I'm encouraged by the fact that there has been renewed emphasis in recent years on church health, not just church growth.
A sick congregation will usually find it very difficult to grow, and if it somehow manages to, it will simply be spreading toxicity.
It's interesting that some of the events in the patriarchal narratives of Genesis 12-50 illustrate inappropriate and ineffective ways to deal with issues in church life. Key personalities in those ancient stories demonstrate approaches in handling concerns that actually foster relational pathology when utilized in modern day local assemblies.
Take, for example, the destructive power of keeping secrets. Jacob could tell you a thing or two about that. In Genesis 31, his wife, Rachel, steals the set of household idols belonging to her father, Laban, as she and her family stealthily flee his home. She does not tell her husband what she has done. When Laban catches up with them and demands back the stolen figurines, Jacob authorizes the death of anyone in his party found to have them. Fortunately they are not uncovered because of further deception on Rachel's part, but this episode obviously could have ended very badly. Years later Jacob again found himself the victim of a devastating secret. In Genesis 37, some of his sons lead him to believe that his favorite son, Joseph, was killed by a wild animal when they know that he is really still alive, sold by them, in their jealousy and hatred, to slave traders. Jacob would now live in unnecessary grief and sadness and darkness. The brothers would experience a psychological wall between them and their dad, and shame and guilt and suspicions and fears among themselves. The whole family would be haunted by this for years.
In congregations where critical underlying issues are never brought up to the surface for exposure and illumination and resolution, fellowship will suffer. When only a handful of members is privy to pertinent information that could make a difference, doubts and questionings will arise and a lack of intimacy and team spirit will result. An unholy spiritual bacteria will invade the ranks that will generate distancing and loss of joy. Secrecy breeds darkness, which in turn provides a setting for all kinds of undesirable consequences.
Some churches, and the individual members who make them up, choose to run from problems. Once again, Jacob offers some insight because it seems that he was always running. In Genesis 27-28 he's fleeing his home due to the murderous rage of his brother, Esau. He gets far away, to the home of his uncle, Laban, but he finds there, in addition to some blessings, a whole new set of disturbing issues. Plus, there's still a lot of unresolved stuff inside him that hasn't been worked through yet. After many years, Jacob takes off once more, again in a clandestine way. Only a gripping encounter with God and a beautiful reconciling experience with his sibling, recorded in chapters 32-33, get him to the point where he really starts to face up to crucial matters and change and grow up.
Church members who flit and hop from church to church at the first sign of trouble or because they aren't noticed or appreciated enough or because their "needs" aren't being met or because they had a falling out with someone do themselves as well as the next congregation to which they link up a real disservice. There's no way we can advance in spiritual maturity if we're always on the run and not dealing with the internal heart issues and the external relational concerns that we find where we are now. And carrying our unfinished business and emotional garbage to the next church we join can hurt them. Local assemblies that push significant matters and conflicts under the rug without confronting them and handling them with loving truthfulness will usually be stymied and will often atrophy.
Certainly in churches where there is political manipulation, such as that cooked up by Jacob's mother, Rebekah, in Genesis 27 in order for him to get his father's blessing or where there are calculated attempts to get a group of people to conspire to achieve their own selfish ends, as we see with Joseph's brothers in chapter 37, anger, pain, hurt, and division will eventually surface. Deception and backroom manueverings seldom have positive conclusions in congregations. Little cliques and small groups of bitter folks who take church matters into their own hands usually make a mess of things.
We probably can best learn the right way to function in church life if we look at the example of the final of the great patriarchs, Joseph. He managed to straighten out years of multigenerational dysfunction and ultimately bring his family together in healing and reconciliation. And he didn't sacrifice truth to do it. Tears and the often difficult work of honest, loving confrontation pulled it off. See for yourself in chapters 42-50.
Maybe that old, old book of Genesis is the best manual we could ever find as we try to develop strong, healthy, thriving local fellowships in these challenging days!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Making Music
I had a delightful experience Monday afternoon and evening this week.
On my way home I stopped by First Baptist Church to take in some of the Virginia Baptist Senior Adult Festival of Praise being held there. Choirs of older saints from congregations around our state met to individually perform and to make up one big mass choir that would work on and present a short musical. I thoroughly enjoyed the 6 hours I gave over to this event.
The fellowship with some old friends and the making of some new acquaintances was marvelous. On hand was our own Rachel Pittman, who serves as Music secretary at FBC and who obviously worked hard in making many of the preparations for this gathering. Also there was Roger McGee, the very creative Minister of Music at my brother Don's church in Alexandria along with his "Jubilee Singers". Jana Wolfe, the lovely and gifted Music Minister from Mount Hermon Baptist in Danville, Don's former pastorate, was present with a contingent of her choir members. At dinner I sat with choristers from Liberty and Memorial churches locally, and across from Suzanne Buckingham and her pastor-husband. Suzanne used to come to my home church in Suffolk from Hampton to sing when her brilliant father, the late Dwight McSmith, would venture over to speak to our youth group or in that pulpit decades ago. It was a real privilege to meet David Schwoebel, the incredibly talented Minister of Music at Derbyshire Church in Richmond, who served as the piano accompanist for the large-group rehearsal times. He is known nationally as a composer of choral church music, and played my very favorite instrument with such delicacy and grace.
