A Prayer Through Tears

If you've been watching the news at all, you are aware of the horrible violence and murders that have taken place in Connetticut.  Here is a prayer shared by The God Article.  I hope it touches you as it did me.  Blessings.  ~ Ben

A Prayer for the Conn. Elementary Shooting
from The God Article

Good and gracious God,

Today we are reminded
that we live in a broken world.
We are reminded of how fragile
life really is.

Some will surely say,
“Where is your God?”
And it is easy to echo their question.
But remind us that you
did not cause this tragedy
or any other.
Remind us that you suffer
with those who suffer.
You reach out and offer them
a loving embrace of comfort.
You call on your people
to do the same.

While we know in our hearts
that this tragedy was senseless,
we also know that you
have a beautiful way of pulling meaning
out of the senseless
in order to help us move forward
and grow closer to you.

So for this moment,
we hold in our hearts
the children and the teachers killed,
the families who will now grieve
and, yes, even the shooter.
And even as we remember them,
we give thanks for the knowledge
that you love each of them
and have invited them into your presences.

Once we have grieved this tragedy,
turn our minds toward the problem
of violence in this world.
Help us to bracket out
political perspectives
and the monetary call of big business,
and focus our hearts and minds
on the love of your creation,
the love of our neighbor.

May the way we move forward
honor the lives that have been lost.

Amen.

Unintentional Growth Hindrance

I've seen a phenomenon occur in every church I have been a part of.  The latest program comes up, and the person leading the program asks the "old standbys" to fill all the leadership and service roles.  Then disappointment sets in as the new folks don't participate as fully as expected.  It's not that the program was bad, or even that the desire was to exclude anyone.  Really, the positions were filled because the leader knew people who had done it before or they had such a relationship that the leader knew they would do it again.

However...

This unintentionally hinders the growth of a church because it excludes people from becoming fully functioning members of the community.  It says, "We've already got someone who does that, sorry."  In a church, roles need to change and be filled by new people on a regular basis.  This not only keeps things fresh, but it also keeps those who have done it before from getting burned out (a major problem among church volunteers).

Additionally, it allows folks who have been involved for awhile to continue to grow and stretch as they gain new skills.  Just because someone is trained as an accountant doesn't mean they want to serve on the finance team.  Likewise, a trained educator might not be best to teach Sunday School.  I know a man who has been practicing as a physician for over 30 years who is the best 4th Grade Sunday School teacher you'll ever find.  A logistics manager I know has an incredible heart for pastoral care.  The owner of a large HVAC business rocks electric guitar on his church's praise band.  I could go on.

It's what distinguishes growing churches from plateaued churches.  The fancy word is "assimilation."  If that's too Borgian, think of it as "getting involveded-ness." 

It can be in official capacities for big projects and events (like running VBS or the annual Christmas Program) or in small ways (cooking hotdogs, passing collection plates, leading Children's time, organizing where food goes for potlucks).

The difficulty is in letting someone else do the work.  And trusting them to take care of it.  Empowering folks is difficult for many of us, but it is a skill that can be learned.  Next time you have the opportunity to fill a role, skip over the people who immediately come to mind.  Dig a little deeper and see who has never done this before but who might be good at it.  Ask them to take the lead, but let them know if they have any questions, you're right there for them.  Don't be obtrusive or nagging, but take a step back and let them see you present and supportive.  That will work wonders for getting people involved and committed to the program.

You already love your church, and you serve in a myriad of ways.  It's time to open opportunities for others to love and serve in a similar fashion.  Not only will they be blessed, but God's Kingdom will be enriched. 

Angels We Have Heard On High?

My office manager and I were looking for the perfect piece of advent art for the cover of our Christmas Cantata bulletin.  We decided singing angels wold be appropriate.  The first Google image search made us die laughing!

Middle Guy: I'm here for the band...who are...wait, what are you guys doing?!

OK, seriously!  They look like the Bee Gees.  The one on the left appears to be playing a pair of underwear.  The next one is holding...a rainstick?  Then we've got the mandolin player, which is actually a legitimate musical instrument.  I'm not so sure about the two on the right, but the one holding a long black thing looks like he's smoking something out of it.  No one holds an instrument like that.

Maybe the artist got confused and thought the title of the song is "We Have Heard High Angels."  That's the only logical explanation for whatever is happening in this picture. 

Happy Advent

This is awesome!  Happy beginning of Advent!

Awkward Greeting Time

We are, by nature, social creatures.  We want to make connections with others.  We look for it  We make it happen.  We're designed that way. 

So why is it that when we come to church, the social time before and after church is always a little awkward?  I mean, really, is there anywhere else that has that same feel?

Totally not awkward...

It's not like things are awkward when you're at a baseball game with 20,000 of your closest friends.  I don't even like baseball, but I have fun every single time I go to a game.  Even standing in line with strangers waiting to shell out $45 for a beer and a hot dog, we'll strike up a conversation and it'll be fun.

Maybe that's the difference at church.  It's not like everyone on Sunday morning forms a homogenous group.  At (nearly) every church there will be all six American generations present.  Sometimes a few more from one generation than another, but the age range will cover birth to somewhere just shy of 100.

People are also here for many different reasons.  When you go to a wine tasting, you know everyone there has some interest in wine.  Or they just like eating cheese with those little plastic swords.

