog we’ve written so you’ll know whose post it is you’re reading. I can hardly wait to ask her, ‘So what’s your point?’ Actually, Leslie and I have a relationship that allows us to critique one another in more ways than just our writing. We’re comfortable with critiquing one another’s spiritual life, whether it’s our mistakes, our weaknesses or our strengths…without taking offense. Personally I think my relationship with the Lord grows stronger when I’m open to Christian critique – not to be confused with judging! --Gail

Heart Problems

Whether as a wife, friend or Sunday school teacher, I take my positions in life very seriously…sometimes too seriously. I don’t want to look back at a situation with regret, or have someone blame me for not doing all I could do. Actually I think there is a little bit of Pilate in me. When the crowd insisted on crucifying Jesus, Pilate washed his hands in front of them, “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” (Matt 27:24 NIV) If my job performance were scrutinized by friends and family I want to be able to mentally wash my hands and say, ‘I am innocent. I’ve met my responsibility’. Actually, I’d like to be able to say the same thing when I stand before the Lord at judgment. However the Lord won’t be judging just my job performance. There’s a little matter of the heart…which I find much harder to control and not always so innocent.

You Need Me

I once knew a popular minister who would, on occasion, threaten to resign if he didn’t get what he wanted. He threatened one too many times and finally, much to his surprise, the elders accepted his resignation. His threats were a mixture of ego, blackmail and intimidation. We can ignore this type of attitude in the world, but in the church it’s unacceptable. To me it sounds remarkably like the hand saying to the foot, ‘I don’t need you…but you need me’. It would be easy to point the finger of egotism solely at the minister. However, I think when elders and congregations are so desperate to appease their ‘popular’ ministers, they too may have an ego problem.

Power in Numbers

Since I’m new to the political scene, I’m asking those more politically mature to give me the Cliff Notes version of how to do things. Off and on in recent months I’ve met with the current council and the other councilpersons elect. We’ve been able to visit both formally and informally, however the informal meetings will come to a screeching halt as soon as were sworn in tomorrow night. Once we take our oath, if three or more of us are together it’s considered a ‘meeting’ and it must be open to the public. Picture all of us showing up at the same Christmas party playing dodge ‘em with one another because we can’t be together as a group unless it’s official. Sheesh, I just make new friends and now they’re telling me I can play with them! Actually I do understand the need to avoid even the appearance of any back room deals. Both politically and spiritually there is power and persuasion in numbers...even when it’s only two or more. “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matt 18:19-20 NIV

The Pits

In years past we had an invitation at the conclusion of all of our worship services. The thought was that we should not close a service without giving people an opportunity to come forward and accept Jesus. Today we can’t always recognize the invitation-time because it keeps morphing. For a time we had one of the strangest invitations I had ever come across. From the pulpit we were told if you want to make a decision for the Lord, “…just turn to the person next to you and ask him what to do.” Excuse me? Sometimes I don’t even know the person setting next to me. Jesus warns us, “…If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (Matt 15:14 NIV) Here’s my suggestion. Before you ask the person next to you about decisions concerning your soul, ask him how familiar he is with the inside of a pit.

Out of the Ashes

There are huge differences between a church split and a church plant, but let me play the role of spin doctor and say that God can make them one in the same. We’ve got a couple of new start up churches in town that, in my mind, are the remnant of my church. From a Biblical perspective, not a marketing perspective, I think their meeting locations are GREAT - both are meeting in funeral homes. Now if they only had a baptistery they could advertise they were bringing them back from the dead. The newest of these churches to rise from the ashes will start meeting April 20th, 10:30 am at the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home and it’s my understanding that they intend to have a more traditional venue. If you’re an out-of-town reader and want to join in the birth of this congregation, send me an email and I’ll give you directions.

Resignation

I just learned that my adult Sunday school teacher has not only resigned from teaching, but he and his family also pulled their membership from the church. The condensed story goes like this: One of the elders called to tell my teacher that he must have a meeting with all of the elders. The teacher declined because [my paraphrase] he’s been tarred and feathered one too many times. Since he wouldn’t meet with the elders he was then told he’d no longer be allowed to teach and that “an elder will take control of the class”. I’m not surprised, nor am I upset. We’ve watched all the other adult classes get eliminated and this last remaining class of old timers has been a thorn in the side of staff. Really, it was only a matter of time, so whether it was this week or the next, it makes no difference. On a positive note, now my teacher is only under the authority of the Word…the staff and the elders have no authority over him. It’s going to be interesting to see how people respond to another death in the family.

