Learn Today

Learn something today. For goodness' sake; learn something.

I am not sure what there is around the corner. I don't plan very well. But, I do know that I am headed around that corner and I believe that it's not what happens to us that matters so much, it's what we do when it happens; how we respond.

So, it just seems really important that we learn something every day.

This week I learned, thanks to two sage-like colleagues, that boundaries are important in ministry. Leadership can't be accomplished in the midst of anxiety so you can't enter into the anxiety of the moment. You can't react. You have to respond and the way you respond speaks to your ability to lead.

So, I stepped back a step this week; reminded myself that ministry is a profession not a friendship with everyone. And I felt better about me, and I think I started to do a better job.

"Dandy" Don Meredith

I grew up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. In my childhood being a fan of the Cowboys meant rooting for Dandy Don. He probably wasn't the best quarterback in the league but, I loved the Cowboys, and so I looked up to #17. I tried to emulate him in my passing. I had a replica jersey. He was kind of a big deal. His passing today at the age of 72 leaves me saddened.

In the years following his pro football career Don Meredith held a prominent position in my home on Monday nights. My grandmother loved him. My father used to sing, "Turn Out the Lights" in a manner after Don Meredith and we all loved the way he giggled and got under Howard Cosell's skin. Monday Night Football and Don Meredith were fixtures of my childhood; American icons. He made Monday Night Football must see TV.


Time moved on for Monday Night Football and the announcers have changed several times over the years. The current crew is very good in my estimation but, they weren't who I grew up with. So, I get it when church members say, "we should sing the hymns I grew up with. They're the ones that really speak to me." I get that. I miss the things of my childhood that helped form me and form the values that molded me. However, things do change with time whether we want them to or not. One of my favorite Christian authors, Kathleen Norris, wrote, "Disconnecting from change does not recapture the past. It loses the future."

That's a difficult but seemingly accurate statement. A church is a multi-generational enterprise. You can't be all things to all people all the time. Someone gets left out as another is included. It's the nature of bridging generations. But time does march on and change happens. In "Star Trek Generations" the villainous Dr. Soren says to Captain Jean-Luc Picard, "they say time is the fire in which we burn." Caustic, but again, with a ring of truth.

So, how do you address the multi-generational needs of congregations? With respect. You respect what has been and you respect what is and you respect what is coming. Each generation has or is growing up with something that forms the landscape of their memories just like Don Meredith is prominent in mine. So, you treat them all with respect and you listen to what they are saying and asking and you take them seriously. Then, you do your best to meet their needs. Not everyone is going to be happy all the time. You can only hope that when you cast a gaze back in time the road you have traveled has honored them all.

To Don Meredith's family I pray God's peace be with you in your grieving. He gave me much joy and birthed many of my football dreams. May he rest in God.

Talks A Lot

I was readying to head out of the church today to attend our semi-annual Regional Board meeting. I told the church secretary where I was headed and for how long. She's not a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She said, "you all like to talk a lot don't you?"

Yeah, I guess we do.

The work of the Holy Spirit among us begins with a conversation. The work of the church begins with a conversation as well. Conversation leads to understanding. Understanding has the possibility of leading to a common sense of purpose.

So, I hope we talk a lot. But even more, I hope the conversation leads to action as the Holy Spirit leads us. Because the Holy Spirit has begun the conversation. It's ours to take up.

Advent

Today is the start of a new year according to the Christian liturgical calendar. The new year starts with a focus on being prepared for the coming of the Lord. Advent has always held a double meaning; that of preparation for the birth of Jesus and that of preparation for the Second Coming of the Risen Christ. Focusing on these two things seems appropriate as the new year begins.

Of course the new year and the focus on nativity coincides with the retail celebration of Christmas and Santa and all that consumer-driven excitement. There are some in the Christian family who don't want this to be called the "Holiday Season" because it detracts from Christmas but, to me, that's wrongheaded. Christmas has been all but completely co-opted by retail sales and all those cutesy movies about family tradition. It's about Santa Claus and reindeer and Frosty and the Grinch. Those are all wonderful in their own rite. But, they have nothing to do with the Nativity. I have no trouble in naming things separately. There are holiday things. There are Christmas things and there are Nativity things.