Best part of wine tasting

Now church, on the other hand doesn't have a single unifying characteristic.  Sure, Jesus.  But I would hesitate to say everyone is in church to connect with Jesus.  I've known several people who went to church to connect with the pretty girls who also went to church.  Some folks go to church so everyone can see they were at church.  A marine once told me that he went to church every Sunday in bootcamp because it was the one place all week that no one yelled at him.  Obviously the chaplain was not Baptist.

Some of us go because that's our job.  Some because it's our spouse's job.  Parents (and grandparents) often 'drag' children to church.  It is always fun when kids reverse it and drag their parents to church. Some people just show up because they have a friend singing or playing an instrument.  When I did my internship in Colorado, I had several co-workers come to church because I was preaching.  It was the only time one of them had ever been inside a church.  Ever.

Different ages.  Different reasons.  Different people.

What we do in church is a little weird as well.  It is about us because we're all there in the same place, participating in the same service.  But it isn't about us because the focus is on (or should be) connecting us with God.  All these diverse and incredibly varied people together, but not actually interacting with one another.  Maybe that's why the greeting is so awkward.

What do these people have in common?

Except for the greeting time, our attention is focused either on ourselves or turned toward being open to a spiritual experience.  We talk together, we sing together, we listen together, but we're doing it by ourselves.  Everyone around us just happens to be doing the same thing at the same time.  Think about it.  I'm right, aren't I?

However, I am confident that on Sunday morning each of us is exactly where we need to be, surrounded by the people who need to be surrounding us.  We might not be sure what is going to happen, but I am also confident that God will dispense love and grace to those gathered -- whoever they are and for whatever reason they have come.

Perhaps that's the unifying characteristic -- everyone at church is a person Jesus loves. 

Politics and Church

A friend of mine asked me this morning if I had watched Steven Colbert last night because she had a question.  I said no, and then promptly went and checked it out.

Here's the link to the full episode:
http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/tue-october-2-2012-jorge-ramos

The gist of the first segment was Colbert talking with Jim Garlow, a leader in the Pulpit Freedom Sunday movement and pastor in San Diego. 

Here's my take...
I liked it when Colbert said: "There's not enough politics in our religion."
However, I both agree and disagree. Throughout the Bible politics are often at odds with God's people, and the prophets call the people to make political stands against unjust policies/practices. The sticking point for me is endorsing a candidate and saying, 'this is who God wants in office.'

Caesar Tiberius

The struggle with 'state' religion started with Constantine used Christianity as a political tool. It was basically downhill from there -- especially when Bishops (later Popes) became not only religious leaders but also heads of state. And when England gave the middle finger to the Catholic church and made their King (head of state) also the head of the Anglican church. So yeah...I'm a little cautious about political endorsements by the church.

That being said, Jesus was a very political dude. He never ran for office, and in fact the closest he ever came to a 'genuine' political statement was when he was asked about paying taxes to Caesar (Mark 12:13-17). His answer was basically: stop being jerks and focus on living how God wants you to.

There is obviously a lot more to say on this subject, but this is my Reader's Digest version.  Thoughts?

Stewardship 2012

Stewardship is one of those areas we really struggle with as disciples of Jesus Christ. Of all the things in our lives that we feel we have control over, money is one of the big ones. Schools, careers, even spouses and children are decided upon because of money. If you have a red-letter edition of the Bible (yep, the one where Jesus' words are highlighted in red), you can count it up and discover that nearly a third of everything Jesus talked about had to do with our relationship to money. Not only do we know finances are a big deal, God knows it as well!

As you are prayerfully considering how God is calling you to use your finances as an instrument of his Kingdom, consider these 6 Characteristics of a Biblical Giver (adapted from Ask, Thank, Tell by Charles Lane). Remember, the goal of stewardship is not raising money, it is helping people grow in their relationship to Jesus Christ. That is the heart and soul of our church.

#1 Intentional

When our boys and girls come up to children's time during worship, it is completely appropriate for them to search their pockets and see if they have something to give. Scripture tells us we should 'give as we have made up our mind.' That means prayerfully talking about how much we will give and then living according to that plan.

#2 Regular

Scripture also tells us that the practice of the early church was to put aside their gifts on Sunday, so a special collection didn't have to be made when needs arose. In the first century a worker was paid at the end of the day, so it made sense to give weekly. Now a days to give regularly means to give whenever and however we may receive we income (bi-weekly, monthly, social security, commission, pay check, etc.). When we receive, we also give, according to our intentional plan.

#3 Generous

Lane writes: “It is hard to imagine anyone who is serious about discipleship giving one or two percent of his or her income to God's work through the church. It is equally difficult to imagine a tither who isn't serious about discipleship.” One of the keys to o ur faith is that we believe God provides 'abundantly far more than we can hope or imagine.' We know we can't be more generous than God, but we can be generous in our own giving. Nationwide, the average church member gives just over 2.5% of their after tax income. The average PCUSA member gives 1.5%. Perhaps there's room for us to show people what generous means!

#4 First

In a nutshell, this means giving to God first, off the top, and living on the rest. Biblically they called this 'first-fruits giving.' The first of everything was given to God. We no longer live in an agrarian society, but we do live in a world that can suck a bank account dry in next to nothing flat. 'Wants' become 'needs' faster than you can say “iPhone 5!” I've discovered this in my own life: If we don't give to God first, we will short-change God every single time.

