Both Sure and Uncertain

 

“When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me”

            --John Wesley

For those who are not natives to the United Methodist system, this time of year can seem like a strange and foreign land.  Many clergy throughout the world, myself included, have made announcements that they are moving to another parish, another ministry, or (perhaps) to a stage beyond ministry.  Over the last several decades, the United Methodist Church has moved clergy less frequently than in previous years.  “Every three years” used to be the rule of thumb.  Now, it is not unusual to hear of pastors staying 4, 5, 6 or more years at one appointment (that’s what we call the assignment of a pastor to a church, churches, or ministry).  I am blessed to be completing my 5^th year at my current appointment.

Early in the Methodist Movement, this was not the case.  John Wesley appointed ‘preachers’ at a rapid-fire pace.  In the Conference Minutes of 1746, John Wesley indicated where ‘preachers’ or ‘assistants’ (meaning assistant to Wesley) would be appointed for the next quarter.¹  That’s a possible move every 3 months!  They were called ‘preachers’ because preaching was their primary function, not ‘pastoring.’ I don’t know how they did it.

Today, every time we have a move both churches and pastors alike are caught in a frenzy of activity and emotion.  There is the grief of ministry left unfinished as well as events that mark the “lasts” of a pastor in a parish.  Anxiety builds within the congregation as people wonder, “What will the next ‘preacher’ be like? How will they lead? How old will they be? Will we be a good match together in ministry?” Events begin to clog the calendar as people try to say their ‘goodbyes’ and ‘welcomes’ within days of each other.  Excitement fills the air in the hopes of new change, even as people hope that things don’t change too much (I mean, we have ALWAYS done it this way.)

Clergy are not immune to the tumult, either.  I have found myself experiencing a range of emotions. Most times I am filled with excitement for the promise of a ministry yet to come: a new community, new families, new stories, and new visions of God’s call into mission and ministry.  I know that God is leading me forward into another chapter of my ministry and marvel at the goodness of God’s grace. Other times, I get overwhelmed with my sense of loss and grief: after five years, I have grown to love Main Street UMC deeply.  I have baptized, confirmed, married, and buried so many beautiful children of God here. We have wrestled through a pandemic together. In the midst of all these emotions, I am trying to prepare the church for transition to new pastoral leadership, to prepare my family for the transition to a new home, to give myself ample healthy times for ‘goodbyes,’ and to ready myself for the next step into the future.

I quoted Wesley at the beginning of this blog for a reason.  As I begin my 30^th year in ministry in the United Methodist Church, I realize that my perspective has grown and changed through the years. As Wesley said another time:

“Every one, though born of God in an instant, yet undoubtedly grows by slow degrees”²

When I finished my first appointment as a part-time, student local pastor, I understood the appointment process and knew that it was the best system in the world.  Moving and transition was just part of life that brought little disruption other than a few boxes.  With every move since then, things have changed.  Being a parent increases the importance of stability in life and in location. My roots grow deeper and faster in the communities that I serve.   I have prayed with people as they wrestled with God – as they wonder why they struggle and suffer. I have also held their hands as they breathed their last – as they surrender their lives into the hands of their Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.  Each day my love grows for the people that I serve, while the pain of anticipated separation sharpens.

In the middle of the rushing wind that whistles all around, I finally understand what Wesley meant by “at present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me.”  I know for certain that I am called by God to serve as a pastor.  God has affirmed and confirmed my call many times.  I know that Christ showed his love for me by giving his life for me, and that it is this love that compels me to teach and to share with others the unconditional, resurrected love that seeks to embrace us all.  I know that I am invited to trust that God who started a good work within this congregation will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).  I know that I have nothing to fear for I have been called by name and God is with me (Isaiah 43:1-5). I am caught in the paradox of being certain of so much and yet sure of so little.  I suppose that is why faith is

“the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see”³

I admit that every day there seems to be more things that I simply do not know and cannot understand.  This time of year, I believe that others in the United Methodist system must feel this way as well.  The Good News, the best news, comes from one final quote from John Wesley:

            “The best of it is, God is with us.”