Macy's could care less about Jesus. They are interested in the bottom line. They have no concern for Hanukkah. They want to see a rising sales curve. I don't mean to single out Macy's. It's the same for all big box retailers. Christmas gets their balance sheet healthier. That's what it's all about for them.

I enjoy buying gifts and the family celebrations. I love the Christmas songs of Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I enjoy watching people open presents on Christmas day and I have my own great memories of getting up before the sun to see what was under the tree. I have no trouble calling it Christmas or Holiday time as long as we are careful to talk about the Nativity with a completely different voice.

The Nativity is about a humble husband and wife who are under the orders of the strong and oppressive government to return to their home town and pay taxes. It is about a child laid in a feeding trough on a bed of hay and wrapped in bands of rags and the lowliest of job-holders in all of society; shepherds, being the first to hear the news.

To me, it's all good. Just don't confuse Santa with Jesus or give his magical appearing with gifts any time in the church. That place belongs to Jesus.

The First Presidential Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

THANKSGIVING DAY 1789
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - A PROCLAMATION
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be – That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks – for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war –for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions – to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually – to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed – to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord – To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us – and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
GO. WASHINGTON.

Patience

I was asked today, "what is your greatest ministerial challenge?" My answer? "Patience."

Earlier in the week I posted as my Facebook status, "Patience with people who threaten to disturb your inner peace amounts to listening to the gentle whisper of the holy." It drew a lot of response from people because I guess a lot of us have a problem with patience when it comes to others. Some people try us, and some people try us intentionally. They like to get us riled up.

I think that's certainly true when it comes to the pastor/parishioner relationship. I believe some people enjoy playing roast the preacher. Whatever they can do to be a burr under the saddle they will do it; and, they seem to get some pleasure out of it too.

So, yeah, patience is my greatest challenge as a pastor.

I've been accused of being too patient. One person who used to work with me would criticize me for moving too slowly, for letting church members get away with too much, for being too laissez faire. There may be some truth to that because another great challenge for me is conflict. When it's head on, I'm good, but, when it comes from the undermine and it's up to me to address it I don't get quite so motivated. But, as for being too patient, I think I have a ways to go to reach that state.

Still, I try always to take a long view. I absolutely always know where I am headed. I absolutely always have a clear goal in mind. I also realize there are many paths to the end of the trail. We can get to the goal many ways. Sometimes there are setbacks, but, I believe if I can keep moving in the direction of the ultimate goal that somehow I am going to get there and lead the people in my charge there as well.

Idyllic optimism? Maybe. Patience. Maybe a little. It's the way I try to work and co-exist and lead.

Someday I'll get there and I hope that I will have taught and learned along the way. Until then; patience and perseverance.

13

Dallas is 13. A certified teenager. Wow, that happened fast didn't it?

Living with my child is difficult, rewarding, and perplexing. He doesn't make things easy because he doesn't understand that to be his job. As he sees it his job is to live a carefree existence where he gets what he needs and what he wants and the rest of us hold the position of his servant.

I am hoping he will learn otherwise. I am hoping he will learn that Jesus was a servant to all and a master to none. I am hoping he will learn that while he is indeed special, so is everyone else on the planet. I am hoping he will learn that truth is more important than popularity or riches. I am hoping he will always give his best, speak his best, offer his best -- because you know, when he does, he's pretty wonderful.

13 is the number of men there were in that crowd that wandered through the Israeli countryside; Jesus and the twelve. 13 is the age at which Jewish boys and girls are offered the rite of passage into adulthood. 13 is also the age which Native American boys became warriors. It's a big year.

As Dallas moves into his teen years and grows in stature, in knowledge and I hope in faith as well I ask for your prayers, your support, your wisdom and your help. Affirm him when he does well. Steer him when is wandering off the path. Answer his questions if he asks. Accept his hugs and offer him one now and then. Respect him. Love him.

Thank you.