#5 Proportional

The Scriptural standard is to give as we have received. Those who have much wealth are expected to give proportionately. Those with little wealth are also expected to give proportionately. To put it simply, proportional giving takes the dollar amount out of the gift. For someone who has nothing, anything is a significant gift to God. For someone who has great financial resources, percentage giving suggests the significance is in relation to their generosity, not in comparison to another person's gift.

#6 Cheerful

2 Corinthians 9:7 reads, “God loves a cheerful giver.” The reason for being a cheerful giver is found in the verse immediately preceding and immediately following this one. The key to cheerful giving is to practice the other five characteristics of stewardship as part of our daily life dedicated to Jesus Christ.

You might not believe me. You might not believe Chuck Lane. But give it a try! Watch how God transforms your life.

The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each of your must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.   ~ 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Labor Day Commissioning

This is adapted from a commissioning put out by the fine folks at The High Calling.  I've never done a commissioning for Labor Day before, but since the workplace is where most of our folks spend the better part of their week, it makes a lot of sense.  Feel free to use or adapt as you see fit.  If you're joining us on Sunday morning, please participate!

Workplace Commissioning

Leader: The Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush and told him to take his shoes off because the ground he was standing on was holy ground. Today, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we know that every place God calls us to is holy ground.

Jesus set an example of work by spending the largest part of his life working as a carpenter. We are told that his disciples also had professions – fishermen, accountants, even a tent maker. Scripture tells us that all our earthly work should be done as if working directly for God. Our work, then, is as much worship as what we do here in church.

This morning we are taking a moment to affirm the work you do – whether it is in an office, a vehicle, at home, on a construction site, or in a factory – and to remind you that your work takes place on holy ground.

In celebration of the work you do and the calling you have, I invite anyone who wishes to dedicate his or her daily work to the glory of God to stand and be commissioned to that service.

(WAIT FOR THEM TO STAND)

Do you trust in Jesus Christ as your savior, and acknowledge him as Lord of your daily work?

DO YOU?  I do.

Do you acknowledge that every gift, talent, opportunity, and success comes from God's hand and is meant for God's glory?

DO YOU?  I do.

Will you seek to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ in your workplace, accountable to God for your faithful witness?

WILL YOU?  I will

Leader: It is fitting that the dedication of your work be sealed with the support of your sisters and brothers in Christ.

Do you, the congregation, pledge your support to these individuals, committing to pray for, encourage, them in their daily work?

DO YOU?  I do.

Let us pray: God, we give you thanks for the gifts you have given, and especially for the calling and ability to work. We dedicate our efforts to you now and ask your blessing on those who have been commissioned. Remind them that the ground in their workplace is holy ground because your Spirit is at work there. Keep them secure in your grace, assure them of your presence, and help them to bring you glory through the work that they do. Amen.

Evangelism Conference pt. 2

Well, here's how the rest of the week went.  My computer is totally dead, we leave tomorrow morning at 4 a.m., and we're having a huge celebration of life and witness to the resurrection service (funeral) tomorrow afternoon.  Add in some other work-related stressors, and needless to say, the two vacation days we tacked onto the end of the conference haven't been completely relaxing. 

But that's not what this post is about.

The rest of the evangelism conference offered more of the same enthusiasm and passion that it began with.  I took seminars on Children's Ministry, Finance, Hospitality/Welcoming Strangers, and Discipleship. 

Highlights:
1.  New people don't know how or why we do what we do.  It must be crystal clear to them.
2.  We should walk thru coming to our church for the first time-from the parking lot all the way through the benediction.
3.  We are going to start 'prayer walking' our neighborhood, asking God to bring good news to these people, cast out demons, restore sight, heal them, and show them the kingdom of God.
4.  God wants our hearts.  God doesn't need our money, but God knows that if he gets my money, he'll have my heart.
5.  Budgeting and finances are for the end of fulfilling our mission, not to fill in line items.
6.  Good, practical steps in leading stewardship
7.  Leadership development materials for our finance, children's,  and evangelism folks.
8.  Let's get creative about how we do classes and stewardship. 
9.  'Why' is a very good question.
10.  Tell what God is doing.  People will line up to be a part of it!

There is lots more, but 10 is a nice round number, and as much fun as typing on my phone is.. I'm going to sign off.  See you tomorrow.

Evangelism Conference pt. 1

I'm not sure if there will be a part 2, but I did want to post some of the highlights so far. 

Our preacher yesterday was Mark Yaconelli, who was simply amazing.  He framed the practice of being a Christian as the practice of loving relationship.'  Within that, our job is not big picture...it's small picture, very small.  As in, love your neighbor.  Not every neighbor, just the one right next to you.

He also challenged our concept of success, especially given our cultural bent towards achievement.  Looking at Scripture, he said, 'Success is not a name for God.  It's not even a category for God.'.

Humorously, he looked at Jesus' ministry to help break us of our concept of success.  Jesus had 12 guys.  Most of the time the had no idea what he was talking about.  And of the 12, Jesus was pretty sure one of them wanted to kill him. 

Success for Jesus was not a church of 30,000, but being deserted by his best friends and dying alone.  Hmmm.  Food for thought.

Mark had many other awesome and challenging things to say, but I'll tell you about them later.

The other incredible thing was worship led by the praise band of 1st Pres, Lake land, FL.  Old songs, new songs, joyful expressions of faith among the congregation, all wrapped up in modern bluegrassy gospel goodness!