Grace and Peace,

¹http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/john-wesley-the-methodist/chapter-xiii-in-conference-with- the-preachers/

²http://huhns.org/2009/06/30/top-12-john-wesley-quotes/

³ Hebrews 11:1, Common English Bible

What Do You Mean "Change?"

Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. 

--Matthew 7:3-5

Q: How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer 1: At least 15. One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad.

Answer 2: Change?????

As a pastor, it is a constant part of my role in preaching, teaching, and leadership to point people toward change.  In fact, the church stands up to the world and invites it to a better way of life by putting Christ first – if the world would only listen.

Here is the hard truth: we want others to do what we are unwilling to do ourselves.  When we can point back 20, 30, 60+ years to the way that we have done things, do we think this compels others to examine their bad habits?  When the world cannot see the difference that our church members make in the community (much less the church as a whole in the surrounding area) why would they listen to our call to be different.

Before we begin to ask others to change, we are called to be changed ourselves.  This does not mean that we change the paint on the walls or (God forbid) change the color of the carpet.  Those are actually superficial changes.  Instead, we are called to change the nature of who we are and the basis upon which we make our decisions. 

 

What if the church was transformed into the Body of Christ that consistently carried our acts of justice, mercy, and humility?  What if we stood firm with those who cannot stand for themselves?  What if our love for each other was so strong and so apparent that the whole world looked amazed and said, “See how they love each other!”

We want to change the world for Christ and, at times, we feel that there is nothing that we can do to change ‘them.’ Our assumption points to our mistake.  Christ invites us to change. He invites us to be transformed.  He calls us to go and teach and make disciples – every one of us.  As we change and let the light of Christ shine through us, others will see our work and give glory to God (Matthew 5:16).

Grace and Peace,

Vacation and Vocation

My family and I just returned from a wonderful vacation. We drove 2600 miles over 11 states with the final destination of Niagara Falls, including following the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway and continuing to Skyline Drive in Virginia. 

We spent months discerning our vacation plans. Since this was a trip that was not only a vacation but also a celebration of graduation, we wanted it to be special. We looked at a trip that would travel through Europe. We imagined the possibilities and had long discussions with quite a few contacts and quotes made for potential itineraries. With all the different places we could go, we kept coming back to traveling the Parkway and going to Niagara. Now, I cannot imagine our vacation anywhere else.

While vacation only comes occasionally, God’s calling in our lives happens every day. We are led by the Holy Spirit to accept our vocation. When we accept Jesus into our lives, we are gifted and equipped for ministry. The opportunities are countless for us to answer where God is leading. I have found that God is relentless in calling us back toward places that are unique and use those gifts that God has given us. Let’s take time to listen to God calling us, to discover our vocation, so that we can be faithful to our part in making disciples to change the world. When we do, we will not be able to imagine doing anything else.

Grace and Peace,

Faith for the World

My faith has been a source of strength, transformation, life and hope for me (James). As Christians, it is difficult to imagine a life without Christ in our lives. We long to help others come to know the same grace that we have experienced. I am often asked, "how can we make our faith meaningful to regular (or younger) folks today?" Leonard Sweet's book titled "Viral" has offered me wonderful insight.

"I want the passion of Eugene Ormandy, who dislocated his shoulder while conducting the Philadelphia orchestra. But rather than pursuing music at that level, I want this type of passion for Jesus and a Jesus passion for the world. Too many Christians haven't had a passion great enough to dislocate their coffee lid, let alone a shoulder."

--Leonard Sweet. Viral: How Social Networking is Poised to Ignite Revival (Colorado Springs:WaterBrook Press, 2012), 35.

I understand. Too many times I have fought to stay awake through meetings in the local, district, or conference level where there was a feeling of "we're-doing-this-because-we-must." We seek to maintain buildings and budgets. We are doing things that we have always done because that’s what we do. We have all the proper structures in place. Everyone answers to the appropriate person. All the forms are completed with every 'i' dotted. When we get to the reason we do things, all too often we sound like parents with young children, "Why? Because I said so – that's why?" The church cannot be faithful by simply going through the motions. Lukewarm lives are as offensive to God as to modern society.