I suppose the highlight of the day was getting to see and hear Bob and Esther Burroughs again. I was first exposed to them over 30 years ago when I was a student at Samford University in Birmingham,AL and they were a part of the faculty, he in the School of Music and she as Director of Student Ministries. Even then he was recognized as one of the premier musicians, composers, and arrangers in Baptist life. She has gone on to become a leading speaker and writer and Christian communicator all across America. Bob, who has crafted songs sung by millions of us Baptists, was the guest clinician Monday. He was fun to listen to and watch. He directs with flair and exudes grace. He would alternately chide, playfully, that large choir, and gently teach musical techniques and mix it all up with the sharing of personal experiences from his long career. Esther was magnetic as she led out in the devotional times and spoke on themes appropriate to senior adults, such as grandparenting and mentoring and keeping laughter in your heart. She shared from the wellspring of a rich, full life. It was an honor for me to personally take the opportunity to thank them, separately, for what they have meant over the years to the Baptist family.
I went on home Monday night with my cup full. My soul was refreshed and inspired and invigorated. I guess somewhere down deep in my spirit that old dream of mine was rekindled yet again--that dream of getting to Heaven one day, instantly learning all there is to know about music, and becoming a concert pianist to the glory of God, traveling all over the universe presenting programs of praise. Or getting the chance to be a choral conductor who leads massive choirs all through the distant galaxies age after age in lifting musical adoration to the Lord. Or just being a simple, single part of that heavenly chorus whose membership is without number. Preachers probably won't have a job anymore over there...but musicians will! Eternally.
Thank you, good new friend Tom Ingram of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, for designing such a wonderful event. May it grow year after year. I wish more folks saw the value of taking a few days off each year to get with a couple hundred other Christians to just, as Bob Burroughs said, "make music."
On my way home I stopped by First Baptist Church to take in some of the Virginia Baptist Senior Adult Festival of Praise being held there. Choirs of older saints from congregations around our state met to individually perform and to make up one big mass choir that would work on and present a short musical. I thoroughly enjoyed the 6 hours I gave over to this event.
The fellowship with some old friends and the making of some new acquaintances was marvelous. On hand was our own Rachel Pittman, who serves as Music secretary at FBC and who obviously worked hard in making many of the preparations for this gathering. Also there was Roger McGee, the very creative Minister of Music at my brother Don's church in Alexandria along with his "Jubilee Singers". Jana Wolfe, the lovely and gifted Music Minister from Mount Hermon Baptist in Danville, Don's former pastorate, was present with a contingent of her choir members. At dinner I sat with choristers from Liberty and Memorial churches locally, and across from Suzanne Buckingham and her pastor-husband. Suzanne used to come to my home church in Suffolk from Hampton to sing when her brilliant father, the late Dwight McSmith, would venture over to speak to our youth group or in that pulpit decades ago. It was a real privilege to meet David Schwoebel, the incredibly talented Minister of Music at Derbyshire Church in Richmond, who served as the piano accompanist for the large-group rehearsal times. He is known nationally as a composer of choral church music, and played my very favorite instrument with such delicacy and grace.
I suppose the highlight of the day was getting to see and hear Bob and Esther Burroughs again. I was first exposed to them over 30 years ago when I was a student at Samford University in Birmingham,AL and they were a part of the faculty, he in the School of Music and she as Director of Student Ministries. Even then he was recognized as one of the premier musicians, composers, and arrangers in Baptist life. She has gone on to become a leading speaker and writer and Christian communicator all across America. Bob, who has crafted songs sung by millions of us Baptists, was the guest clinician Monday. He was fun to listen to and watch. He directs with flair and exudes grace. He would alternately chide, playfully, that large choir, and gently teach musical techniques and mix it all up with the sharing of personal experiences from his long career. Esther was magnetic as she led out in the devotional times and spoke on themes appropriate to senior adults, such as grandparenting and mentoring and keeping laughter in your heart. She shared from the wellspring of a rich, full life. It was an honor for me to personally take the opportunity to thank them, separately, for what they have meant over the years to the Baptist family.
I went on home Monday night with my cup full. My soul was refreshed and inspired and invigorated. I guess somewhere down deep in my spirit that old dream of mine was rekindled yet again--that dream of getting to Heaven one day, instantly learning all there is to know about music, and becoming a concert pianist to the glory of God, traveling all over the universe presenting programs of praise. Or getting the chance to be a choral conductor who leads massive choirs all through the distant galaxies age after age in lifting musical adoration to the Lord. Or just being a simple, single part of that heavenly chorus whose membership is without number. Preachers probably won't have a job anymore over there...but musicians will! Eternally.
Thank you, good new friend Tom Ingram of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, for designing such a wonderful event. May it grow year after year. I wish more folks saw the value of taking a few days off each year to get with a couple hundred other Christians to just, as Bob Burroughs said, "make music."
Monday, March 9, 2009
Lighting Up The Room
Most churches could use a healthy dose of 1 John 1:7.
That's the verse that reminds us that God dwells and basks in light. He is completely truthful and pure, faithful and holy.
That's the text that dangles the possibility of enriching fellowship before us if we will just immerse ourselves in that same light. We will then enjoy closeness with the Lord and intimate connection with other believers.
Genuine fellowship is not simply backslapping, joketelling, handshaking, coffeedrinking get-togethers. It is a shared life. It is a deep bond. It is unity of spirit and purpose. It is bringing everything we are and have to the table along with others who do likewise. It is "fellows in the same ship" who delight together in the sea when the wind and waves are calm and work hard together in that ocean when the weather makes conditions adverse.
Real fellowship is hard to find in a lot of congregations.
Because of our busy, hectic lifestyles we often don't take the time to really get to know one another. Paradoxically, due to our relative affluence, we have the luxury of time to sit and criticize and pick at and gossip about each other, which only breeds suspicion and distrust and distancing. Fussing and fighting abound. Members flit and hop from one local assembly to another, usually trying to run from unsettled relational issues they are unwilling to attempt to solve, not realizing that in their immaturity they will more than likely encounter these same types of problems in the next church. Many congregations divide, fragment, and split. Evangelism and ministry suffer. The church's reputation in the community sours.