Change of Address

I know of a woman who cultivated a relationship with a venerable elderly woman under the guise of taking care of her. After obtaining a Power of Attorney, being made conservator and personal representative, she changed the elderly woman’s address by putting her in the nursing home. I suppose one could argue that the elderly woman’s health deteriorated to the point that there was no other choice but the nursing home. However, I’d feel differently if it were the family making the decisions, rather than this ‘friend’. This same scenario seems to be happening in some independent churches. New leadership comes in under the pretense of breathing new life into a church. Whether the old leadership’s power and authority is willingly relinquished, or forcefully taken away, I think we’re closer to the nursing home than many of us know.

Uninvited

In the church it’s easy to exclude someone from serving or keep them uninvolved in ministry by simply not asking them to participate. Once, when our regular Sunday school teacher and his substitute were both ill, there was a search high and low for a warm body to fill in and teach the lesson. Only a couple hours before the class started and no one willing to take it on short notice, someone called Bill and asked him to teach. The class went well, but sitting in the back of the room a member of the staff kept watch. If he was hoping to detect some political fodder, innuendo or subversion, he must have been terribly disappointed. It should come as no surprise that Bill hasn’t been asked to fill in during any more ‘emergencies’. Uninvited, indeed.

Exposed to the Light

In our recent newsletter a reference is made about some people in the older age group who, “…grumble in dark corners of the church…” Hmm…I suppose at one time or another, regardless of age, we’ve all been in that dark corner. It seems to me that many folks are now coming out of the shadows and bringing with them the same burdens and concerns they’ve been discussing in those dark corners. Personally I think if the grumblings are truly heard in the light there would be some people who wish they could stuff them back into that dark corner.

In Defense

Recently a minister gave a nice tribute to his father in recognition of his dad’s Birthday. Woven in the tribute however, were some not so subtle messages of his father’s mistreatment by society. According to the son, his dad has not “become bitter and calloused” as others in the same position would have been. I’ve heard many similar first hand accounts from preacher’s kids who’ve perceived that their godly fathers were mistreated and unappreciated while in service to the Lord. In most of these testimonies the parent [preacher, elder and deacon] isn’t the one who’s bitter, calloused and holding a grudge…it’s often the children retelling the stories who are. It’s hard for us to keep quiet when we think our parent has been mistreated and abused when serving the Lord…just ask my kids.

Cookies

I prefer ‘ministry opportunities’ that give me some flexibility. For instance if I’m ask to provide a vegetable for a funeral dinner, I like being able to decide what vegetable I want to fix. The Prison Ministry needs cookies for an upcoming event and they requested that they be made from scratch rather than store bought because the inmates rarely get homemade treats. Baking cookies does not top my list of favorite things to do. I’d rather make brownies where I can just stir ‘em up, pop ‘em in the oven and it’s done. When I asked the cookie coordinator if I could substitute brownies and he said, “No. We have to have cookies. Not fancy cookies, just plain cookies and lots of them.” I felt I didn’t have the time to make cookies and also write a blog…which is what I really wanted to do. Family members gently, but firmly, reminded me that the world wouldn’t end if I didn’t post a blog. Reluctantly I set aside publishing my daily blog and made my guilted-into-cookies. Sure enough, the sun came up today, the world didn’t end and although I missed Friday’s “deadline”, flexibility also needs to apply to self-imposed rules.

Laryngitis

Our school district plans to implement the Safe-2-Tell program, which provides a safe, anonymous way to report information about a crime, potential dangerous situation or other concerns. It’s interesting that from early childhood kids are told not to be tattletales or snitch on one another and now we’re trying to get them to open up and talk freely to adults. I believe the church mirrors society in that we’ve been suppressed from talking about certain issues. Oh, we can voice our opinions about other denominations, abortion and homosexuality. We just can’t talk about divisions in the church, disorderly worship and false teachers…if it’s happening in our own congregation.

Higher Authority

For almost three years, while I was ministry leader for Adult Education, I wrote and published The Sunnyside Journal, a newsletter for the adult Sunday school classes. Although the elders had originally given me permission to write the newsletter, I think the collective leadership was unhappy with the body building it accomplished. It wasn’t long before the chairman of the elders asked to meet with me. “People like your newsletter, but we didn’t realize you were going to publish it every week. We aren’t telling you that you can’t write it anymore, but if you’re going to continue publishing it, you’ll have to buy you own paper.” I, along with an occasional contribution from another person, bought the paper and continued publication – the cost amounted to a whopping $20.00 a month. It was maddening to watch money being allocated to the church saving account while I was denied copy paper. I wanted to cry foul, but the reality was there was no higher authority to go to. When my ministry came under additional restrictions I discontinued writing the newsletter. For two years now I’ve been writing a daily blog…I guess you could say I found my Higher Authority.

