In A Moment

Our Response

2011-05-03T09:21:00.003-04:00

So it has been a little while ... OK, a long while, since I blogged. It is amazing how time gets away. Still, I found myself with some thoughts that needed expression, so here I am. I would love to do this more, but just never seem to find the time.

Enough whining.

The last 2 days have been somewhat troubling or disturbing, and I feel that to admit that would cause some to question my patriotism or even my moral compass. Certainly, Osama bin Laden planned and committed evil atrocities that are so reprehensible that it would seem impossible that a human being could consider such thoughts. And I do believe that justice has been served, and I am grateful to the men and women who have spent years seeking to bring him to justice.

My discomfort comes from the celebration.

People lining the streets and celebrating the way people do when their favorite sports team wins a championship. Some of the facebook posts that pop up in my news feed. Even watching "Dancing with the Stars" last night and hearing one liners about the events of this past Sunday. Something about it just seems ... off.

Perhaps it is because we have just emerged from Easter, the celebration of resurrection, the announcement of new life. "Where, O death, is thy victory? Where, O death, is thy sting?" I always remember one of my seminary professors who said, quite bluntly, "Death is never our friend. Death is the enemy." Isn't our Christian hope that death has been overcome? It seems unnerving to me then to celebrate a death, to celebrate a killing when I have so recently mourned on Good Friday the suffering of the cross and celebrated death's defeat on Easter.

Jesus said, "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." No, I didn't love Osama bin Laden. I hated him. I hated the death and destruction he caused. But does my justifiable hate somehow excuse me from the command of Christ, to love my enemy and pray for my persecutor? Can I do such while throwing a party that says, "I'm glad you are dead"?

A friend posted a passage on Facebook, Ezekiel 18:23. I went and looked it up and read the whole passage. Very interesting.

"Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live? But when the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity and do the same abominable things that the wicked do, shall they live? None of the righteous deeds that they have done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which they are guilty and the sin they have committed, they shall die. Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is unfair.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they have committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is unfair.' O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?"

When I read this, I thought back 10 years to scenes of people celebrating in the streets in certain parts of the world after 9/11. We were disgusted. We asked, "How could you celebrate such a thing?" I wonder if we ought not ask that same question now of ourselves as a country. Death is the enemy. That is why someone like Osama bin Laden, who willingly and intentionally brought death, was the enemy. I fear the slope to that level is slippery if we celebrate death the way we have in recent days. Justice has been served; we are grateful that (hopefully) the destructive work of one man has been brought to an end. We should make sure that we do not turn from righteousness and become guilty of the same wickedness to which we fell victim.

I don't question the events of Sunday. I question our response. But maybe that is too far beyond my scope. As I look back at Ezekiel, maybe the response I should be questioning is mine.

Living with Jebusites

2010-07-19T15:26:00.003-04:00

"I don't like church. Church people are a bunch of hypocrites."

"Church would be great if it weren't for all the people."

I could probably list a dozen or so more variations of the same sentiment. All of them are pretty harsh sounding. What is even more harsh is that these words are spoken at times by Christians, including even pastors.

A buddy of mine posted a link to an Alban Institute article up on Facebook that cites a USA Today story stating that a decreasing number of young adults born in the 1980's or 1990's view the church as a place to make a difference or develop leadership skills. I haven't read all the way through the article yet, but that statement seems to very much strike a chord with the sentiments I quoted at the beginning.

Yesterday afternoon, I found myself in a "woe is me" kind of place, able to list all the things that are wrong with church and the ministry, considering that there had to be something better. Then my wife asked the question: "What else would you do?"

Today I was reading in the book of Joshua. It is in a rather boring part of Joshua, where the text is detailing the boundaries of each of the 12 tribes portions of the Promised Land. I found myself skimming over a whole lot of names that just don't really carry a lot of meaning for me. Then I found myself at Joshua 15:63, "But the people of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so the Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this day."

Those words struck me. Here the children of Israel find themselves in the land flowing with milk and honey, the Promised Land that God had given to them to be theirs. The book of Joshua tells of numerous victories Israel enjoyed on the battlefield, sometimes facing difficult odds. Life would seem like it couldn't get any better. And then, "But the people of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, so the Jebusites live with the people of Judah to this day." Even life in the Promised Land was not perfect.

It seems to me that we spend a lot of time lot bemoaning the parts of our life, our jobs, our families, our homes, our chores, and our churches that we would rather live without. We pour a lot of effort, with good and right intentions, on improving things and making things better. However, sometimes, we find ourselves disappointed after all of our struggles and battles that there are still some nuisances that we want out that we haven't been able to uproot. I wonder, in our striving for perfection, do we allow the frustrations of what we have to put up with to keep us from learning how to live with what we would rather live without? As I thought about it, I thought it was pretty impressive that the Israelites, who had gained so many victories by the sword, had to figure out how to live with a people rather than run them out.

Am I saying that we should not seek to change what is wrong in our institutions and in our lives, that we should simply quit whining and put up with it? No. But what I am saying is that the presence of what we would rather live without need not keep us from living in the promise of God. Just because life or family or church or ministry or work is not as perfect as it could be does not mean there is not sweet milk and honey still to enjoy and share. There are some things that we would rather live without that we sometimes need to figure out how to live with.

It's pretty easy to get jaded about church and about ministry, and there are a lot of good reasons to get jaded by either or both, reasons that need to be addressed and changed. Still, there is milk and honey to enjoy, even if we have to enjoy them while living with Jebusites.

Getting Out of Micah's House

2010-07-01T09:07:00.002-04:00

Judges 17 tells the story of Micah, a man who steals 1100 pieces of silver from his mother and then returns the silver in fear of the curse that she put on the person who stole the silver. That may sound like the whole story, but that is actually just the beginning. Judges skips past telling us all the juicy details: why did he steal the money, what were the details of the curse, etc. Instead, Judges focuses on the mother's instructions after the son returns the silver: he is to take the silver and create an idol out of it.

Now, for most ancient Israelites (and for us preachers who are preaching through the 10 Commandments right now), this sent off all kinds of alarm bells. The second commandment specifically states that God forbids the creation of idols or "graven images". However, this story is just getting started.

Micah builds the silver idol and places it in his home. The scene then shifts to a nameless Levite in Bethlehem who grows bored of Bethlehem and sets out to find some new place to live. This Levite finds himself at the home of Micah. Micah invites this Levite to become his personal priest. Now remember, the Levites were the tribe charged with leadership in the worship of God. The book of Leviticus is filled with all the regulations the priests had to be sure to follow to insure proper worship of God by Israel. One would suppose a good Levite would refuse Micah's offer, especially upon discovering the silver idol in Micah's house. However, the Levite accepts Micah's offer and settles in to Micah's house. Judges 17 closes with Micah saying, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because the Levite has become my priest."

In preaching this past Sunday, I stated that at the core of the second commandment is a restriction of our desire to control how God will be God in our lives. Micah's story and his closing words are case study #1 in why the second commandment is so important. I read a story on cnn.com yesterday that talked about the growing number of people in the United States who identify themselves as "spiritual but not religious". As I read this story I realized how much we want to make faith about us. We want faith's purpose, like Micah, to be personally prospering, and that desire impacts how we practice our faith. The problem becomes that such a desire ends up limiting God. God ends up being as big as our house rather than the eternal, universal God of creation.

I'll be the first to admit that I understand why people reject religion for spirituality. The organized structure of Christian faith has done much to overshadow the good news of salvation with the burden of guilt, power, greed, and hatred. There have been plenty of times when I have wanted to flee the Church and embrace personal spirituality, just me and God. However, what we often don't see is that often our pursuit of a relationship that is just me and God really ends up being just me. We tend to soften the prophetic aspect of faith that calls us outside of ourselves and reminds us of God's holiness and the brokeness of the world, all because we believe that our faith should be that which keeps us comfortable. We create our own images of God and, at times, even hire our own personal priests who will tell us only what we want to hear. If anything, the 10 Commandments remind us that faith is a covenant between God and His people, and that covenant is intended to be beneficial for both parties. God's people are set free and allowed to enjoy that freedom so that God's name might be honored by all people. That sounds very different from a faith that one person in the story on CNN described as "Burger King faith - you can have it your way."

Being the body of Christ, practicing faith as part of a larger community, is a struggle for sure. It is a struggle because we are imperfect people. However, it is also a struggle because it forces us to hear other voices that differ from ours. It forces us to consider that our way of looking at things is not the only way and may not be the right way. It forces us to consider that our faith is ultimately in God who is bigger than our individual worlds and individual lives. I guess you could say that what makes it so hard to be the community of Christ is what reminds us of how great our God is.

Do We Feel Better?

2010-05-03T19:58:00.001-04:00

I thought I would reprint the text of the sermon here. Feel free to comment as you feel led.

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to consider this question: “Is faith a placebo?” This morning, I would like to share my answer to that question.

Within the question we find two terms that perhaps require further clarification: faith and placebo. What do these two terms mean?

For a definition of faith, we turn to Hebrews 11:1, where we are told, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

For a definition of placebo, we turn to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, where we are told that a placebo is “a medication prescribed more for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on his disorder; something tending to soothe.”

So, based on these definitions, it seems to me that this issue which I was asked to take up is really two separate but related questions: Is the assurance of what we hope for and the belief in what we cannot see soothing? Is this really the purpose of faith: to make us feel better?

In answering the first question, personal experience and the testimony of other believers would seem to indicate that the answer is “yes”. Within this very space this morning are the testimonies of those who have shared with me how their faith was a comfort to them in the face of extremely trying times. Believing that God forgives soothes the guilt of the repentant heart. Believing that God is everlasting soothes the grief of the one who has lost a loved one in death. Even in our worship, whether we are singing that it is well with our soul when sorrows like sea billows roll or that we are trading our sorrows for the joy of the Lord, we affirm that our faith comforts us.

Our use of Scripture even reflects the comfort that our faith provides. Consider what are probably the two most well-known passages of Scripture: The 23^rd Psalm - “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me besid the still waters. He restoreth my soul” and John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Why do these passages resonate so strongly with us that many can recite these words from memory even if they are not familiar with any other Scripture? Is it because these 2 passages resonate so powerfully with a message of comfort – in the 23^rd Psalm, a promise for today that God will restore our souls, and in John 3:16, a promise for tomorrow that in Christ we have the assurance of everlasting life? Are there any two promises that do more to put our mind at ease than these 2?

Jesus himself teaches us that it is His desire that faith would result in our being soothed. In Matthew 11, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus here makes the bold pronouncement that coming to Him in faith can lead to our souls finding that restoration that Psalm 23 speaks of. Almost every funeral I officiate, I start by reading these words because I think we should be reminded that our Lord and our God does desire to give us rest.

So then, as I consider the first question - Is the assurance of what we hope for and the belief in what we cannot see soothing? – I feel that the answer to this question, both Biblically and experientially, is “Yes”. So then, what of the 2^nd question: is this the purpose of faith – to make us feel better? When I look back at the original question and the definitions that I put forth at the beginning, I am struck that a placebo, from a medical perspective, is not intended to deal with the health problem itself. It is instead designed to make the person mentally and emotionally feel better while not actually dealing with the actual health problem that is causing the mental and emotional strain in the first place. Is this what faith is? Is faith that which allows us to maintain sanity in a broken world, without ever addressing the brokeness itself?

In my experience, it is at this question that many find themselves polarized. At one pole, we find Karl Marx. Marx is the famous author of The Communist Manifesto, yet perhaps his most wellknown quote is not found in his most well-known work. In an essay entitled Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, Marx wrote: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness.” Marx argued that religion was a crutch that encouraged the poor to be satisfied with surviving in poverty. Marx called on the people to toss aside religion and a fake sense of security in order to work to change their circumstances and know true happiness. While Marx’s thoughts on religion have come to be wrapped up in the economic and politcal realities of communism, in truth Marx states what many think and say who have nothing to do with communism. At this pole, faith is spiritual Valuum, numbing our senses to the causes of suffering so that we can bear to face each day. Faith is a mode of survival, of grinning and bearing it. While it would be easy to assume that this pole is surrounded by enemies of religion, let us realize that there are a good number of Christians who live at this pole as well. Faith is the escape from their problems, it is the buzz of the mountaintop experience, and they desire nothing else than to keep the spiritual high going.

At the other pole, opposite Karl Marx and those who see faith as a drug or an escape, is Benny Hinn. Hinn is the well-known TV evangelist who performs “faith healings”. Hinn and others like him have long been dogged by questions about how many healings they have actually performed and whether or not people stay healed. Hinn, and other faith healers, are quick to argue that if someone is not healed, it is because of a lack of faith on their part. Others have built on this idea, teaching a prosperity gospel that says, “If you have enough faith, God will make you wealthy.” At this pole, you find those who argue that the amount of faith we have is directly related to the amount our circumstances can change. Whether we are sick or healthy, rich or poor is dependent on our faith, seemingly spoken of more in quantitative than qualitative terms. Faith is not just about feeling good; faith can change our circumstances for the better or for the worse. And while it would be easy to assume that mostly religious people gather around this pole, the truth is that we would find a good number of people gathered at this pole that we would not call religious at first glance. Inevitably there are those who make the argument against faith that the suffering of believers is evidence that God is not real. This argument is based on the idea that faith should keep us from needing to be soothed.

At one pole, all faith does is make us feel better because it is powerless to change our difficult circumstances. At the other pole, faith doesn’t need to provide comfort because true faith should remove all that causes us to suffer. Are we left to choose between these two, or to define our position somewhere in the vast spectrum in between?

I don’t believe so. I believe there is another way, another perspective. This morning, I want to conclude by laying out a third answer for your consideration. This third answer begins, I believe, with understanding a basic principle about God

In Habakkkuk 2, the prophet commends the righteous for living by faith and condemns the rich and the proud for seeking to live solely by what is tangible. In verses 18-19, the prophet describes the idols that this second group ends up creating. ¹⁹What use is an idol once its maker has shaped it— a cast image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in what has been made, though the product is only an idol that cannot speak! Alas for you who say to the wood, “Wake up!” to silent stone, “Rouse yourself!” Can it teach? See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all. The problem with living without faith is that we end up chasing after fallible creations that are not alive, that cannot speak and teach. They cannot challenge or create. All the while, Habakkuk says in verse 20, “The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!” While the idols of man lie silent before their creators, the Creator of the Universe lives, and all are invited to stop and listen to Him who is wholly other than us yet is alone able to relate to us.

The reality that Habakkuk was reminding Israel of in the face of the Babylonian threat is the same idea that the 19^th century Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard would remind the Protestant church: God is different from humanity. God is personal, holy, and transcendent, whereas humans are finite, dependent , and sinful. This vast difference between humanity and God makes it nearly impossible to know and understand God in the same way we know and understand what the weather is outside. The only way to know God, Kierkegaard argued, was to leave the objective position of observer and take the risk of becoming a participant in a relationship with God. This risk is what Kierkegaard identified as faith. When we read Hebrews 11:1 and the definition of faith, what we find is comfort held in tension with risk. Yes, we hear of assurance and conviction, but Hebrews 11 also reminds us that we are talking of what we hope for and what we cannot see. Faith cannot escape the call to take a risk, and taking a risk is never comfortable. In fact, when we try to make it more comfortable, we end up building idols that we can touch and see but that can’t speak and have no life in them to do anything. When we try to remove the risk, we ultimately remove the relationship.

However, when we can embrace the uncomfortability of the risk, we open the door for the reception of assurance and conviction. The author of Hebrews goes on after verse 1 to lay out the “Faith Hall of Fame”. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses – these and so many more are praised for what they accomplished “by faith”. However, as I read through this Hall of Fame, an interesting observation arises. In verse 7, we are told that “By faith, Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household.” Verse 11 says, “By faith [Abraham] received power of procreation, even though he was too old – and Sarah herself was barren – because he considered him faithful who had promised”. In these instances we see that faith either inspired a man to make a change, in the case of Noah, or inspired a man to receive a change, in the case of Abraham. However, in verse 9, we are told, “By faith [Abraham] stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents”. The other 2 verses show Noah and Abraham’s circumstances being changed for the better. However, in verse 9, Abraham’s faith is praised because he was willing to live as a guest in his own home. It was his land, but he was forced to live in it as a stranger. In some cases faith is connected with change, while in other cases, faith is connected with living amid unchanging difficult circumstances.

This then, it seems to me, is the third way: faith is taking an uncomfortable risk that an Almighty God will prepare us to live with whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. Faith is risking to believe that God can overcome evil with good, while also risking to believe that God can endow the good with endurance to withstand the persecution of evil. Faith means we are not satisfied with a broken creation and seek to change it as God equips us to do so, while at the same time believing that there is comfort for the broken until the day when God’s kingdom comes and all is made new. The poles of Karl Marx and Benny Hinn put the impetus of faith on humanity: at one pole, humanity must toss aside faith in order to truly change the world. At the other pole, the only way God can work is if humanity acquires enough faith. In both cases, faith centers on us. Hebrews 11 calls us to take the risk to center faith on God, the mysterious and hidden Lord. Yet, in taking that risk, a whole new world is opened to us, and we are able to find the assurance and the conviction that is beyond our grasp when we settle for our own efforts.

Is faith a placebo? Certainly faith provides to us a message of comfort in anxious and troubled times. It soothes the heart and the soul when the storm clouds are gathering. However, faith is not just a happy pill. Faith dares to invite God into the trouble, into the storm with us. There was a time when Christ spoke to the storm and it ceased. There was another time when Christ walked on the water in the midst of the storm and invited Peter to walk with him. Did either one prove him more or less God? This is faith: risking to believe God is with us in the storm, whether he causes it to cease or invites us to walk with him through it.

Conversations

2010-04-20T11:42:00.001-04:00

During my first week of seminary, we were divided into small groups and we were asked to share our answers to the following question: "If you were going to be traveling cross country in a car with no radio, who are the other 3 people you want riding in the car with you?" I have been trying to remember the three people I picked, but I can only remember 2: Mark Twain and Robin Williams. I do remember the thought process behind my answer. I decided I wanted people who would tell good stories and keep my laughing.

When I think back on it, what we seminary students were really being asked was this: what conversations would you really like to be a part of? This question has come to roost in my soul again in recent weeks. It started when I was traveling with the Baptist Student Union on their Spring Break mission trip to Charleston, SC. We were traveling by van and everybody had brought their own books, iPods, and pillows to pass the time with. However, both in the journey to Charleston and the journey home, several of us ended up engaging in conversations that touched on such topics as the meaning and purpose of education, the best (and worst) books and novels we had ever read, and the theology and practice of sabbath. I think all of us who took part in the conversation found ourselves better off for having been a part of it. I know I have already pulled "A Tale of Two Cities" off my book shelf to start reading based on the comments of several folks from that conversation.