More to come...possibly.  :-)

Coming to Jesus

I just got back from a week of summer camp with our youth group.  It was great!  The thing I liked most was seeing our youth blossom under the care and guidance of their counselors.  Camp Living Stones is a decidedly Christian summer camp.  They do the typical camp activities -- zip lines, rafting, high and low ropes courses -- but there's also dedicated time for devotions every morning and worship every evening.  After worship the campers meet with their counselor/small group leader to talk about the day and pray together.  It's the best of Christian community.

I also like this camp because they don't do a hard sell on the gospel.  What I mean is there's no 'altar call.'  Even so, one of our campers dedicated her life to Christ last week!  Hallelujah!  What a wonderful and life-changing thing for her.

It got me thinking...what do we think about conversion?  Especially us Presbyterians who baptize infants into the faith of their parents and the promises made on their behalf.  There's a thing we call confirmation, but that's just a formalized second step to infant baptism.  It's the point at which, nowadays, we have middle & high school students attend class and earn their "I'm a Christian" merit badge.

I jest, of course, but really, shouldn't confirmation be more akin to what our student encountered at camp?  Shouldn't confirmation be the point at which God's promises in Christ become real and personal for me, and I dedicate my life to living as a disciple of Jesus Christ?

Maybe confirmation needs to be less about a program and more about allowing & encouraging young (and old?) folks to fall in love with Jesus.

"The issue is letting Christ in to change us. Having Christ dwell in our hearts is akin to having a new person move into your household. If they're just visiting, it is all rather easy; you simply offer hospitality and try to practice good manners. But if someone moves in to stay, everything changes. At first you might try to hold on to your familiar patterns and routines, and the new member may work hard to accomodate you and stay out of the way. But eventually they make their mark. Conversations change. Relationships realign. Household tasks increase and responsibilities shift. So it is when Christ moves into the hearts of Christians. This isn't merely tweaking old patterns; everything changes."

                      ~ Karen Chakoian, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Granville, OH.

VBS 2012

Last week was our annual Vacation Bible School.  We had an excellent time doing Daniel and the Lion's Den!  The children (and adults!) learned that God is with us all the time!

When things change, God is with us!
When we need help, God is with us!
When we are afraid...God is with us!
When we are lonely...God is with us!
When we are thankful...God is with us!

Jim Hooper, one of our elders, made this outstanding video of the week.  Enjoy!

Assimilation

My first ordained call was as Associate Pastor for Outreach and Assimilation.  No one really knew what that meant, least of all me. 

I began by borrowing CD's of an evangelism seminar put on by Church Growth Inc..  It was entitled:  "How to Assimilate Newcomers Into Your Church." 

I picked up my own copy of the training when I began at Northside.  Thankfully, they renamed the seminar "Welcome to the Family" when they released it on DVD! 

Poor naming choices aside, the seminar contained such a wealth of useful thoughts on hospitality, follow up, differences between long-term members and new members, and what it takes to get someone involved beyond the 6th month mark (the time by which most people who drop out of church will disengage).  Backed up by solid research and statistics, this is an excellent teaching tool. 

Now, how do we expose more people to these radical concepts?  Better yet, how do we get our long-term members to engage both sides of the community?  We need rookies to feel and connect like our veterans, and our veterans need to help them do it while still retaining their deep connections in the church. 

That's right, I live on land and in the water. 'Cause I'm awesome!

It's a special gift to be able to do this.  We can't just ask someone to 'be more friendly.'  That's like the church growth plan that involves 'bring a friend to church.'  Great sentiment, tough to pull off.  The difficulty lies in finding someone who can live in both worlds -- the comfortable world of his/her circle of friends and the new world of those who haven't been here for years and who don't have established relationships.  What we need are exceptionally gifted amphibians! 

If you've belonged to a church for more than 2 years, you're reasons for being part of the community (friendships, Sunday School class, etc.) are very different from a person who has been there less than 2 years.  Holding both mindsets at once and helping people from each perspective come together is essential to growing and expanding our little slice of Christ's Kingdom.

REALLY?!?

I know, it's been over a month since I've posted.  I have a few drafts sitting around (no excuse!), and even had a blog written and ready to post tonight.  Then my browser crashed and didn't save 3/4 of the post.  Stupid internets!

Anyway, I'll try again tomorrow.  Hope you're having a blessed day!

Post Easter Onus

Well, it's the week after Easter.  We sat with Jesus and had dinner on Thursday.  We walked with him to his death on Friday at Coolidge Park.  On Sunday we awoke early and visited the empty tomb at the Duck Pond.  We celebrated Christ's resurrection with songs and prayers and words of Scripture at church later that day. 

As I'm reflecting on it, in the aftermath of Holy Week, I can't help but wonder:  What's changed?  We had great attendance at each of these services.  Enthusiastic participation.  Heartfelt stirrings of the Spirit.  But now it seems everyone is carrying on, same as normal. 

Is that the way it is every Monday?  We leave the presence of God's community, tune out the hymns, forget the words, and go about our lives?  Where's the lasting change? 

Maybe that's not how God changes us.  Maybe God takes weeks added together, even months and years, to move us from point A to point B. 

True, but perhaps there is an onus placed on us to take the resurrection message we hear at Easter and proclaim it every week. 

Maybe that onus includes keeping that spark alive through daily participation in prayer and community.

And maybe, just maybe, this is what God expects from each of us.  Not just our pastor.  Not just the 'spiritual.'  But all of us, because we are all called 'children of God.'