Don't Rock the Boat

Have you ever wondered what became of Matthias? After his short introduction of being chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:23-24) we never hear from him again. Did he get busy with his career? Was he ineffective in his position? Did the other apostles fail to fully accept him? Since we really don’t know, it’s anyone’s guess. Our church has lost some elders, both past and current, and most people in the congregation don’t even know they’re gone…much less what has become of them. It’s amazing that these men are slipping out of the boat and swimming away without so much as a ripple. No doubt our current leadership is breathing a collective sigh of relief because the boat wasn’t rocked when these elders resigned. I understand one of the elders has been spotted attending another church. Since he’s a man of integrity, I assume he has resigned his position with my church…I’m just glad to know he didn’t go under.

Still Looking

In describing her painting, a woman on the Antiques Roadshow said, “I’ve had it for 20 years and still haven’t finished looking at it.” What a great sentiment for believers to use in describing our relationship with the Lord. We may have walked with the Lord since we were children, but we haven’t finished learning the Truth, our faith hasn’t finished growing and we’re still learning obedience. Now here’s something even better. Turn the sentiment around and imagine the Lord saying to you, “I’ve had you for 20 years and still haven’t finished looking at you.”

Sins Will Find You Out

My house is situated within walking distance of three public schools. One summer while mowing the front lawn I spied a ball of blue paper about the size of an Easter egg under a shrub. The paper couldn’t have been there very long because it wasn’t weathered. I unrolled the paper and read a memo dated the same day. It was from a 2nd grade school teacher, written to little Johnny’s mom and grandmother. Paraphrased, the note said Johnny was misbehaving and not turning in his homework. Johnny’s mom and grandma were asked to call the office and schedule an appointment with the teacher. I could just picture this little guy walking home from school thinking, if I ditch the note, no one will know and I won’t get in trouble. I took the memo, along with an explanation of where it was discovered, and mailed it back to the teacher. A week later she sent me a note thanking me for taking time to help hold her student accountable. Sometimes we adults are just like Johnny when we try to dispose of our sins. We convenience ourselves that if we just throw sins into a dark corner no one will see them and we won’t have to openly repent. You’d think we’d learn that it’s less painful to confess our sins than it is to have them exposed.

For Someone Else

Some of my family members are ‘clippers’. In their prolific reading of newspapers, magazines and newsletters they’re always clipping an article or a tidbit of information to give to others. Now I know my family clippers mean well, but quite frankly, I’m not always interested in the things that they think I should read. Many believers do a similar thing when ordering sermon tapes or purchasing Christian books for others because they think their friends have a need to hear a particular message. Often these friends are backsliders or someone who’s not a Christian and we want to throw them a lifeline. Certainly spiritual messages have the potential to impact lives…if the recipient is willing to listen to it or to read it. So, how do you know when it’s OK to send Sunday’s sermon? If a friend asks you to send clippings.

Church Model

Some educators want to leave their mark on public education by implementing innovative new models for the school system. I think this same creative bug has bitten many of our ministers. Pastors and church staff can spend hours working up new church models. The suspicious corner of my mind says, ‘Ah-ha, someone wants to be the author of the next Willow Creek or Saddleback’. Actually, I think those of us in the pew have good ideas also, so here’s my church model. I’d like to see salaried elders (full benefits) shepherd the flock. Since many of today’s preachers want to specialize only in preaching, I think we could contract with preachers and pay them by the sermon (no benefits). There are many qualified speakers [including retired and associate pastors] who’d like to pick up a weekend paycheck for giving a message on a one time basis - with no other obligations or ministry strings attached. The congregation could enjoy a variety of preachers and still have continuity with their elders. Membership however, would need to become attentive and scripturally knowledgeable. Similar to the Bereans who searched the Scripture daily to see if what Preacher Paul was saying was true (Acts 17:11). Inadequate preachers/speakers who failed to rightly divide the word of truth would simple not get a return invitation. Realistically I know my church model wouldn’t be taken seriously, but I do think it has merit.

Tolerant

I found Obama’s speech addressing the controversy surrounding the Rev. Wright interesting. According to Obama, people should not be surprised when a political view occasionally finds its voice on Sunday mornings in the pulpit. He noted that we’ve all heard pastors, priests and rabbis say things from the pulpit that we strongly disagree with. Sadly, Obama’s assessment is true. We’d all like to think that our pastor isn’t as bad as some other pastors, but a preacher doesn’t have to speak as vilely as the Rev. Wright to be just as guilty of misusing the pulpit. On a few occasions I’ve exited the auditorium when I thought the preacher’s message was off base. I’m sure my mini-protest was lost on those around me. They probably thought I was just going for a drink of water or to the restroom. More often than not though, I remained seated in the pew wondering why the elders were tolerating the errors…or perhaps they weren’t detecting them.