I wonder if we ever stop to consider the true power and impact of our communal conversation that digs below "small talk" and tackles real wrestlings and dialogue. While attending Elon University's convocation service, I learned that Phi Beta Kappa was started by 5 students at the College of William and Mary who met at a pub off campus to discuss the higher issues of learning. In his book C.S. Lewis: Life at the Center, Perry Bramlett tells the story of the Inklings. This was a group of authors and thinkers who met twice a week at an Oxford pub and in Lewis' college office to discuss politics, books and religion. The unofficial membership of the Inklings included C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and J.R.R. Tolkien as well as other notable authors and theologians. The discussions of the Inklings would often work their way into the writings of these men, thus carrying their influence beyond the pub and the university to millions of others.

Throughout the history of mankind and Christianity, revelation and inspiration have come when people have joined together to talk and listen to one another, to think through and discuss and debate the deeper issues of life and faith. In these days of Twitter and tea parties, of talk shows and time-cramped schedules, I wonder if we are ignoring the possibilities of talking to one another to focus on talking at one another.

As I write these words, my thoughts are beginning to turn to a panel discussion I have been invited to participate in this coming Sunday night. Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church has invited me and several other ministers to come and be a part of an ecumenical discussion among senior high youth in our area about the different Christian denominations. The youth will ask the questions, and we ministers will respond and dialogue with the youth about the various issues that arise. I am excited and grateful to have been invited to this conversation. Perhaps, in our dialogue, a better picture of the "body of Christ" will emerge for all of us to consider.

What conversations do you want to be a part of?

Why Pay the Preacher?

2010-04-17T19:40:00.003-04:00

John Chandler reprinted this article in his "3 Good Minutes" weekly email. I thought I would share it here as a follow up to some earlier postings. The article, written by Dan Hotchkiss, originally appeared in the November/December 2009 issue of Clergy Journal.

"Pastor, I've always wondered: how long does it take you to prepare a sermon? As a board member, people ask me, and I'd like to be able to explain why we pay you so much. Could you keep track of how you spend your time and put a summary in your monthly board report?"

Such a request, coming from a member of the session, vestry, deacons, or trustees, can raise the blood pressure even of experienced clergy. It is a natural request in a society that considers "the days of a man's life" as a type of property to be exchanged for salaries and wages.

Most of us know that the smart response is a non-anxious one. Possible non-anxious answers range from accurate ("I find it varies from eight to twenty hours") to honest ("I'm not sure; it depends how much looking out the window and how many false starts you count") to whimsical ("Last week's sermon about aging took me sixty years").

But non-anxious is no easy thing to be, especially when lay leaders ask us about money, time, and preaching. As a denominational executive, I used to monitor church newsletters for signs of trouble, including clues that ministers had overreacted to such questions. Some clergy counterattacked, lecturing their congregants about how mysterious, intangible, and immeasurable our work is, and how wrong it is for lay leaders to oversee us as if our work were somehow comparable to that of common...well, to their work. Few congregations respond well to condescension or to scolding nowadays.

The other troublesome response I often saw was to over-comply by keeping the requested time log and publishing it not only to the board but to the congregation in the newsletter. Such a response buys into the time-clock way of thinking. It also telegraphs anxiety, making it more likely that a harmless-perhaps even innocent-question may lead to real difficulty.

An embarrassing truth about the work of clergy is that a lot of it looks like loafing. Who else gets paid to drink iced tea with a wise great-grandmother or toast the giddy joy of newlyweds? And little that we do looks more like goofing off than preaching. I don't mean, of course, the feverish final preparatory rush or the climactic 20 minutes on the podium, but the hours of hunt and peck, preceded, in my experience, by as many hours of what might appear, to the naïve observer, to be procrastination.

And yet, that lazy-looking process-which seems to take the best preachers a full day or two to carry through-is one of the main things as clergy we're paid for. Everybody seems to know this except clergy, who tend to undervalue this one aspect of our work.

Some years ago, a university divinity school appointed a faculty committee to review the school's success in "homiletic pedagogy," that is, teaching students how to preach. The committee, looking in the rear-view mirror, saw it was not the first to plow this ground. In fact, every eight or ten years since World War II the school had asked a committee to rethink how and whether to teach preaching. Most of the committees, after studying contemporary trends, declared that preaching was passé, or almost so, and so the school should focus its attention on the Next Big Thing-lay participation, worship arts, liturgical revival, radio, TV, small groups, the Internet.

Meanwhile, in the parishes, search committees kept on listing preaching at or near the top of what they wanted in a clergy leader. Governing boards kept putting preaching high among the qualities they praised in clergy or complained about. Despite the faculty committees' confident pronouncements of a post-sermonic age and the school's best efforts to prepare for it, preaching didn't die. If anything, it grew in importance as parishioners acted more like fickle restaurant customers. Preaching, it appears, is a big part of what the people in the pews pay for.

In theory, of course, this should be true only in traditions where the pulpit stands at the center-front, as in Reformed churches. In practice, Calvinism flows wide and strong through North America, affecting Lutherans, Jews, Episcopalians, Buddhists, even-partly through the influence of charismatic movements-Orthodox and Catholic Christians. In Pentecostal churches, perhaps the most distinctive and successful kind of Christianity yet to spring from New World soil, preaching lights the fuse for the explosions of the Spirit that quieter denominations envy.

In lean economic times, boards often fail to recognize that their desire for "good preaching" means they need to pay their clergy leader, not to put in certain hours, but to play a certain role in the community of faith. The best response to questions about how long it takes to write a sermon may be the honest one: it takes a lot of time, including time that looks like work and time that looks like goofing off.

Giving Up

2010-04-12T10:17:00.003-04:00

At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites a second time." ... For the Israelites traveled forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the warriors who came out of Egypt, perished, not having listened to the voice of the LORD. To them the LORD swore that he would not let them see the land that he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, who he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. - Joshua 5:2, 6-7

The generation of Israelites that came out of Egypt were familiar with circumcision, because they themselves were circumcised upon leaving Egypt. So if they were familiar with the expectation, why did they not perform circumcision on their own children? Could it be that, once they knew the Promised Land would not be within their reach, they saw no reason to fulfill this covenantal expectation?

I think about the children of Israel, and I think about that person who thinks that they have sinned so badly that they are beyond repair. They give up once any hope of restoration seems beyond their reach. I just finished reading Josh Hamilton's biography, and he talks about how easy it was in 4 years of drug use to just continue to spiral downward. Once he had hit what seemed like bottom, recovery seemed like such an impossible task that he saw no reason to do anything else but just dig deeper into drugs. He talked about disappearing for days, not returning the phone calls of his wife who was at home with their newborn child. When there seems to be no hope, why bother keeping a promise?

This story in Joshua points out one of the problems with giving up: their children were delayed in receiving the promise. They had wait in their camp for several days while the men healed from their circumcision, they delaying their entry into this land flowing with milk and honey. I know we are only talking about a few days. Still, if you are standing at the gate of Disney World and it is 8:55 and the park opens at 9:00, how hard is it to wait that last five minutes?

There was another issue that arose from that first generation's giving up, a much bigger problem: their surrender kept disgrace alive. God tells Joshua after all the the men have been circumcised, "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt." 40 years after leaving Egypt! And no one that had actually been in Egypt was still alive! Yet their lack of circumcision made it seem that nothing had changed: the Israelites were still just escaped slaves, not God's people. Even though none of this generation had ever known the Pharoah's whip, they still carried with them the disgrace.

I can't imagine how hard it must have been to know that you would never enter the Promised Land, especially to know that you would not enter because of your own moral failure. It would seem so easy to just thrown in the towel, to give up on God because there was no hope. Would Christians today be as concerned about righteousness and morality if God said that he was taking Heaven away? Of course, if our faith is only about getting to Heaven, are we missing something important in our faith?

It seems to me that the promise of Heaven is only part of a much more important promise: the promise of presence. God desires an ongoing relationship with His people. Heaven is the part of the promise that lets us know that the relationship God desires is an eternal relationship. Heaven is not the ultimate goal, the relationship is the ultimate goal. Even when the Promised Land was moved beyond their grasp, God still offered the opportunity of relationship in the form of the tent of meeting and daily manna. These people who were once slaves were still free. They were still God's people, and He still wanted to be their God. Even without the Promised Land, none of this had changed.

I know what it is like to sense that God's promise, God's reward is out of reach. I know what it is like to feel like I will never attain what I hoped to attain. And I know very well the temptation in those moments to just give up. What's the point, if I am not going to get the ultimate payoff? Perhaps the first step to overcoming this temptation is to ask the question: even if the Promised Land is gone, is the relationship still possible? Even if I can't have everything I hoped, can I still have everything I need?

Jim Valvano was a successful basketball coach, but his lasting legacy has become the words, "Don't give up, don't ever give up." To those who feel that the promises of God have been pushed beyond reach, I would say, "Don't give up, don't ever give up." The presence and the love of God are still yours to have.

Please tell me that being a minister doesn't mean I will have to do one of these videos

2010-04-02T17:34:00.002-04:00

Interesting Thoughts

2010-04-01T10:00:00.002-04:00

A fairly reasonable discussion of faith and communication. Any thoughts? Thanks to http://www.anglobaptist.org/blog/archives/2010/04/attack_on_relig.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=university+of+blogaria for passing this one on.

Social Justice Is Not a Bad Word

2010-03-09T09:53:00.005-05:00

Through Twitter, I came across a story yesterday reporting that Glenn Beck called upon religious people to leave their church if their church claimed to be concerned about and/or involved with issues of social justice or economic justice. According to Beck, these ideas are "code words" to hide socialist and communist philosophies.

To start with, if you are going to leave your church because Glenn Beck tells you to, then I dare say you weren't all that interested in being in that church is the first place.

Now, let's talk about social justice. What exactly does this term mean? I don't know if "social justice" means the same thing to all people in all circumstances. Walter Rauschenbusch and the Social Gospel. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. The development of liberation theology in the developing world. Clarence Jordan and Koinonia Farms. All of these individuals and movements, as well as many more, could be classified as representative of "social justice" movements. While there are some similarities that would connect these movements, to say that they are exactly alike would be, I believe, inaccurate.

To me, "social justice" refers to the recognition of inequalities that exist in society, the suffering that results from those inequalities, and working to change the results and/or causes of those inequalities in order to bring relief to the suffering. Notice how that sentence started - "to me". I believe that "social justice" has become a term like "Coke". There are places where people ask for a "Coke" and they are not asking for a Coca-Cola drink. They are asking for some other soft drink, probably brown in color, that has some qualities in common with Coca-Cola but is not a Coca-Cola. I think "social justice" has become, in use, an umbrella term for a wide range of ideas and actions designed to impact larger communities. My concern when I read some of Beck's comments is that he is basing his argument on an extremely narrow (and questionably accurate?) understanding of what "social justice" means and then tossing aside anything that bears the label of "social justice" without stopping to truly consider and investigate whether or not what is being tossed aside actually matches his own definition.

But even more than that, the reality is that the church has been concerned with social justice long before social justice became the popular term it is today. Go all the way back to the Torah, and you will see Moses commanding the Israelites to insure that all people, regardless of wealth or social status, get a fair hearing in the meetings in the city gates. Prophets like Micah chastised Israel for neglecting justice and kindness: while Israel was more concerned with sacrificial ritual, Micah said in Micah 6:8 that what the LORD required was not rams or oil or firstborn children, but that God's people "... do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?" When we move into the New Testament, we see Christ identifying himself with the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned and identifying His people as those who met the needs of the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned. In Acts, we are told on a couple of occasions that the believers held nothing of their own but shared all their belongings in common so that no one among them would have need.

I believe these are Biblical examples of "social justice". Should believers really walk out of churches that take these ideas and put them into practice?

I will not deny that there are times and occasions when churches and believers can become so concerned with issues and doing works and taking up causes that they neglect their identity as the body of Christ and forsake the proclamation of the good news of salvation. There is a danger at times of the church trying to be the savior of the world rather than allowing Christ to be the Savior of the world. However, I do not think that a concern for social justice contradicts a church's message and identity. As I look at the Scriptures I mentioned above as well as the fuller witness of the Bible, I believe that to be who God calls us to be requires a concern for justice. I think it would be a tragic mistake to let "social justice" become a bad word within the church.

Dangerous or Messy?

2010-02-04T15:45:00.002-05:00

My wife called to tell me the parking lot at Wal-Mart is packed this afternoon. Big sale? No, just the weather forecast.

Right now, I think they are calling for just about everything to blow into town between tonight and Saturday morning: snow, freezing rain, rain. After last weekend, most people around here have had enough of winter weather I believe. Still, the rush for bread and milk has begun. And then there are the inevitable decisions to be made: will the kids go to school? I have already had to inform one group that I was supposed to meet with tomorrow that I may not be able to get to the meeting 45 minutes away from where I am.

Still, as I read the forecast, I wondered how much of this preparation and worry is really appropriate. They really still don't know exactly what it will be like. Yes, there could be some dangerous conditions, but it is just as likely that things could just be a slushy mess. Of course, either way, does that change whether or not people want to get out in it? Even if things are not as treacherous tomorrow as they were last weekend, I still read the forecast and think to myself, "Man, it is going to be nasty. I really don't want to get out in that."

Makes me wonder ... what's the difference between dangerous and messy? I think that is sometimes a difficult line to identify. There are obvious dangerous situations that we should avoid, but I wonder if there are also messy situations that we would just rather not deal with, so we don't.

This afternoon, I delivered some food to a man who had called the church asking for help. I went to his house and he was waiting outside for me. There were several bags of food, and I offered to help him carry the food in a couple of times, but he politely refused. Instead, we stood outside talking for awhile. His clothes were dirty and it was obvious that he hadn't bathed in quite awhile. Yet his first words were to warn me to be careful tonight because of the ice. He talked about losing his job at the grocery store and not being able to find a new job. He asked how things were going at my church. He told a little bit of his own story and his struggles.

As I stood there, I found myself fighting a battle between the body and the spirit. The body wanted to run away from the smell and the dirt. The spirit wanted to stay right there as long as I could, spend time with this man, hear his story, offer at least some sense of community if I could not offer any more lasting comfort. Finally, I got back into the car and drove away, yet the battle waged on. Part of me was glad our visit was over, yet part of me was thinking about other ways to offer this man some help in the future.

It would be so easy to run away from any further interaction with this man and his family. Yet, honestly, to do so would be because I wouldn't want to get messy and not because I felt there was any threat. I don't believe that is a reason to stay way. Christ again and again walked among the people with "messy" lives. As I left his house to go back to my own church, I passed several other churches. I found myself asking, "How much do we Christians actively seek to avoid the messy? What are we missing in doing so?"

I think we confuse our fear of the dangerous and our fear of the messy, making them the same thing. I met a man today who reminded me that we may miss meeting Christ if we run from the messy.

Preaching: What Is It Good For?

2010-02-02T16:49:00.002-05:00

Ethicsdaily.com recently reported the results of a survey carried out for the College of Preachers in England. This story, headlined "Sermons May Be Popular But Rarely Lead to Action", says that a survey of 200 churchgoers revealed that fewer than 17% say that sermons frequently change the way they live or help them develop a fresh look at controversial issues or recent events. The same study showed that 2/3 of people look forward to the sermon and over half say that sermons frequently give them a sense of God's love and help them understand Jesus. One of the conclusions that the College of Preachers has drawn from this research is that sermons are "better at helping people to reflect than challenging them to act" and that "too much preaching is doing too little to motivate people to look at the world differently and therefore live in it differently."

It should be noted that this is a pilot survey of only 200 people from 16 churches in England. It is hard by any means to declare this an extensive study. However, I still find myself confronting strong but mixed reactions to this story.

A lot of discussion and feedback I hear about sermons focus on the question of whether or not people "like" the sermon. To me, if we talk about liking a sermon, then we are not expecting a sermon to challenge us but instead we are expecting the sermon to be in line with our preconceived notions and ideas. This can become an issue when we talk about the ministry as a profession. I once heard another pastor say that he would love to work another job and only preach on Sundays so that his primary means of making a living did not come from the church. Then, he said, he could say what he really wanted to say on Sundays and not worry about the possible repercussions in terms of his means of making a living and supporting his family. I don't know if I share this exact same line of thinking, but there have definitely been occasions when I have found myself questioning whether or not I should say something in a sermon based on whether or not I think people will like it. Can preaching really result in changed lives if the preacher does not feel that he can speak honestly? Is the fear of possible repercussions real or perceived?

And should a sermon's purpose be to motivate action? I think a dangerous line is approached when we allow sermons to focus on motivating action because it becomes easy for the message to become about doing what the preacher thinks we should do rather than acting as we perceive God calling us to act. I think that the reflective role of the preaching ministry is therefore extremely important and should not be made inferior to the "call to action." Does this mean that the sermon should not point out specific actions that the Christian should take? No, but I think that this task must be held in balance with the reflective part of the preaching act. I hear some ministers talk about being less concerned with theology in their sermons and more concerned with "daily, practical" living out of the faith. I am all for that, but it is the theology that helps us have an understanding of why we should try to daily live out our faith in a practical manner. My concern is that a study such a this can cause a push to the opposite extreme rather than an attempt at proper balance.

Finally, I would love to take those same 200 people and interview their pastors, review the sermons that they preached over the course of the year. How many of their sermons included a "call to action"? My point is: a sermon is not just about the word proclaimed, it is also the proclaimed word heard. Is it that this task is being ignored by preachers, or is it that congregations aren't hearing it, or that it is not being presented well?

Just a couple of thoughts. I welcome feedback.

I Have Been Away A Long Time

2010-01-14T16:12:00.003-05:00

February 9, 2009.

That is the last time I wrote a blog entry, according to my Blogger dashboard.

There were plenty of times when I thought, "I need to write something for the blog". There were plenty of times when some idea would get stuck in my head and explode in all kinds of various directions and I would think, "I need to turn that into a post."

I never did. I don't know why I didn't. The excuse I most often gave myself was, "I don't have time." And I really didn't, although I wonder if I would have made time if it had meant more to me.

Every Sunday, I stand up in front of a congregation and speak for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes about something that I believe God has put on my heart. Over the course of the following week, I teach Bible studies and prepare devotions for a number of other events. I think the reality of what has happened is that I have more and more found myself in the midst of all these opportunities with a sense of having nothing else to say. Or is it that I am tired of speaking and just don't want to say anything else?

I came back to the blog today to find out if it was really still here. It is ... and I can even still add to it. This may not be the most enlightening post you will ever read, but you know what? It has kind of been fun writing it.

Maybe this is what will bring me back to writing for this blog: writing to have fun.

The Obscenity of Octomom

2009-02-25T14:52:00.002-05:00

I came home one day last week to find my wife watching Dr. Phil. I don't know why she was watching Dr. Phil, but she was. And what is more, I found myself drawn into watching it too. The subject: Octomom.

By now, I think everybody knows that "Octomom" is not the name of a new superhero. However, I doubt many people remember that Octomom's real name is Nadya Suleman. I didn't.