Holy Week No Post

It's Holy Week.  Happy Easter! 

Here's why you're not seeing a real post today.

https://edward07.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/its-holy-week-do-you-know-where-your-pastor-is/

Mary Piper

Our one and own, Mary Piper!
She was featured this week in the Times-Free Press in their "Moment" section.
Check out the article, a beautiful picture, and an audio recording of her drumming and talking about how much she loves it!

http://timesfreepress.com/moment/

Turn up your volume so you can hear it!

Mine-O-Saur

Yesterday I preached on the 10 Commandments -- or the "Big 10" as folks from the Midwest like to call them.  This was my first time studying the 10 Commandments in depth, and as I reflected on them, I thought:  Which is the most challenging for us 21st Century, Presbyterian, Americans?

Chuck Heston, returning from Sinai.

We're going to find out, so let's start by taking the list from Exodus 20:1-17...

1. No other gods
2. No graven images & no idol worship
3. No taking God's name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath
5. Honor mom and dad
6. No homicide
7. No adultery
8. No stealing
9. No false witness
10. No coveting

WINNER
No coveting.
To covet is not just to say, "Wow, that's a really sweet car!  I wish I had one!"  Nor is it to admire someone's house, clothes, or musical taste.  To covet is to move a step beyond admiring and wishing to have something.  To covet is to actively seek to possess what one most desires.   It is to center all of one's life in the pursuit of this desire.

Why do I believe we struggle with this the most?  Simple:  The Jones.  Keeping up with them, specifically.  As Americans, we are constantly reminded that someone has something better than us (whether that is a job, a car, a child, a toy, free time, money, or a thousand other things), but that if we work hard enough and sacrifice enough, we too can possess what they have.

And so we dedicate our lives in pursuit of these goals.  I knew a high  school senior once who told me he either wanted to be a dentist or a veterinarian.  When I asked him why, he replied, "Because they both make a lot of money."  His education, his career, and all the choices between now and then based on the numbers that will go into his bank account.

When we covet, we look at what we don't have.  We forget all the blessings that surround us, and we cry out "I want more!"  The opposite of coveting is contentedness.  Rather than seeking what is missing, we celebrate what we have.  An elder at Northside regularly goes on a mission trip to a 3rd world country.  After worship on Sunday, he came up to me and said, "That's exactly why I go."

PS:  Mine-O-Saur is a reference to one of Jack's books. 

Different Takes, Same Text

Today's Scripture (1Peter3:18-22) was a prime example of this simple truth -- each pericope (fancy word for passage of Scripture) contains many themes and truths that can be expounded upon. 

I focused on the forgiveness of God being available to everyone, and included the interpretation of the odd phrase in vv19-20 about the 'spirits in prison in the time of Noah.'

Equally valid would have been a sermon the the suffering of Christ for our sins, baptism as a the representation of God's grace and how that works, or even focused on Christ's identity and purpose.

So, there are many different directions to focus a Scripture.  That is different from saying 'any interpretation is valid;' but that's a post for another day. 

Lenten Practices 2012

I'm always caught a little off guard by the beginning of Lent.  It doesn't matter if Lent comes early (like this year) or super late (like last year).  I'm always surprised when it begins.  I usually discover that Ash Wednesday is just around the corner when someone casually remarks that they are giving up sweets, meat, alcohol, or something else for Lent.  My standard response is, "Oh, man!  Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, isn't it?!?"  To which I get a quizzical nod, like:  "You're asking me?"

The prayer beads Erica gave me a couple years ago, 
ashes, and the lid to our baptismal font. 

So this year it happened again -- but I had a full two weeks heads-up, and I had already been thinking about our Ash Wednesday service, so I'm counting both of those as wins.  I also asked a few colleagues and friends what they were doing for Lent, did a little reading, visited some blogs and websites, and came up mostly blank.

I love the idea of giving something up for 40 days as a sign of devotion to Christ.  I also like adding a spiritual discipline to deepen my faith connection to God.  I've done both before and it's been meaningful.  This year I've decided to return to the Sermon on the Mount, the location of Christianity's 'classic' faith practices:  Alms (Matt 6:1-4), Prayer (Matt 6:5-13), and Fasting (Matt 6:16-18).

The focus of these practices in Matthew is that they are done not to be noticed and receive praise from others, but because they restore us to a right relationship with God.  I'm not bragging about what I am doing for Lent, I am only sharing my journey in hopes that it leads others into deeper devotion and commitment to our Lord.

Alms:  I am committing to carrying around four $5 bills each week and giving them away.  For the sake of argument, I'll consider the week as Monday - Sunday.  I might give to a homeless dude downtown, someone at the grocery store, or even a random fundraiser I come across.  It doesn't matter where I give the money, only that it meets a need and I don't tell anyone about it. 

Prayer:  I will carry my prayer beads with me all 40 days of Lent, and will pray using them in the morning, at noon, and in the evening.

Fasting:  Although the Didache suggests fasting be done every Wednesday and Friday (and John Wesley agreed!), I will take a page from the Catholic practice and fast Tuesdays with a morning and afternoon collation of bread and water.  I like Landon Whitsit's suggestion that fasting is going without something we need, not just something we want. 

So, there's my 2012 Lenten practice in a nutshell.  What are you doing/not doing this year?