"These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I’m about to spit you out of my mouth." -- Revelation 3:14b-16 (CEB)

Perhaps the Church needs to move away from policy, procedures, and polity to focus more on passion, presence, and people. In my experience, it's not a good argument that makes people believe, it's seeing a life that is on fire for Christ in profound and powerful ways. People are drawn to Christ when they see his love manifest through our lives. The Church can only be faithful when it remembers that Christ died that the world, not the Church, might be saved.

Let us instead follow John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, who knew that passion was at the heart of drawing people to the Gospel message.

“Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.” --John Wesley

Grace and Peace,

2019 Judicial Council Decisions

In this blog, I am seeking to give a factual explanation of events of the last few months.  I am not entering the discussion about the actions of General Conference. I am only seeking to describe the facts as I understand them without placing any value judgments on the implications and impacts.

On April 23-26, 2019, the United Methodist Judicial Council met to determine the constitutionality of a number of referred petitions from the special General Conference held in February.  Of these petitions, fifteen focused on implementing the "Traditional Plan" addressing the issue of human sexuality in the UMC. One focused on a path of disaffiliation, a way for churches to leave the denomination. The United Methodist News Service has issued a summary of the petitions and Judicial Council decisions in a pdf format and also a detailed description of the petitions and decisions in another pdf.

All 16 of these petitions were approved at the 2019 General Conference.   Nine of them were ruled constitutional by the Judicial Council, eight of which will go into effect on January 1, 2020 and will be considered part of church law. Seven of the petitions were ruled unconstitutional and were set aside.  The 2020 General Conference will have to consider differently worded petitions to overcome the constitutional issues.

With all that said, let me try to answer a few questions:

How is something unconstitutional? In the structuring documents of our church (The Book of Discipline) we have a constitution which outlines some fundamental polity of the UMC.  It is extremely difficult to change our constitution and intentionally so. Any petition must match our fundamental polity and principles. One principle in the constitution that was violated by a petition was the right of an individual to appeal.  Just like the US court system, the UMC cannot punish people without following due process and offering the opportunity to appeal.

What in the United Methodist Church changed?  The 2019 General Conference clarified and strengthened the previous stance in the Book of Disciple prohibiting the ordination of homosexuals and the marriage of same sex couples.

• The definition of "self-avowed practicing homosexual" was written to include "those living in a same-sex marriage, domestic partnership or civil union, or is a person who publicly states she or he is a practicing homosexual." (BoD, ¶ 304.3). 
• Bishops can not dismiss charges against clergy unless the charges have no basis in law or facts.
• Clergy found guilty of performing same sex weddings face stiff, mandatory penalties(first offense, 1 year suspension without pay/ second offense, credentials revoked.) .
• Affirms that Boards of Ordained Ministry cannot approve candidates that do not meet all the BoD qualifications  concerning sexuality and prohibits bishops from ordaining candidates that they learn do not meet those standards, even if they were approved.
• A path for churches to leave the denomination was clearly defined. (This petition is the only one effective immediately.)

What was considered unconstitutional?

• Bishops cannot be involuntarily placed on leave or retired nor can committees be formed to involuntarily change a bishop's status. These actions violate the constitutional guarantee to appeal.
• The Book of Discipline must be upheld as a whole. One issue cannot be singled out for accountability over any others.(sexuality had been specifically named). All of the BoD is supposed to be upheld by clergy. Any petitions which singled out issues were ruled unconstitutional because they violated the principle of legality.
• It was ruled unconstitutional to hold annual conferences accountable for not upholding the BoD "stance on ordination and marriage of practicing homosexuals" with punishment. Again, All of the Book of Discipline muse be upheld equally.  These petitions violated the principle of legality.

What's next?
Every General Conference has the ability to speak on behalf of our denomination and can adjust the language in the Book of Discipline.   This group of about 850 delegates consists of half laity and half clergy from United Methodist Churches all over the world. Their decisions speak on behalf of the 12 million United Methodists worldwide. The next General Conference is scheduled for April 2020.

Even now, petitions are being brought before the SC United Methodist Conference to go to the General Conference (you can see those petitions on  pages 71-75 of the 2019 Pre-Conference Materials).  We will be electing those who will represent us at General Conference - the laity electing the lay delegates and the clergy electing the clergy delegates.