And that bothers me. That I didn't know her name.

There has been much discussion about whether or not her doctors acted ethically, and there should be discussion of that topic. There has been much discussion of whether or not Nadya is physically, mentally, and emotionally equipped to raise 14 children by herself. That is a discussion that needs to be had as well, although I am not sure that the best people to make those decisions are mass media talking heads.

What I find disconcerting is the way that we as a culture seem to have completely dehumanized the situation. What started as an incredible story became late night punch line and now has become a source of great anger. On Dr. Phil's show, he played voice mails left for Nadya and people who tried to help her. These voice mails were beyond cruel. Threats that Nadya should have her uterus "ripped out" sink to the level of a Nazi concentration camp. Now, today, I read a story online that a porn company has offered her $1 million and lifetime medical and dental insurance to star in porn movies. Step away from that which I consider borderline extortion for a moment ("You can provide for your families medical expenses if you will let us film you having sex with other people and make money off of it") and what is left is a very cold reality: that people would pay to watch just because it is her, "Octomom".

Amazement, laughter, self-righteous anger, self-indulgement. And most people won't even care enough to know her name.

There are obvious problems that this story brings to light. The reality is, for every ounce of news coverage provided on Nadya and her children, we know a very small percentage of what there is to be known about Nadya, her life, her children, her doctors, and this situation. There are reasons to be sad, there are reasons to be angry, and there are reasons to be happy (for one, these 8 babies survived). However, there are no reasons to stop being human.

Many have argued that the anonymity of the Internet makes people bold, willing to say or do things they would never do if their name was attached to it. I believe the same results take place when we strip a person of their humanity, their identity. We can say to them, do to them whatever we want. American pastors in the South defended the idea that God did not make Africans to be "real people", so it was OK to make them slaves and punish them brutally. A century later, denominations had to repent of that sin. I wonder how much repentance is needed right now in this situation.

Her name is not Octomom. That name seems to have unleashed a host of obscenity from people. Her name is Nadya Suleman. She is a child of God, just like you and me. She is in need of God's grace and provision, just like you and me. More importantly, God loves her just like he loves you and me. Maybe we should all remember that the next time we go to make our comment about the story in the paper or on the television.

Quote from Mother Theresa

2009-02-23T11:08:00.001-05:00

If you pray, you will have faith. If you have faith, you will love. If you love, you will serve. If you serve, you will have peace.

25 Really Random Things About Me

2009-02-02T11:02:00.002-05:00

There is new craze that seems to be circulating through Facebook, the "25 Really Random Things About Me" note. I resisted as long as I could, but finally gave in and put mine together. Figured I would put it up here on my blog too.

1. I alphabetize my CD collection by artist, putting each artists' album in chronological order.

2. I was born in a military hospital in Wiesbaden, West Germany (Yeah, before the wall fell).

3. I once won a James Brown dance contest at a Durham Bulls baseball game.

4. As much as I sometimes joke about it, I am perfectly happy spending a weekend entirely at home watching TV, reading a book, playing video games, or taking a nap.

5. I have lost 26 pounds since the beginning of August.

6. I love to watch "The Soup" every weekend on E!

7. I can watch just about any football or college basketball game and find it interesting.

8. Billy Joel is absolutely my favorite musician. I think I have every one of his albums.

9. I felt the call to ministry when I was a senior in high school while I was preaching the sermon at my church's Youth Sunday service.

10. The reason I like Guitar Hero so much? When I was a teenager, I would go in the basement, take a tennis racket, crank up the stereo, and pretend I was on stage.

11. The most relaxing trip I have ever been on was an Alaskan cruise Amy and I took several years ago.

12. I would love to live in Richmond, VA someday so that I could spend a lot of time hanging out around the campus of my alma mater, the University of Richmond.

13. One of my biggest fears is not being a good dad for my boys or being a good husband for my wife.

14. I can taste a difference between regular Oreo filling and the different colored filling they use at holidays.

15. It has taken me 40 minutes just to get this far into the list (Of course, I had a 20 minute phone meeting and somebody stop by the office in the middle of all that.)

16. At one point, I taught OT, NT, and World Religions at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke. I would love to do some of that again someday if I ever had time.

17. I will read anything by Philip Yancey, C.S. Lewis, David Baldacci, or Tom Clancy.

18. I think my wife is the most beautiful woman in the world.

19. Text messages annoy me.

20. I can't wait until spring time when I can start riding my bike to the office again.

21. When I was in high school, I won an all-expenses paid trip to Ireland when I was chosen by the Roanoke Times & World-News as their Carrier of the Year. (Yeah, I was a paper boy. Don't see many of those anymore).

22. I am a registered Independent.

23. My iPod has totally changed how and what I listen to.

24. Few things break my heart more than when Noah is on the verge of crying but is trying not to.

25. My greatest joy as a parent? The looks on Justin and Noah's faces the entire week we spent in Disney World.

Fundamentalists Voted for Barack Obama

2009-01-09T08:24:00.002-05:00

With the holidays and a vacation taking place over the last month, blogging kind of got put on the backburner. I am ready to get back to it though with something that has been driving me somewhat crazy for weeks.

In catching up on my podcasts from the last few weeks, I have been listening to a lot of commentary about Obama's selection of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. What I find most interesting is the comments by some who actively campaigned for Obama's presidency. One interview with an official of the Human Rights League (I think I got that name right), a group that seeks equal rights for the homosexual community, described Obama's selection of Warren, an opponent of the move to legalize gay marriage in California and one who has compared homosexuality to incest, as a complete betrayal of the people who worked to get Obama elected. How dare he give time to someone who has a different opinion and view on an issue than Obama himself?

Obama and Warren have both admitted that they do not agree on the issue of homosexuality. At the same time, they have also both stated that they respect the concern for the poor the other has and that they hold similar positions on several other social issues. Statements out of the Obama administration say that Obama's invitation is no different than when Warren invited Obama and McCain to come to his church to answer questions about a variety of issues.

I remember Dr. Robison James, a theology professor at the University of Richmond, once telling a classroom full of students that fundamentalism was not a set of beliefs but an attitude. It is an attitude that says "If you are not entirely with me, then you are my enemy." In our culture today, the term fundamentalist has come to be synonymous with extreme conservatism. However, isn't the statement from the Human Rights League representative of a fundamentalist attitude? Never mind the issues that Obama and Warren agree upon, they disagree on this issue, and therefore Warren is the enemy and should not be invited. I imagine that the people making this statement would rise up in anger and fervently deny being a fundamentalist. However, the reality is they are just as much a fundamentalist as John Hagee or Jerry Falwell, just with a different set of beliefs.

My point is this: if you are going to argue for acceptance and equal rights, you better make sure that you are not committing the same crime you are accusing others of committing. Fundamentalism knows no left or right.

Some Random Thoughts on a Variety of Issues

2008-12-11T10:05:00.004-05:00

There have been a few things rolling around in my head lately that I thought I would throw out there for thinking and comment.

1) The state of NC has asked public schools to give back $58 million because of statewide budget shortfalls. As I watched a news story about cuts that schools are having to make because of this demand from the state, the next 2 commercials that came on immediately after the story were commercials for the NC "Education" Lottery. Some people oppose the lottery for religious reasons, some because they think it basically amounts to a tax on the poor. For me, the issue is that NC sold a lottery to the citizens in that this would benefit schools. They were helping schools by buying lottery tickets. However, anyone who was paying attention at the time could see that there were some pretty tight restrictions on how that money could be used. It is great that schools have been able to use money to build new classrooms. Too bad that the state is taking back the money that could be used to pay teachers for those new classrooms.

2) Would people please stop saying that Texas deserves to be in the national title game because they beat Oklahoma? If you are going to make that argument, then you have to say that Texas Tech has to be there because they beat Texas. Then you have to say that Oklahoma has to be there because they beat Texas Tech ... I know some folks say that the fact that Texas Tech got blown out by Oklahoma disqualifies them from having a place in this argument. Sorry, don't buy it. Texas Tech played 1 bad game. Anybody who watched the Texas-Texas Tech game could say the same for Texas. Anybody who watched the 2nd half of Texas-Oklahoma could say the same for Oklahoma. In other words, I am going to watch my Richmond Spiders play in the national semifinals Saturday against Northern Iowa and wonder why it is that the big boys of college football can't figure out that a playoff system makes sense.

3) One more college football thought ... Tim Tebow may end up being considered one of the best college quarterbacks of all time, but it is a shame and a crime that Graham Harrell didn't at least get an invite to the Heisman ceremony.

4) A great gift to give this Christmas: the movie "The Ultimate Gift". Very well done.

5) My new year's ministry resolution: get out of the office more. I have let myself get caught in the game of "I have too many things to do to go out and visit people." No more. There is a lot to do, but not so much that I can't get out regularly visit homebound, shut-ins, and folks in the community.

If I don't talk to you before Christmas, Merry Christmas!

An Open Letter and an Open Response

2008-11-18T14:58:00.002-05:00

Last week, at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, the Convention adopted an amended proposal from the Giving Plans Study Committee that did away with the multiple giving plans of the State Convention in favor of a single giving plan with options beginning in 2010. During the discussion, the proposal was amended, removing the option that allowed local churches to designate a portion of their offering to go to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Below, you will find an open letter sent out by Milton Hollifield, Executive Director - Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. I received this letter via email on Tuesday, November 18. Below Mr. Hollifield's letter you will find the response that I sent back to Mr. Hollifield via email on Tuesday, November 18.

An Open Letter to North Carolina Baptists from the EDT

November 18, 2008

The 178th annual session of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) was an occasion for encouragement in many ways and for many reasons. Messengers observed a gracious spirit of unity and resolve to press forward together as a denomination committed to missions. I communicated in my address to the messengers that we could no longer move forward with a business as usual mentality. The messengers also recognized anew that the energies of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina reside in her churches as fellow believers view one another as "partners in the gospel" ministry (Philippians1:5).

A dynamic of Christian fellowship emerges from a relationship rooted in our love for and obedience to Jesus Christ (I John 1:1-4). As a result, every initiative and ministry of BSCNC must now be carefully reviewed as to its viability in service to local churches across this state. We have taken great leaps forward to prayerfully position the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina as a servant to local churches. North Carolina brims with change as the state's population increases with people from other nations and cultures. It seems that God is bringing the world to our doorstep, and we must learn to live as missionaries in our own state.

This reality was clearly seen in our resolve to usher in a new day of unity through an increased emphasis upon missions and the subsequent approval of the proposals which the Giving Plans Study Committee (GPSC) recommended. Allan Blume, President of the BSCNC Board of Directors, appointed a group which represented all facets of North Carolina Baptist life in hopes that a consensus could be achieved regarding our future together. The recommendations of the study committee sought to simplify the multiple Cooperative Program giving plans which currently facilitate the cooperative ministries budget of many churches with differing perspectives. The Giving Plans Study Committee sought to facilitate a way whereby the strength of the Cooperative Program might find new ways of accomplishing the desire of the majority of North Carolina Baptists - convictional cooperation through the extension of denominational support. It was a move which had been prayerfully sought by many and endorsed widely by Convention leadership.

The discussion surrounding the five recommendations of the study committee and the subsequent amendment revealed both the strength and weakness of Baptist polity. Any messenger at any time may question anything for any reason. This is a hallmark of our life together that no Baptist should seek to diminish. However, despite the unanimous approval of the Giving Plans Study Committee report by the BSCNC Board of Directors in September, an amendment was proposed from the floor on Wednesday morning, November 12 and approved by the majority of messengers present. This amendment removed recommendation #3 from the final GPSC report. The original recommendation #3, if approved, would have simply included a convenience for churches to designate 10% of their gifts to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship by selecting a box on the remittance form.

This action of approval by the Convention establishes direction regarding this matter. I am disappointed that the rhetoric emerging from both perspectives during the discussion on the convention floor and in subsequent conversations may have rendered our corporate Christian witness as something not honoring to the Lord Jesus. It is our prayer that in future days all conversations which take place as a result of this action will be done seasoned with respect and grace.

Each member of the Giving Plans Study Committee was committed to strengthening trust in the overall ministry of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and they represented the finest our churches could offer. They were respectful of each other; prayed for each other; talked with each other; and worked to advance the issue forward with no false caricature of the other's position. At no time during their deliberations did anyone ever feel demeaned or personally disrespected. There were and are differences of opinion. Yet, the report sought to forthrightly reconcile the procedural and financial requirements currently in play with the over 80 possible combinations of the giving plans.

The committee was commissioned to study the giving plans and recommend any proposed changes to messengers regarding their findings. This they did with excellence. In no way did they seek to serve as referee of various theological perspectives or dare to speak for any local congregation. The confusion which has followed the passage of the amendment has been to such a degree that I must inform North Carolina Baptists of the facts this change renders to the report and the recommendations. Following this letter are the Giving Plans Study Committee Report FAQs.

As we press forward together, it is my prayer that we will allow the love of Christ to motivate us and renew our efforts to fulfill the great commission and the great commandment.

May Jesus Christ be glorified through our lives, our churches, and our Convention.

In His service,
Milton A. Hollifield, Jr.
Executive Director -Treasurer
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina

Giving Plans Study Committee Report FAQs

1. What was the amendment which was passed by Convention messengers?
On Wednesday morning November 12, 2008 a messenger stated "I move to remove the CBF from the giving plan as proposed." The effect of the amendment is the removal of recommendation #3 from the Giving Plans Study Committee proposal. All the remaining recommendations were approved by the Convention.

2. Did the amendment to the GPSC proposal change in any way the relationship of cooperating churches with the BSCNC?
No. A church's cooperative relationship with the BSCNC is based upon their financial support of the Cooperative Program, and their desire to participate in the missions and ministries efforts of the Convention (Article VI. A. 3 BSCNC Articles of Incorporation). The autonomous decision by any church to direct a portion of its missions budget, whether through use of the remittance form or through direct contributions, to organizations outside of the BSCNC does not result in a change of relationship with the Convention.

3. What is the impact of the approval of the four remaining recommendations of the GPSC on churches supporting missions through the Cooperative Program?
Recommendations approved by the messengers do not take effect until 2010. The four Cooperative Program Giving Plans, known as Plans A, B, C, and D remain unchanged for the remainder of 2008 and all of 2009. All churches currently in friendly cooperation with this Convention who desire to continue their voluntary association with the various outreaches, ministries, programs, institutions, agencies and financial support of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina are encouraged to continue their support through the Cooperative Program. The Convention has given the Budget Committee a framework upon which to build the 2010 budget. This budget must still move through presentations to the Executive Committee, the BSCNC Board of Directors, and ultimately the Convention meeting in annual session.

4. Were the members of the GPSC, the Executive Committee, the BSCNC Board of Directors, and those messengers who voted against the amendment to exclude CBF from the new remittance form supportive of liberal theology and unsupportive of the doctrine of inerrancy?
No. A vote against the amendment was not a vote against inerrancy. A vote for the amendment was not a vote for inerrancy. The GPSC report was never intended to be a referendum on inerrancy.

5. Why was an option to include a check box allowing the 10% designation to CBF in the GPSC recommendation?
The GPSC discovered in its research that 40% of NC Baptist churches utilize one or more of the alternate giving plans (known as Plans B, C, D). Survey data identified a great desire from North Carolina Baptists that any changes to the alternate giving plans provide some measure of options for churches to designate their giving. The recommendation of the GPSC removed the CBF allocation from the convention's budget and returned the CBF funding decision to the local church.

6. Does the amendment's passage prohibit any church from affiliating with the BSCNC?
No. The amendment effectively removed a checkbox from the remittance form that was provided by the GPSC for churches who desired to designate 10% of their gifts to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The amendment does not impact church affiliation with the BSCNC.

7. What is the value of continuing to cooperate with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina?
For over 175 years, this state convention has stood as a testimony to the faithfulness of local churches to intentionally, passionately, and effectively cooperate together in impacting this state and the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through many trials, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina which presently consists of more than 4000 local churches and 80 Baptist associations has emerged resilient and capable of extensive ministry and mission outreach within this state, throughout North America and in numerous countries through church planting and the mission boards which provide for career missionaries all across the world.

This is my response

Mr. Hollifield,

I have just finished reading and re-reading your open letter to all North Carolina Baptists. I want to thank you for taking the time to address the events of Wednesday, November 12 publicly. I am sure that you have spent much time in recent days considering the most appropriate response to these events and their impact on Baptist life in North Carolina.

I am a pastor of a church that decided several years ago to no longer align with the Southern Baptist Convention on a national level. This church made the choice to partner instead with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Though this decision was made before I became the church’s pastor, I wholeheartedly support that decision. The theology and polity of the Southern Baptist Convention no longer represents this church. While this decision was not an easy one for this church, it was decided in a spirit of prayer that CBF not only represented a better theological partner for our church but also provided a relationship that would allow us to focus more on serving Jesus Christ and building His kingdom and less on denominational politics. The church desired to maintain a relationship with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and our local association because of a desire to continue to cooperate with local churches to reach our state with the love of Christ and the gospel of grace and salvation. At that time, our partnership with a national organization like CBF was not deemed an obstacle to these other partnerships. This message was most clearly communicated through the existence of the multiple giving plans of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

I will be the first to admit that the multiple giving plans were confusing. I know many people right here in my own church did not necessarily understand the difference between Plan A and Plan C. I recognize that having to develop 4 different giving options was a difficult task for the Budget Committee every year. Therefore, I was not opposed to the Study Committee’s recommendation of a single giving plan that sought to maintain the options that the multiple giving plans embodied. I feel they did the best job they could with the circumstances they had to work with, and I commend them for their efforts.

Last Wednesday, as I listened to the motion that was made to remove recommendation #3 from the Study Committee’s report and the discussion that followed, I found myself both hurt and angered. CBF was portrayed as unbiblical and un-Baptist. In these comments, people may have thought they were talking about some faceless organization. However, as I sat there and listened, I saw the faces of my congregation and my peers in ministry who selflessly serve and give and pray and witness and minister for the glory of God and nothing else. These people trust in God’s Word as Truth and authority in their life. They read and study Scripture to allow the Holy Spirit to mold and shape them according to His will. They hold strongly not only to the authority of Scripture but also the priesthood of the believer, the autonomy of the local church, and the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. These are the people who were called unbiblical and un-Baptist.

In considering the question, “Does the amendment’s passage prohibit any church from affiliating with the BSCNC?” you answer a definitive “No.” Mr. Hollifield, I believe that this answer ignores the greater issues that came to a breaking point last Wednesday. This is not just about money or messengers; this is an issue of respect. It is clear to me that the Baptist State Convention does not respect me or my church because of our affiliation with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

For several years, I carried the anger of a controversy that I was too young to really have participated in. I refused to have anything to do with anyone connected with the SBC because of that anger. However, God used a friendship with a minister in Virginia to teach me that what defines us as Christians is not denominational labels but the heart of Christ beating within us. I came to see that the SBC does not 100% speak for those who affiliate with the SBC, just as CBF does not 100% speak for those who affiliate with CBF. These relationships are true partnerships we choose to enter; they are not determinative of who we are. In the ensuing years, God has blessed me with other relationships that have taught me to respect a person not for what denominational organization they affiliate with but for who they are. Last Wednesday, I left Greensboro with the message that my church is not respected by a convention that we have supported faithfully for 60 years.