The Revised Common Lectionary

I have a deep appreciation for the Revised Common Lectionary. Using the Lectionary takes a chunk of the human word out of sermon and worship planning and allows more divine Word to be heard.

The Revised Common Lectionary was revised and began to be used in 1994 based on the Common Lectionary which came into use in 1983. The Revised Common Lectionary has the support of the Roman Catholic Church, the Episcopal, Methodist, Prebyterian, Lutheran, United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ. It spans a three year period with the general rule being that for every Sunday of the year there is a prescribed reading from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Psalms, the Epistles and the Gospels. Over a three year period virtually all of the Bible is touched.

The major principle behind the lectionary is that on a Sunday members of congregations should be able to hear the voice of each writer week by week, rather than readings being selected according to a theme. Thus, in any given year the writer of one of the first three gospels will be heard from beginning to end. Likewise the rest of the New Testament is heard, in some cases, virtually in total, in others in large part.

As I said, this takes much of the human word out of the picture and keeps us from preaching what we think ought to be preached. The pulpit is no place to grind an axe or to release the frustrations of a pastor. It is the place from where the Word of God should rightly proceed. Thematic preaching is helpful, necessary and often quite illustrative of the great truths of the scriptures. The Lectionary is sometimes set to the side when themes need to be preached to a particular congregation because the Lectionary is itself an implement for preaching and not a rule that must be followed. Still, the Lectionary can save the congregation from preachers intent on getting THEIR point across. For that reason alone it is a useful instrument.

The Lectionary also instills a discipline on the preacher. It causes us to examine the whole Bible and not just the parts we like the most. It challenges the preacher to find within its prescribed texts the Word of God the congregation needs to hear. It is difficult, though not impossible, to manipulate the Lectionary to one's own purposes. As a discipline the Lectionary invites the preacher into each portion of the scriptures and then asks the preacher to listen for the Word of God rather than reading it into a text.

I don't always like the Lectionary. Sometimes the prescribed texts are difficult to preach or don't speak to my listening ear. There are times when I get stuck trying to hear. But, I will most likely always be primarily a Lectionary preacher. It puts me in the proper place in the pulpit.

Can't Stay Away from Dangling Bait

Sometimes people ask you a question or make a statement that is cryptic and veiled. They do that so that when you respond you are caught unaware or perhaps trapped into admitting something you might not otherwise reveal. It is a passive-aggressive form of communication rather than just a straightforward speaking of the mind. When lulled into one of these conversations you are often embarrassed, surprised and not often allowed to offer any deeper answer. In our sound-bite world this seems to be ever-more true. Journalists and political pundits are looking for that shocked, surprised answer or just a strange reaction so that they claim a "Youtube" moment.

I don't like being baited. But you know, I can't seem to lay off that dangling bait either. Some years ago when I was in elementary school I talked too much in class and the teacher assigned me sentences to write. What did the sentence say? "My mouth gets me in trouble when I talk too much." One of these days I will take that lesson to heart.

What I Did This Summer, Part I

This summer I did what I have done every year for the past few -- I chaperoned our church youth group on a brief but meaningful mission trip. We went to Cincinnati this summer for the trip and we worked with a wonderful organization called Matthew 25 Ministries. They treated us very well and we filled up several gaylords of goods and products to be shipped where there is need. I don't usually go head over heels for organizations with which we work, but, this one was tempting.

We went to Newport on the Levee and had a nice dinner on the balcony. We watched a Cincinnati Reds game that was a lot of fun. We spent a whole entire good day at King's Island riding every roller coaster they rolled out. It was a LONG day.

Then there was Vacation Bible School that went very well. It too was mission oriented. We invited guest speakers in and we looked at the mission field in our neighborhood, our city, state, country and around the world. The kids seemed to be having a good time and the content this year was outstanding.

After that it was on to the summer camp management job that I work for Christian Church in KY. Each week I would meet counselors, directors and campers at Camp WakonDaHo, invite them to fun and spiritual growth and shoot a couple hundred pictures of these children and teenagers having an unabashed good time. Camp WakonDaHo is so much more than a place.