What happens as we go forward will be determined by the new set of delegates that prayerfully prepare for General Conference 2020. Until that time, may God give us

Grace and Peace,

The Untied Methodist Church

The 2019 General Conference was quite a mess, and I have been reluctant to add my ramblings to the confusion.  Countless hurtful and graceless things have been said by people from  every perspective. I feel that the 2019 General Conference failed us, but not for the reasons that you might think.

Unlike the official UMC logo, these two flames are divided.

I intentionally titled this blog "The Untied Methodist Church." We are not as united as we were when the Evangelical United Brethren and Methodist Churches came together in 1968. To symbolize the merger, the cross and flame logo was created as the official logo of the UMC. Each flame represented the originating denominations, and the connection showed that they were coming from the same source -- recalling the tongues of flame present at Pentecost. I have not included a cross and flame. (It is a registered trademark and cannot legally be used for individual purposes.) Instead, I offer a cross with a broken, disconnected flame, representing the current state of our church.

In the past, our common connection has fueled the flame of the United Methodist Church as we shared more in common than we had differences. We could work in cooperation to "make disciples for the transformation of the world."

The 2019 General Conference failed us because it clearly demonstrated that we choose competition and coercion over connection and conversation. 

I am not talking about which plan we passed: Traditional, One Church, Simple, or Connectional Conference. I would be writing this blog regardless of the final decision. (I would have been satisfied to have left the 2019 gathering with no plan at all.) Instead, the path that we chose neglected our connection. A well-intentioned end does not justify our means.

Our original failing was creating a single issue General Conference. We should never separate any issue from the overall mission and purpose of the church and our overall context of ministry.  God's call in Jesus Christ should always be in the forefront and should encompass all that we do. There should never have been a separate conference that dealt exclusively with the issue of human sexuality.  This was the church bowing to the pressures of society that seeks to make everything black and white, us and them, 'for us' or 'against us.' We accepted a false premise. We isolated one part of who we are. The whole context of the 2019 General Conference inevitably led us toward conflict and division.

I appreciate that the first day of the conference was spent in prayer and worship.  There was a feeling of solidarity and unity among delegates from around the world.  I heard words of hope and optimism shared as the people called Methodist lifted their voices together in prayer.

As the conference continued, it was clear that this was a race to the finish line.  Blocks of votes coalesced around previously announced agendas. Strategies were formed. General Conference rules were bent and stretched and twisted by both sides. The floor of discussion was silenced with an episcopal invitation to an act of prayer.  It made the prayer, no matter who would have prayed, feel like a weapon wielded.  I do not think this was the intent. It is what happened.

We used to be a people that could come together for holy conferencing. We could share in conversation and discuss openly and passionately. Theological concepts like justice and mercy could be held in conversation, and even in tension. There was not even the pretense of holy conversation. Before the delegates arrived in St. Louis, many of them had made up their minds and were not interested in listening - on either side.

Would we have reached the same conclusion if we had allowed the Holy Spirit to guide an open and honest conversation? I don't know. We might as well ask if the people of Israel would still celebrate Passover if Pharaoh's heart had not hardened and he let God's people go. We cannot see clearly the hopeful possibilities that we lose when we close off our hearts to the work of God in others.

In our rush to see which group could win the race at General Conference, we became The Untied Methodist Church.

May God open our hearts and ears that we might listen to the Holy Spirit and to one another again.

Grace and Peace,

Faith Seeking Motivation

My faith has been such a source of strength, transformation, life and hope for me. I am often asked, "how can we make our faith meaningful to regular (or younger) folks today?"  Leonard Sweet's book titled "Viral" has offered me wonderful insight. 

"I want the passion of Eugene Ormandy, who dislocated his shoulder while conducting the Philadelphia orchestra.  But rather than pursuing music at that level, I want this type of passion for Jesus and a Jesus passion for the world.  Too many Christians haven't had a passion great enough to dislocate their coffee lid, let alone a shoulder."

--Leondard Sweet. Viral: How Social Networking is Poised to Ignite Revival (Colorado Springs:WaterBrook Press, 2012), 35.