In recent years, we have been told that the portion of plan C that went to CBF was not counted as Cooperative Program giving, though money that went to the Southern Baptist Convention was counted as Cooperative Program giving. Now we are being told, “The amendment effectively removed a checkbox from the remittance form that was provided by the GPSC for churches who desired to designate 10% of their gifts to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.” Just a checkbox, nothing more. My question is this: why is their no checkbox for SBC? The message over and over again is that churches that partner with CBF and not SBC are viewed differently by the state convention. Would those who say that we are just talking about a checkbox, that we are just talking about a convenience, be preaching the same message if the name next to that checkbox was “Southern Baptist Convention”? I sincerely doubt it.

You say, “We have taken great leaps forward to prayerfully position the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina as a servant to local churches.” Yet the Convention cannot seem to be bothered with a checkbox that might serve some of its local churches. The Convention can’t be bothered to save a local church an extra check and stamp. I’m sorry, Mr. Hollifield, but these don’t seem like “great leaps forward”.

If the decision that was made last week by the Convention had been made for the expressed reason that the Convention wanted to be partnered exclusively with the Southern Baptist Convention, I could have lived with it. I wouldn’t have liked it, but I could have respected that decision. However, that was not the case. Instead, the point was argued on grounds that CBF is unbiblical and un-Baptist. This is the accusation leveled against my church. How is my church to believe that the Baptist State Convention wants to work with us, wants to partner with us, when this is what the Convention seemingly thinks about us? How was the silence of the Convention serving us in the AP story about last Wednesday that focused so heavily on homosexuality, an issue that I don’t recall ever coming up in the debate last Wednesday? Why did your letter condemn “… the rhetoric emerging from both perspectives during the discussion on the convention floor and in subsequent conversations ...” without also condemning an AP story that, in my opinion, unfairly portrays CBF and its partner churches? (I would here reference the FAQ section at www.truthaboutcbf.net).

Mr. Hollifield, I understand that my church and other churches were not officially “kicked out” last week. However, I hope that you understand that the message many of us heard last week is that we are not true North Carolina Baptist churches and are not desirable partners for the Convention. While your letter may address the technical details of what happened last week, I feel it does little to address this deeper issue.

Your letter is an open letter, and my response will be the same. I will be posting this letter on my personal blog along with your letter – www.inamoment-mark.blogspot.com. For the sake of full disclosure, I will also tell you that I posted a blog entry last week on the CBF blog - www.thefellowship.info/blog - entitled “Demons” that shared my immediate feelings about the events of last Wednesday. I feel all of this is important to say because I want you to understand that I am not writing this letter on behalf of my church or any other group. These are my personal thoughts. I do not yet know what my church’s response to the events of last week will be. As a messenger of the church, I will report to them what happened. I will share your letter with them, and I will share my response with them. Ultimately, it will be their decision, and I will follow the will of the congregation as the Lord leads them.

I agree that the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina has made a great impact in this state and around the world for Jesus Christ. My prayer is that it will continue to do so. However, I fear that it will have to do so without some churches who have been long-time partners with the Convention in its work unless something is done to address the deeper issues that I feel your letter did not address. Though I am usually an optimistic person, recent history indicates to me that this will not happen. Perhaps there is nothing to be done; perhaps this cannot change; perhaps SBC and CBF cannot work together. I, for one, do not believe this. However, it seems the Convention does.

I appreciate your efforts to inform and hold together the churches of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. May God give you wisdom and guidance for this herculean task.

In Christ,
Rev. Mark Mofield
Pastor, First Baptist Church of Elon

What is Worship?

2008-11-04T15:15:00.001-05:00

I know this gave me something to think about!

Great Post on Church & Politics

2008-10-30T10:59:00.001-04:00

I love this blog post by John Voelz on why his church doesn't get involved with politics. I couldn't make the case any better!

http://johnvoelzblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/god-in-booth.html

Give Me Your Eyes

2008-10-21T16:01:00.000-04:00

Saw this video on TerraceCrawford.com. Great song!

Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes from Brandon Heath on Vimeo.

The End of the Culture War?

2008-10-21T15:05:00.002-04:00

I was listening to my NPR Religion podcast (see my last post) and it included a story about a survey done by Faith in Public Life. The NPR story focused on the differences this study revealed between older Christians and younger Christians on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage in relation to the upcoming election. The study found that more than half of young evangelicals favored civil unions or marriages for same-sex couples, while most older evangelicals were opposed to such unions. 60% of young Catholics said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. In describing these results, one researcher said of the younger Christian generation, "This is not the culture war generation."

Or perhaps what we are witnessing is a change in the battlefront. When asked to identify the most important issues of the 2008 election, evangelicals identified the economy (78%), terrorism (76%), energy/gas (74%), Iraq (67%), and health care (61%) as issues in this year's election. Abortion was identified as an issue by 57% of respondents, almost tied with poverty at 56%. Same-sex marriage (49%) finished ahead of only the environment (44%) at the bottom of the list. In younger respondents, abortion was an important for 62%, while same-sex unions were an important issue for only 44%.

Abortion and homosexuality have long been at the forefront of the "culture war". When I look at these survey results, I wonder if the "culture war" is moving to the battles that are being fought in our own backyard. There are probably a good number of evangelicals who do not confront issues involving homosexuality or abortion on a regular basis. However, many people are dealing with medical bills, putting gas in the car, and keeping their job everyday. Since 9/11, I think a lot more people have had their eyes opened to the "If if could happen there ..." type thoughts. Could it be that Christians in general, and younger Christians in particular, are becoming more concerned with the issues that they are more likely to face in the immediate today and tomorrow? Maybe it is not so much that this is not a "culture war generation"; instead, this is a generation redefining what the culture war is being fought over.

I have never been comfortable with the "culture war" concept, especially in connection with political elections. Do I believe that my faith impacts and guides how I vote? Certainly. However, I think the church made the mistake of giving up its own voice on societal issues by trying to get government to make changes it wanted made. Righteousness and holiness have never been issues that could be legislated; they are only brought about by changed hearts and spirit-filled minds. That is not the realm of politics and government; that is the realm of faith. I am sure that some folks are going to read these statistics and bemoan that Christians are compromising their values. I am more concerned that we too quickly compromised our identity and role as the body of Christ in order to become political action groups.

When I look at these statistics, what I see is a desire to change the world rather than fight a war. It is a shame that the word "change" has become so politicized. Because I think the only change that will last will come not from whoever is our next President but from Christians fulfilling their call as disciples and seeking the provision and grace of God for themselves and for our world. Perhaps the culture war is now moving from a war against the culture of the world to a resistance against what the culture of Christianity had been.

Podcasts I am Listening To

2008-10-15T16:06:00.002-04:00

Thought I would take a selfish moment to share what podcasts I am currently subscribed to. Somebody else may enjoy listening to these as well. Feel free to post comments with other suggestions.

1) PTI - ESPN's Pardon the Interruption is the best sports news show, period. Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon mix the right blend of humor and smarts to comment on the sports news of the day. I was bummed a couple of years ago when ESPN stopped reairing the show later at night when it was more convenient in my schedule to watch. That is why I was so pumped to be able to get it in podcast format.

2) ACC Nation - Check out www.accnation.com. It is a great blog about ACC sports. They record a radio broadcast twice a week, Monday nights and Wednesday nights, discussing all the different games and issues in the ACC. These guys can get a little sophomorish, but otherwise it is a great podcast with great interviews of ACC broadcasters, writers, announcers, coaches, and players.

3) The Dave Ramsey Show - I just got turned on to Dave Ramsey after one of my church members loaned me "The Total Money Makeover". I really appreciate the financial advice that Ramsey gives in the book, and his daily radio show builds on those same concepts. The podcast is not the whole radio show, but you get a good taste of the program in the 35-45 minute podcast.

4) Marketplace - This American Public Media financial program was one I subscribed to because (quite honestly) I liked the sound of the host. However, whenever I listen to, I always feel like I understand more about our nation's economy than I did before. That is important, especially in recent months.

5) NPR Religion & NPR Technology - these two podcasts are collections of stories from NPR's various shows. The technology one is OK, but the religion one is much more interesting.

6) Buzz Out Loud - This production of C/Net quickly became one of my favorites. The daily podcast is commentary on news in the world of technology. That may sound boring, but these guys (and gals) bring a whole lot of life and fun to it while also bringing some great commentary on issues like copyright law, fair use, and the role of technology in everyday life.

7) This Week in Tech - If you remember TechTV, you know who Leo Laporte. I used to love watching "The Screen Savers" and "Call for Help" with Leo. I have missed Leo ever since the demise of TechTV, but I am ecstatic to find him again at TWIT, the online broadcast network Laporte started. This podcast is recorded on Sundays and provides commentary on all the tech stories of the week. Is a little more hardcore tech that Buzz Out Loud at times, but enjoyable nonetheless.

8) The Bugle - If you watch "The Daily Show", you know who John Oliver is. The Bugle is The Daily Show made in Britain and without the pictures. It is definitely PG-13 in content, but always finds a way to produce a good laugh or two for me.

9) First Baptist Church of Elon - Some may say this is narcissistic. I say I am just making sure that the download works each week.

I am still looking for some good religion podcasts. I used to be subscribed to public radio's "Speaking of Faith", but they started doing a lot of rebroadcasts, and so I unsubscribed. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Would somebody please explain the ACC?

2008-09-29T10:42:00.004-04:00

Florida State couldn't figure out who was on their team and who was on the opposing team a week ago against Wake Forest. Saturday, they manhandled Colorado, an undefeated team out of the Big 12.

That same Wake Forest team that looked like the best team in the ACC the first month of the season couldn't stop Navy and couldn't stop throwing interceptions to Navy.

This, by the way, was the same Navy team that Duke, 3-1 after beating Virginia, dominated in the second half a couple of weeks earlier.

Virginia Tech, who looked horrible offensively against UNC and won a game they shouldn't have, couldn't be stopped at Nebraska.

UNC, playing their 2nd string and then their 3rd string quarterback, beat a Miami team on the road that had just beat up Texas A&M on the road and seemed to be coming together.

And Clemson, the preseason favorite? They lost to a Maryland team that, in successive weeks, lost to Middle Tennessee State and beat nationally-ranked California.

I was going to fill out a power poll for the ACC Nation blog and podcast this weekend. However, I never could figure out what to put down. Virginia is clearly the bottom of the league, with NC State probably just ahead of them, though more because of injury problems than anything else. After that, how do you rank 1-10?

What is seemingly clear is that there is no dominant team in the ACC right now. That is good in that it makes for exciting games every weekend. However, I am not sure that helps the ACC in terms of national reputation. You look at this week's polls, there is not an ACC team ranked inside the top 20. That does not bode well for a supposed "power conference". I know that everybody talks about how the SEC teams beat up on one another. However, those our recognized top 10 teams beating up on one another. Right now, the ACC needs a team that can rise to the top and put attention back to the league as a legitimate power conference. It may not be as fun for the conference in the short term, but I think the long-term benefit for the conference would be huge.

By the way, did I mention that Duke is 3-1?

BSU Fall Retreat 2007

2008-09-22T16:16:00.001-04:00

One of the Elon BSU students put together this video montage from last year's fall retreat. Really captures the beauty of the setting and comradery of the weekend. Kudos to Jackson!

Just Not In the Mood

2008-09-17T10:46:00.003-04:00

Time to share a little pastoral secret: pastors also have days where they are just not in the mood to work. I know some folks may be surprised by this, seeing as how they think pastors only work 1 day a week anyway. However, let's leave that fallacy behind and get back on the subject: there are days that pastors would just assume call in sick for a "mental health day", days they think the clock cannot move fast enough. Today is one of those days.

Am I saying I hate my job? No. I love my job. I truly feel this is what God has called me to do and that I am serving the church where God has called me to be. I love my church! I love the people! Today is just a day that I don't feel like working.

It occurs to me that God created the sabbath day as a day of rest. I wonder sometimes if we get that "I don't feel like working today" feeling because we have forsaken too long the need for rest that God recognized when He set aside a whole day each week for us to do it. Maybe the "I don't feel like working" is our body and spirit craving what they know is part of God's plan. As I look back at recent weeks, I realize that I have not done a real great job of honoring sabbath in my life. Maybe this feeling today is God's way of saying, "Time to pull back and take the time I give you to rest your body and soul in my care."

Just a thought.

New Post on CBF blog

2008-09-17T10:44:00.001-04:00

Just put a new post up on the CBF blog entitled "Pastoral Envy". Check it out!

Two subjects that really aren't related: LPGA and finacial aid for convicts

2008-08-27T10:04:00.003-04:00

I feel moved to comment on two issues that I heard about yesterday that really are not related to one another.

1) The LPGA is going to require that all of its players pass an oral evaluation of their English skills or face a suspension of their membership. The argument is that such a move will be "good for business" (my understanding of their stated position). In a time when every other major sport seems to be talking about going global, the LPGA seems to be moving in the exact opposite direction. What seems truly ridiculous to me is the idea that the language the players speak or don't speak is the reason why the LPGA struggles for sponsors and viewers. This seems to ignore what has been a reality of our culture for a long time: women's sports just aren't as popular as men's sports. I have season tickets to the Duke women's basketball games. I love going to the games, and I love watching their games. You know what? Most of the time, the stadium is half-full. And this is for a program that over the last several years has been one of the dominant programs in women's basketball. Example #2: the WNBA. Can anyone tell me who won the WNBA title last year? The year before? Women's tennis has probably enjoyed more popularity than any other sport. But, honestly, how much does tennis move the cultural needle anymore?
I enjoy watching the LPGA tournaments when I get a chance. I have never found language to be a barrier to that enjoyment. Quite honestly, I can't remember the last time I heard a golfer not named Tiger, Phil, or Sergio speak at any length. I think the LPGA would be better served to put their emphasis in other areas to help their game grow. This approach, in my opinion, looks like a giant step back.

2) Last night, I went with a group from our church to a local prison to provide a birthday party for those inmates who had August birthdays. After the cake and cookies were served, I sat down at a table with two of the inmates and began to talk. In the course of our discussion, each of them shared with me their plans for after their release. One of the inmates, a 23-year old young man, said that he had gotten his GED while in prison and wanted to go to college after his release. However, he was concerned because he had heard that the government was talking about making excons inelligible for federal financial aid such as Pell Grants. Sure enough, doing a little digging this morning, I have found out that convicts can apply for student loans but are not eligible for Pell Grants. In my opinion, this is wrong. I can see what the thinking was when this change was made in the '90s: give people another thing to think about, another potential consequence to have to consider. However, this was a short-sighted perspective. If someone has committed a crime, served their sentence, and been released, they already will have numerous consequences to deal with. Why make it even more difficult for them to get an education that can equip them to become productive members of society? In a desire to punish, we have closed an important door for rehabilitation. As a Christian, this seems to go against every understanding of grace that I have. Is there punishment for sin? The Bible does not hesitate to talk about "the wages of sin". However, the whole message of the gospel is that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us so that the old could pass and all might become new. God did not punish me for my old life by denying me access to new life; should we treat convicts any differently? Especially young 23 year old men who have sincerely desire to turn their life around?

Been a Long Time

2008-08-25T09:55:00.002-04:00

Wow, it has been almost a month since I updated my blog! Some of it, I admit, is technological laziness. However, I have been on vacation for the last 2 weeks with limited Internet access, so that is a big part of it.

I just put a new post up on the CBF blog: "Which side of the breakwater are we fishing?" Check it out at www.thefellowship.info/blog.

Not a lot to add right now, but I will be putting some new stuff up soon. My favorite time of year is getting ready to start: football season!!

Technology Meets Scripture - Episode 2

2008-07-28T13:53:00.002-04:00

"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" Psalm 46:10-11

A few weeks ago I got an offer from in the mail from my cell phone carrier (let's just call them Horizon, shall we?). They told me I could go ahead and upgrade my cell phone even though I am not due a replacement for a couple of months. This was rather timely, seeing as how my cell phone battery had a life of about 5 minutes. Last week was the first chance I had to get my phone. I had decided I wanted to get a Palm Centro. I had a Palm Pilot which was years old and I was ready to streamline so that I don't have to carry 2 different devices with me all the time. My main purpose for my Palm has always been more about calendar & contacts & being able to sync with Outlook.

When I called Horizon to order my new phone, they said that I was required to get a data plan added to my cell phone service if I got the Centro. I asked if this data plan was a requirement for being able to sync with Outlook or operate the calendar function. I was told no, but that it would be required for browsing the web and checking email. I said I had no interest in browsing the web or checking email from my phone. I was told that it did not matter; I was required to have the data plan. I told the customer service rep that I would have to reconsider. After I hung up, I went down to my local Horizon store, where a sales rep hooked me up with a new Palm Centro with no data plan. I left the store happy with my new phone and irked that the phone rep had tried to force me to be able to browse the web and check email.

Of course, then I began to think, "Maybe I do need that capability."

You know, we are sold on the concept of being able to access anything from anywhere. We consider ourselve as "out of touch" when we turn off the cell phone, but we excuse checking email or checking out our fantasy football team. Yesterday, a young lady sang in church "Be Still and Know". When I went back and looked at the scriptural context of those words, I realized that the whole command to "be still" is tied to the continuing presence of God with us. I do not need to go searching for contact; God is already in constant contact. I need only be still from my searching and discover His presence already with me.

I think I need to be reminded from time to time that "being still" means getting away from searching and checking and calling and browsing. "Being still" means being open to the communication of the indwelling Holy Spirit that is always searching the deepest part of my heart and crying out with words I do not even know how to speak. In a world that sometimes wants to force us into being in constant contact, I need to be reminded to be still.

Technology Meets Scripture - Episode 1

2008-07-22T10:49:00.002-04:00

"Universal: Fair use is still infringing" on arstechnica.com
(Notice the statement: "... no one knows if the use is fair until a judge actually rules")

"The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, 'What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?' Moses said to his father-in-law, 'Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God.' Moses father-in-law said to him, 'What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone." Exodus 18:13-18

So a mom sees her child dancing a silly dance to an old Prince song she was listening to. She videotapes it (many parents would) and puts the video up on YouTube so others can laugh about it. Next thing you know, some huge studio mails her a legal warning that if she doesn't take the video down, she could face stiff penalties. Why? Because the studio didn't give her permission to use the song in the video.

First off, I think Universal is kind of missing the point. I think most people who were watching the video were watching the child dancing, not to hear the Prince song. It is not as if the mom edited the song into the movie. It was playing in the background. Can we loosen up just a little?

