A Day of Hope

Every Sunday of worship is special.  But, there are some Sundays when the Holy Spirit seems thick in the air.  Today was one of those Sundays.  For one thing, we baptized five people and welcomed them into the church.  After the tragedy in Charleston happened, I wondered how, as a congregation in worship, we could address these murders while keeping with the celebration of baptism.

As it turns out, baptism was the hopeful response we could have.  Baptism is a dip into the promises of God.  For me, our baptisms almost felt like an act of defiance against a world that wanted us to lose hope this week.  With each person immersed, our answer was, "No, we will not lose hope."  With each proclamation that someone was being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, we found a deepened assurance of God's powerful presence.  With each reminder that we are beloved children of God, we opened the doors of our hearts even wider to each other.

I was glad to be at church today.  I was glad to have the great honor of baptizing new Christians.  I am glad to have been immersed in God's love myself.

In response to Charleston, I am re-committing to my call as a Christian to actively seek ways to make this world a better, more loving place.  I am starting now.

Green Bug

This morning, I visited with a church member.  As I pulled out of her driveway, I noticed this green bug on my windshield.  I thought he would hop off as I drove through her neighborhood.  But, when I got to the stop sign by the main road, he was still there.  I pulled out and drove faster and faster, and he just held on.  Within a couple of miles, I felt sorry for him so I slowed down and he still held on.  He was still there when I pulled into the church parking lot.  And, he was fluffing out his wings when I got out of the car.  Within a minute or two, he flew off to do whatever it is that green bugs do.
I wondered if the ride down the road was harrowing.  Did he think, "Wow, things got wildly windy so fast.  I'm not sure I can hold on.  Will it ever slow down?  What's going on?  I don't know how much longer I can keep on at this speed."  Who knows what green bugs think?

As we continued our drive, I found myself starting to pull for him.  "Come on, Mr. Green  Bug,  you can make it!  Just 2 more miles!  You can do it!"  I even slowed down for him - hoping to make his ride less treacherous.

This green bug was inspiration for me today.  Sometimes, life speeds up for reasons we can't explain.  We are blown about.  Out of control.  Scared.  Wondering how in the world we will survive.  Hoping that our wings don't get torn off in the chaos around us.

Then things slow down.  Maybe we feel encouraged.  Maybe we get a rest at just the right moment.  Maybe we survive, fluff out our wings, and before we know it, someone snaps our picture and says, "This is how it's done."

All I know is that after a very wild ride, the green bug found a resting place at church.  I do too.

God's Will

Most of the time, I am a lectionary preacher.  This week, the Gospel text (Mark 3:20-35) is one that I have never preached.  After reading it with it references to Beelzebub and accusations that Jesus is crazy and words about some unforgivable sin, I understand why I have given this passage a wide berth.  But, for reasons beyond my blogging ability, I decided to tackle this tough text.

In preparation, I visited a preaching blog where the discussion referenced verse 35 ("whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother") and centered around the "will of God."  Lots of questions about this will of God.  Lots of opinions on how we find it.  Lots of angst that we have not found it.

Seems like I've spent a good portion of my adult life wondering about the will of God - whether that "will" relates to my personal life, my social life, my vocational life, and I've encouraged the congregation to ponder the will of God for their lives and for the life that we share together.  On many occasions, I've said, "The question for us is not 'what do we want?' or 'what do we like?' The question is "What is God calling us to do?  What is the will of God for us at this time, in this place, with these people?"

These questions have led to some healthy conversations.

But, yesterday, as I was driving down the road pondering the "will of God" (we preachers are nerdy like that), something new hit me.  I am sorely tempted to seek the WILL of God at the expense of seeking JUST God.  I am sorely tempted to treat the will of God as something to get right - to ask questions until I'm sure, to study until I have an unwavering understanding, to talk until I run out of things to say.  Maybe I've treated God's will as a distinct entity - separate from me - something I have to achieve and do well, at all cost.  That makes my relationship with God very goal-oriented.