Easter Sermon

Obama’s church is certainly under the religious, political and social spotlight. The topic for the Easter sermon at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ was, ‘How to Handle a Public Lynching’. I can’t even begin to imagine how a preacher could possibly stretch that title so it would actually wrap itself around a resurrection message. Either the preacher is a really creative guy, or else the congregation is satisfied listening to political and social messages rather than the gospel. Today’s ministers, so unlike the John the Baptist type, preach what our itching ears want to hear. During the same sermon, Fox News reported that this pastor also took the opportunity to ask the congregation for money because there was a need to ‘defend the church’. Now that’s what I call a unique ploy for soliciting donations. I think someone should tell him that Obama and others have already been defending the church in the national media...and without the need for a designated defense fund.

Undefeated

On April 1st we will hold the City Council election, in which I’m a candidate. This last Sunday a friend was walking across the gym when she waved to me and said, “Oh, I see you’re running undefeated.” We both laughed as she quickly changed undefeated to unopposed. I know how Paul feels about running a race, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Cor 9:24 NIV), but I wonder what he would say about running in a race unopposed. Is it truly a race? Is the prize diminished? Must there be competition to qualify for the prize or is strict training enough? Of course in the case of a political race one might ask, ‘So, what’s the prize?’ As an aside, the fact that the election is being held on April Fool’s Day is not lost on me.

Spirit Working

A journalist of the 1900’s, Finley Peter Dunne wrote that it was a writer’s job to, “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable”. Actually, I think this is a great condensed description of the Holy Spirit at work.

Hearing the Message

Democratic presidential candidate Obama has said that while he was in the pew he hadn’t personally heard his pastor’s (Rev. Wright) inflammatory sermons. Setting aside the political spin and looking at this in the church arena, what a blow to a pastor’s ego. Whether it’s someone of Obama’s stature and education, or a high school drop-out, can you imagine having someone say they’ve listened to you preach for 20 years and never heard the message? Even the Ninevites, who heard Jonah preach for only three days, didn’t have any trouble understanding the spiritual message…much to Jonah’s chagrin.

Wright is Wrong

Senator Obama’s pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright is an interesting character. It’s reported that this pastor, before his retirement in February, led a congregation of 8,000. The sermon sound bites in the media are, I think at the very least, an embarrassment for the Lord and Christianity. Quite honestly I don’t see how the gospel can punch its way through the reverend’s political and personal agenda. In the video clips I’ve watched, I focused on those in the background - the choir and the audience. I’ve noticed that not everyone is clapping, nodding in agreement or offering an amen…and some of them look really, really tired. Maybe they are the ones who’ve grown weary of reminding the pastor of what Scripture says.

Store-More

A couple of Sundays ago I noticed a huge prefab storage building has been placed at the back of the church. Actually, I didn’t just notice it, it’s impossible not to miss. The building, positioned right outside the kitchen, sits in front of two exit doors. Hopefully there’s never an emergency where EMT’s are trying to get in, or we’re trying to get out. I wonder if the church insurance company has given its blessing for this obstacle course. Safety aside, my wicked side says, ‘Ah-hah! Someone’s laying the ground work to prove we need to build a new church because look, we’ve outgrown the present building.’ OK, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. At one time the elders worried about people joining the church through the front door and then loosing them out the back. Maybe this is just a new method to lock the back door.

Feeding the Congregational Sheep

Are you sitting down? I’m going to support the elders… Christianity Today has an article titled ‘What Makes A Church Missional?’ by J. Todd Billings [March 2008]. The author gives an anecdote of a pastor friend who wanted to change the focus of her ministry and was met with resistance from the elders of her church. Shaking an accusing finger at those elders the author, Billings, says, “…the elders were locked into an internal mode, fixated on members’ desire rather than on God’s ministry in the world.” Huh? Elders hire church staff to meet the spiritual needs of their congregation…that is what they are paid for. I’ve seen numerous help-wanted ads for qualified men to pastor a church, but I’ve yet to see a church search committee looking for a man for God’s ministry in the world. It seems to me that if a preacher wants to minister in the world shouldn’t he/she be willing to leave the comfort zone of the local church?