The Apostle John has the prescription for these ailing groups: turn on the light!
In a "well lighted" congregation hidden agendas will not survive. Political moves and crafty manipulation will be out of place. Prideful posturing will not stand. Secrets will not long endure, whether secret meetings, secret backstabbings, secret power grabs, or secret sins.
It's kinda like flipping on the light switch in a long abandoned old house. Suddenly mice and cockroaches scurry, and dust and dirt become clearly visible. Light just does that. It exposes. It shows what needs to be swept or painted or moved or fixed. In a church where believers are "walking in the light" truth and purity will take center stage. Members will feel more free to share their long undisclosed burdens, which will have the effect of reminding the whole assembly that we need to be patient with one another because we're all struggling with something. Believers will have a little greater openness to confessing their sins to godly accountability partners(James 5:16) which will result in an expanded congregational awareness that none of us is perfect or better than others or has any kind of reason to boast or brag or grasp for preeminence.
The bottomline is that we will become more and more known to each other. Honesty and transparency will replace deception and lying. We're all on equal footing at the cross of Christ. We're all sinners saved by grace. We need to lavish grace and mercy and understanding and forgiveness on one another. If the Holy Spirit is truly at work in a church, He will be pouring out love(Romans 5:5) and dispensing light, the 2 great foundation stones of spiritual fellowship. If the Holy Spirit is not at work in an assembly it is nothing more than another civic organization or country club. The church is supposed to be a living, Spirit-inspired organism, not just one more organization, however well-oiled and smoothly functioning.
Devious schemes and ugly actions cannot coexist with real fellowship. Questioning everyone's motives or slamming the ideas of others if we don't agree or verbally attacking brothers and sisters in Christ or stomping our feet and running away if we don't get what we want or living in longstanding dread that some past sin of ours is going to be revealed to the whispers and condemnation of other church members are patterns not indicative of Christlike behavior. Instead, they are fellowship destroyers. Trying to "get rid" of a pastor who, like all the rest of us, is flawed and imperfect or constantly feeling like we've got to give someone else a piece of our mind or elevating our preferences on non-essential matters to the level of convictions and then passing judgement on everyone who doesn't view it our way all contribute to the breakdown of warm, close ties between Christians.
Let's "light up the rooms" of our local assemblies! Then Matthew 5:16 will become a powerful reality and the unsaved around us will want what we have.
That's the verse that reminds us that God dwells and basks in light. He is completely truthful and pure, faithful and holy.
That's the text that dangles the possibility of enriching fellowship before us if we will just immerse ourselves in that same light. We will then enjoy closeness with the Lord and intimate connection with other believers.
Genuine fellowship is not simply backslapping, joketelling, handshaking, coffeedrinking get-togethers. It is a shared life. It is a deep bond. It is unity of spirit and purpose. It is bringing everything we are and have to the table along with others who do likewise. It is "fellows in the same ship" who delight together in the sea when the wind and waves are calm and work hard together in that ocean when the weather makes conditions adverse.
Real fellowship is hard to find in a lot of congregations.
Because of our busy, hectic lifestyles we often don't take the time to really get to know one another. Paradoxically, due to our relative affluence, we have the luxury of time to sit and criticize and pick at and gossip about each other, which only breeds suspicion and distrust and distancing. Fussing and fighting abound. Members flit and hop from one local assembly to another, usually trying to run from unsettled relational issues they are unwilling to attempt to solve, not realizing that in their immaturity they will more than likely encounter these same types of problems in the next church. Many congregations divide, fragment, and split. Evangelism and ministry suffer. The church's reputation in the community sours.
The Apostle John has the prescription for these ailing groups: turn on the light!
In a "well lighted" congregation hidden agendas will not survive. Political moves and crafty manipulation will be out of place. Prideful posturing will not stand. Secrets will not long endure, whether secret meetings, secret backstabbings, secret power grabs, or secret sins.
It's kinda like flipping on the light switch in a long abandoned old house. Suddenly mice and cockroaches scurry, and dust and dirt become clearly visible. Light just does that. It exposes. It shows what needs to be swept or painted or moved or fixed. In a church where believers are "walking in the light" truth and purity will take center stage. Members will feel more free to share their long undisclosed burdens, which will have the effect of reminding the whole assembly that we need to be patient with one another because we're all struggling with something. Believers will have a little greater openness to confessing their sins to godly accountability partners(James 5:16) which will result in an expanded congregational awareness that none of us is perfect or better than others or has any kind of reason to boast or brag or grasp for preeminence.
The bottomline is that we will become more and more known to each other. Honesty and transparency will replace deception and lying. We're all on equal footing at the cross of Christ. We're all sinners saved by grace. We need to lavish grace and mercy and understanding and forgiveness on one another. If the Holy Spirit is truly at work in a church, He will be pouring out love(Romans 5:5) and dispensing light, the 2 great foundation stones of spiritual fellowship. If the Holy Spirit is not at work in an assembly it is nothing more than another civic organization or country club. The church is supposed to be a living, Spirit-inspired organism, not just one more organization, however well-oiled and smoothly functioning.
Devious schemes and ugly actions cannot coexist with real fellowship. Questioning everyone's motives or slamming the ideas of others if we don't agree or verbally attacking brothers and sisters in Christ or stomping our feet and running away if we don't get what we want or living in longstanding dread that some past sin of ours is going to be revealed to the whispers and condemnation of other church members are patterns not indicative of Christlike behavior. Instead, they are fellowship destroyers. Trying to "get rid" of a pastor who, like all the rest of us, is flawed and imperfect or constantly feeling like we've got to give someone else a piece of our mind or elevating our preferences on non-essential matters to the level of convictions and then passing judgement on everyone who doesn't view it our way all contribute to the breakdown of warm, close ties between Christians.