Now, I understand that the mom put this up on the Internet where everybody could look at it, which gets to all that fine print before sporting events and in your CD case about not rebroadcasting or retransmitting without express written consent from Major League Baseball (or whoever). From what I understand, when one purchases a CD, one has the ability to make "fair use" of the music without repercussions. So, for instance, you can make a copy of that CD for yourself in case the original is damaged. What jumped out to me as I read the story about this mom and Universal was the comment by the story's author that no one knows if the use is fair until a judge rules.

As soon as I read this, I thought of Moses sitting there, everyday, while the people of Israel brought to him their disputes for him to settle. Jethro comes along and says, "What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you." I wonder if Jethro would have the same observation today about a legal system that is being asked to determine whether or not it is fair use for a mom to post on the Internet a home video of her child dancing to a Prince song. Is this really what our judges should be concerned with?

Jethro's solution to Moses was that Moses should appoint other judges to help him with the smaller issues and bring to Moses only the really important cases. As our technology changes, maybe it is time for our legal system to begin to change as well. If these kind of issues are going to have to be settled by legal means, then there should be an established system for separating out the small stuff (moms shooting home movies) from the bigger issues (people selling pirated copies of movies and software for profit). That way, you take the big, scary stick out of the studio's hands where it is not needed, and you better educate the public on policy.

Or maybe we should all learn to chill out, use some common sense, and just be able to laugh at a child's silly dance.

What I Am Up To

2008-07-14T09:05:00.002-04:00

I thought I would just share for a few minutes some odds & ends of what I am involved in right now. Perhaps other folks might be interested in some of this.

1) I am reading an awesome book right now, John Swinton's Raging With Compassion: Pastoral Responses to the Problem of Evil. One of Swinton's arguments is that Christians have gotten too caught up in the wrong questions when it comes to responding to evil. We often try to come up with defenses of a loving, caring God. Unfortunately, most of these defenses create their own problems without dealing with the actual suffering that evil can cause. This is a very readable book so far, no real deep unfamiliar theological terms. To check out more on Swinton, click here.

2) I have been invited to be a part of a panel discussing collegiate ministry and churches on Saturday, August 9 at First Baptist Church of Greensboro. This is part of a larger conference being provided by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of NC. The conference is 10-2:30. I have attended this conference in the past and found it to be a worthwhile opportunity to interact with other people who have a passion for ministering with college students. For more info, you can go here.

3) The next meeting of the Religious Community for Public Transportation is this Thursday at 7 PM at First Baptist Church of Elon. This is a group of religious leaders who are coming together to discuss the need for an expansive public transportation system in Alamance County and how churches can be a motivational force in this movement. I would encourage any pastors in Alamance County to come out Thursday night for this meeting.

4) Not only am I on Twitter (twitter.com/mmofield) and Facebook, but I am also using FriendFeed now (friendfeed.com/markmofield). There has been a lot of discussion online about FriendFeed replacing Twitter because of a slew of technical problems Twitter was experiencing. I for one am not sure this will happen. For one thing, Twitter has been much more stable in recent weeks (maybe feeling the pressure from FriendFeed?). Second, I think they serve 2 different purposes. The brevity of Twitter is perfect for sharing quick thoughts and updates, while FriendFeed is a much better option for more involved interaction with ideas. I invite you to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Friendfeed. I am not posting directly to Friendfeed much yet because no one is following me there. However, as I add users, I will begin putting more there.

5) Finally, on a technical note, I downloaded Firefox 3 a couple of weeks ago. Can I just say that I absolutely love it! If you are not using it yet, it is definitely worth downloading if for no other reason than some of the addons are great. I especially recommend Yoono, an addon that compiles and updates Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, and all kinds of other social services.

Talk to you later!

Ideas

2008-06-30T13:41:00.003-04:00

"I recognize a dynamic at work in some of them that the blogger is so intent on establishing herself or himself as a person of significance and all his or her ideas are so important that the communication comes off as nearly yelling. There is quite a bit of emotional exhibitionism going across the Ethernet."
- Bill Tillman, quoted in a story on abpnews.com

I looked at my blog today and it has been 21 days, exactly 3 weeks since my last blog. I don't like for that much time to lapse between blog posts. I feel like, if this is something I am going to do, I need to be committed to doing it on a regular basis.

So why has it been 3 weeks? Well, 1 week I can explain away in that my work computer was not connected to the Internet last week while it was being used for Vacation Bible School.

But I still have a computer at home. And that doesn't explain the other two weeks. OK, for 5 days I was on vacation, but still, what about the other 21/2 weeks?

I came across this quote today from Bill Tillman and it got me thinking about why I do this blogging thing. It started as part of my sabbatical as a way for me to share some of my sabbatical experiences with others while I was away. But the sabbatical ended months ago, and I kept doing this. Why?

I would like to believe that I do this because I do believe I have important ideas. Tillman's quote makes it sound like this is a bad thing. Now, if it leads to crass behavior and unChrist-like attitudes, I wholeheartedly agree with Tillman. However, I do think there are plenty of individuals who have very important ideas. If the Internet is accomplishing anything significant, perhaps it is that people can share important ideas that might get overlooked by traditional outlets that are looking only for the big names, the "proper" credentials, or the celebrity status. You do not have to be Bill Gates, Bono, or a presidential candidate to have an important idea.

However, if I am going to argue with Mr. Tillman in one area, I have to be convicted by his words in another. There should be blogs for the sharing of important ideas. (Maybe that was why there were no blog entries for 3 weeks). However, I must admit that there are moments where I feel like I should blog so that others will think I am someone important. Here is where John the Baptist becomes a helpful model for blogging: "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30). My worth or value is not tied to blogging. If the Internet indeed allows for the free sharing of ideas, then it is the ideas that should be the focus. My goal as a blogger should be to state my ideas clearly so that the ideas can be understood, not so I will receive attention for myself.

Faith Community for Public Transportation

2008-06-09T16:23:00.002-04:00

I have attended several meetings recently of a group that has come to call itself Faith Community for Public Transportation. This is a growing group of ministry leaders in Alamance County who are looking for ways to work together to bring affordable public transportation to Alamance County. In the coming months I will probably devote several blog entries to this topic, starting with this one. I thought I might share some of the reasons why this group believes that affordable public transportation is necessary in Alamance County.

1) Socio-economic justice.
17% of Alamance County is living at or below the poverty line, and that number could be low. Many of these folks do not have ready access to a car, a luxury many of us take for granted. Because of this, it is difficult for them to get to job interviews and to work daily. The Alamance Rides program costs $8 one way, which means $16 round trip. For folks who are living on the edge financially, that is too steep a price to pay. A good public transportation system could provide easier access to jobs for those who need those jobs the most.

2) Faithful care of the elderly.
Most of the elderly in our community live on fixed income. However, most of their costs are not fixed. Between the rising costs of healthcare and medication and the rising costs of fuel and food, more and more senior adults are finding their finite resources pinched. A good public transportation system could provide a great aid to an ever-growing senior adult population.

3) Environmental issues.
Regular use of public transportation could decrease the number of cars on the road. Concerns about the ozone and global warming often cite an overabundance of cars as one of the primary factors.

4) Dependence on Oil.
In this day and age of fast rising gas prices, we are reminded of how dependent we have gotten on other countries for our oil. Perhaps a well-run public transportation could reduce our demand for foreign oil, and thus help reduce our obligations to outside interests.

5) The Middle Class.
All of these issues are becoming concerns not only for a few or a select group. More and more of the "middle class" are being pinched by and growing concerned about all of these issues and are looking for alternatives. A good public transportation system could be just such an alternative.

6) The Effect on Local Ministries.
Churches and other local ministries are affected by rising gas prices and limited access to transportation. How can a family needing food get to the local food pantry without a car? Some of these types of ministries offer delivery options, but even those options could be cut back or done away with because of rising fuel costs. Several churches are already discussing cutting back on ministry programs because of a concern that their members will have to reduce their activities to compensate for rising fuel costs. An affordable public transportation system could be a tool to allow many ministries to continue to meet the needs of people in our county.

I just wanted to introduce some of these concepts. Look for future posts that explore these ideas in further detail.

Get It To The Table

2008-06-02T08:42:00.003-04:00

Last night Amy and I watched a designer cake competition on the Food Network. We have watched these things before, but honestly I had never paid close attention until last night. Last night, the competitors were making cakes based on Disney Pixar movies.

What stuck out to me last night was one of the most important parts of the competition, something so simple that I really took it for granted: carrying the cake from the kitchen to the table. Remember, these cakes are several feet tall and several feet wide and held together with far less than super glue and caulk. I never would have thought that carrying a cake to a table was a big deal. However, when I saw one man's cake that he had been working 7 hours on fall apart as soon as he moved it to the table, I realized how important this final step was. You can work all day in the kitchen baking a cake, but if you can't move it out of the kitchen and to the table where everybody can enjoy it, you have wasted a day.

Ever since the show ended, I can't stop thinking about that cake. I keep thinking about my ministry, about the ministry of my church and of every church. Eddie Hammett constantly chides the local church for being too inward focused, forgetting that the Great Commission is a call to go out into the world. Last night, I realized the church is a lot like one of those designer cakes. You can spend hours, days, weeks, years getting it decorated and looking nice, but if you can't carry the church and its message to the table for everybody to enjoy, you have wasted a lot of time and energy.

There have been a lot of ideas kicking around in my head lately. I think last night God may have given me a focal point to help pull these ideas together: Get It To the Table. I want to see First Baptist's ministry and my ministry grow and develop, but I want to make sure that all of us are as focused on getting that ministry to where all can benefit from it as we are on building the ministry. It would be a shame to expend a lot of time and energy and watch it all fall apart.

Water

2008-05-29T10:24:00.003-04:00

This morning I went on a hike with a friend on one of the trails at a local park. The trail took me near a little river that was rolling over some rocks. We just stopped at that spot for about 10 minutes to enjoy the beauty of the scene.

I have come to the conclusion that I love water. I love to sit on the rocks by a river and dangle my feet in the cool water. I love to sit on the beach and listen to the waves roll in. I love to watch the rain fall outside my window. So often for me, I find myself encountering God in these moments.

As I stood by the this little river this morning, with the sound of the water rolling over the rocks, I couldn't help but think of the words of the prophet, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream." As I thought of those words, I contemplated on the peace that I felt there by that flowing river. I think that is part of the prophetic message: when God's justice and righteousness flow in a current that cannot be stopped, the result is a sense of peace for those who gather in His midst. How desperately we need that peace as a world.

Indeed, let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream.

New Post at CBF Blog

2008-05-28T14:24:00.002-04:00

Just put a new post up at the CBF blog. Click on the title of this post to check it out.

WHAM! - the sound of my head hitting the wall

2008-05-27T10:34:00.003-04:00

There was a time when I watched "American Idol" just about every week. I have lost a lot of interest over the years, but Amy still watched a little bit. We watched the last 30 minutes of the finale to find out who won more for information sake than anything else - I didn't really particularly care for either David. Anyway, we are sitting there and out walks George Michael to sing a song entitled "Praying for Time". You remember George Michael, former member of Wham!, huge pop star who then found himself in a disgraceful sex scandal. Anyway, I listen to him sing this song as Paula Abdul sways and cries to his little ballad. By the time he was done, I was crying too - becaues I had just lost 4 minutes of my life to listening to this song. My critique is not at the quality of his singing, but the song itself. The song either is nonsense or hypocritical, depending on which verse you are looking at. If you missed it, allow me to share the lyrics (acquired off of Yahoo!) with some of my own commentary (in italics) alongside:

Oh yeah OK

These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last
The open hand? Whose open hand? Is this a reference to the poor in the world? I can go with you there, but the line "They will not be the last"? They aren't the first either. Jesus himself, 2000 years ago, said, "You will always have the poor with you."
Look around now, these are the days
Of the beggars and the choosers
Who are the choosers? Is this a reference to the rich and hoarding (referenced later)? Odd place to drop this reference with where the song is getting ready to go next.
This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance
And legitimate excuses
This may be the only section of this song that, I think, makes sense and makes a good point. Only one question, Why is this year the year of the hungry man, as opposed to say, the year George Michael sang on "Feed the World" or the year George Michael sang on "We Are the World"?
At this point, I am thinking, OK, 21st century protest song. Not my cup of tea, but alright. George is trying to get people motivated to make a difference in our world.
The rich declare themselves poor
Can somebody help me out here? Who are these rich people declaring themselves poor? If that is the case, Forbes list of the wealthiest people in the world could be misinformed.
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much but we'll take our chances
'Cause God stopped keeping score
Huh? What is it that God stopped keeping score of?
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back on all God's children
Crept out the back door
Hold the phone! So now the fact that the some unknown rich are declaring themselves poor is evidence that God has abandoned creation? Poverty and hunger is God's fault? Never mind Jesus' command to the rich man to give all that he had to the poor, never mind Jesus' challenge that at the final judgment, believers will stand before God and he will ask what they did to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and welcome the stranger. (Please don't miss the sarcastic tone in this next sentence) Yeah, that really sounds like God just turning back on needy people in the world.
And its hard to love, there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say its much too much too late
Nope, not a protest song. We are in complete universal self-pity. Nothing good in life, no hope of anything changing, too late to do anything.
Well maybe we should all be praying for time, oh yeah
Umm, didn't you just say a few seconds ago that God had left? Exactly then what is the point of praying if God is not around to listen? A tad hypocritical, it seems.
These are the days of the empty hand (There's that anonymous empty hand again)
Oh you hold on to what you can (I thought the hand was empty?)
And charity is a coat
You wear twice a year (Christmas and ...?)
This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there
Is over here
??????? I can't even understand it, let alone critique it.
So you scream from behind your door (Wow, you could really hear me screaming? I thought sound only came out of the TV)
Say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much but I'll take my chances
Cause God's stopped keeping score
OK, think I see here that the "empty hand" this second time around is maybe referring to people not offering help to the needy - their hands are empty. OK, so this is supposed to change things how? I mean, if God's not keeping score, then why should anybody help anybody? I never knew how to put a defeatist attitude to music. It's like Eeyore went pop.
And you cling to the things they sold you (Who sold me what?)
Didn't you cover your eyes when they told you?
That he can't come back
Cause he has no children to come back for
What? OK, make up your mind! Did God choose to leave or was God forced to leave? Why aren't we his children anymore? We were a little earlier in the song.
It's hard to love, there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time, oh yeah
Ok, now the whole "praying for time" line really doesn't make sense. Not only have you just said God left, but that God can't come back and do anything about it anyway. So what exactly is the point of praying?

I obviously have some serious theological issues with George Michael here. Beyond even the flawed view of God that I think this song is based upon, I still find it hard to address those issues because the song just doesn't make logical enough sense to even form an argument against. I am sure that someone, somewhere, will proclaim that this song makes some kind of beautiful and/or powerful statement. To me, it is nonsensical nihilism. Give me somebody like Bono anyday - someone who has proclaims the difficulties of the world and challenges, even dares, folks to step up and make a difference.

Playing Amateurs

2008-05-20T08:45:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I was listening to an interview with Karen Armstrong, the author of A History of God. In the interview, she mentioned that the word "amateur" comes from a Latin word meaning "one who loves".

This got me thinking about sports. I know, kind of an odd jump from theology to sports. Amazing how God wires our brain together.

Recent stories regarding former USC basketball star and future NBA lottery pick O.J. Mayo have raised questions regarding his "amateur" status and, therefore, his eligibility to have played for the Trojans this past season. What I find almost laughable is that there would even be questions about his "amateur" status in the first place. People have been talking about O.J. Mayo's basketball skills since junior high school. I think I am safe in saying the only reason we can talk about O.J. Mayo as a "former USC basketball star" is because the NBA forced athletes to wait 1 year after their high school graduation to enter the draft. In short, it was a foregone conclusion years ago that O.J. Mayo was going to be a professional basketball player. That was his plan and his purpose. So when exactly was it that Mayo was playing simply "for the love of the game"? His eyes have been on an NBA paycheck for awhile.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Mayo is wrong for this. If he has the kind of talent and skill that would allow him to enter the NBA and that is what he wants to do for a living, then I fully support his ability to do that. My point is that I think that elite athletes stop playing simply "for the love of the game" well before they sign a professional contract. Is it therefore appropriate to call them "amateurs"? For the NCAA to be involved in this discussion is ludicrous. College athletics is "amateur" only in the sense that the athletes aren't paid. However, the institutions receive millions of dollars every year from the efforts of these athletes. Add to that the level of exposure college athletes receive and the celebrity status that they can enjoy, and it gets hard to tell where college ends and professional begins.

I know that I am speaking generally here, that there are more anonymous athletes than there are stars, that there are plenty of men and women playing sports that will never get coverage and never sign professional athletic contracts. These are true amateurs, people who are playing their sport because they love to play. Yet what I find amazing is that there are hundreds of NCAA regulations about what scholar athletes can and can't do, and I would argue none of those regulations are about these true amateurs. They are there, instead, to regulate the handful of athletes who are looking to play not only for love of the game, but for the gaining of personal wealth as well. Why are true amateurs forced to follow rules probably not written with them in mind, and why are we trying to force a label of amateur onto a handful of athletes who don't want it in the first place?

I am all for encouraging young men and women to get a good education. I think that professional sports, especially the NBA, has been weakened by the years of bringing in players who had professional talent but not yet professional physical or emotional maturity. However, I also think that the ideal of amateur athletics left harbor a long time ago, maybe when recruiting rankings for high school freshmen started coming out. If there is such concern for the integrity of amateur athletics, then perhaps it is time to stop trying to force athletes who have no interest in being amateurs to "play" amateurs.

Interesting Op-Ed

2008-05-12T12:01:00.001-04:00

In light of my sermon series "Sitting in the Kitchen", I thought this was an interesting Op-Ed piece in USA Today. Thanks to Erick for sending me the link!

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/05/the-resilient-r.html

Aid to Myanmar

2008-05-12T10:48:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday, CBF sent out an email with an update on their response to the crisis in Myanmar. CBF is going to concentrate their efforts on recovery rather than rescue. They are partnering with several other organizations, including the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and Baptist World Alliance, to respond. Rick Burnette of CBF had already planned a trip to Myanmar and will be going on May 15. He will be connecting with representatives of the Myanmar Baptist Convention to assess the situation. Along with our prayers, other possible opportunities for assistance are:

1) Donation of funds. You can go to www.thefellowship.info and click on the donation button in the middle of the page.

2) Volunteer. If volunteers are requested, those interested in serving can contact Nichole Bulls at nichole.bulls@vbmb.org or 800.255.2428, ext. 7242.

The Pastor

2008-05-05T09:44:00.002-04:00

I have watched with interest the storm of controversy regarding Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama. To me, it is an interesting story not only because of the political issues but also as an examination of the relationship between pastor and congregation.