Reruns

I may get tired of reruns on television, but at least I can turn off the TV. When it comes to speakers and writers rerunning the same material I feel cheated and shortchanged. On more than one occasion I’ve become a fan of an author, but when I hear them speak at a conference they use the same stories and illustrations that appear in their book. Or I’ll hear a great speaker, buy her book and then be disappointed to discover that the most memorable chapters were in her keynote address. In the corporate world you’d have very few attendees if the audience heard the same presentations and jokes every year for two or three years in a row. However, those participating in Christian venues seem to think that our love for one another will cover over a multitude of presentation sins. It doesn’t. Thankfully Paul’s Epistles recognized each of the churches as a different audience. He wasn’t into recycled Epistles.

Struggling With Submitting

In her video series The Confident Woman, Joyce Meyer says, “Like Adam in the garden, men want authority - but not the responsibility.” In context Ms. Meyer isn’t putting men down, but rather making an observation about why she thinks women have trouble submitting. I can relate. My family tree has situations where husbands didn’t or wouldn’t accept head-of-household responsibilities and the wives stepped forward and become the breadwinners. Their marriages were like a juggling act with authority, responsibility and submission always up in the air. I see a similar situation in the church. The Bible clearly puts men in positions of authority, however there are instances where men don’t or won’t accept the responsibility. When women come forward to fill the void it’s not surprising that responsibility overshadows submission.

What's the Need

I recently learned that I may have an opportunity to visit with a young Jehovah Witness who is being oppressed by her family and her church. Wanting to be prepared when she called I re-read some books on cults and the teachings of the JW’s. I hoped that I might be a listening ear, an example of Christian concern…and show her that there is an exit door to her church. Giving me an update, our mutual acquaintance said, “I gave her your phone number and she seemed relieved. She has no one to talk to; her family and church have told her that she and her children are going to hell. Before when she’s talked to anyone outside her church they just try to get her to change churches.” God does have a way of bursting my ‘I know what you need’ bubble. OK, so how about this strategy. I’ll give her a crash course on what the Bible says about judging one another’s salvation…she’ll just have to find the exit door by herself.

Contradictory Commentary

It’s not surprising to read five different commentaries and find five different interpretations of a specific verse. Occasionally I’ll even read a footnote in a study Bible that seems to be stretching or slanting the context a little. However, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a footnote in a Bible that blatantly contradicts the verse it’s trying to explain. The Ryrie Study Bible, Acts 22:16 says, “And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away you sins, calling on His name.” The footnote re-words the verse and then adds a comment, “Baptism does not wash away sins.” Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. How confusing for the new believer.

Slander

Every once in a while I come across someone who claims to be Christian, but there is something missing. On the political landscape Gov. Huckabee’s speeches and interviews leave me with no doubt that he has a personal relationship with the Lord. However, other politicians seem to show just enough of a religious side to be acceptable to the conservative voter. Almost apologetically they down play their worship attendance and spiritual life. Speaking to the church in Smyrna Jesus said, “…I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” (Rev 2:9b NIV) Slander is a pretty strong word. I hadn’t considered the possibility that a person’s false claim to Christianity could constitute slander.

Fashion Forward

Paul warns the Ephesian elders, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”(Acts 20:29-30 NIV) One Sunday after an intimidating and confrontational sermon I overheard an older, normally quiet and reserved man say, “I never thought I’d see a wolf in sheep’s clothing wearing a three piece suit!” I guess even wolves can be fashion conscious.

Your Treasure at Work

The church kitchen has needed refurbishing for years and it looks like it’s finally going to be a reality. A note in the recent newsletter says, “The elders have set up a designated fund for the kitchen remodel. If you would like to donate to this fund, make your check to XYZ Church and put kitchen fund on the memo line.” Sounds like a worthy cause…unless you know that the leaders have an enormous stockpile of funds for other dreams and visions. Since members get only limited accounting reports - what comes in, what is budgeted, what is spent - most of us are not privy to where the church stands financially. However, well over a year ago we had more than a quarter of a million dollars in a California lending institution earning interest…unsecured no less. I’m no accountant, but it just seems to me that if we can afford to store up treasures on earth we certainly should be able to do a kitchen remodel without having to ask members to contribute to a designated fund.

Nothing to Pray About

Can you imagine your spouse driving home in a shiny new sports car when you didn’t have a clue they were even thinking about a new car, much less that they were actually car shopping? I think some people in my church will have similar feelings when they read the March newsletter. We’ve just been told the staff and elders have hired an additional pastor, which is certainly their prerogative. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not against the man selected. I don’t know…it just seems to me that the leadership could have included the congregation in their plans by asking for prayers, comments and support. But hey, CEOs don’t ask for a company’s blessing when they make management decisions, so why should we expect it from church leaders?