Let's "light up the rooms" of our local assemblies! Then Matthew 5:16 will become a powerful reality and the unsaved around us will want what we have.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Teachable Moments
Educators and psychologists talk a lot about teachable moments.
Teachers and people helpers long for those small windows of opportunity when attentiveness and learning and receptivity can best take place because circumstances have conspired to create interest in insights that will satisfy a thirst for information and meet a need in the present on the part of pupils or counselees.
It's intriguing to think that even God crafts scenarios and designs settings where individuals are put into position to more readily desire, sense, and grasp divine revelation and truth. Most people go through life oblivious to the spiritual dimension or frantically trying to brush aside its stirrings. The Bible suggests that God uses certain situations and events and occasions to raise our alertness and awareness to what he is communicating.
For instance, in those times when we are sensitive to, and appreciative of, the wonders of nature around us, God is speaking to us of his existence. Of his power and creativity. Of his kindness in fashioning a world of beauty for us to enjoy. Psalm 19:1-6 and Romans 1:20 indicate that the Lord planned and shaped this massive, majestic universe as a way of introducing himself to people. When we gaze upward on a starry night or stand in awe at the brilliance of the sun we are being addressed by a lofty Creator who is transcendant to everything he has made and who holds us accountable for the knowledge that we are answerable to him because he formed us, too. Granted, admiring the moon or being enthralled with the depths of the oceans will not provide the facts we need in order to have a right relationship with God but the intricacies and marvels of creation do render us without any excuse when it comes to knowing about him. That walk in the woods or that scuba diving excursion is a platform from which God can speak. If we pursue what we perceive, he'll see to it that we get additional insight.
Maybe you haven't thought about it but birthdays also provide a stage for the sovereign Lord to get your attention. That annual event has a way of reminding us that time is passing, and quickly, too. None of us knows how much we have left. Makes sense, then, that we'd pause to reflect on how best to use the years and months and days that remain. Psalm 90:12 is a prayer that reminds us that our lives are on loan from God and are a stewardship for him. We need to find out from him what directions to take and choices to make. According to Romans 14:7-12 our lives really don't belong to us anyway and we will ultimately have to give an account to our Maker. Birthdays should be days of gratitude to our benevolent God for the incredible privilege of being alive and immersed in a world of such delights and sensations and pleasures and opportunities. But our yearly special day should also be a sobering occasion of pondering the brevity of life.
That's why funerals are such significant teachable moments, too.
The writer of Ecclesiastes 7:2 offers the bold but perceptive insight that it is actually better to visit the mortuary than to go to a party. It often makes more sense to attend a wake than to accept an invitation to a banquet. The reason is because funeral homes and graveside services confront us head on with the reality that death awaits us all. We can conveniently put all of that out of our conscious awareness at a lavish dinner or dance but not when we are in the presence of the deceased and of grieving mourners. The caskets and the tears jolt us, if just for alittle while, with the sure realization that we, too, have an eventual appointment with death and need to be prepared not just in terms of wills and funeral arrangements but in regards to our spiritual lives which survive that last breath.
People can be so busy or preoocupied or independant that God has to use special tools to carve out a place where they are temporarily put in listening mode and become sensitive to his speaking.
For some, a season of sickness, as unpleasant as that may be, turns out to be a life transforming experience of really hearing from the Lord and getting priorities rearranged. Psalm 119:71 is actually a prayer of thanks, if you can believe it, for some period of illness in the poet's life that intensified his spiritual appetite and made him a stronger person. There's just something about being confined or in pain or flat on our back that gets us paying attention to what's most important and moves us toward a reevaluation of our life goals. The Apostle Paul relates in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 that a "thorn in the flesh", probably some physical ailment, may have done more to actually shape his Christian character than a lot of his busy ministry activity because it forced him to deal with some heart issues that needed resolution. The Old Testament figure Job suffered unbelievably but his pain was a factor in leading him to a vastly expanded view of the nature of God.
And it can't be ruled out that God may use the current economic mess to get us to sit up and take notice of his voice which we may have ignored when things were better. The massive layoffs, the business closings, the home foreclosures, and the wiping out of investments all hurt, and painfully so. It's certainly possible, though, that a very, very good God might be whispering to us in all this that we had gotten greedy. That we had put possessions over relationships. That a high percentage of our world neighbors live in deprivation, lack, and loss that we can't imagine all the time and we need to notice them. That maybe we ought to channel more of the resources we do have into charitable and mission causes. It would seem that I Timothy 6:17 and Hebrews 12:26-29 have something to say on all this. Clearly all of us ought to be training ourselves to live with less and to be content with what we have. Surely now is the time for Christians to camp out in Matthew 6:19-34.
Even in the quietness and peacefulness of the night God may be seeking to communicate with us. Psalm 119:148 flows out of the heart of a writer who made space in his soul as he rested through the dark hours for the Lord to counsel or confront or challenge or comfort him. TV off. Traffic noise subdued. Just stillness and calm and perhaps a stream of impressions from a loving God who simply delights in us. Check Psalm 63:6. Instead of taking all our troubles to bed with us, we can settle into relaxing sleep by offering up our cares to a compassionate, protective God.
Had any teachable moments lately?
Teachers and people helpers long for those small windows of opportunity when attentiveness and learning and receptivity can best take place because circumstances have conspired to create interest in insights that will satisfy a thirst for information and meet a need in the present on the part of pupils or counselees.
It's intriguing to think that even God crafts scenarios and designs settings where individuals are put into position to more readily desire, sense, and grasp divine revelation and truth. Most people go through life oblivious to the spiritual dimension or frantically trying to brush aside its stirrings. The Bible suggests that God uses certain situations and events and occasions to raise our alertness and awareness to what he is communicating.