I understand.  Too many times I have sat through meetings in the local, district, or conference level where there was a feeling of "we're-doing-this-because-we-must."  We seek to maintain buildings and budgets.  We are doing things that we have always done because that’s what we do.  We have all the proper structure in place.  Everyone answers to the appropriate person.  All the forms are completed with every 'i' dotted.  When we get to the reason we do things, all too often we sound like parents with young children, "Why? Because I said so -- that's why?"  The church cannot be faithful by simply going through the motions.  Lukewarm lives are as offensive to God as to modern society.

"These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot.So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I’m about to spit you out of my mouth." -- Revelation 3:14b-16 (CEB)

Perhaps the Church needs to move away from policy, procedures, and polity to focus more on passion, presence, and people. In my experience, it's not a good argument that makes people believe, it's seeing a life that is on fire for Christ in profound and powerful ways.  People are drawn to Christ when they see his love manifest through our lives.  The Church can only be faithful when it remembers that Christ died that the world, not the Church, might be saved.
Let us instead follow John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, who knew that passion was at the heart of drawing people to the Gospel message.

 “Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.”  --John Wesley

Grace and Peace,

Putting the 'M' in Maundy

        Before the Festival of Passover, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them fully.        Jesus and his disciples were sharing the evening meal. The devil had already provoked Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew the Father had given everything into his hands and that he had come from God and was returning to God.4 So he got up from the table and took off his robes. Picking up a linen towel, he tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he was wearing.        After he washed the disciples’ feet, he put on his robes and returned to his place at the table. He said to them, “Do you know what I’ve done for you?  You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, because I am.  If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet.  I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do.  I assure you, servants aren’t greater than their master, nor are those who are sent greater than the one who sent them.  Since you know these things, you will be happy if you do them.        “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.  This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”

John 13:1-5, 12-17, 34-35

The prophets called them “beautiful,” at least when they belonged to those who brought good news. Beautiful feet?!? We hear of folks having great legs, or beautiful hair, or stunning eyes; but when have we ever heard of someone with beautiful feet?

Most feet are not only funny looking, they are also crooked, ugly, and sometimes even smelly. So just imagine washing someone’s feet—to peel off the mud and dirt that was caked onto their heels, and maybe between their toes!

It’s not very inviting, is it? It’s understandable why that particular job—always fell to the lowest servant of a household, to the “last hired, first fired,” the person with no seniority.

On his last night on Earth, that’s exactly what Jesus did. He got up during the meal, wrapped a towel around his waist, got down on his knees, and began to wash the feet of his disciples. It was so unexpected, so “un-Lord-like,” that when Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter crossed his arms and said rather emphatically, “You will never wash my feet.” Because in Peter’s mind, washing feet was clearly not the kind of thing Jesus ought to be doing.
But Jesus took on the servant’s role anyway. So why did he do it? Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, not because he had to, but because “he loved his own who were in the world, he loved them fully.” 

That’s a hard task indeed for many of us. We can put up with folks for a while. But loving someone “fully”? That’s a different matter. When we don’t get any affirmation from our relationship or when another person is spiteful toward us, it’s tempting to just give up on them. We could understand it if Jesus, who “knew that his time had come to leave this world,” had been just a little distracted on that evening with what was about to happen to him. He didn’t really have time to put up with the petty arguments of his disciples, who were still fighting about who was going to sit in the places of honor at the meal. Who would have blamed Jesus, had he told them to just “be silent and sit down”?

But he didn’t. Instead, Jesus simply got up and took the servant’s role and washed their feet. Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that real love and real faith, and especially real leadership, means one thing and one thing only: it means serving… 

Even two thousand years later, nothing really has changed about what real love is, and how Jesus calls us to manifest it to others. Indeed, if you want to follow Jesus, the simple truth is that the line starts at the rear. Jesus said “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.” And that novum mandatum is the expression from where the term “Maundy Thursday” comes. 

If we want to know just what following Christ means, the mandate makes it clear: it means being willing to serve others, even if not just their feet, but their whole manner of being makes them genuine stinkers. 