Church in a Bottle

I belong to a fitness club and while waiting for someone to vacate a treadmill I scoped out the vending machine. You can buy everything from athletic socks to lip balm. On the lowest tier of the machine were two types of tanning lotion for use with the tanning bed that is also available to members. The lotion seemed pricy at $33.00 for a 16 ounce bottle until I realized there was an added spiritual value. The lotions were labeled Worship and Sheer Wisdom.

Who Are You?

When I attended my 40th high school class reunion there were a few people I didn’t recognize. Some had changed dramatically, while others I had known just by name only, not personally. In spite of a time of questions and answers, there was one woman with whom I just couldn’t make a connection even after I asked her name. So I can sympathize with the Jews when they tried to discover the identity of John the Baptist. John freely confessed, “I am not the Christ.” So the Jews asked, “Are you Elijah? Are you the Prophet? Who are you?” John identified himself by speaking the words of Isaiah, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” (John 1:23 NIV) What a great response. I would have probably said, ‘You know me, I’m John, son of Elizabeth and Zechariah.’ Who we are by the world’s definition is not who we are as a Christian. As a Christian, who are you?

Exodus

I just read Exodus, a non-fiction book by Dave Shiflett. Through interviews Dave introduces readers to a variety of people in the US who are fleeing liberal churches and finding refuge in conservative Christianity – Catholic, Orthodox Church and Southern Baptists. Two interviewees, former Episcopal priest Gary and his wife Frederica believed they’d been called to the Episcopal Church. They felt that even if their church was lost to apostasy, there might still be a role for them to play. Frederica’s thought process was, “Didn’t God need chaplains on the Titanic? Hadn’t we better stay where he planted us? I found myself understanding Frederica’s planted theory until a few paragraphs later in the same chapter Gary said, “You know what God needed on the Titanic? Lifeboats.” Gary too has a point. So, do you chaplain a sinking ship or take the lifeboat? For some of us it would be easier if God would just put a paddle in our hand.

Immunity

Having developed a thick skin in church politics I thought, how hard can real politics be? I’m about to find out as I’m now a candidate for city council. The Lord knows I’m not a campaigner and has graciously allowed me to run in an election where I’m unopposed. Now I know how competitors on the reality show Survivor feel when they have the Immunity Idol. It’s exciting. Too bad we don’t have the same excitement about our Christianity. Salvation means we can’t be voted out of the Kingdom of God and our souls are out of Satan’s reach. The blood of Christ has freed us from the law of sin and death…now if we’d just start acting like we have immunity. (Rom 8:2)

Dinner For Two

At one time an elderly neighbor gave me the names, addresses and phone numbers of people to contact if she were ever incapacitated. In case of an emergency I was to call her only two living relatives, who lived in other states. Spelling out her wishes in case of her death, all I had to do was call the funeral home, who in turn would call her attorney. At the end of the note she scrawled in bold letters, “NO Family Dinner! NONE.” My ex-neighbor is still alive, alert and residing in an assisted living facility. I decided it was no longer necessary for me to keep her emergency information, but I can’t help but wonder what a funeral dinner for two might look like.

To Whom Do You Go

As we travel along the road of Christianity we often search out experts in faith to help us along the way. As a kid when I had a Bible question there were three people in my life who knew everything - my grandma, my first preacher and the church secretary. If I couldn’t find a verse, they knew where it was located. If I didn’t understand a passage of Scripture, they could explain it. The first time someone asked me to help them locate a verse I was honored, but somewhat taken back. In an instant and for just that moment, I was elevated from being a student to being a teacher. What a compliment to be recognized for your knowledge of Scripture. Today there are times I still have to ask a friend or family member for help, especially when I’ve cut and pasted a phrase of Scripture in my mind and then can’t find the verse in the concordance. I find it interesting and somewhat disconcerting that I don’t seek out elders in the church for help with a Biblical or spiritual questions. Have elders become our administrative shepherds rather than our spiritual shepherds?

Intervention

A questionable story about presidential candidate John McCain appeared on the front page of The New York Times. For me a portion of the report jumped off the page, “A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his office and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisors intervened to protect the candidate from himself – instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him…” Whether or not these were the actual actions of McCain’s top advisors, we in the church could learn a lesson. We’ve all watched brothers and sisters slip into sin, but do we intervene, protect them from themselves, or confront them? Nooooo. We’re more worried about being accused of judging, meddling and gossiping.