For instance, in those times when we are sensitive to, and appreciative of, the wonders of nature around us, God is speaking to us of his existence. Of his power and creativity. Of his kindness in fashioning a world of beauty for us to enjoy. Psalm 19:1-6 and Romans 1:20 indicate that the Lord planned and shaped this massive, majestic universe as a way of introducing himself to people. When we gaze upward on a starry night or stand in awe at the brilliance of the sun we are being addressed by a lofty Creator who is transcendant to everything he has made and who holds us accountable for the knowledge that we are answerable to him because he formed us, too. Granted, admiring the moon or being enthralled with the depths of the oceans will not provide the facts we need in order to have a right relationship with God but the intricacies and marvels of creation do render us without any excuse when it comes to knowing about him. That walk in the woods or that scuba diving excursion is a platform from which God can speak. If we pursue what we perceive, he'll see to it that we get additional insight.
Maybe you haven't thought about it but birthdays also provide a stage for the sovereign Lord to get your attention. That annual event has a way of reminding us that time is passing, and quickly, too. None of us knows how much we have left. Makes sense, then, that we'd pause to reflect on how best to use the years and months and days that remain. Psalm 90:12 is a prayer that reminds us that our lives are on loan from God and are a stewardship for him. We need to find out from him what directions to take and choices to make. According to Romans 14:7-12 our lives really don't belong to us anyway and we will ultimately have to give an account to our Maker. Birthdays should be days of gratitude to our benevolent God for the incredible privilege of being alive and immersed in a world of such delights and sensations and pleasures and opportunities. But our yearly special day should also be a sobering occasion of pondering the brevity of life.
That's why funerals are such significant teachable moments, too.
The writer of Ecclesiastes 7:2 offers the bold but perceptive insight that it is actually better to visit the mortuary than to go to a party. It often makes more sense to attend a wake than to accept an invitation to a banquet. The reason is because funeral homes and graveside services confront us head on with the reality that death awaits us all. We can conveniently put all of that out of our conscious awareness at a lavish dinner or dance but not when we are in the presence of the deceased and of grieving mourners. The caskets and the tears jolt us, if just for alittle while, with the sure realization that we, too, have an eventual appointment with death and need to be prepared not just in terms of wills and funeral arrangements but in regards to our spiritual lives which survive that last breath.
People can be so busy or preoocupied or independant that God has to use special tools to carve out a place where they are temporarily put in listening mode and become sensitive to his speaking.
For some, a season of sickness, as unpleasant as that may be, turns out to be a life transforming experience of really hearing from the Lord and getting priorities rearranged. Psalm 119:71 is actually a prayer of thanks, if you can believe it, for some period of illness in the poet's life that intensified his spiritual appetite and made him a stronger person. There's just something about being confined or in pain or flat on our back that gets us paying attention to what's most important and moves us toward a reevaluation of our life goals. The Apostle Paul relates in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 that a "thorn in the flesh", probably some physical ailment, may have done more to actually shape his Christian character than a lot of his busy ministry activity because it forced him to deal with some heart issues that needed resolution. The Old Testament figure Job suffered unbelievably but his pain was a factor in leading him to a vastly expanded view of the nature of God.
And it can't be ruled out that God may use the current economic mess to get us to sit up and take notice of his voice which we may have ignored when things were better. The massive layoffs, the business closings, the home foreclosures, and the wiping out of investments all hurt, and painfully so. It's certainly possible, though, that a very, very good God might be whispering to us in all this that we had gotten greedy. That we had put possessions over relationships. That a high percentage of our world neighbors live in deprivation, lack, and loss that we can't imagine all the time and we need to notice them. That maybe we ought to channel more of the resources we do have into charitable and mission causes. It would seem that I Timothy 6:17 and Hebrews 12:26-29 have something to say on all this. Clearly all of us ought to be training ourselves to live with less and to be content with what we have. Surely now is the time for Christians to camp out in Matthew 6:19-34.
Even in the quietness and peacefulness of the night God may be seeking to communicate with us. Psalm 119:148 flows out of the heart of a writer who made space in his soul as he rested through the dark hours for the Lord to counsel or confront or challenge or comfort him. TV off. Traffic noise subdued. Just stillness and calm and perhaps a stream of impressions from a loving God who simply delights in us. Check Psalm 63:6. Instead of taking all our troubles to bed with us, we can settle into relaxing sleep by offering up our cares to a compassionate, protective God.
Had any teachable moments lately?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Associational Decisions
It's interesting to me that some scriptures in the New Testament offer some insight into the issues we're dealing with right now in our association.
We're trying to find our way into the future before us. We're facing a changing culture, a different kind of congregational climate, a bad economy, and a rapidly proliferating technological society. A very real effort is being made in PBA life these days to determine what our priorities should be and what type of focus we should have. Eddie Heath, our vision consultant, is capably assisting us in crafting a plan that will propel us toward effectively carrying out a well-defined mission in the years just ahead. A leaner, sharper, more targeted network is called for in these challenging days. Though our Gospel message doesn't change, our methods and approaches must.
It appears that a consensus is slowly emerging that our model for ministry must be altered. Enthusiasm seems to be growing for moving from a structure that develops programs and outreaches and projects and asks for the churches to help to a new paradigm where the association will exist to assist the congregations in their work of touching, reaching, winning, and discipling their particular communities and settings. This would be quite a shift but it was actually approved as the visional design for our collection of churches during the last transition period and was just never really implemented.