I do believe God has work for us to do and a direction to follow, but I'm starting to wonder if it's time to put the quest for "God's Will" on the shelf.  I'm starting to wonder if deepening my relationship with God is a more fruitful approach to my own discipleship.  I'm starting to wonder if the pursuit of God is a much richer challenge than the pursuit of some vague "will" that I may or may not get right.

Something Else

You can't make this stuff up.  A colleague's church participates in a church softball league.  At risk of making the understatement of the year, I am not athletic.  Sure, I can walk great distances, but that is the extent of my athletic prowess.  Yet, a church softball league ought to be a safe haven...a place where even the likes of me can find a place on the team.  A church softball league ought to be a place where competition is not a significant source of motivation.  A church softball league ought to be a place that welcomes the least of these and gives them a jersey.

My colleague uncovered some uncomfortable truths about the church softball team.  First, a majority of the players were not church members...and, yes, I know that perhaps these lost souls could come to know Jesus by the crack of a bat, but they weren't recruited as a form of evangelism.  They were recruited for their abilities and the 'edge' that they could give the team.  Their "edge" came at the expense of younger church members who were relegated to the bench because "this game is too aggressive."  Really?  If church softball is too aggressive, then please don't call it "church."  "Real World" softball, maybe.  Dog eats dog softball.  Ratrace softball.  Win at all costs softball.  Look out for number one softball.  But, not "church" softball.

This story set something off in me - competition and rivalry are not healthy operating guidelines for the church.  But, how quickly they sink in...and not  just in softball.  We take votes on major decisions - immediately setting up winners and losers.  Some churches vote for church leadership - potential deacons running against each other - setting the stage for hurt feelings.  We have preaching awards, lists of "most influential men or women" in religion, top ten churches in evangelism awards, and numerous opportunities for recognition as the brightest and the best.  Christian leaders keep track of their numbers ("How big is your congregation?" is a frequent pastoral question).  Christian writers track their rankings on Amazon.  We pay attention to those identified as "someone to watch" and we look for leaders who are "going places."

Sometimes, I think that with the mindset of competition and rivalry, the church world could be a reality show - let's shoot for a perfect score every time and let's hope somebody else gets voted off.

But, what if we just stopped?  What if we stopped pursuing the world's trophies?  What if we measured our success by our relationships and not our numbers?  Better  yet, what if we threw away the desire to be "successful" and gave deeper consideration to the desire to be faithful?  What if we started gladly warming the bench and even preferring the bench over rivalry?  What if we recognized competition as a dangerous in the life of faith?  Sure, some people can handle it gracefully, but most of us get too invested in the win.

Or, maybe I'm just projecting my own mid-life crisis on the church!  However, it does seem to me that the call of Christ leads us deeper...not higher.  All of our recognitions and awards and medals can lead us to crave these things and to feel self-satisfied when we achieve them.  These days, Jesus is inviting me to something else - something that does not insist on perfection - something that does insist on cooling my heels and on taking it all in with a glad and generous heart.  Honestly, I don't know exactly what that "something" is.   But, I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve a blue ribbon.

Ten Years!

On Sunday, I celebrated my tenth anniversary as pastor of Wilson's Mills Christian Church.  The actual anniversary date is May 22, but given that May 22 also kicks off a holiday weekend, we celebrated last Sunday!

I was not prepared to make a speech at our luncheon, but nevertheless, I was called upon to make a few remarks.

This is what I wish I had said.

When I accepted the call to Wilson's Mills Christian Church, I most wanted to be a good preacher.  I had visions of grandeur!  Delivering sermons to a packed sanctuary!  Starting an immediate capital campaign to finance the building of a LARGER sanctuary!  Purchasing additional chairs to accommodate all the students attending Bible studies!  Writing books and being featured on Oprah!  Writing a blog that would have worldwide impact!  Publishing articles in Christian Century!  I wanted to be a leader - a fresh, young voice in Christianity.

Well,..when I recently purchased reading glasses, I realized my dream of being a fresh YOUNG voice was gone!  But, I am also realizing that my dreams of grandeur were nothing more than buy-in to the definition of success with which the world tries to seduce me.  Go big!  Bigger congregation! Bigger classes!  Bigger influence!  Bigger budget!