As a pastor, I am called to read and interpret the Scriptures each week from the pulpit. This is a huge responsibility that cannot and should not be entered into lightly. The purpose of the preaching ministry is the proclamation of the gospel, the equipping of the body of Christ, and to speak a prophetic word of repentance. I have a responsibility to God to make sure that each message is true to His word and will. However, is the sermon only an act of the preacher?

Just about anyone who preaches on a regular basis has had the experience of someone in the congregation discussing their sermon and finding a meaning that was nowhere in the stated message of the sermon. Sometimes this can frustrate a pastor, making them feel like no one is listening. Perhaps, instead, such experiences are reminders that the sermon is not just the proclaimed word, but the heard word as well. A sermon is not just an action of the preacher; it is an action of the congregation as well.

Scripture says that each Christian, minster or layperson, is a member of the "priesthood of the believers." As such, it is the calling of each Christian to study and interpret the Scriptures under the guidance of God's Holy Spirit. I believe that, with this in mind, the sermon should be an opportunity for the congregation to enter into Scripture and read and interpret God's word. The sermon should get people thinking about what the Bible has to say to us today and inspire them to continue to study God's word in the days that follows to find continued meaning for their lives. I think too often the sermon is seen as "the last word" on a topic. Perhaps, instead, it should be the first.

I disagree with a good amount of the things that I have heard Rev. Wright say. However, in hearing them, I have been forced to think about why I disagree with them. There are some who argue that Obama should have left this church when he heard Rev. Wright proclaim such words. Why has no one said that perhaps he should have gone to Rev. Wright and shared with him his disagreements and why he disagreed? It occurs to me that this is the more Biblical model for dealing with disagreement (Matthew 18:15-16). I think we sometimes take a very childlike approach to church: if somebody says something that upsets me or that I disagree with, my first response is to just pick up all my toys and go home. I remember reading a very interesting article in Christianity Today several years ago where the author encouraged people who were in a church that they disagreed with some of the things that were taught to stay in the church rather than just pick up and leave. The author's point was that, by staying, you would probably grow more in your faith because you would be more likely to search and study the Scripture in a church where not everything that was said was what you thought.

I do think that each person should find a church where they feel best able to grow and serve. Certainly that will require you to find a church where you feel you are able to stand in unity with the congregation. However, unity will never be uniformity - God has created us to be unique individuals. If we leave a church everytime the preacher says something we disagree with, we could be looking for a new church every month (or every week for that matter!). Perhaps there is an opportunity here for the church to think about and discuss anew the purpose of the preaching ministry.

Sitting in the Kitchen - Faith vs. Reason

2008-04-29T09:35:00.003-04:00

Well, this is the final installment of the "Sitting in the Kitchen" sermon series. This has been an amazing experience just preparing these messages. Honestly, it has also been a mentally draining experience as well. I am kind of glad that I don't have to write a sermon for this Sunday - give my brain a chance to rest. I am starting to get excited about the next series of sermons that will be coming this summer focusing in on the fruits of the Spirit. More details coming later.
Anyway, here is the outline of some of the key points from this past Sunday's sermon on the conflict between faith and science and reason. You can listen to the whole sermon online at www.fbc-elon.org/podcast.

1. The debate of "How can you believe that ...?" Faith asks how you can believe in evolution and Big Bang; reason asks how you can believe in intelligent design and creation. Faith asks how you can believe in theories; reason asks how you can believe in miracles.

2. Matthew 22:37 - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."

3. We are called not just to love God in our mind, but with our mind. Our mind is to be actively engaged in our devotion to God.

4. We engage the mind in devotion to God by searching to understand - Proverbs 30:1-2, 24-28. Wisdom is gained by observing even the tiniest creatures and learning from their behavior. Isn't that what science and education are all about, observing life and understanding what we observe?

5. There is a limit to what we can understand - Job 42:3, 1 Corinthians 13 ("now we see through the mirror dimly"), Isaiah 55:8-9 - the presence of mystery.

6. Hebrews 11:1 - faith is born when we encounter the things that we cannot fully explain or prove but know to be true.

7. Reason is not the enemy of faith, but can be a tool for enhancing and building faith. Reason cannot replace faith because faith is what guides me through the things I cannot understand or explain.

Sitting in the Kitchen: Homosexuality

2008-04-20T15:01:00.002-04:00

This week's topic is an especially sensitive topic for a lot of different reasons. I would echo again that my approach has been to deal with all of these issues from a biblical perspective and that I am not trying to convince everyone to agree with me. Instead, I am trying to generate a biblically-based conversation on these issues. If you would like to listen to this sermon, you can go to www.fbc-elon.org/podcast. It will be available online by Monday afternoon. Anyway, here is an outline of some of the points of my sermon.

Romans 1:18-2:3
I understand Scripture to teach that homosexual behavior is a sin. Romans 1:18-2:3; 1 Timothy 1:10-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Jude 7
Romans 1 identifies homosexual behavior as sin because it is an act of living by one's passion and lust rather than the revealed will of God.
Jesus' silence on the issue of homosexuality can be interpreted as acceptance of already biblically established standard of homosexual behavior as sin. Leviticus 18:19-30; Leviticus 20:13
Romans 1 identifies plenty of other sins that are a result of living by one's passion and lust: envy, murder, disobedience of parents, gossip, etc. While it is biblical to say homosexual behavior is a sin, it must also be considered that it is not "the great sin" or the only sin.
John 8
Is it judgmental to say that homosexual behavior is a sin?
Jesus' response to the woman caught in adultery: he states clearly that she has sinned, he acts in a way to open the door for repentance and new life, he speaks from a position of humbleness.
We should not respond to homosexual behavior as if the homosexual is the only sinner. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." We must deal with the sin in our own life before addressing the sin in someone else's life.
We should not destroy the sinner with the sin. We should minister to any sinner, including ourselves, in a way that holds open the door of repentance and new life.
"Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saves a wretch like me." Why does the church often feel it must choose between a message of God's grace or a message of the reality of sin. We need to reunite these two messages.

Featured Blogger for CBF

2008-04-15T09:34:00.003-04:00

I have been invited to be a "featured blogger" on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's blog, "The Fellowship Portal". I will be submitting at least 2 posts a month along with several other bloggers from around the country. Check it out at www.thefellowship.info/blog.

Sitting in the Kitchen - Separation of Church & State

2008-04-12T23:43:00.002-04:00

Week 2 of the "Sitting in the Kitchen" series deals with the issue of separation of church & state. If you would like to listen last week's sermon, go to www.fbc-elon.org/podcast. After listening, I invite you to post a comment on the topic of illegal immigration in my last blog post.

This week's sermon will be online by Tuesday. In the meantime, here is an outline of some of the key points from this week's sermon.

1. People can be uncomfortable talking about religion or politics; they can be very uncomfortable talking about the intersection of religion and politics.

2. Senator Chuck Grassley's probe into "prosperity gospel" ministers. For more on this story, go to http://news.muckety.com/2008/04/01/grassley-in-showdown-with-tv-ministers/1702.

3. Separation of church and state was originally, in America at least, not an issue of government or law but an issue of faith - Roger Williams' "wall of separation between the Garden of the church and the wilderness of the world."

4. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

5. 4 Biblical Pillars of Separation of Church & State

Our primary citizenship is in the kingdom of God - Philippians 3:18-4:1
As citizens of God's kingdom, it is Christ that makes us free - John 8:34-36; Romans 8:1-5
Our freedom in Christ does not isolate us from society - Galatians 5:13-14; 1 Peter 2:16
The government is unable to legislate matters of faith - Acts 4:19-20; Acts 5:29; 1 Peter 4:15-16

Sitting in the Kitchen: Illegal Immigration

2008-04-06T01:44:00.002-04:00

Each week during the "Sitting in the Kitchen" sermon series, I will be posting on my blog some of the key points from my sermon as well as various Scripture passages related to that week's topic. I invite comments and discussion regarding these ideas and the sermon. You can listen to the entire sermon at www.fbc-elon.org/podcast.

Now, on to this week's sermon introducing the concept of the series and discussing the issue of illegal immigration.

Introduction

1. Scripture is still a relevant and powerful tool for understanding and addressing modern day issues. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Illegal Immigration

2. The issue of immigration, even illegal immigration (from a worldly perspective, at least) is an issue which Scripture is very familiar with. Genesis 12; Numbers 21:21-25.

3. The issue of illegal immigration spawns questions regarding border security, immigration laws, economic forces, educational systems, medical care, and welfare. It is difficult in a sermon to deal with all of these questions, but perhaps a "broad brush" approach to the issue can provide some helpful thoughts.

4. Christians are called to obey the laws of the land; and governments have a God-given responsibility to be a servant for their citizens' good and punish wrongdoers. 1 Peter 2:13-17; Romans 13:3-4.

4. The issue of illegal immigration is fundamentally about people, many of whom are seeking to escape very difficult circumstances and find a better life. Christians have an obligation to not mistreat the alien and to serve their needs, not turn their back on them. Exodus 22:21-23; Matthew 25:31-46.

5. Micah 6:8 - "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" In seeking to pull together the first two ideas, we should begin with the third.

To walk humbly with our God is to seek His justice, which does not distinguish by prejudice like our justice can do. Galatians 3:28.

To walk humbly with our God is to realize that we are not only givers of mercy but needy recipients as well.

To walk humbly with our God is to see beyond the illegal immigrants living in our country and see the need and desperation that drove them to come here and say, "Here am I, Lord, send me." Isaiah 6:6-8.

To walk humbly with our God is to recognize that we were once aliens to God's kingdom, and only through Christ's grace and sacrificial love have we been made citizens of His kingdom. Ephesians 2:17-22.

Grifton

2008-03-31T10:25:00.002-04:00

I returned Saturday from a mission trip to Grifton, NC. I went with the Baptist Student Union on their Spring Break Mission Trip. It was a really great week for a very unexpected reason. In talking about the trip, we had been expecting to be working in the community. This is an area where there is a great amount of poverty, and large numbers of families are living in substandard housing. The Grifton Missions Ministry, which started as disaster relief following Hurricane Floyd, seeks to help people improve their living conditions at low and no cost. However, our team was asked to work on site at the ministry center. We were charged with building a covered shelter that could be used for outdoor eating and group meetings. The director of the ministry shared with me that there were going to be several large groups coming to Grifton during the summer. As they are currently organized, there is not enough space for them to provide to groups to meet in. Our work would hopefully provide some more space for them. I think some of us were a little disappointed that we would not be getting out into the community. However, as we worked on Wednesday, I thought about the passage in 1 Timothy 5:

"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,' and, 'The laborer deserves to be paid.'"

I have always heard this verse quoted in regards to salaries for ministers. However, I came to realize that this passage really spoke to me and our group. The GMM pours almost all of its resources into meeting the needs of the community. We had a chance, with our work, to honor those who would not honor themselves. We were serving the servants. We talked about this as a group, and I think we came to realize that what we were doing was just as valuable a ministry as what other groups were doing out in the community. On the last day we were there, Billy, the director, challenged us to think about the work that was accomplished that week not so much as our work but as God's work through us. I really am glad that I had the opportunity to be used by God in such a meaningful way.

Final Four Picks

2008-03-19T15:45:00.002-04:00

Well, I have put together my bracket. My Final Four:

1. Tennessee. Before anybody accuses me of just not liking UNC, let me state my case. I have UNC losing to Tennessee in the Elite Eight for 2 very good reasons: Chris Lofton and inside depth. UNC's biggest chink in the armor has been an inability many times to defend the perimeter. Christ Lofton is the kind of player who can make you pay for that mistake. In recent games, teams have figured out how to defend the UNC interior without fouling a lot. Tennessee has the athletes and depth inside to cause Hansbrough to work real hard. It will be a real good game, but I think Tennessee hurts UNC in enough places to squeak by.

2. Kansas. Too much talent, plain and simple. I think this could be a cake walk.

3. Texas. If March is truly about guard play, then Texas is in great shape. I don't see them having a real struggle until a possible meeting with Memphis in the Elite Eight. Memphis' horrible free throw shooting finally will catch up to them.

4. Duke. OK, I'm a fan boy, I'll admit. However, I think this team might have one more run in them. They will play some tight games, and UCLA is the big monster on the block. However, I think Kevin Love, while extremely talented, is not quite the same kind of interior threat that somebody like Hansbrough. I think Singler handles Love straight up, and Duke guards well enough to pull out the upset.

Championship Game: Kansas vs. Duke. Duke & Texas would be an incredible matchup. I pick Duke just because I want to. However, to go back to an earlier statement, Kansas is just too talented. Kansas cuts down the nets.

The madness begins tomorrow. I can't wait!

Theological Struggle

2008-03-17T08:55:00.002-04:00

I am having a little bit of a theological struggle. I was reading this morning in the book of Numbers, Numbers 31:17 to be exact. To set the context, Moses and the children of Israel are at camped by the Jordan River. God commands Moses to send the Israelites into battle against Midian because Midian had sought to curse and defeat Israel on their journey to the promised land. The Midianite women had also sought to seduce the men of Israel, and in doing so to sway them from worshipping God to worshipping false gods. Israel's army goes and completely destroys the Midianites, and the army carries the women and children of Midian back to the Israelite camp as captives. We now reach my struggle.

Moses said to them, "Have you allowed all the women to live? These women here, on Balaam's advice, made the Israelites act treacherously against the LORD in the affair of Peor, so that the plague came among the congregation of the LORD. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by sleeping with him." - Numbers 31:15-17

So, here is my struggle. From a strategic standpoint, I guess I can understand why Moses gives the order - prevent boys from growing into men who will seek revenge, the women had not just been innocent bystanders but part of the plot against the Israelites. However, I guess I still find my stomach churned by this order, especially in regards to the children. I find it interesting that this is not one of those situations where "the LORD commanded Moses to say". God is actually silent in this portion of the story. What are we to make of God's silence? God has not shown reluctance to contradict or reprimand Moses for orders in the past. As I read the story, I keep waiting for God to cry out here, kind of like in the story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac. Instead, nothing.

I welcome any comments or thoughts. In the meantime, I guess I will continue to struggle and pray on this one.

Baptist Student Union - cool!

2008-03-11T11:16:00.002-04:00

I spent last night in the home of Anne Smith talking to one of the women's missionary organizations at First Baptist Burlington about the ministry of the Elon University Baptist Student Union. I really appreciated their time and interest. BSU is a ministry that I am very glad that I have a chance to be associated with. It was a huge part of my college experience and probably the primary reason why I remained true to God's call to enter the ministry. BSU is a great place for students to continue to nurture and grow their faith among a community of fellow students who will show them great love and acceptance. I am really excited about the opportunity to go with the BSU on their Spring Break mission trip in a couple of weeks. We will be going to Grifton, NC to help improve housing for families who live in poverty. If you are a student or a parent, make sure you check out the Baptist Student Union when you arrive on campus for the first time.

It's Been a While ...

2008-03-06T09:34:00.003-05:00

OK, a month is a loooooong time to go between posts. Sorry about that for anyone who is reading (is anyone reading?). Things have been a little busy, and I just haven't had much chance to sit down and blog the last few weeks. Will try to do better.

To make up, here are some random thoughts and experiences from the last few weeks.

1) This year, I have found myself following the race for the White House unlike any other time in the past. It is not because I have any particular rooting interest at this point - I still really have no clue as to who I am going to vote for - but just because the whole process is fascinating me. On the Republican side, you have John McCain, a guy who has never seemed to fit in as a stereotypical Republican. People wonder if he can move the far right of the party. He may not have to, in my opinion. If Hillary Clinton gets the nod on the Democratic side, I think her presence in the race would move the far right for McCain. I have always thought that the far right's support for Bush in 2000 was as much a reaction against the Clintons as it was support for Bush. On the Democratic side, there are a number of interesting issues developing. Could Obama and Clinton really share a ticket after some of the bitterness of recent weeks? Will Michigan and Florida suddenly become players again after first being told their delegates would not be seated at the convention? I have wondered if Obama was similar to McCain in the sense of not completely having the support of the Democratic "establishment". If the presidential race were to come down to these two, is there a lesson to be learned by their respective parties?

2) Duke-UNC Round 2 is Saturday. Yes, I know Ty Lawson is back. Yes, I know Tyler Hansbrough is the clear POY in the conference (can't say nation as confidently - have you seen Beasely play?). However, the game is in Cameron. If last night is any indication, the 3-pointers are starting to fall again. UNC still has problems defending the perimeter (Tyrese Rice 40+ points, Jason Rich almost 30 - and that is just the last 2 games). I think this game could be even better than the first game. I could see it coming down to one final shot, and I think Duke hits it. Gerald Henderson drive to the basket, just to really go out on a limb.

3) I have not been able to get a quote out of my head. William Wilberforce once wrote, "No one expects to attain to the heights of learning, or arts, or power, or wealth, or military glory without vigorous resolution, strenuous diligence, and steady perseverence. Yet we expect to be Christians without labor, study, or inquiry." Wow! He wrote that back around the turn of the 19th century. I can't help but think that his observation is still just as true today for Christianity in America as it was for Christianity in England. If you don't think so, maybe go check out the video at http://revealnow.com/story.asp?storyid=48. If there is one lesson I learned out of my sabbatical experience, it is that I cannot expect to grow in my faith if I am not willing to take responsibility to do so.

Just some random thoughts!

Duke vs. UNC - Part 1 of 3 (at least)

2008-02-07T11:27:00.000-05:00

Watched the big game last night, and yes, I was very pleased with the final score. To be totally honest, I did not expect Duke to win, even with Lawson out. UNC still seemed to have too much, especially inside. I had told someone that Duke's only chance was to hit from the outside, and boy did they! GO BLUE DEVILS!

Some other thoughts after last night's game:
1) Tyler Hansbrough is the player of the year in the ACC and the nation, no questions asked. NUMEROUS TIMES, he scored over top of 2 or 3 Duke defenders. When he wins, I as a Duke fan will still have to applaud what is turning out to be a terrific season.

2) Billy Packer kept commenting last night how different the game would have been if Wayne Ellington and Green had been scoring as they usually do. He mentioned several times that both players were having "off nights". Could it be that they were having "off nights" because Duke was playing some very good perimeter defense? How about a little love for the Duke D!

3) Based on what I have seen of Duke and what little I have seen of Memphis, how fun would a match up between these two teams be?

Part 2 in Cameron Indoor Stadium March 8. I can't wait!

Frozen in Time

2008-02-04T15:59:00.000-05:00

My question: if you knew at a certain time you were going to suddenly stop moving, would you work to make sure you froze doing a specific act, or would you simply "go through motion" and see what happened?

I think the reaction of the crowd says it best: it is kind of cool (they applaud) but I am not really sure what to make of it.

Connect the Dots

2008-02-04T10:23:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would share a couple of ideas that emerged out of my quiet time this morning. It was amazing to experience how my mind and spirit connected the dots and the picture that I ended up with. Maybe your picture will be the same or different. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!