And that was June.

Cooking With A Flame

I like to cook on the outdoor gas grill. I like cooking over a flame. It's primitive. It's tasty. It gives me satisfaction.

It doesn't matter what is to be grilled, I enjoy cooking it all. From zucchini slices to corn on the cob, baking potatoes, steaks, salmon, hamburgers and hot dogs. All good.

But, it's Labor Day weekend and thus the traditional end to summer and the summer grilling season. It won't stop me. If my tank has propane then I will cook with a flame. Even when there is snow on the grill I am up to putting on a coat and cooking outside; especially if it's a steak from Critchfield's.

I just like cooking with a flame no matter what the season. Labor Day may be a national celebration to celebrate, "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," but it certainly doesn't mean grilling is over.

September

Officially summer may not be over for three more weeks but, it's September 1 and that means fall to me. College football starts this week. The pools close this weekend. The sailboat is telling me the wind is about to shift in her direction. It's fall.

Fall is always a low time for me. I don't really know why. I just seem to dip a little as the days get shorter. And I miss playing football. After all these years have passed by I can still smell the dust and the grass of Oklahoma; the long evening practices; the sounds, the sights of it all. And who could ever purge that locker room smell from their memories? It stings the nostrils.

A couple years ago the alt band Green Day wrote and recorded a great song about September and with a shout out to their biggest fan, Wyatt McDanald, here's the lyric to the song.

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends

like my father's come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when September ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when September ends

summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends

ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when September ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends

like my father's come to pass
twenty years has gone so fast
wake me up when September ends



Indeed.

Never Unscathed

The Tulsa portion of my 30 day Sabbatical Experiment was very pleasing. In spite of my anxieties about the mini-reunion it was way more fun than I could have hoped. The whole reconnecting with friends from days gone by was especially sweet and wonderful. Yet, as we talked and remembered and filled in the gaps of our lives it was not difficult to discover that many of us have lived through some really difficult days and situations, health concerns, marriages that didn't go well and the like. Not a one of us seemed to be without scars of some sort and there were even some among us who had fresh wounds. It seems to be so that none of us walks through this world unscathed. We've reached our 50's and that's plenty of time for a hike through the woods of life.

Most of the people, and perhaps even all of them, who were there are decent, good people. Bad things do indeed happen to the best of us. One particularly endeared friend is reovering from the loss of her father whom she deeply adored. She is very strong in faith and has lived her principles, as did her dad. But, grief shows on her face nonetheless.

I often assert that life can almost always be explained by physics. A curious thing for a pastor to say others often think. But I believe that when a heavy load begins to crush us it is good to have a structure around us that can support and distribute the weight. Because none of us escapes life unschathed it is good indeed to have friends who bear us up on eagle's wings and help us carry the load.

A Long Way to Go and a Short Time to Get There

We picked up the RV a little early today thanks to some outstanding and wonderful employees at NotNu/Cruise America in Tulsa. We hit the road around 12:30 Central time with me behind the wheel.

The rented RV planted itself at 70 MPH and didn't look back. Stroud, Oklahoma City, Weatherford, Shamrock, Amarillo, Tucumcarie and now we rest at the KOA in Albuquerque. Apparently they have Wi-Fi because here I am at midnight thirty writing in the blog.

The landscape along the way was inspiring. The hills and farms of Oklahoma, dotted with gas wells and ponds. The flat prairie of the Texas panhandle with mesquite growing low and washes and draws where Indians used to hide from the US Army. The mesas, ravines and oddly shaped mountains of eastern New Mexico without a tree in sight. Inspiring. It is amazing the change in topography you can experience in one day's drive. Amazing.

The sunset over the New Mexico mountains was special and the full moon guiding us tonight was our constant friend.

The KOA is very nice and the RV seems to be functioning quite well, even if it is only accomplishing about 7 MPG. That may have more to do with the leadfoot behind the wheel than anything else.

We will all sleep well tonight. In fact I am yawning now and ready to sign off.

Goodnight from Albuquerque.

Disaster or Disaster Avoided?

