Does this go without saying?

June 2, 2009 — 0 Comments

prayingpastor

I’m usually off work on Mondays. It’s my day to rest and recharge, but since I was in bed most of the weekend, I got a head start on preparing for this weekend’s message which will kick off our UNstuck series. While doing some study on the first chapter of Colossians, I came across this quote which really struck me…

It is, however, essential to the effectiveness of teaching and preaching that the congregation sense that the exhortations addressed to them come from someone who has identified with their needs, who is genuinely appreciative of their faith and commitment, who prays thankfully and faithfully for them, and whose prayers are directed toward growth and enrichment in their journey with God.
New Interpreters Commentary, v. XI, pg. 594

I get asked a lot about the “process” that I go through in preparing a message. Sometimes that question is as simple as, “So, do yall like plan what you’re going to say when you get up to talk?”Or, “how do you come up with stuff to talk about each week?”

I’m never sure I have a great answer for any of those questions. Yes, as a pastor, you prepare what you’re going to share. [If a pastor ever tells you he/she doesn't prepare, they are lying] But as for the rest of the process… It’s almost as much a mystery to me as it appears to be others…

Maybe that’s why this quote was so powerful for me this morning as I just started scratching the surface of a message that I’m pretty excited about… Because regardless of whatever “mechanics” are behind the process of preparing, these words certainly convey what I consider to be essential ingredients to the process.

  • You have to care for the listener, and have a genuine desire to speak grace into the listener’s life.
  • You have to honestly assess your own shortcomings, failures, brokenness and need. You don’t always have to share those, but you can’t ignore them either.
  • Your words should always represent the fruits of your own prayers on behalf of the people God has placed in your care. Not praying is not acceptable.
  • You have to treasure above all else the sometimes brief window of opportunity you have to speak grace into a hurting heart. You can’t ever take that for granted.
  • You have to trust that God will do the rest…

Maybe all that goes without saying? I don’t know, but if you ever hear me preach in the future, I hope you know that every word comes out of these convictions.

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Happy Anniversary

May 28, 2009 — 1 Comment

pilgrim

I started this blog on May 28th, 2005, four years ago today. Previous to that, I had another blogging project that didn’t last very long. It was a few months at most, but after transitioning to a new church [FUMC Mansfield] I felt the need to restart this discipline. When I did, in that first post I said this…

For months, I have felt myself being drawn back to this task, and I cannot explain why. I really don’t think anybody reads this. I don’t publicize to people, “Hey read my blog!” But for some reason, I need to write. And so here I am… hoping to work out the chaotic ramblings of my soul…

Four years later, I think that still reflects my heart. I hope that the content that I share here is meaningful for others. I hope some find resources here that are helpful for them in their journey with Christ, and I hope [as the subtitle of this blog implies] that what I share here begins conversations that encourage readers to become fully devoted followers of Jesus…

But I write today for the same reason I started writing four years ago… I need to work out the chaotic ramblings of my own soul, and in so doing, day by day, and week by week, the shaping of my own heart and life continues.

I’m blessed to be a pastor and in that role I am honored by the multiple ways that I am invited into people’s lives. Whether it is officiating at a friends wedding, praying with a family in a hospital room, or sharing “The Word” each week as best I can, I’m always mindful of the incredible blessing I’ve been given.

But I, like you, am simply another pilgrim on the journey. So today, four years later, I simply want to say thank you to those who share this journey with me.

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What about Suicide?

May 6, 2009 — 3 Comments

One of the things that I started to do with questions that have been posed to me regarding our readings in the Transformation Journal is to post the question and my response here on the blog for a wider audience to receive. I always do so only after receiving permission from the person presenting the question. [I wouldn't want anyone to be afraid of asking me a question. Confidentiality is vital and I would never seek to compromise that] Today, I wanted to share a response to this question I received this week.

With the economy being the way it is and the recent suicide of some of the executives I have a question for you: If someone commits suicide and right before they die they ask for god’s forgiveness does that mean they will go to heaven or hell?  I don’t know why but that question popped up in my head yesterday after hearing about the executive from Freddie Mac.

Here’s my response. If you have some additional thoughts or questions, feel free to email me or post a comment below.

That’s a great question that I know for many people is a very difficult one to even consider because of the pain of losing someone you love coupled with the realization that their loved one played a part in bringing about the end of their own life. To speak generally, it makes me nervous to ever answer a question in reference to “who get’s in, who doesn’t.” God makes those decisions and because grace is the key for salvation for any of us, that means that grace is God’s gift to give and God gives that gift as he sees fit. That helps me in my mind clarify what I’m responsible for and what I’m not.

I believe with all my life that Jesus is the Savior of the World, and because Jesus is the Savior, he does the saving. The goal of our life [as least as I understand it] is to point people towards Christ. I don’t know how God feels about suicide. On one hand, someone is essentially participating in an act of violence against oneself. It seems like a dramatic rejection of God’s divine image in which God creates all of us. On the other hand, most individuals who commit suicide find themselves broken beyond repair and I know with all my heart that God’s heart breaks for the broken and mine should as well.