Because it is by this that everyone will know that we are truly Christ’s disciples. Indeed, people will recognize that we are sincere in this whole faith business only if we actually love one another. So are we keeping Christ’s mandate to truly love those around us?

To be sure, feet may not be very glamorous. But they can say a lot about who is here to be served and who has come to serve. What’s more, as the prophet of old once told us, our feet can even be beautiful if they belong to those who bring good news. 

        Let us hear the call of our Savior speak through the centuries:“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” 

Grace and Peace,

Practice Precedes Progress

 "The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers.  A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything.  They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them.  Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity.  They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47

In a seminar I attended years ago, Dr. Stanley Ott told a story. He had gone for a walk with his son.  Being  drawn to a  large puddle off the path, his son quickly ran to it. “It’s moving!” the boy exclaimed.  As they looked, the pond was filled with thousands of tiny tadpoles.  His son asked if they could take some home, and Stanley agreed.  They scooped up several dozen in a clear plastic container and kept them in a place that they could watch them change into frogs.  They kept the water fresh and fed them fish food every day, but nothing happened.  After a few weeks, they returned to the puddle to see how the other tadpoles were doing.  Much to Stanley’s surprise, the puddle was empty. That’s when he noticed hundreds of tiny frogs hopping nearby.

He asked a scientist friend why his tadpoles didn’t change into frogs.  The answer? “It matters what you feed them, Stanley.  Not everything they eat will make them grow.”

 If we want to be disciples, it matters what we feed our spirits.  Would we expect to eat only ice cream and doughnuts 6 ½ days a week and eat vegetables once a week and be healthy? Of course not.  Neither should we expect to fill our minds and hearts with all sorts of junk during the week and have Sunday morning make everything alright. 

  The early believers spent their time doing specific things.  They learned about Jesus from the apostles. Christian fellowship,  praying together, and having communion occurred whenever they met.  They demonstrated sacrificial giving, worship every day, shared joy and praise, and extended hospitality to others within their homes. (Acts 2:42-47)

They were growing in grace through the practice of spiritual disciplines. We do not become disciples overnight, but it takes time for our lives to more closely reflect Jesus. Practice precedes progress.

Miss Mary Lou Couch taught me piano for about 6 years through instruction and by example.  Mostly, she taught me through making me practice.   Thirty years ago, I promised Mary Lou and my mom that if I quit taking lessons, that I would continue to play and learn. I grew in my ability to play by spending time sitting at a bench. Practice preceded progress.

  We, too, are instruments that have been created to play a song for others that reflects the love and grace of God.  But not all of us are pianists;so, what can we do?  God offers us many different ways to grow as disciples, but we have to take the time to work on them – to practice – to allow the Holy Spirit to shape us over time.

Being a disciple doesn’t happen by magic, it happens as we live the faith we believe.  We cannot just dress up, attend worship, and grow. We have to allow Jesus to change us daily to be like him.  

I received a beautiful, antique harmonica that is prominently displayed in my office.  You might think that I am quite a gifted player if you see me hold it.  I have not, however, taken the time to practice. Holding a harmonica does not make me a player. Sitting in church does not make us disciples. 

 I am not saying that what we do makes us Christian.  No, only knowing Christ makes us Christian.  Think of being a Christian like being married.  Once we say vows, we are married. Once we profess our faith, we are claimed by Christ.  Whether that relationship is a good one depends on the effort we give to growing in that relationship.  Works do not save us.  However, spiritual disciplines do draw us close to the heart of God.

 If we are faithful to practice, God will grow us in grace.  Practice precedes progress.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

            I know what you may be thinking, “James is having a little trouble with the timing of his blog.  He must have thought we would get it before December 25^th.”

            Actually, I have done this on purpose; there is no mistake.  I realize that Christmas music disappears from the radio on December 26. Christmas trees are mostly bare, and only a few gatherings to celebrate the season remain.  By New Year’s Day, people will have turned off their lights and packed away the Christmas decorations with only the pounds we have gained to serve as a reminder of our celebration of Emmanuel, God with us. However…if you are reading this post on or before January 5^th, let me once again say, “Merry Christmas.”