A Tidbit From 2 Corinthians 4

⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. ⁶For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The imagery of light is a powerful one.  Thinking of ourselves not as the producers of light, but the conduits of God's light puts it in proper perspective.  It takes our own ego out of the equation -- and Lord knows we all enjoy our own ego -- and makes it about what God is doing in our hearts and in our relationships through Jesus Christ.

How do people see God today?  Through you.

Oh yeah, and I'm on Facebook now!!

http://www.facebook.com/revbenskidmore

Naaman

Thanks to Ty & Hank McMahon for filming this.

The Job

This strikes me as about right, which is why it's funny.  

How about your job?  Any entertaining insights?

Red Herrings

When it comes to the church, I have discovered two red herrings that everyone loves to get distracted by:
1)  Membership Numbers
2)  Budget Numbers

Not that these two things aren't important, it's just that they aren't that important.  Actually, membership and the budget are of tertiary importance to what we're all about as the church.

Of primary importance is allowing the grace and love of Jesus Christ to transform lives.

Of secondary importance are a whole bunch of things that can be summed up in one word:  Discipleship.  Discipleship is how we encounter Jesus Christ and how we introduce others to Jesus Christ.  We should talk about how many people are worshiping with us regularly, engaging actively in the community of the church, and growing in their relationship with Christ. 

Back to the two stinky fish:  Membership and Budget Numbers.  
Why are they stinky fish?  Because they distract from what is really important.  Think about it:  If the church says "We're planning a $300,000 budget for next year.  That's a 5% increase over this year."  Guess how much people are going to be inclined to give?  Somewhere around 5% more.  The focus instead, needs to be on why we give (as an act of worship to honor God), and how we give (first, off the top).  Proper use of money is part of discipleship, not part of a budget.  If everyone gave as a faith offering rather than a tax write off, no church would ever hurt for money again.

Membership distracts because it focuses on getting names on a roll rather than engaging in relationships that will transform lives.

So are Member Numbers and Budget Numbers helpful for anything?  Absolutely!
Membership, when we stay on top of it, tells us who has publicly committed to supporting the mission of our church.  It's a declaration that "You can count on me!"

Sure, the budget is a really useful tool.  When used appropriately, it helps the Session to be good stewards of what God has given us to accomplish God's mission.  When used inappropriately, it becomes a secular imposition in the church and a hurdle to faith development.  The budget should support the work of the church, not the other way around.

"The Church is always and everywhere a living people, gathered together from the peoples of this world and journeying through the midst of time.  The church is essentially en route, on a journey, a pilgrimage.  The Church which pitches it's tents without looking out constantly for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling."  ~ Hans Küng

Two Year Anniversary

Well, I've been at Northside for two years!  I am looking forward to many more years of ministry at Northside that are as productive and wonderful as these first two.  Since my first day here, I have felt blessed to be called to Northside, and time after time in conversations with members of the congregation or with visitors who are new to us, I feel that call confirmed again and again.  It's also a tremendous blessing to have so many other families our own age and stage of life -- Jack and Dylan have some great friends to grow up with!

Favorite things in the last two years:

• Our 2011 Easter Celebration -- tympanis, brass, bells, choir, packed out church, all praising God for Jesus' resurrection.
• Trey's baptism (and the hospitality of the White Oak Baptist congregation to let us use their pool).
• Journeys of Paul wine tasting.
• Bright red Wacky-Waving-Inflatable-Arm-Flailing-Tube-Men at Pentecost this last year (and trying to teach Mike and Ty to tie balloons...).
• Our annual church retreat.
• Our new bulletin (although, I guess it's not so new now)
• Tuesday morning Pastor's Bible Study -- what a great group of Christian men and women to grow with!  So far we've covered 1 Corinthians, James, Amos, and we're halfway through Hosea. 
• The excitement of many new faces in the congregation!
• Preaching the lectionary and seeing God speak to me and to the congregation on a weekly basis.
• Being there to celebrate the life and resurrection of 11 of our members as they have heeded God's call home.  
•  Trunk or Treat!
• Mary Piper's 95th Birthday party!
• Cozy Christmas this year.

There have been difficult and challenging moments, but those are what help us grow as people and as Christians.


So, here's to the last two years, and the many years to come. 

Blessings to you all! 

Cheers.

Christian Sex

I preached the following at Northside Presbyterian on 1/15/12.  Normally I don't have a manuscript, but I needed some precision with this subject.  So, here you are.  The scripture text is 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.

We have a two friends from Seminary who live just outside of Memphis. They play doubles tennis together, and so were in Chattanooga this past fall for the State Tennis Tournament. We met them over at the Champion's Club near Lupton City and watched them play, then we spent some quality time catching up.

While we were visiting with our good friends, they shared with us something that had caught them completely off guard when they started playing tennis together: Apparently many couples switch partners on and off the court!

Erica and my reaction was the same as theirs when they first discovered the seedy underbelly of amateur tennis—slack-jawed disbelief. But no doubt about it, they had a few couples on their team and knew of several others at the tournament who regularly 'switched it up' in the bedroom. When asked if they were interested, our friends politely and awkwardly declined. (Is there a non-awkward way to turn that down?)

I mean, as committed Christians, what should our response be? How do we think, much less talk about issues of sexuality? So far, it seems the Church has come down into two main camps: 1) hardline legalism, or 2) don't ask, don't tell. I'd say, by and large, that us Presbyterians fall into the latter category. We're not sure where we stand on issues of sex, but we'd hate to tell others where we might be out of fear of sounding judgmental; so let's just not talk about it. Better living through denial.