Today was a disaster. Or perhaps it is a day when disaster was avoided.

The morning went pretty well. We left the hotel in St Robert, MO close to an "on-time departure" and arrived in Tulsa to do a bit of sight-seeing for Ryan, and a little coney eating too, before we went to Mom and Dad's.

We loaded the RV and made for Oklahoma City. First, it was the generator that malfunctioned. The generator was surging which made it nearly impossible for the air conditioner to run, which made it really, really hot inside the RV. So, before we got out of town we stopped and tried to make adjustments. Nothing really worked but I got behind the wheel and we entered the Turner Turnpike.

That's when the engine went amiss. Each time we tried to climb a hill it would starve for fuel. It backfired once. Still, I kept thinking it might just smooth out.

Forty miles onto the turnpike we hit the toll booth. As we exited the RV decided not to shift into overdrive. The torque converter wasn't kicking in. So, Dad said, "Jerry, we need to turn around and go home. We can't have this thing breaking down and stranding us in the middle of nowhere." By the way, the middle of nowhere was our chosen destination but breaking down there was not our chosen activity.

So, I turned us around and headed back to town; bewildered and with my Dad nearly sunk with disappointment and sorrow. He kept saying he was sorry, but, it didn't need to be said because he hadn't caused the phantoms and I wasn't about to hold the misfortunes of the day against him.

Still, I didn't know exactly what to do. We called a place in Tulsa called NotNu and they rent CruiseAmerica RV's. Yes, we can get one tomorrow she said. Not today? Nope, thanks to Timothy McVeigh no one can get a same-day RV rental ever again.

I talked with Kelly and she said that this was a once in a lifetime trip and we would just work out the money at a later time. How, I don't know and I didn't really think about it as I signed the rental agreement.

Tomorrow we get a CruiseAmerica RV with a huge billboard on the side of it. It's bare. We have to take everything from toilet paper to sheets with us tomorrow. It's gonna be an ordeal, but, they have roadside assistance. It's nearly new. It sleeps 7. It may be OK.

But, we still have to get to Phoenix by 9:00 PM on Wednesday to pick up Kelly at the airport. Hard days ahead tomorrow and Wednesday. We can't get the rolling billboard until noon tomorrow and it will surely be 1:00 before we are packed and moving.

Still, I think today is about learning something. Even though it seemed to have all went wrong we are moving forward; trying to learn; trying to be on sabbatical. By the way, that was especially hard to do today because the church phone kept calling me to tell me someone had left a message. I thought I had turned that off but I guess I didn't. The tech guy was supposed to call or come by last Thursday to help with the phones but he didn't.

Trying hard to be on sabbatical. Trying hard to learn each day. Today I learned a lot about character and will and determination and grit. And I think Dallas and Ryan learned something too. I hope they did.

The 30 Day Sabbatical Experiment

We (Dallas, Ryan Pendleton, and I) have made it to the Hampton Inn in St. Robert, MO. The boys are asleep as I post pictures and write this. It has been a long, long day.

We got started on the trip about 1:25 this afternoon and pulled into the Gateway Arch Parking Garage at just about 6 PM Central time. While we were getting Ryan's camera out of the trunk I sliced my middle finger right hand wide open on the underside of the trunk. It bled immediately and a pretty good amount. I pinched hard and got it stopped but I am typing with a handicap. It hurts.

The trip up the Gateway Arch in StL was as good as it has ever been. The Mississippi River is out of its banks, above the walkways and into the street below the arch. Dallas stood in the river which we thought was great fun.

So, it's publish this, try to sleep and get on the road around 7:30 tomorrow morning. We are hoping to make the panhandle of TX by tomorrow night.

Here Is the Church.....

When I was a child I was taught, like many, many others, to put my hands together with my fingers interlocked and my two index fingers pointing skyward as I said, "here is the church, here is the steeple." Then you would open your hands with fingers still interlocked and say, "open it up and here are the people."

I have a completely different perspective on this exercise today and don't think I recommend it any more.

Why?

Two reasons.