            We spend four weeks in faithful preparation for the coming of baby Jesus through the season of Advent – a fact that our commercially driven society has been quick to embrace.  The other part of this celebration that we tend to neglect is the season of Christmas.  Yes, much like the seasons of Epiphany, Easter, and Pentecost, Christmas day marks the beginning of the season of Christmas. Christmas is traditionally a season of 12 days between Christmas Day and Epiphany set by the 567 Council of Tours held in France. In Germany, Belgium and Holland the twelve days began on December 25 and running through January 5^th. In England, December 26^th marked the first day of (after) Christmas. (Haidle)

            We even have a Christmas song that celebrates each of these days and the gifts that we have received from “our True Love.” Throughout this season we celebrate the many gifts of grace that God has given us. Helen Haidle’s book The Real 12 Days of Christmas (Gold ‘n’ Honey Books, ©1997) gives us an example of some of the meaning behind the song.

            When you see Christmas songs in the bulletins for New Year’s Eve or see the church decorated through Epiphany Sunday, realize that we are not just clinging to a season long past.  We have joined with 1500 years of tradition as we rejoice in the fullness of God’s gift in Jesus Christ. So, Merry Christmas!

Grace and Peace,

Getting Ready for Christmas

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

Mark 1:1-3, NRSV

Are you ready for Christmas? This early in December, most people would say, “No!” Have you spent some time getting ready for Christmas? Well now, that’s a different story.  We have decorated our church at Main Street UMC and have already had our Holiday Market on Main.  After December 3, we will have decorated our sanctuary with our beautiful and moving Hanging of the Greens service.  Many of us have decorated our homes (or at least begun the process) with Christmas trees, stockings, and lights galore. Maybe we have started to turn on Christmas music in our cars and homes or purchased Christmas presents in anticipation of the numerous gatherings. And yet, if we have done all of these things, it is possible that we have still not done anything to get ready for Christmas.  
Fortunately, the church year offers us an opportunity to get ready – a season called Advent. The church calendar begins with a four week time of preparation as we get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas.  Advent derives from the Latin “ad-venire" which means "to come to."  This season gives us opportunity to hear the voice of John the Baptist as he cries to “prepare the way of the Lord.”
John does not ask for people to begin baking fruit cake or to make a wish list for Santa. He “[proclaims] a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4, NRSV) In order to prepare the way for Jesus, we do not need to focus on anything that has to do with decorations or appearances.  Instead, we are reminded that to get ready for the coming of our Savior is to turn away from those parts of our lives that are not Christ-centered and to receive the forgiveness that only the grace of God in Jesus Christ provides.
During this Advent season, may we not only prepare our homes, but may we also prepare our hearts for the coming of our Prince of Peace. Only then will we be truly ready for Christmas.
Grace and Peace,

The Opposite of Love

        This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.  So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

        If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.  Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

        We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

        Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.  Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.  Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

        Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.  And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

        And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.  Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. --1 John 3:11-24

            In the wake the dead and wounded at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, I cannot understand how we have arrived  where we are in the United States. My heart aches and reels as I think of the senseless act of violence that occurred during this time of worship where most of the congregation present was shot and many have now joined the church triumphant.  I know that this is not my most eloquent blog.  I am trying to find expression to a deep pain I feel for so many today.

            In a way, the many recent attacks should not surprise us.  In the 1 John, the Bible teaches that there is evil present in the world.  We have seen its manifestation since the time of Cain and Abel. Evil and hatred cannot stand those who seek to be faithful.  Even Jesus told his disciples that they would be hated and persecuted for his name’s sake.

            As hard as all of this is to comprehend, I am taken aback by something that is far more dangerous, much more malignant, that I am beginning to see and hear. It is the opposite of love being shared throughout our nation in response to this violence.

            No, I am not talking about hatred. I am not talking about anger or malice. It is apathy – just not caring.  In 1 John 3, the Bible asks, “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” How can we have love and show no compassion?  How can we see the evil and violence and not respond with outrage?

            We have become a culture so inundated with mass attacks and murders that we seem to be losing our ability to deal with them.  We turn off our emotions.  We do not allow the news to “get to us.”  We get myopic in our vision and can only see the narrowest tunnel directly in front of us.  It’s not that we approve of what has happened; we just do not react much, if any, at all.  