Under this strategy, our PBA staff would consult with and help equip and enable our local fellowships to be the very best they could be. They would provide personnel and resources to come alongside our churches with instruction, counsel, and fresh ideas about congregational health, conflict resolution, evangelism, church growth, and ministry initiatives. Imagine a Troy Durio helping an inner city church more finely hone its skills in impacting its neighborhood or assisting one of our congregations on this resort oriented Peninsula develop action plans to more creatively utilize beaches and theme parks for Christian witness. Picture a Mike Vaccarelli not just keeping up the PBA web page or preparing our newsletter but going in and guiding our churches in setting up helpful technology systems that will better position them to successfully make a difference in our high tech environment. Think about a seasoned servant like Mike Haywood establishing mentoring relationships with young and potential leaders in our congregations or equipping our churches in how to develop strong youth and family ministries that will enable them to have a greater influence in their communities.
Surely there would still be opportunities and occasions for shared ministries and wide-scale endeavors in our wonderful and longstanding voluntary patnership. The basic thrust, though, would shift to a more church-centered approach.
It seems to me that Acts 11:19-26 illustrates this beautifully. When the church at Antioch formed in an explosion of evangelistic activity, the "mother church" in Jerusalem sent Barnabas there to offer some help. He, in turn, went and secured the services of Saul(Paul) and the two of them taught, consulted, and strengthened that new local fellowship for a whole year. Eventually the Antioch congregation became a hotbed of spiritual vitality and a strong missionary-sending church itself. The life and ministries of most of our PBA churches could be enhanced and lifted to new levels if we were open to dynamic new methods and approaches as presented to us by able consultants whose work it is to find out what the trends are and how best to respond.
Then there is strong precedent in the New Testament for churches cooperating together in large tasks that isolated assemblies could never accomplish alone. Paul's attempt to raise a large relief collection for the famine-stricken believers back in Jerusalem(Acts 11:28; I Corinthians 16:1-4) is one example. Maybe the popular and very successful sports and work camps and disaster relief done in PBA would be something of a contemporary demonstration of that idea of occasionally joining together in big initiatives.
Please pray for your interim leadership team and for the ad hoc groups that are now wrestling with how to put all of this together into meaningful recommendations to the entire association sometime this Spring. Just as the Jerusalem Council met centuries ago(Acts 15) to deal with a major doctrinal issue, so now we grapple with these practical and organizational matters, hoping to get to that point where we can say, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us..." to move into exciting, exhilirating new missional directions.
We're trying to find our way into the future before us. We're facing a changing culture, a different kind of congregational climate, a bad economy, and a rapidly proliferating technological society. A very real effort is being made in PBA life these days to determine what our priorities should be and what type of focus we should have. Eddie Heath, our vision consultant, is capably assisting us in crafting a plan that will propel us toward effectively carrying out a well-defined mission in the years just ahead. A leaner, sharper, more targeted network is called for in these challenging days. Though our Gospel message doesn't change, our methods and approaches must.
It appears that a consensus is slowly emerging that our model for ministry must be altered. Enthusiasm seems to be growing for moving from a structure that develops programs and outreaches and projects and asks for the churches to help to a new paradigm where the association will exist to assist the congregations in their work of touching, reaching, winning, and discipling their particular communities and settings. This would be quite a shift but it was actually approved as the visional design for our collection of churches during the last transition period and was just never really implemented.
Under this strategy, our PBA staff would consult with and help equip and enable our local fellowships to be the very best they could be. They would provide personnel and resources to come alongside our churches with instruction, counsel, and fresh ideas about congregational health, conflict resolution, evangelism, church growth, and ministry initiatives. Imagine a Troy Durio helping an inner city church more finely hone its skills in impacting its neighborhood or assisting one of our congregations on this resort oriented Peninsula develop action plans to more creatively utilize beaches and theme parks for Christian witness. Picture a Mike Vaccarelli not just keeping up the PBA web page or preparing our newsletter but going in and guiding our churches in setting up helpful technology systems that will better position them to successfully make a difference in our high tech environment. Think about a seasoned servant like Mike Haywood establishing mentoring relationships with young and potential leaders in our congregations or equipping our churches in how to develop strong youth and family ministries that will enable them to have a greater influence in their communities.
Surely there would still be opportunities and occasions for shared ministries and wide-scale endeavors in our wonderful and longstanding voluntary patnership. The basic thrust, though, would shift to a more church-centered approach.
It seems to me that Acts 11:19-26 illustrates this beautifully. When the church at Antioch formed in an explosion of evangelistic activity, the "mother church" in Jerusalem sent Barnabas there to offer some help. He, in turn, went and secured the services of Saul(Paul) and the two of them taught, consulted, and strengthened that new local fellowship for a whole year. Eventually the Antioch congregation became a hotbed of spiritual vitality and a strong missionary-sending church itself. The life and ministries of most of our PBA churches could be enhanced and lifted to new levels if we were open to dynamic new methods and approaches as presented to us by able consultants whose work it is to find out what the trends are and how best to respond.
Then there is strong precedent in the New Testament for churches cooperating together in large tasks that isolated assemblies could never accomplish alone. Paul's attempt to raise a large relief collection for the famine-stricken believers back in Jerusalem(Acts 11:28; I Corinthians 16:1-4) is one example. Maybe the popular and very successful sports and work camps and disaster relief done in PBA would be something of a contemporary demonstration of that idea of occasionally joining together in big initiatives.
Please pray for your interim leadership team and for the ad hoc groups that are now wrestling with how to put all of this together into meaningful recommendations to the entire association sometime this Spring. Just as the Jerusalem Council met centuries ago(Acts 15) to deal with a major doctrinal issue, so now we grapple with these practical and organizational matters, hoping to get to that point where we can say, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us..." to move into exciting, exhilirating new missional directions.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Inauguration Guide
I assume you'll not be attending next week's presidential inauguration in Washington.