"But you [Aaron] and your sons with you shall diligently perform your priestly duties in all that concerns the altar and the area behind the curtain. I give your priesthood as a gift ... You shall have no allotment in their land, nor shall you have any share among them; I am your share and your possession among the Israelites." - Numbers 18:7, 20

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." - 1 Peter 2:9-10

You are my supply
My breath of life
Still more awesome than I know.
You are my reward
Worth living for
Still more awesome than I know.

And all of you
Is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with your love
And all I have in you is more than enough

You're my sacrifice
Of greatest price
Still more awesome than I know.
You're my coming King
You're my everything
Still more awesome than I know.

And all of you
Is more than enough for
All of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with your love
And all I have in you is more than enough

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me.
More than all I know
More than all I can see
You are more than enough for me.
- Enough, by Jeremy Camp

A Truly Super Bowl

2008-02-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

Wow!! What a game last night! I still am in some shock this morning that the New York Giants actually won. I know Eli won the MVP, and he certainly had a good game and a great second half. However, the MVP of last night's game was the entire defense of the New York Giants, especially their D-line. They had put so much pressure on Brady in the last game of the season, I thought there was no way they would be able to repeat that performance. They didn't - I think they exceeded it. I think most people thought the Giants would have to win a shootout. To win by dominating the Patriots with defense was never in the discussion!

You look at what the Giants have done to close the season in beating what many considered the 3 best teams in the NFL - Dallas in Dallas, Green Bay in Green Bay in some of the most difficult playing conditions ever, and a dynasty team that was having one of the greatest seasons ever - and they certainly deserve the title of champions. As for the Patriots, I don't feel too bad for them. They should have just as strong of a team next year (assuming that Moss re-signs). I also wonder if the cloud of Spygate would have hung over this team if they had won and finished the season 19-0. Somebody said last night, "You don't remember who lost the Super Bowl". In the Patriots case, perhaps that is a good thing. If they were to come back and win next year, without a Spygate accusation, you still would have no argument with calling them one of the great, if not greatest, dynasties the NFL has seen.

Praying By the Hour

2008-01-29T09:08:00.001-05:00

I tried an exercise yesterday that really came to have a lot of meaning. In the history of the Christian church, there exists a tradition where the local parish would ring a bell every hour on the hour as a call to the Christians in the community to stop and pray. I decided to try this practice using the alarm on my Palm Pilot. I think all I need to say is this - I am doing it again today.

What blew me away was how God has used these opportunities. Again and again yesterday the alarm would go off when I was just getting ready to pray with an individual going through a difficult time or when I was facing a decision that needed to be made. I went to the Duke/Tennessee women's basketball game last night, and it was right as we were singing the national anthem, and I stopped to pray for our country. The prayers were not always long involved prayers - sometimes they were just a few moments to meditate on God's presence in my day.

I really found great meaning and great encouragement through this practice, and I hope to make it a regular part of my day.

A Little Snow & Ice

2008-01-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

It was nice to finally have a winter where we see at least a little white stuff hit the ground. The boys were so excited to see snow the last couple of days. They went out Saturday afternoon and threw snowballs at each other! Of course, this was far from what one would call a "significant snow event", but it was certainly more than anything we have seen the last couple of years. Stay warm!

The Sermon That Kept Preaching

2008-01-16T09:44:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday I preached in my sermon about leaving our sin and sinful nature under the nails of Christ's cross. I think sometimes as Christians we have a hard time feeling like we truly have "new life" in Christ, and I think a lot of that is because we still see ourselves as trapped by sin. We think Christ's death, for whatever reason, wasn't quite enough to set us free from sin. Colossians 2-3 is the apostle Paul's response to that kind of thinking.

It has been interesting how that message has preached. Since Sunday morning's service ended, I have had several conversations with people who have talked about how much they needed that message this past Sunday, that there were things that they realized they needed to put under the nails of the cross and leave there.

Sunday afternoon, I had a chance to preach at one of the local independent living homes. I was going to preach a different message, but ultimately decided to preach the sermon I had preached Sunday morning. Following the afternoon service, a lady came up to me and began to share an experience that had happened soon after she had moved into the independent living center a year earlier. As she listened to me, she realized that she was still carrying the hurt and anger from that experience. She realized that she was a new person in Christ, and it was time to leave the pain of that experience under his nails. I was so honored to be able to talk with her and share a few moments with her rejoicing in what God was doing in her life.

During the Sunday morning service, we had invited folks to write down one act or feeling that needed to be left under the nails of Christ, one thing that was keeping them from embracing the forgiveness and hope of new life in Christ. Then everyone brought their pieces of paper to the front and put them on nails, symbolizing their willingness to leave in the newness of life in Christ. After the service, there was an interesting logistical question: what to do with the pieces of paper. I had committed to the church that no one else would see or read them, including me.

I decided to take a Leviticus 16 approach. I took the pieces of paper off the cross along with the nails, leaving the nails going through the stack. I was very careful to make sure I did not see anything written on any of the pieces of paper. I put them in the bag and decided I would take them somewhere far away from our church and our community to leave them where they could not be brought back to us. The location, as it turned out, was beside a river that I discovered yesterday (not even in our county, I might add). When I found the right spot, I dug a hole in the ground, took the stacks of paper still under the nails out of the bag, and placed them in the ground and covered the hole. As I walked to the site, I was listening to the song "Leave It There" by the Gaither Vocal Band on my iPod. After I was finished digging, I took off the iPod earphones and spent time praying asking God to remove the stain and guilt of the acts and deeds on those pieces of paper from our church so that we could indeed have new abundant life. Suddenly, as I prayed, a wind blew across the waters of the river, and I was suddenly reminded of Genesis 1, when the Spirit of God moved across the face of the deep as a mighty wind. From that, God made a new creation. That image became my prayer: God, may your Spirit move across our lives and make in us a new creation.

I have been amazed this week at how God continues to preach to me and to others.

Discussion on "Blue Like Jazz"

2008-01-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

The Young Adult Sunday School Class at FBC Elon is trying a new approach to Christian education - blogging. We have started a blog at www.fbcelondiscussion.blogspot.com. At this site, David or I will post discussion questions and statements each Wednesday, and then people can comment and respond at the blog. Our hope is that we will generate some opportunity for Christian growth and discipleship within most people's hectic schedules. We are using Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz" as a discussion starter right now. Anybody is welcome to join in the discussion, and reading the book is not required (though I would highly recommend it - it has been an interesting read so far).

New Again

2008-01-08T16:57:00.000-05:00

Somebody just sent this link to me, and wow! I am preaching on the meaning of new life, and the song really hits home with that idea, and the visual enhances. Be warned: the video is from "The Passion of the Christ", so it may be difficult to watch for some.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NaSROohLzs

National Champions?

2008-01-08T14:33:00.000-05:00

Well, I watched the LSU destruction of Ohio State last night. A couple of thoughts crossed my mind:

1) College football season is over and 24 is not coming on the air until some undisclosed time in the future (thanks, Writers Guild of America). Hmm... sounds like a lot of reading and Food Network between college basketball games.

2) Would a playoff in college football really be that hard? It would have to be better than most of the games the BCS gave us - all blowouts pretty much decided by halftime, and only 1 of the games really mattered for much of anything.

3) Mike and Mike in the Morning were discussing comparisons that Ohio State is getting to the Buffalo Bills, saying that such comparisons were intended to slight OSU and that was unfair to Buffalo and OSU. I agree, but not for as positive a reason as they gave. I think OSU and the Big 10 have to look at the last 2 years and wonder what the future holds. Is it a bad thing to get to the national championship game and lose? No, but for 2 straight years OSU has been totally manhandled in the championship game. In both years, they were supposedly the better team (Vegas odds left out of the discussion). Take that and combine it with Michigan's blowout loss to USC in last year's Rose Bowl and Illinois' blowout loss to USC in this year's Rose Bowl, and I do think that there is a real problem the Big 10 is facing. Their elite teams seem to be a whole lot less elite than the other elite programs. People bash the ACC for the way it has fallen in football. Is the Big 10 really any different?

Does No Mean Yes?

2008-01-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

Attorney: Do you have a sexual attraction to post-pubescent adolescents?

Defendant: I refuse to answer that question on the grounds it may incriminate me.

I don't know what I find more frightening, the question or the answer, especially considering the defendant is a Dominican friar, A. J. Cody. Cody is facing charges of sexually molesting young boys at several different parishes in and outside of the United States.

The issue the question raises is disturbing enough. However, I think I am more bothered by the response that Cody gives. As I was listening to this exchange (part of NPR's latest weekly religion podcast that you can get at ITunes), I suddenly thought back to Jesus instructing his disciples, "Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'". Somehow, I don't think, "I refuse to answer that question on the grounds it may incriminate me" fits in real well with that teaching.

I think sometimes following this teaching of Jesus may mean having to stand up and answer the hard questions that make us uncomfortable or force us to admit to something we would not want anybody else to know. Even in a culture that presumes innocence, I hear Cody's response, and all I can think is, "The fact that he won't answer the question means he did it." Haven't we taken the same attitude with someone like Mark McGwire and his comments before Congress about steroids?

We talk about the need to confess our sins. Sometimes that is painful, embarassing, and humiliating. Sometimes it can cost us freedom and rights. Sometimes it can cost us fame and popularity. Maybe that is where the whole idea of "seek ye first the kingdom of God" takes on a whole different meaning.

I know I probably sound like I am assuming guilt where there has been no judgment of guilt yet. However, I feel like such a thought is left open when we as Christians can't just say "yes" or "no".

Football on my Mind

2008-01-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! The family and I enjoyed a nice couple of days up in Virginia visiting with family and friends over the New Year holiday. After a couple of days off, I am back at work. However, to be perfectly honest, football is on my mind.

Driving in to work today, I was listening to a sports radio talk show host announce that last night's Sugar Bowl proved that Hawaii had no business being in a BCS bowl. I think, more than anything, last night's game said little about Hawaii and more about how messed up Division 1-A (or whatever they are calling it now) college football's postseason is. If I may:

1) Hawaii finished the regular season 12-0, the only fooball program at this level that can say that. People want to take shots at their schedule because they play in the WAC. Hawaii played 3 bowl teams in their last 4 games of the season - Fresno State, Boise State, and Nevada. Their last game of the season was against Washington, a Pac-10 team. And before anybody yells that scheduling Washington is not necessarily a big deal, please be reminded that Hawaii was originally scheduled to open the season against Michigan, but Michigan backed out of the game to schedule instead ... Appalachian State. My point: Hawaii's schedule is probably the best schedule they could play. Added difficulty: they knew they had to win every game to play in the BCS. One loss, and it was the Hawaii bowl for them. Must be nice for the OSU and LSU of the world to know you can lose 1 ( or 2) and still play for it all.

2) Rather than proving that Hawaii didn't belong, I think last night's game proved what everyone has been saying for weeks: Georgia is playing some of the best football in the country right now. They have been playing lights out for the last month of the season, and one could tell from the emotion and power Georgia displayed last night that the layoff had not hurt them one bit.

3) Did anybody say last year that Ohio State didn't belong in the BCS, let alone the BCS title game because they got blitzed by Florida - a Florida team that, by the way, was a heavy underdog entering the game? No. I do not believe that the results of 1 game (after several weeks of not playing) necessarily defines the quality of a team for 1 season.

4) Was Georgia and Hawaii really the best matchup the BCS could come up with? Besides Georgia, the other team supposedly playing the best football in the country was USC - who, by the way, lit up Illinois yesterday (anybody saying Illinois didn't belong in the BCS? I am. Missouri had the better season by far and deserved far better than the Cotton Bowl). Why were USC and Georgia not playing one another? Can you imagine the attention that kind of matchup would have gotten? That might have overshadowed the national title game. I know the BCS main job is to choose the teams for the national title game, but it is also about money. How much money could have been made, how high a ratings could have been achieved, from a USC-Georgia matchup? And if Illinois had to be in the BCS, wouldn't a Hawaii-Illinois (or Hawaii-Missouri) game have been a better game than either of the two BCS bowls we got yesterday?

My point in all this: Hawaii deserved a chance to play with the big boys. Last night, Georgia proved to be the far superior team, a fact that probably suprises few. However, don't tell me that Hawaii didn't earn the chance to try to prove themselves.

Still Feeling My Way

2007-12-17T13:32:00.000-05:00

You know, this blogging this seems so cool. A chance to share thoughts and ideas. A chance for people to interact on different topics. What a neat opportunity.

Now if I only had time ...

In recent weeks, I have started following a variety of blogs that are done by pastors and laypeople alike. While these have been interesting to read, they also have made me feel a bit guilty. Some of these guys are blogging every day, in some cases several times a day. I just don't know if I have the mental energy or the time to do that! However, I do want to take advantage of this opportunity to share ideas and opinions and engage people on a variety of subjects. One of my goals for the new year is to begin to expand this blog and make it a more frequent and (hopefully) more engaging site for people to check out. In the meantime, if you are reading this, please remain patient!

1 1/2 Hour Friendships

2007-12-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

I attended a seminar on Thursday dealing with spirituality and mental health. One of the interesting observations that the person leading the seminar made is that many churches that say they care for those who are disabled or dealing with mental illness are really caring for them only in the hour and a half that they are at church on Sundays. "The church must do more than provide 1 1/2 hour friendships."

I have been thinking about that ever since I left the seminar. Acts talks about how the early church shared all things in common. That is really about more than just sharing finances and possessions. That is a relationship that cares for people beyond just when they are gathered for worship. Of course, that kind of relationship gets messy because then you have people "all up in your business." At the same time, if those people are true Christian brothers and sisters, they are not being nosy or bossy, but they are pillars of encouragement and support and prayer.

How does a church move beyond being about the 1 1/2 hour friendship?

Online Advent Devotional

2007-12-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

Once again, there is a very good online Advent devotional guide to help you keep Christ at the center of your Christmas holiday. "Following the Star" focuses in on the themes of Hope, Peace, Love, Joy, and Christmastide. The devotions went online yesterday and will take you all the way through January 6. Several folks have used these devotions in the last few years and found great meaning in them. You can find the devotions at www.followingthestar.org. Hope you enjoy!

Entering the iPod World

2007-11-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

I celebrated my birthday this past weekend, and my parents surprised me by giving me an iPod for a present. I will admit to having been slow on the pickup when it comes to iPods, but let me just say: I love it! I have already signed up to receive a podcast of one my favorite talk shows each day that I can listen to whenever I want. I have begun to put some of my music on it. And it has games! Wow!

Just a couple of weeks, there was a story in the local newspaper about the use of technology by churches. The article touched on the idea of "podcasts" of sermons. I think this would be an interesting idea. I also think it would be good if there were devotional material out there available for download. If somebody is reading this and knows of some good stuff, please let me know!

The Agony of Defeat and the Thrill of Victory

2007-11-19T16:08:00.000-05:00

Did you see what happened in the Browns-Ravens game yesterday? Cleveland, down by 3, lined up for a 51 yard field goal attempt that would tie the game with no time left. The kicker kicked the ball and watched it bounce off the upright and seemingly off the crossbar back into the field of play. One official signalled "No good." Game over. The teams began walking out onto the field. The Cleveland coach was comforting the kicker. Some of the Ravens players went on into the locker room. The Baltimore radio announcers were celebrating an important Ravens victory. All the while, the officials huddled together talking. A few minutes later, the head referee announced that the officials had determined that the ball had bounced not off the cross bar but off the support behind the cross bar. Video replay actually confirmed this decision. The game was tied. The Browns went on to win the game in overtime.

Talk about life changing in a moment. The image I haven't been able to get out of mind is that of the Cleveland coach comforting the kicker who thought he had missed the kick. You can't take back comfort, even if it is not needed. I am sure that the kicker felt a lot better to learn he had actually made the kick. However, I'd like to think the coach's words and actions bridged the gap until things worked out. I wonder, how many times does God comfort us, knowing that He will ultimately work all things for the good (Romans 8:28)? It would be easy for God to just say, "Hey, don't worry, it will be alright." But those are not really words of comfort. God promises comfort, comfort that carries us through until we can see how he works for our good.

Lord Teach Us To Pray

2007-11-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

I am really looking forward to prayer meeting tonight. Tonight I will be beginning a new theme for our Wednesday night services - "Lord, Teach Us to Pray." The theme comes from Luke 11:1 and the disciples' request of Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." One of the insights I got from my sabbatical was our need to conform our lives to Christ. Prayer is one of the greatest tools for this conformation, but sometimes we limit our understanding of what prayer is, how we pray, what we pray for, etc. My hope is that this new emphasis on Wednesday nights will be a time for all of us to sit at the feet of Jesus and have our view of prayer expanded in new directions.

Substitute for a Sacrifice

2007-11-05T11:56:00.000-05:00

I found this really interesting passage this morning that got me thinking. The passage is Numbers 3:5-7, 11-13.

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him. They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing service at the tabernacle ... Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: I hereby accept the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine; when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both human and animal; they shall be mine. I am the LORD."

What I am thinking: The tribe of Levi was set aside to be the priestly tribe. God also identifies them as a "substitute". For what? Rather than sacrificing the firstborn living creature, human and animal alike, God substituted the consecrated life of service of the priests. The priest was a substitute for sacrifice.

God desires service, not sacrifice. How often do I say, "Look what I have done for you, God", and how often do I say, "Look at what I have given up for you God." Is there a difference in the attitude that comes with each of these statements?

All this has gotten me thinking about my identity as a pastor. What am I a substitute for? Do I give my life in service to God and His people in order that others may know life and know it more abundantly?

Just a few questions rolling around my head today.

The End and The Beginning

2007-10-31T16:20:00.000-04:00

Well, today is the last day of my sabbatical, and it has truly been one of the greatest blessings of my ministry. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to have this kind of time for professional and personal development. While there is a part of me that is sad to see it end, I am really looking forward to getting back to the church!

As I return, I have decided that I am going to continue to maintain this blog, using it as a place to continue to share experiences and insights. I have also turned on the "Comments" feature of the blog, which allows people to respond to what they read. I look forward to this interaction! I know there are some pastors who put blog entries in just about every day. Don't know if that will be me (certainly hasn't been to this point) but I do plan on contributing on a regular basis.

God bless!

November 4 - Boldness

2007-10-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

I spent all morning yesterday working on my sermon for my first Sunday back. In keeping with the idea of "Living as a Regular Christian," I am examining the idea of boldness. This emerged out of my study of Acts 3-4:31. I was drawn to this text initially by the observation of the Sanhedrin that Peter and John were "ordinary men". Yet again and again in the text we hear of their boldness, and that boldness makes a huge impact. Why were they bold? How did their boldness translate into a witness? What challenges our boldness? What gives us confidence in the name of Christ? These are a few of the questions that emerged out of my wrestling with the text. During these last two months, there have been several points where I have encountered some of these same questions.