Have It Your Way

Growing up if you had a meal at Grandma’s you were expected to eat what ever was put on the table. If you didn’t like a particular dish, when it was passed you just didn’t put any of it on you plate. I don’t think Grandma ever asked anyone what they wanted for supper. Quite the contrary, if you smelled something good coming from the kitchen you asked Grandma, ‘What’s for supper?’ Today, whether cooking for my family or company, I’m always trying to pleased everyone…and it just doesn’t work. I think we’ve become so accustom to having it our way that if Jesus were here to feed the 5,000 most of us would miss the miracle. We’d be asking for special order fish and chips - baked, fried, broiled or sushi.

Plug 'em in

Under today’s church organizational plan when someone accepts the Lord we immediately try to get him connected or plugged in. The new believer fills out a personal profile so we can match his strengths with the church’s needs. We encourage him to attend indoctrination classes, serve in ministries and join a small group. Certainly no one wants a baby Christian to get lost in the crowd and it’s important for everyone to be a functioning part of the body. However, I sometimes wonder if we’re telling the Spirit, ‘You called him and he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Thanks, but we can take it from here.’

I Swear

For years I have been friends with Jane Doe, a woman in her late 70’s. Jane and I were visiting one day when she used a four-letter word. More than a little shocked I said, “Jaaane!” She responded, “Whaaat?...It’s not like it’s a swear word. My family’s always said it. It doesn’t mean anything.” A week or so later, still bothered by my pronounced judgment on her family-friendly word, Jane decided to get a second opinion. Going to someone with more authority, she said to the preacher’s wife, “Gail’s trying to tell me that *----* is a swear word. I say it’s not, what do you say?” Gasping the preacher’s wife said, “Jaaaaaaane!”, and Jane said, “Whaaaaaaat?” In all innocence Jane still doesn’t categorize her expletive as a swear word…but she’d feel so much better if she could just find another person who agreed with her.

Stinker

I just received an email Urban Legend about a worker who had a heart attack at his desk and it took five days before coworkers noticed he was dead. As the story goes, 51 year old George Turklebaum was always absorbed in his work and kept to himself. No one thought it was unusual that George stayed in the same position and didn’t say anything. In an article debunking the story we’re told that a dead body starts stinking after three days, so his coworkers most certainly would have noticed George had a problem. I got a chuckle out of this fabrication and then I considered the possibility of a spiritually dead person setting in a church pew for five weeks before any of us noticed him. I know it’s not our job to judge whether or not someone is spiritually dead, but we might be a little more attentive to them if they’d start stinking.

They're Coming

When going to the movies you often see previews of coming attractions. At one time the slogan was, ‘Coming soon to a theater near you’. Whether through training seminars, printed materials or video presentations, the mega church influence is coming soon to a church near you. It’s not surprising that mega church trends and philosophies filter down and seep into mid-size churches, but I hadn’t thought about them walking through the front door in the form of transplants. In our mobile society we can expect to inherit members from Willow Creek, Saddleback and Lakewood. I think it would behoove us to learn what these churches are teaching and preaching, whether it’s the milk or the meat of the Word.

Real Stories

When I was team leader for the Adult Education Ministry I published a weekly newsletter for the adult Sunday School program. One column in the newsletter was interviews with individuals in the congregation. Recently one of the interviewees told me, “I really miss reading those newsletters. I still have the one you wrote on me.” She laughed, “I’m saving it for my obituary!” My stint in Adult Education ended when the preacher told me that unless I went to worship services I couldn’t be in a leadership position. I was taken back because at the time I was attending and monitoring two adult Sunday School classes, leading Women’s Ministry and participating in the evening fellowship program. I now read the church staff is seeking ‘skilled creative communicators in writing to communicate real stories of how lives are being changed…’ for the new Publications Ministry. A word of caution to creative writing applicants: Read the fine print on leadership qualifications.

BFO

I just had a BFO…a blinding flash of the obvious. Today’s church philosophy is if you’re struggling with issues in your church and disagree with the leadership you’re encouraged to find another church down the street where you’ll be happy. While I continue to lament the loss of good solid mature Christians, it just dawned on me that when they leave they’re not leaving alone. They’re taking their indwelling Holy Spirit with them. Yikes! It’s no wonder churches are spiritually weak and anemic, we’ve sent the Holy Spirit packing!

To Plant or Reshape

When I’ve talked to folks who’ve planted new churches the underlying thought seems to be that it’s a lot more work than they imagined. Most say they’d resist any future opportunity to do it again. I visited with pastor and author Bob Hostetler about the church he helped plant. His church purchased property close to the school where they’ve been meeting, and now after seven years, a new auditorium is taking shape. “It’s been a lot of work, but I’d rather plant a new church any day than try to reshape or change an existing church.” After 10 years my own congregation continues to undergo changes. Our character is looking more and more like a building that’s been repeatedly added on to; the roof line doesn’t match, the windows are a different style, and the front door seems out of place. In hindsight I wonder if the re-modelers wished they’d planted a new church rather than undertaking an extreme make-over on the existing church.