It's a long way to go. The traffic will be horrible. The crowds will be unbelievable. Finding a restroom or a place to eat would be difficult. You'd have to stand on your feet for hours. Your chance of even getting a faint glimpse of our new Chief Executive would be slim indeed. Who knows what the weather will be like.
So you'll stay home like millions of other citizens and watch the proceedings on television. It'll be a lot more comfortable that way. And you'll see everything close up.
But how can you really mark this significant event in American history? More specifically, what can you, as a Christian, do to have a part in this most important national occasion?
In a word, pray.
Pray for outgoing president George Bush, that he'll find rest and solace. That he'll find direction for how to spend the remainder of his life. That he'll not be overly proud of his good accomplishments or painfully haunted by his mistakes and failures.
Pray for Rick Warren, the California pastor who will deliver the invocation at the ceremony. Rev. Warren has come under attack from the Right and the Left, and regrettably from Christians, too, in those differing camps. He has strong convictions, however, and hasn't compromised. Ask the Lord to give him a prayer with substantive content. A prayer that is respectful of other faiths but that doesn't leave Jesus' name out for the sake of political correctness. A prayer that reflects the belief that God is sovereign over national affairs.
Pray for Sasha and Malia, the precious little daughters of our incoming president. Petition the Lord to keep them physically safe. Ask God to prevent them from losing their sweet smiles and their beautiful innocence and their seeming humility as they become the most famous children in the world. Pray that they will continue to be reared to live so as to give back and not just be spoiled takers. Pray that as they grow up in the White House they'll provide an example to the youth and children of America of striving for excellence.
And intercede for Mr. Obama. First Lady Michelle, too. Ask God to lead them to a good church in our nation's capital where they might grow spiritually. Pray that our new leader might be surrounded with wise, capable advisors. That he might be protected from harm. That moral values and personal integrity will prevail over whims and opinions and political considerations and polls. Ask God to help him be transparently honest. Request that the Father use him to unite us and give us hope. Pray that he will be held back from making policy or personnel decisions that would further the spiritual and ethical drift we see in our land today. That he will enjoy continued good health and have energy for his awesome workload.
You don't have to go to Washington Tuesday to participate in the meaningful festivities. You can contribute right there in your lounge chair as you lift prayers heavenward.
It's a long way to go. The traffic will be horrible. The crowds will be unbelievable. Finding a restroom or a place to eat would be difficult. You'd have to stand on your feet for hours. Your chance of even getting a faint glimpse of our new Chief Executive would be slim indeed. Who knows what the weather will be like.
So you'll stay home like millions of other citizens and watch the proceedings on television. It'll be a lot more comfortable that way. And you'll see everything close up.
But how can you really mark this significant event in American history? More specifically, what can you, as a Christian, do to have a part in this most important national occasion?
In a word, pray.
Pray for outgoing president George Bush, that he'll find rest and solace. That he'll find direction for how to spend the remainder of his life. That he'll not be overly proud of his good accomplishments or painfully haunted by his mistakes and failures.
Pray for Rick Warren, the California pastor who will deliver the invocation at the ceremony. Rev. Warren has come under attack from the Right and the Left, and regrettably from Christians, too, in those differing camps. He has strong convictions, however, and hasn't compromised. Ask the Lord to give him a prayer with substantive content. A prayer that is respectful of other faiths but that doesn't leave Jesus' name out for the sake of political correctness. A prayer that reflects the belief that God is sovereign over national affairs.
Pray for Sasha and Malia, the precious little daughters of our incoming president. Petition the Lord to keep them physically safe. Ask God to prevent them from losing their sweet smiles and their beautiful innocence and their seeming humility as they become the most famous children in the world. Pray that they will continue to be reared to live so as to give back and not just be spoiled takers. Pray that as they grow up in the White House they'll provide an example to the youth and children of America of striving for excellence.
And intercede for Mr. Obama. First Lady Michelle, too. Ask God to lead them to a good church in our nation's capital where they might grow spiritually. Pray that our new leader might be surrounded with wise, capable advisors. That he might be protected from harm. That moral values and personal integrity will prevail over whims and opinions and political considerations and polls. Ask God to help him be transparently honest. Request that the Father use him to unite us and give us hope. Pray that he will be held back from making policy or personnel decisions that would further the spiritual and ethical drift we see in our land today. That he will enjoy continued good health and have energy for his awesome workload.
You don't have to go to Washington Tuesday to participate in the meaningful festivities. You can contribute right there in your lounge chair as you lift prayers heavenward.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Lessons On Relationships From The Bethlehem Folks
Could it actually be that the players in the original Christmas story might have insights to offer us about getting along in church today?
I think so.
This disparate cast of individuals, brought together in God's providence and timing to act out significant roles in the real life narrative of the coming of the Messiah into our world, can teach us a great deal about relationships among believers in contemporary congregations.
Take Mary, for instance. She models for us humble submission to God's will(Luke 1:38). When we get more interested in doing what the Lord wants us to do than in carrying out our own personal desires, we start to make progress toward church unity. Most church fights and splits are over preferences rather than convictions. They usually spring from self-centered ambitions to be first or to be right or to be noticed or to be comfortable. This young girl completely yielded up her need for convenience or privacy or ease in order to please God instead of herself. She put aside her agenda so that she could fully serve the Lord and get in on what He was up to at that time. Imagine how many conflicted relationships among the saints could be untangled if the parties would take initiative and sacrificially surrender their rights and whims for the larger good of the fellowship.