First, the people should be outside the church where the people who need to hear the message the church offers actually live. Those people who are in need and are seeking aren't near as likely in our day to search for a church to attend. They won't come to us any more. It's time we go to them. Jesus rarely taught in the synagogues and temples, he did, but it was far more often we find him on a hill, at a lakefront, in someone's home, on the road. When he commissioned the 70 to be his advance men he sent them out on the road and into homes, not the temple and not the synagogue.

Church people should be outside the walls of the church.

Second, when you open your hands in this exercise the fingers that represent the church people are still interlocked. They are tight knit. We used to say that cohesion and group identification in the church were good things, and to some extent they still are. It's not near as satisfying to affiliate with a congregation where you don't feel connected and integrated -- and that makes the opposite point. The church is too tight, too cohesive and not near welcoming and inclusive enough. It's difficult to break in. We even have rules that say new members can't be in leadership until they have been in the church for a certain period of time. The church needs to be less interlocked and more open.

Really, about the only thing I like about the exercise any more is where it says, "open the church." Yes, let's do that. Let's open the church and when we do maybe more people will find its message essential to their lives.

Asking for Money

It's Capital Fund Drive time at the congregation I Pastor. It's that time when the Pastor and the Fund Drive leaders ask the congregation to give some extra over the next three years to help pay down the debt on the facility.

I don't mind asking for money.

What the church is about is worth supporting. From food pantry to visitation, from Habitat house to community Easter Egg Hunt, the church is worth supporting.

On the other side of the aisle; out there in the chairs, people complain when you ask for money. If you've been a part of a congregation for any length of time you know that the church needs money and is going to ask for it. And, if you are really active in the work of the congregation it's likely that you already have within you a desire to support the church financially.

However, all that being said, I would like to not have to ask. I would prefer that the church members offer; that they say, "we recognize the value of the church in our lives and in the lives of others and we want to give this extra." Sometimes that happens for smaller projects -- here's hoping that someday it happens for something bigger.

In the meantime, I will be asking for money.

The Gossip Factory

Why is it a part of church life, this she said or he said thing? Why is it that we have to tell someone what someone else said? It's drama. It's inflammatory. It causes extra pastoral work for the pastor. It does not build up the church, which was intended to be a mission outpost not a gossip factory.

What Does Love Demand?

Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34,35)

What then is demanded of us by love?

Is Past Performance An Indicator of Future Success?

Does a successful past help a church navigate through a difficult present and keep moving into the future?

If the church has always made it through all difficult times in days gone by do the stories of those bygone days inspire confidence in handling the present concerns?

What stories does a church have that help it remember its record of faithfulness as a way to assure them for the future?

Members Only?

Should any church event be a members only event?

A Calm Hand at the Tiller

The Pastor is often called to be the calm hand on the tiller.

The healthcare debate, despite last night's vote, is still raging on. Senator McCain promises a stunning midterm defeat for the Dems and a quick repeal when the GOP is back in the majority. Immigration reform is on hand now and there is that little row with Netanyahu to figure out. Closer to home people continue to lose their jobs, family members fall ill and the rising costs of tomatoes have gotten us all stymied.

I am not one of those Pastors who goes in for the grand political stage. It's my humble opinion that the pulpit should be as clear of national politics as possible. I further believe that Christian people can hold opposing opinions socially and politically, and hold them passionately, while passing the bread and the cup of our Lord to one another.

The key for Christian people, it seems to me, is to hold the enemy in prayer. That is what Jesus taught isn't it? Rather than revile or judge or stone or damn the one who is on the other side of the opinion fence, doesn't Jesus instead instruct us thus, (I think these are his words), "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." -- Matthew 5:43-45

That, dear friends, is the definition of a calm hand at the tiller, and an example this Pastor hopes to follow.

The Missional Church - Luke 10

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”* But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

Church of the Smorgasbord

I don't think the church has a responsibility to become a smorgasbord of goods and services, programs and social services which can then be marketed to a target audience to maximize new consumer potential.

An Amazing Journey

I just wanted to point to another blog and an exceptionally courageous young woman. Check this out when you have time.

http://abbysunderland.com/