However, not talking about something doesn't make it not important. Quite the opposite is true. By talking honestly about sex, within the context of the church, maybe we can begin a conversation about one of the most important and powerful drives in human nature. And by opening a conversation, maybe we can begin to find direction, experience grace, and discover healing.

Let me start off by saying the purpose of today's sermon is to begin a conversation. It's not to tell you what you should and should not be doing, nor is it to tell how you should be doing things. There are plenty of folks out there – Christian and non-Christian; helpful and unhelpful – who dispense the how-tos.

No, our purpose today is to give you a theological and biblical starting point to think about sex. Specifically, to begin to consider the role of sex in your spiritual life. When we consider our sexuality as part of who we are, and our understanding of sex is grounded in God's Word, we actually begin to transform our families, our church, and our community.

When we read scripture, we discover God's design for sex: Sex is good. Sex is natural. Sex is an intimate part of a healthy covenant relationship. Sex should build us up as people, it should build us up as a couple, and it should build up the community around us. Sex, according to Scripture, is sacred. If you want to see a picture of God's design for sex in Scripture, turn to the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon—it follows Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes). It's not a metaphor for God's love, it's an expression of love between a man and a woman, and the Hebrews deemed it inappropriate for children to read. Sexual intimacy is an expression of commitment and faithfulness designed to be shared only between two people and God. The phrase the Bible uses to describe this sexual sharing is “one flesh.”

Our text from 1 Corinthians 6 is a poignant reminder that we are 'one flesh' in our covenant with our spouse, and we are 'one flesh' in our covenant to God. To engage in sex outside of God's design violates both relationships. 

What does this mean for us monogamously married folks?

Let me clarify what I mean by monogamously married: Committed covenant relationships are not limited to people who are married (nor are all marriages committed covenant relationships), but since this is the most common and most socially accepted option, I will use the terms married and marriage I mean, I would hardly count Kim Kardashian's 72 day marriage as either committed or covenant, and I would would be remiss if I didn't use those terms to describe Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell's relationship over the last 29 years.

To you married folks: Celebrate God's gift! Sex with your spouse should be wonderful, freeing, and fun! Celebrate it together!  Talk about it more, brag on your wife or your husband. I'm not suggesting you divulge embarrassingly intimate details, but tell your friends how much you love being together. Use your best judgment here – you know the people and situations where this is appropriate. Talk about why you love being married to your spouse, how it has enriched your sexual life, and why that's so great. Not only does this affirm your relationship with your spouse, but it builds up the marriages of those around you. Celebrating your sexual relationship with your spouse celebrates the covenant you two have together. It lifts up the relational way God intends for us to live, and it reflects much of the fullness and pleasure God intends for life.

Yes, how you express and celebrate your sexual life together will change over time—if you're 20 and newlywed, or if you're 45 and have teenagers, or if you're 70 with an empty nest – have fun, and enjoy being together!

What about people who don't have that kind of marriage? What if it's hard to celebrate? Or sex doesn't happen frequently, or when it does, it's certainly not worth celebrating.

Does that mean we're failures?

Not at all! But it does mean you might want to pay more attention to your relationship. Maybe it is time for a marriage enrichment retreat, or maybe you should talk to a sex therapist or counselor. At the very least, it is time for a heart-to-heart with your spouse. Marriage should be filling and fulfilling and should make you both better people and better Christians. If you're struggling with this, there are some great resources out there to help. CBI has skilled Christian counselors, and First Things has a whole bunch of support materials for you.

What does this mean for single folks?

There are many different kinds of singleness. You can be single at 20, or single at 40, or single at 85. Just as there are many ages, there are many reasons for being single: you may never have been married, you may be divorced, or you could be a widow or widower. Like for married folks, your age and stage of life will have a huge impact on how your sexuality plays out in your Christian life.

What does sexuality look like when you're single? It might look like a lot of different things. Celebrating who you are and how God created you is key. It definitely means understanding God's guidelines for sexuality and not buying into our culture's one-dimensional portrayal of sex.

The phrase the Bible uses to describe the sexual union is: “the two became one flesh.” “One flesh” is a very powerful description of how God views sex. The way God has us designed is to only be 'one flesh' with one person. You can't be 'one flesh' with more than one person. If you try, you begin to damage yourself and others. If we become 'one flesh' when we have sex with another person, then there is a sharing; that person takes some of who we are and likewise, we take some of them. If we are not in a committed, covenant relationship and we are sharing our one flesh, we keep giving away who we are. It's like taking bites out of a cookie. Pretty soon all you're left with is crumbs.

Look at the person of Jesus. From the sexuality stand point, he was a man; full of masculine traits and masculine biology. He also enjoyed the companionship of both men and women, and he gave and received appropriate touch from both. He was open and honest about his feelings. He was, abstinent. Does that mean self-control? Yep. Does it mean discovering healthy outlets for fulfilling your sexual needs that do not violate God's intended design for you and those around you? Yes. Can singleness and sexuality be integrated into a deep and fulfilling life – either for a season or longer? The testimony of Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa, and countless other Christians says YES!

For our youth – you still need to listen to your parents. But let me toss this out there for you: You are not in a covenant relationship. I know, you love your boyfriend or girlfriend so much it hurts. Trust me here, that does not a covenant make.