Or consider Joseph. This brawny carpenter had a tender side. When he was initially hurt and disappointed at what he thought was his fiance's unfaithfulness he was nevertheless willing to show sensitivity and compassion to her by divorcing her quietly and privately(Matthew 1:19).That sounds to me alot like the spirit of Proverbs 17:9 and 19:11. How we need people in our churches who show mercy when wronged. How we need members who don't blab everything about everybody. Congregations flourish when filled with persons who lavish grace, not condemnation, on those who make mistakes and messes. But it gets even better. When Joseph was presented with the facts about his future wife by divine revelation, he was willing to change his mind(Matthew 1:24). A hefty portion of that attitude in our local assemblies would spark revival and renaiisance, whether we're talking about worship styles, business meetings, or pastor-member interactions!
The shepherds and the wise men illustrate some relational principles, too.
The response of the shepherds to the good news from the angels of Christ's birth reminds us that when there is a common focus there generally will be unity and harmony. Before the supernatural newscast and concert of the heavenly beings in the Judean sky(Luke 2:8-20) it's quite possible that these guys picked at and quarreled with one another. But after that visitation, they came together in remarkable cohesion, first to go see the newborn King, then to spread around the incredible news of His nativity, and finally to glorify and praise the Lord for His awesome gift. Sometimes multiple emphases and interest groups and cliques in a church can so fragment it that it is kept from coming together around a central, passionate purpose. Energy gets drained away by calendar battles and turf wars and continual personal sniping so that worship and evangelism suffer. Nehemiah 4:6 comes to mind here as a necessary corrective.
And what about those wise men? Talk about energy and unity! They traveled an immense distance, followed a mysterious star, and gave lavish, expensive gifts in honor of a little baby. What was the secret of their sacrifice and effort? Simple. They wanted to see Jesus. All those miles and meals on the road and changes in weather and feelings of homesickness and movements toward an uncertain destination came from one priority--yearning to be around Christ. Nuff said. If in our congregations we will hunger to know Him and love Him and obey Him, most if not all of our petty, childish, carnal personality skirmishes will evaporate or be settled in a godly fashion. These travelers(Matthew 2:1-12)stuck together like glue because their focus was on Jesus. And they could stand strong against an external threat(Herod) because they were ablaze with a thirst for Christ and were united in their obedience to the Heavenly Father. I wonder sometimes how many of our fussin', feudin', entertainment-oriented churches would even survive if persecution or economic downturns worsened.
Don't pack away these Christmas characters as you would figurines in a Nativity set December 26. You may need their example and character qualities in 2009.
Have a most wonderful Christmas season. It's a joy serving you.
I think so.
This disparate cast of individuals, brought together in God's providence and timing to act out significant roles in the real life narrative of the coming of the Messiah into our world, can teach us a great deal about relationships among believers in contemporary congregations.
Take Mary, for instance. She models for us humble submission to God's will(Luke 1:38). When we get more interested in doing what the Lord wants us to do than in carrying out our own personal desires, we start to make progress toward church unity. Most church fights and splits are over preferences rather than convictions. They usually spring from self-centered ambitions to be first or to be right or to be noticed or to be comfortable. This young girl completely yielded up her need for convenience or privacy or ease in order to please God instead of herself. She put aside her agenda so that she could fully serve the Lord and get in on what He was up to at that time. Imagine how many conflicted relationships among the saints could be untangled if the parties would take initiative and sacrificially surrender their rights and whims for the larger good of the fellowship.
Or consider Joseph. This brawny carpenter had a tender side. When he was initially hurt and disappointed at what he thought was his fiance's unfaithfulness he was nevertheless willing to show sensitivity and compassion to her by divorcing her quietly and privately(Matthew 1:19).That sounds to me alot like the spirit of Proverbs 17:9 and 19:11. How we need people in our churches who show mercy when wronged. How we need members who don't blab everything about everybody. Congregations flourish when filled with persons who lavish grace, not condemnation, on those who make mistakes and messes. But it gets even better. When Joseph was presented with the facts about his future wife by divine revelation, he was willing to change his mind(Matthew 1:24). A hefty portion of that attitude in our local assemblies would spark revival and renaiisance, whether we're talking about worship styles, business meetings, or pastor-member interactions!
The shepherds and the wise men illustrate some relational principles, too.
The response of the shepherds to the good news from the angels of Christ's birth reminds us that when there is a common focus there generally will be unity and harmony. Before the supernatural newscast and concert of the heavenly beings in the Judean sky(Luke 2:8-20) it's quite possible that these guys picked at and quarreled with one another. But after that visitation, they came together in remarkable cohesion, first to go see the newborn King, then to spread around the incredible news of His nativity, and finally to glorify and praise the Lord for His awesome gift. Sometimes multiple emphases and interest groups and cliques in a church can so fragment it that it is kept from coming together around a central, passionate purpose. Energy gets drained away by calendar battles and turf wars and continual personal sniping so that worship and evangelism suffer. Nehemiah 4:6 comes to mind here as a necessary corrective.
And what about those wise men? Talk about energy and unity! They traveled an immense distance, followed a mysterious star, and gave lavish, expensive gifts in honor of a little baby. What was the secret of their sacrifice and effort? Simple. They wanted to see Jesus. All those miles and meals on the road and changes in weather and feelings of homesickness and movements toward an uncertain destination came from one priority--yearning to be around Christ. Nuff said. If in our congregations we will hunger to know Him and love Him and obey Him, most if not all of our petty, childish, carnal personality skirmishes will evaporate or be settled in a godly fashion. These travelers(Matthew 2:1-12)stuck together like glue because their focus was on Jesus. And they could stand strong against an external threat(Herod) because they were ablaze with a thirst for Christ and were united in their obedience to the Heavenly Father. I wonder sometimes how many of our fussin', feudin', entertainment-oriented churches would even survive if persecution or economic downturns worsened.
Don't pack away these Christmas characters as you would figurines in a Nativity set December 26. You may need their example and character qualities in 2009.
Have a most wonderful Christmas season. It's a joy serving you.
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