Don’t get me wrong. I think the way we live our life matters. I think Jesus is very clear on that. At the same we believe that God longs to express grace to God’s people.
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Church of the Resurrection

April 29, 2009 — 4 Comments

cor

I spent the weekend attending almost every worship service at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, Kansas. COR [as it is commonly referred to] is the largest Methodist Church in America and is pastored by Rev. Adam Hamilton. I’ve had the privilege of being a part of the Young Pastors Network during this past year which has been co-led by Adam and Rev. Mike Slaughter at Ginghamsburg UMC in Tipp City, Ohio. I was able to attend worship at Ginghamsburg last fall.

While in Kansas City, we attended the 5:00 p.m. Saturday night service, the 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning traditional service, the 10:45 “Vibe” service which is a contemporary service in the student center with a video of Adam’s sermon from Saturday night, and the 5:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon service. They have an additional 10:45 a.m. traditional service in the main sanctuary. [identical to their 9:00 a.m. service] Adam’s sermon this weekend was the first of a four part series, “Confessions of a Struggling Parent,” and he focused on the ways we sometimes seek to bless our kids but unintentionally curse them. [i.e. All we want is for them to be happy and so we try to protect them from any struggle.]The key question for the message was this… What blessings are you giving to the children in your life?

I was moved [every time] by Adam sharing a practice that he started when his first child was born of writing a letter to them on their birthday. He has collected these letters and shared that his children will receive them when he’s gone. What was most inspiring about Adam’s message was his very heartfelt desire that he has had as a father to share his faith with his children. In talking about their own identity formation and time spent wrestling with their questions of faith, he said something to the effect, “I was so scared because I couldn’t imagine failing at this… because this is the most important thing in my life.”Hhe was brought to tears every time he said that phrase. I was too.

I was able to have lunch with two of the Associate Pastors at COR which was a wonderful treat. They had a really jam packed weekend, but we had a great conversation and it was a blessing to connect with another young couple serving the church in another context.

I came away from this experience with lots of notes and ideas for our church. I put together a four page summary for our Senior Pastor as we look at the future here at First UMC Mansfield and seek to continue to grow in our effectiveness in reaching the community we’ve been called to serve. But among all of those details and ideas, I come away with one overarching idea.

The world needs the United Methodist Church.

As a leader in this denomination I have a responsibility to do all that I can to make sure that our future is filled with churches who are effectively reaching out into the world with a desire to bring the transformation and [re]formation that represents God’s kingdom breaking into our world. I don’t mean to belittle or pass judgment on other denominations, but I do believe that the United Methodist Church has a particular part to play in God’s Kingdom and we have to do a better job fulfilling that role.

That’s the commitment of my life, and I came back from Kansas City [again] with a renewed focus on that important task of my life… the renewal of the church and the reformation of the world.

And along the way, I was reminded of the most important thing in my life… Representing God’s “fatherhood” in the lives of my children. I can’t wait to start writing those Birthday letters.

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Heading to Kansas!

April 24, 2009 — 1 Comment

Today my family and I are heading out for a weekend trip to the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, Kansas.If you’ve never heard about Church of the Resurrection, here’s some info from their website.

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection has grown from four people in 1990 to over 12,000 adult members with an average weekly worship attendance of over 7,500 in 2008.  The church was listed as the most influential mainline church in America in a 2005 survey of American pastors.  The Church of the Resurrection has a three-fold focus:  1. Reaching non-religious and nominally religious people and helping them become committed followers of Jesus Christ;  2. Equipping and inspiring members to live their faith in mission to the community and world; and 3. Acting as a catalyst for renewing the mainline church.

I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the Leadership Institute sponsored by COR each year. In this past year, I’ve also been a part of the Young Pastors Network which Adam Hamilton, COR’s Senior Pastor, co-leads with Mike Slaughter, Senior Pastor of Ginghamsburg UMC in Ohio, but I’ve never had the opportunity to experience the weekend at Church of the Resurrection. We’ll be attending four of their weekend worship services including their Saturday Night service, their 9:00 a.m. Traditional service, a new service they’ve started called Vibe, and their Sunday afternoon service at 5:00 p.m. So we’re going to get some church this weekend!

We’ll be looking specifically at their welcoming ministry, children’s programming offered during their services, how they are handling a concurrent service [two at one time on Sunday morning at 11:00 with Vibe] and how they have grown their 5:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon service into one of their largest services. This will be my first “research excursion” as we continue to make plans to add additional worship opportunities at First UMC Mansfield.

On the way, we’ll also be stopping in Oklahoma City on Friday night and catch a Redhawks minor league game as well. I’ll try to post some pictures over the weekend and a wrapup of the trip on Tuesday!

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