We Hear You

There’s an interesting conversation between Steve Corey and Anonymous on the February 6th blog. In one post Anonymous said, “I hope that someday I will have the courage not to be Anonymous, but to be a stronger voice for the Lord…” Let me assure you, we’ve all been anonymous at one time or other. In the church, leaders cleverly and sometimes boastfully, tell us that all comments made by Anonymous are disregarded. You’ve got to admit it’s an effective way to stop people from speaking their opinion. Trust me it’s OK to be anonymous. Personally I’d rather hear the opinions of Anonymous than guess at what the silent minority is trying to say.

Class Act

At the Christian writer’s conference I recently attended, Randall Atcheson was the special guest musician. A Juilliard graduate, Mr. Atcheson has performed eight times at Carnegie Hall and is on the international roster of Steinway Artists. For our general sessions we sang hymns and let me assure you, contemporary praise songs can’t hold a candle to these spine tingling hymns so creatively performed. The dry cold Colorado air played havoc on Atcheson’s hands. During one performance he rubbed his hands back and forth on his trousers legs saying, “I made the mistake of using hand lotion and now I’m sliding all over the keys.” By the third day of the conference he ended with a concert and his fingers were bleeding all over the keys of the Steinway. I know many of us bleed for our ministries…I just didn’t expect something quite so literal.

Glorious Send Off

During the worship time at the Writing for the Soul conference in Colorado Springs there was a medical emergency. Right below the stage at the front of the banquet hall a middle aged woman collapsed while we were worshiping in song. From my vantage point I could see six paramedics hurrying past my table and disappearing below the crowd as they treated the patient. Without missing a beat the worship leader respectfully changed the selection to a quieter and more appropriate song for the situation and we kept on singing. Thankfully we weren’t right in the middle of ‘When we all get to heaven…’ As we were singing and silently praying, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘if she doesn’t make it, what a way to go’. Can you imagine being ushered from this life while being surrounded by a 500 member interdenominational choir…and then being welcomed into heaven by a chorus of angels? I’m happy to report that our sister in Christ is still with us…but she’ll never again have another send off like that one!

What God Has Joined Together

I met a woman from Chicago who told me her church had gone through a split. The more traditional members went one way and the younger, more progressive crowd went the other. My new friend found herself in the position of being one of the older members in the progressive group. “After the split neither group had enough women to make the Women’s Ministry effective. The traditional folks had all the mature teachers and we had all the young students.” She laughed, “Now the women from both churches meet together in order to have our Bible studies.” So much for thinking we control the choice to separate and divorce ourselves from one another. Tell me God doesn’t have a sense of humor!

One Book

At a Christian writer’s conference I recently attended I sat at a table with a writer who, among other things, writes fantasy, children’s books, and biographies. She’d never been to a writer’s conference, but she had enough enthusiasm for both of us. “God gave me (helped me write) this fantasy book. It’s similar to Harry Potter, but it will be bigger than Harry Potter. Everyone who reads it will become saved. All the young people who read it will come to Christ.” There’s no doubt people can and do read books which lead them to the Lord. I didn’t want to burst her bubble, but if there’s one book that can bring salvation to all, I think it’s already been published.

Consensus

Even with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, believers don’t always agree with one another. Nor do we have to agree on disputable matters. Thankfully we don’t have to have consensus before we worship and fellowship together. Some of today’s church leaders on the other hand, have set a different sort of standard by requiring consensus among themselves. Their wisdom seems to imply that once consensus is reached, their decisions have God’s stamp of approval. Any resistance to their consensus and they need only apply a liberal dose of Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (NIV)

Hats Off

A relative asked us to deliver a belated family Christmas gift. The gift was a black wire-mesh lumbar support that slipped over the back of a chair and was held in place by elastic straps. Receiving his gift Troy raised an eyebrow and said, “So, what is this?” My husband took the lumbar support and plopping it on Troy’s head said, “It’s a hat.” Watching this exchange, two and a half year-old Lydia excitedly clapped her hands together and said, “And it fits!” Paul told the Corinthians that some are called to be preachers, teachers and administrators. “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?” (1 Cor 12:29-30 NIV) I think many pastors, whether by personal desire or by delegation, are trying to wear all the church hats…and then we in the congregation clap our hands and say, “And it fits!”