But, that's not what I want at all.  I don't want my ministry to be defined by numbers.  I don't want to be motivated by numbers.  I don't want my passion for ministry to be driven by a desire to have more members than the church down the street.  In other words, I don't want what I'm used to wanting - the A+ and the bonus points for excellence.

The truth is that I do love to preach.  I love putting words together and bringing a biblical story to life in 2015.  The truth is I like to teach spiritual formation.  I love experiencing different approaches to prayer on retreats and in groups.  I do like being a preacher and teacher.  But, striving for perfection in those areas is dangerous territory for me because it tempts me to assess how well my ministry reflects me instead of how well it reflects (albeit imperfectly)  God.

The truth is that the part of ministry that most fulfills me is the part that can't be measured and quantified.  Fulfillment comes in those moments that most scare me - those moments that the congregation has entrusted to me in their vulnerability...at the time birth when new life is welcomed into the world.  At the time of marriage when lifelong vows are made in front of God.  At the time of death when words may fail but the Holy Spirit does not.  Those are the moments when I pray the deepest, "Thank you, God."  Of course, the "thank you" only comes after a desperate "Help me!"

All of that to say that my ideas of ministry have changed so much in the last ten years.  Today, I am grateful to be in this church that we affectionately refer to as "small but mighty."  I am grateful to serve in a congregation that knows me well enough to appreciate my affinity for pandas.  I am grateful to be not a fresh young voice in the world of Christianity but a welcoming voice in our neighborhood.  I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue faithfulness instead of chasing after high marks.  I am grateful for another day to live this unique life God has given to me.

Here's to the next decade....whatever it may bring.

Is it even possible?

Last night, I was in an Administration and Finance Committee meeting and I believe I left with a question that will keep me pondering for some time.  We were citing some of the verses in scripture, particularly those that deal with outrageous generosity and the call of Jesus to give and give some more.  We noted that these verses were difficult to reconcile with church budgets and our responsibility to be good stewards and plan for the future.

That got me thinking about not only the financial things that Jesus said...but all of the hard things that Jesus said.  Was he serious?  And, can the institutional church really live by the principles of faith that he put forth?

If someone strikes you on the cheek, can we really turn the other also?  How does that apply to national security?  How does that apply to protecting ourselves and our stuff?

When he tells us not to worry about our life or what we will eat or drink, what does he mean?  Should we not plan?  Should we not be responsible?

Was he serious about cutting off your hands and feet if they cause you to sin?

Was he serious about forgiving people 77 times...and how do we keep track of that?

Was he serious about "go, sell your possessions, and give your money to the poor?  And, if so, what does that mean for us as individuals?  Does it suggest anything about how big our houses should be or how many cars we should have or how many vacations we should take?  Does it suggest anything to our churches about how our buildings are used, how we address needs, and what our priorities are?

And, perhaps the question that haunts me most of all is "Is the institutional church capable of living the faith that Jesus laid out?"  I honestly don't know the answer to that.

The Friday Five Again!

Here are the Friday Five questions...and I might be taking this one with a little frivolity.

1) Is there a film that so captured your imagination that you couldn’t stop thinking about it? In what way(s) did it affect you?

Sound of Music...it gave me a lot of songs to sing when I have had too much coffee...nothing says "caffeinated" like The Lonely Goatherd.

2) What religious/spiritual film has touched you? This could be something overtly thematic, like The Last Temptation of Christ, or something more subtle, like Enchanted April.

Sound of Music...climb every mountain, baby!

3) When the going gets tough, is there a film you turn to for distraction and/or to help shift your mood?

Sound of Music...I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad!

4) What is your all-time favorite movie?

Um, Sound of Music.

5) If you were to choose a film for viewing and discussion with your congregation, what would you choose?

Sound of Music...and we would have the discussion in costume.

Bonus: If your life were to be made into a feature film, who would you want to play you?

JULIE ANDREWS!!!