For our parents – talk to your kids. Lay a foundation for them that allows them to understand who they are as children of God and what God intends for their lives. Remove the guilt and shame, and seek open communication. Celebrate the love you have with your spouse, and be the example your kids will turn to when they are making decisions in life and sex. And believe me, they are both watching you and making these decisions.

Now let me offer one disclaimer. There has been a lot of damage done by inappropriate or abusive sex. It is never God's intention that sex be harmful to his people. But I say with sadness, that much harm has been done. You or someone you know may have been sexually abused. You might have tremendous baggage that you bring into your relationship.

God's grace is sufficient for you. *pause* God's grace is sufficient for you.

There are people you can talk to, groups you can join, and support and healing out there. If you need help getting connected, call me or come talk to me. We will have a completely confidential conversation, and I will help point you in a direction of healing and wholeness.

So how's that for the basis of an open and honest conversation about Christian Sex? Let's close by coming back to the question I posed at the very beginning. How do we respond to issues of sex in our friendships, in our community, in our lives? What do we say in a situation like the one my friend's from Seminary faced?

Is it possible for us to be women and men of faith, holding convictions about God's intended design for human sexuality and yet not come across as either A) judgmental or B) condoning of other's activities? We must always hold our convictions in tension with God's grace reaching out through us.

This is a very delicate balance. And the more we practice and live out our Christian faith. The more we discover who we are and what God has created us to be, the better we will get at it.

Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Seminary, gave the address at my graduation. In it, he challenged us to enter the world of ministry with “convicted civility.” His choice of those two words was very intentional: He said there are lots of people in this world who hold strong convictions, but they are complete jerks when they share those convictions with others. There are also a whole bunch of people who are so civil and polite as to never want to say what they actually believe because they wouldn't want to disagree with someone or hint that another's position is not equally valid.

My challenge to you, as we consider what sex means to us as Christians, is the same as Richard Mowu's challenge to my graduating class years ago: Enter your relationships, your workplace, your family, and your community with convicted civility.

Amen.

God's Timing

I have usually thought about waiting for God's timing in terms of careers, kids, marriage, buying a house, etc.  Last night, however, I was reminded of how active our Lord is in all areas of our lives and ministry, and that maybe God knows what he is doing. 

This striking revelation came because our Session met last night and we are going to be starting a book by Glenn McDonald called The Disciple Making Church.  I had wanted to use this book for our Session because many of the ideas and practices McDonald writes about are things that our Session and our church has been trying to get going.  I thought, "This is perfect!"  I also thought we could begin the study with our first Session meeting of the year. 

Murphy prevented us from beginning last night -- some books were ordered but not yet delivered, some books were the same title but by a decidedly different author, and some people had difficulty finding the book.  All of that to say, we did not begin our study last night.  However, we did raise many of the topics McDonald writes about so eloquently, and as a whole, the Session seemed to be asking the same question:  What do we do next?  How do we better live out ministry?  How do we make a lasting difference in lives?

Why didn't we start our book study last night?  Because God still had some preparation to do among our church council (yeah, I used the new fancy B.O.O. word!). 

I shouldn't be, but am surprised that I found God in so simple a thing as when we begin a book study.  If you've ever found yourself frustrated because things aren't working according to your carefully laid out timetable (like I do, on occasion!), it's OK.  God hasn't left or forgotten what's going on.  This gives me a little piece of shalom, and I hope it does you as well.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; 

the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit. 

 Ecclesiastes 7:8

A Thought Not My Own - Doctrinal Preaching

I think this will be a new series on the blog -- good quotes that have somehow inspired me over the course of my weekly reading.  Just little tid-bits for you to think about.  Enjoy this first one:

If doctrinal preaching is deadly dull, it is because it has been excised from its living situation, labeled, laid out on the examination table, and tediously lectured on by someone trying not to fall asleep before the audience does.  

~ Clyde Fant, Professor Emeritus, Stetson University

I had a theology class like this in Seminary.  I firmly believe the best theology is practical theology and the best practices are ones grounded in theological truth.

Church Holidays

If I had to rank my Church Holidays, I think my list would look something like this:

1.  Pentecost -- Because it's the one day I get to wear my fun red stole, plus we deck the church out with balloons, everyone is festively attired in red, we have red-velvet cake, and we had two wacky-waving-inflatable-arm-flailing-tube-men this last year.  Oh, and seeing Presbyterians spend a day celebrating the Holy Spirit is fantastic!


2.  Epiphany -- I get the whole 'God's revelation of Christ to the world/Gentiles' side of it.  I just get excited because I get to show off my frankincense and myrrh (my in-laws got me some new myrrh this year).  Last year I burned the frankincense on the communion table just before the choir sang their anthem.  They were decidedly less impressed than the children were.  I wish I had some gold to score the epiphany trifecta, but at $1800/ounce, I think even the magi would have opted for something more affordable. 

The other reason I LOVE Epiphany is because we finally get to sing "We Three Kings."  I've loved this song since grade school when I saw the California Raisins perform it on their Holiday Special.  I typically start singing it to myself in the shower, truck, living room, office, etc. from Thanksgiving through Lent, but this week the whole church gets to sing it!  I've got to say, though, that "From A Distant Home" is growing on me as an Epiphany song.  Good thing we get to do both on Sunday!

3.  Easter --Hello, Jesus' resurrection?  What's not to love!

4.  Christmas -- Incarnation = AWESOME; being a pastor at Christmas = 10x crazier than regular Christmas

Finally, for your visual and aural delight...