I have been rereading a textbook of mine from seminary, "The Witness of Preaching" by Thomas Long. In his book, Long encourages pastors to develop a focus statement and a function statement for their sermons to insure that there is unity and coherence in their sermon. Here are the focus and function statements that I came up with for this sermon.

Focus: The early believers were confident in the power of the resurrected Lord, and thus were able to be an effective witness.

Function: Establish a foundation of confidence in the name of Christ from which we can together move forward.

Some of My Notes

2007-10-19T09:20:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest things that has come out of this sabbatical has been the time for study and the insights I have gotten out of that. I thought I would share some of my study notes from the last couple of months. Some of these ideas I will be developing into my first two sermons in November.

Time is not the encumberance. It is space that encumbers time. When we say, “There is not enough time”, it is usually a complaint about the things to do, not the time itself. Interesting, then, that honoring Sabbath becomes the time to refrain from “our own interests” – those things which we give that time to. Do we operate from a Psalm 96 mindset or a mindset that the world will come to an end?

The word I keep seeing is “faith”. My personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ is important for me because it has implications not only for my soul but for my physical body, mental health and emotional stability. It also defines my professional identity and responsibility. “The Jesus in me loves the Jesus in you.” I must know the Jesus in me in order to help others find (and for me to find) the Jesus in them. I must be willing to stand out of the way and let Jesus be lifted up. This happens only when I am strong in the Jesus in me through the presence of His Holy Spirit and allow that to guide my thoughts and deeds. Rest from work becomes setting free the Jesus in me.

I keep hearing the idea of changing attitude. We so often do not want to let go of the pleasures of the flesh. However, it is the stubbornness that ultimately keeps us at a distance from God. In order to let go, we must begin by reorienting our heart and mind to Christ. Once the attitude is dealt with, once the soul is in line with Christ, it will want the rest of us to join with it. Committing to a Sabbath time and honoring it as one honors a marriage can reorient our attitude by establishing that there is nothing more important than our time with God.

The church gives me the time and the task to enter into Scripture on their behalf and bring back a word of truth. This is not just about speaking to culturally relevant issues; this is about helping people find the power of God today and the promise of God for tomorrow. That I get to be involved in this work is indeed an honor, and one I should not take lightly. I must also remember that I operate on behalf of God as well as the church. “Response” is not the end – response may happen much later. Help people hear the truth of God, and God’s Holy Spirit will do the work that brings a response.

Some of My Thoughts

2007-10-17T09:47:00.000-04:00

As my sabbatical begins to draw to a close, there are several thoughts that I have been developing that I thought I would share.

One of the things I have observed in other churches I have visited and checked out on the web is that a lot of pastors are "preaching in blocks": allowing a theme to guide several weeks of preaching. I kind of thought this was a good idea and have been doing some work along those lines. Already a couple of ideas have emerged. When I come back, I have been asked to talk about my sabbatical experience. I am going to do this in a series of sermons (don't yet know exactly how many) entitled "Life as a Regular Christian". I have been working a lot this week on an idea inspired by an article in "Reformed Worship". The series is for Advent, and I think I will call it "The Family of God". It will look at some of the people listed in Jesus' geneology in Matthew 1. By studying these members of Jesus' family, maybe we can find our own place in His family. There are a couple of other ideas that are still in the early phases.

Another idea that was inspired in me just this morning had to do with prayer meeting on Wednesday nights. I wonder if prayer meeting should become more about just that: prayer. Learning to pray. Praying for one another, our community, our world. Praying to talk to and listen to God. Praying in awe and wonder of our Creator. I enjoy doing the Bible studies on Wednesday nights, but maybe there needs to be more time spent in conversation with God. I don't know, but I would like to talk about it.

One of the big things, as I mentioned before I left, is the use of my time. One of the things I have come to realize is that part of the "burnout" that I was fighting against before I left came from the fact that there were too many occasions over the last few years where I was spending too much time doing things that were not what God called me to do. I want to serve God and serve the church and be an instrument through which God can make a difference in a person's life. In order to accomplish these things, I have begun to think about how I can best use the time and space God has given to me. People may notice some changes when I get back (at least I hope they do!) and I hope these changes will help me be who God has called me to be.

Someone may be reading this and asking: "What kind of changes?" Well, some of the changes I have been thinking about include:
1) Spending some more time with folks one-on-one, outside of the church.
2) Letting my office become more of a study, a place where I can prepare and pray. Dave Baker once gave me an article that talked about how the pastor's office should be a "garden" into which the pastor can enter to meet and talk to God. That's kind of what I am thinking.
3) Responding to issues and crises from a kingdom perspective. Asking the question, "What here is important from the perspective of God's kingdom and His call?"

I hope that I can engage with the church about these and other changes so that we can all discern what it is that God intends for each of us. I am really looking forward to coming back!

The Very Tiny Slug

2007-10-12T16:25:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share this story that Justin wrote this past week. When Amy read it, she pointed out to him that it reminded her of the story of the Good Samaritan. So we sat down together and read the Good Samaritan story as a family and talked about its meaning for us today. What a neat opportunity.

"The Very Tiny Slug"
Once upon a time in a far off land lived a very tiny slug. He had no friends because nobody liked him. Everyone said, "You're too tiny for us. We want someone our own size." Later one day another slug was crawling and he saw the other slug sitting very sadly. The slug came up to him and asked, "Why are you so sad?" asked the slug. "I have no friends," he said. "I'll be your friend," said the other slug. "Thank you," said the slug. And they lived happily every after.

Learning to Fly

2007-10-08T15:36:00.000-04:00

Amy and I got away this past weekend for some much-needed time for just the two of us. We went to the Outer Banks of NC. While we were there, we visited the Wright Brothers' Memorial at Kitty Hawk. This was my first trip to the memorial, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. A couple of observations that I left with:

1) In recent weeks, I have found myself watching birds flying the air. I am enamored with this ability - the ability of flight. It probably goes back to my childhood fascination with comic books and super heroes. Anyway, I commented to Amy when we left the exhibit at Kitty Hawk how our experience of flying is so totally different from what the Wright Brothers experienced. When we get on a plane, there is little difference between riding on a plane and riding on a bus or a train (yes, except for a few thousand feet of elevation). Orvill and Wilbur, however, experienced flight out in the open elements. I am certainly thankful for progress, but there is a part of me that would love to have experienced flight as the Wrights did.

2) The Wright Brothers did not enjoy success until they proved wrong two commonly held assumptions about design. Only then were they able to get off the ground. As I read about that, I found myself saying, "There is a sermon in that somewhere." Still don't entirely know where it is yet, but the hypothesis I am working on at this point is as follows: Sometimes it is what we take for granted that keeps us from reaching the heights God has in store for us.

3) Do you know how long man's first flight lasted? 12 seconds, travelling 120 feet into a 35mph headwind. When I saw the markers, my first thought was, "Wow, that is not so impressive." However, as we began to walk along their flightpath, taking in the immensity of meaning and achievement of that 120 feet, I realized that the first 40 yards gave them the courage to try again - and go a little farther. Their fourth flight - 59 seconds, about 800 feet. Mankind kept going from there.

A Poem - "Out of the Wind"

2007-10-02T08:43:00.000-04:00

My skin tingles at the breath of God
I breathe deeply, and my inner body becomes cool.
I shiver.

I can feel the hair on my legs.
God's breath carries the sounds of a far off land.
I rest.

God's breath stops, has it left?
No, there is a slight sensation of movement.
I am happy.

Breathe on me, breath of God.
-Anonymous

A New Experience

2007-10-01T08:02:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a first for me. I was invited to preach the sermon at the Sunday morning worship service at Iglesia de la Comunidad, a Hispanic Baptist church in Burlington. It was a first in the sense of it was the first time I ever preached with a translator. This experience brought a whole new process of thought to sermon preparation and to sermon delivery that I am not sure I ever got completely comfortable with. However, the congregation was very gracious and patient, and I hope that maybe some of my words are able to be used.

At the close of the service, the church celebrated communion. This was the first time in the 1+ year history of the church that they celebrated communion. They asked us if we had any music that they could play in the CD player while communion was served. Amy went out to the car and the only thing she could find was a CD with Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone" on it. They started the CD while the bread and cup were being passed out. We ate the bread, and then the minister instructed us to drink the cup. As the juice touched our lips, these were the words coming through on the CD player.

"My chains are gone,
I've been set free.
My God, my Savior has ransomed me.
And like a flood,
His mercy rains
Unending love, amazing grace."

After all had partaken of communion, we took time to go around and share the love of Christ with one another. Complete strangers came and hugged me and Amy and shared a blessing with us. People really acted like they had been set free.

Take Me With You

2007-09-26T22:32:00.000-04:00

I just got back today from one of the most unique and powerful experiences of my life. I have been at a 3-day spiritual retreat for pastors sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. What made this retreat unique was that much of the time was spent in silence. That may sound a bit odd - it did to me at first - but it was unbelievable some of what happened in the silence.

The point of the retreat was to equip pastors to nurture their souls and to provide resources for personal spiritual formation. One of the disciplines that I made use of in the last 3 days was walking a labyrinth. A labyrinth is not a maze - you cannot get lost in a labyrinth, for there is only 1 way in and out. I was not really sure what I was supposed to do, but as I began my journey into the center, I found my thoughts drifting to every worry, anxiety, self-doubt, and sin that was weighing on me. I prayed for each of these as I journeyed closer and closer to the center. When I reached the center, there was a tile cross in the concrete. I stood there and focused on the cross for a moment. I began to leave when I felt a voice within me saying, "Stay a while." I sat there on that cross for sometime, silently meditating on Jesus Christ until a peace came over me. When I got up to leave a second time, another sentence came to my soul. "Take me with you." I do not know if this was God's word to me, or my words to God. As I travelled out of the labyrinth, I found myself repeating that phrase again and again. The burdens I came into the center with were not forgotten; instead, I indeed felt a sense of real rest.

For the last several days, I have kept that phrase with me. "Take me with you." I do not know if it even has just one meaning, and I continue to look for understanding in all that God is working in me through these words.

When the Happiest Place on Earth Turns Sad

2007-09-23T13:28:00.000-04:00

My family and I just finished a week long vacation in Walt Disney World, the "happiest place on earth". We took a Disney bus to and from the airport. On the day we left, the lady driving our bus was in the midst of her third day on the job. She was having some typical growing pains, but was pleasant and clearly doing her best. When we arrived at the airport, she got off the bus and said that we should remain in the bus until she unloaded our bags so that we did not have to stand in the hot and smelly bus parking lot but could stay in the air-conditioned bus. I imagine there was also a safety question - you couldn't have 50 people standing around waiting for their luggage, running the risk of being hit by any one of the numerous buses constantly pulling in and out. She went on to, by herself, pull people's bags out of the bus and put them out where we could get them. Inside the bus, after a couple of minutes, people began to get agitated that they were having to stay on the bus and wait. They wanted to go. One guy said, "This lady better get used to dealing with unruly travellers." We proceeded up to the front of the bus to try to figure out how to open the door. It hadn't even been 5 minutes yet! Amy and I tried to occasionally speak up on the bus driver's behalf, but most of the folks didn't want to hear it. They didn't want to wait.

Disney is renowned for its customer service and doing everything it can to make its guests feel like a prince or princess. However, I think yesterday I saw the dark side of that. When people have been treated like royalty, they start to feel like everything should be the way they want it the moment they want it. Here was a lady doing everything she could to take care of her passengers, and people were complaining that they were having to wait for a couple of minutes.

I wonder if this is what life is like for God. He has said that we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation. He has made us a little less than the angels, treated us like royalty. However, I wonder if we allow our royalty to make us lethargic, complacent, even spoiled. We complain because God doesn't do something exactly the way we want Him to do it or when we want Him to do it. All the while, God is there working away, thinking of our best interest and serving us, giving us what we need.

While I sat on the bus listening to people all around me complain about our bus driver, out my window I could see this woman, pulling yet another suitcase out of the bus. And I felt a little sad that no one else seemed to see her effort.

Happy Birthday

2007-09-16T14:25:00.000-04:00

Today I had a unique opportunity. I had a chance to participate in a worship service celebrating the 100th anniversary of a church, Melrose Baptist Church in particular. I had served as the Youth & Children's Minister there for 4 years. For the anniversary service, they invited me to do the Children's Sermon. However, I got a pleasant surprise - the planning committee had invited all those who were children while I was on staff to come forward as well. What a blessing to see familiar faces! I just about cried when I saw these old friends. Today truly has been blessing!

A Good Read

2007-09-13T15:02:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, I bought a copy of C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. I bought knowing pretty much nothing about the book except 1) I really like C.S. Lewis and 2) it was pretty cheap. In sat on my book shelf for the last few years unread. Finally, on Monday, I pulled it out of my stack and started reading it. I wish I had read it when I first bought it.

In a relatively short story, Lewis narrates the story of a man who dreams about Hell and Heaven. In his dream, the man comes to the realization that those who desire Heaven cannot try to hold onto a little bit of Hell. They must truly seek first the kingdom of God. If this is what they truly seek, then they shall indeed truly find.

I am glad I read this book, even if I am a couple of years overdue.

Beeps

2007-09-10T12:15:00.000-04:00

While accomplishing some household tasks mixed with personal worship, my cell phone rang. I opted not to answer, figuring whoever was calling would either leave me a voice mail or call back. They left me a voice mail. I know this because for the next 20 minutes, my phone sat there and beeped. I mean beeped. A loud, annoying beep about every 2 minutes. By the time I went to the phone, I was more concerned with getting the beeps to stop than with actually hearing the message the person had left for me.

During my work (and the beeping), I was listening to the song "Offering". It talks about our ability to come to the throne of God with an offering of praise because of the love of Jesus revealed in his shed blood and abundant mercy. It is amazing to me to consider that God could choose loud, overbearing, unmissable ways to get our attention. Yet instead, God speaks in still small voices and sheer silence. He takes on regular human flesh and bleeds regular human blood rather than putting on a Superman cape or appearing in a divine fireworks display.

I think sometimes it is the things in my life that beep the loudest that turn out to be the greatest distractions to the One who truly needs my attention.

Redemption

2007-09-09T07:46:00.000-04:00

I was watching the end of the UNC-ECU football game last night. The score was tied with 2 seconds to play. ECU had a chance to kick a game-winning 37 yard field goal. Their kicker came out on the field, and you had to feel for this kid. He had already missed three field goals on the night from shorter distances. At least two of them were misses late in the game that would have already had his team in the lead. On the last miss, he came off the field with his head down. All his teammates and coaches were doing everything they could to encourage this young man. Before he walked out on the field for this last kick, his coach pulled him over and talked to him face to face. His coach was smiling.

The teams lined up. The snap. The hold. The kick.

It was good.

The young kicker whose head had been hanging down in embarassment and shame now was mobbed by his teammates as the hero.

Scripture says that when even one is saved, the angels in heaven celebrate.

I think, in watching that kicker, I saw a picture of what redemption looks like.

Leviticus and Doctors

2007-09-07T09:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I attended a seminar at Duke on the connection between spirituality and health. During the seminar, the speaker talked about how a project his group was involved with where they were equipping oncologists with a series of questions to ask their patients about what spiritual resources they were using in dealing with their cancer and were these resources a help or a hindrance to them. As I listened to him talk about the success of the program, I have to admit that I experienced a little professional slight. I found myself thinking, "Isn't that the realm of the minister or chaplain? Does a doctor have adequate training and knowledge to deal with such issues?"

This morning, during my quiet time, my passage for today was Leviticus 13-14. In the passage, it talks about leprosy. When a member of the Israelites was believed to be developing a skin disease, they would come to the priest and the priest would determine whether or not this skin ailment was leprosy or not. If it was leprosy, then the person was pronounced unclean. If it was not leprosy, the priest prescribed a series of actions for the person until the ailment went away. If a leper became clean, there was a ritual for welcoming the person back into the community.

As I read these words, it struck me - the priest was not only acting as religious leader, but as medical personnel as well! It struck me then that this idea of a connection between spirituality and health is not something new, and I should welcome the fact that a doctor is asking a patient questions about their spirituality. The doctor, just as the priest, should be concerned about the total well-being of the person and the community.

Lurking

2007-09-05T08:45:00.000-04:00

"And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." - Genesis 4:7b

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." - 1 Timothy 6:10-11

I was outside having my quiet time this morning when I noticed a spider crawling on the table next to me. I am not an expert on insects, but I did recognize that this was a spider that could cause me harm. Since it was on the table next to me, and not on my chair, I tried to continue to focus on my devotional reading, which was focused on the meaning of salvation. However, I kept shifting my attention to that spider, keeping an eye on its movements. At one point, I thought I should get up and kill it, but decided to take the pacifist approach, telling myself that it was not near me and therefore not a danger. However, my eye kept drifting back to it. Finally, the spider fell of the table and crawled over to my chair. At that point, I finally got up and stepped on the spider.

When I sat back down, these two verses came to my head. Here I was, reading a devotion about the meaning of salvation and being set free from sin, and my eye continued to drift towards that which I perceived as a threat. However, I did nothing about it until the threat seemed close enough to hurt me. But what about the mere distraction of knowing it was there?

Perhaps that is the best way to understand Paul's call to flee from sin. It is not just to keep us from engaging in a sinful act, but to remove the distraction that sin can have when it is close enough to tempt us.

As The World Turns

2007-09-04T21:01:00.000-04:00

Has someone ever said to you, in a moment of great stress, not to worry because "the world won't come to an end"? I know that to be true, but there are times that I know I keep myself moving on the fast track because I think that if I stop or slow down, it will be the end of the world, or at least a part of it that I don't want to disrupt. That is why I find these two Scriptures so interesting:

"If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable, if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth ..." - Isaiah 58:13-14

"The world is firmly established; it shall not be moved." - Psalm 96:10

The world really will keep turning, even if we stop to rest and delight in God.

The Marketplace

2007-09-01T09:40:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to the Organization Fair at Elon University as a representative of our church. I guess it was my final responsibility before beginning my sabbatical. I handed out water bottles to students between the church handing out cake and the church handing out ice cream. We all were hoping a student would stop and talk to us and ask about our church. At one point late in the afternoon, the image flashed through my head of Jesus chasing the merchants out of the Temple. "This is a house of worship, but you have turned it into a den of thieves." Still haven't totally worked that image out of my head. My initial thought: Christianity is about sharing Christ, not selling church.

Why "In A Moment"?

2007-08-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

The name "In a Moment" comes from 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, when the apostle Paul writes of the resurrection, "... we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, ...". My hope is that this will be a place where I can chronicle some of the moments of change, renewal, and inspiration that I hope to encounter in the coming months of my sabbatical. Think of it as kind of a travel log. I hope that you will gain something from reading my thoughts in this space, because I certainly hope to gain something in my sharing the thoughts themselves. God's blessings and peace upon you!