            We go on with our lives pretending that everything is just as it was before. But, things are not the same. The world continues to change.  Evil continues to find its expression through countless actions big and small throughout our nation.  The Church needs to decide how we will respond in the face of such active and present evil.

            One of the greatest moments of condemnation for the early church comes in the Book of Revelation.  In a series of letters to 7 churches, Jesus gives words of encouragement and warning to those being persecuted – except to the church in Laodicea. Instead of encouragement, they receive only anger as Jesus says, ““I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (NLT, Revelation 3:15-16) 

            The word for ‘spit’ as it appears in the Greek is really closer to ‘vomit.’  They are not hot, but neither are they cold.  It is a 'lukewarmness' that is more than unpleasant. Jesus tells the church in Laodicea that their apathy makes him sick at his stomach, makes him want to throw up. Of all the faults and flaws that the early church could have, apathy is the one that gets the strongest reaction.

            We are called to love.  Love moves us to compassion.  Love moves us to mercy.  Love drives us to cry out for justice. Love leads us to sacrifice for the sake of another.  In the midst of the barrage of violence in and through our culture, love demands a response.

            I do not have an answer to the problem of evil in our society. However, I do know that apathy will only create the environment needed for it to grow.  It is time for the Church to once more be known – not by our buildings, our programs, or our scandals.  It is time for the Church of Jesus Christ to be known by our love.  We must cry out as individuals, as congregations, and as denominations calling evil by name, wrapping victims in arms of love, and helping potential perpetrators find the redemptive love of Christ.

            Our world needs the Church to be known for our radical love. May God have mercy on us and give us strength as we seek to love today.

Grace and Peace,

Not a Spectator Sport

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,[e] some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 

--1 Corinthians 12:12-17

As fall approaches, the days begin to shorten, the mornings begin to cool, and people everywhere seem to be infected with a most curious disease called football.  Football, especially college football,  is like a religion in many places around the US. 

Rising before the sun, scores of faithful fans begin the trek across the state to spend all day tailgating in preparation for the big game. The crowds roar and are filled with a passionate frenzy that hits a crescendo if their team wins following a close contest. Many pastors have longed for people to “get ready for worship the same way they get ready for games.”

I don’t.

Football, by nature, is a spectator sport.  We show up to watch the players on the field.  We listen to the commentary.  We might even get a bite to eat.  When we return to our cars, we leave the game behind.  Win or lose, the contest is over, and it is time to get on with our lives.

I don’t want Christians to approach worship as they do football because following Jesus is not a spectator sport.

God has called us by name, claimed us in the waters of baptism, and empowered us through the Holy Spirit.  Each one of us has a role to fill; each one of us has a ministry for which God has prepared us.  Only as the whole church, the entire Body of Christ, answers the call of God can we fulfill God’s mission as intended.  No person is insignificant. Not a single person is unimportant.  We all have a place in this journey of faith. For in the life of a disciple, we can never be content to simply sit and watch. We are all part of the team, part of the Body of Christ, sent out for mission and ministry every day of our lives.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor James 

Power of Stories

            Everyone enjoys a good story. We have whole industries that revolve around the ability of an author to create a compelling series of events that can enrapt an audience and captivate the imagination.

            If you want to see another person’s eyes light up, ask them to tell one of their stories.  You may have heard it before (perhaps a dozen times), but the twinkle and delight is real.  When I was younger, I used to spend countless hours in the car riding through the countryside with my Granny.  Inevitably, she would persuade one of her friends, or just a person who needed to get out of the house, a ride with us.  We would “go to gallivant.” That meant that it  was a roaming trip down one road and back another to a destination that had not yet been determined.  One day we took my piano teacher, Miss Mary Lou Couch, to gallivant.  On the way, Granny asked if Mary Lou would like something to drink. The affirmative response led to Granny wheeling into the first Seven Eleven.  With Mary Lou waiting in the car, Granny bought the largest Big Gulp that she could find. Mary Lou was delighted! She laughed and rolled and recounted the story over and over until the day that she died.

            We all have our stories, and I have enjoyed learning a few of those here at Main Street.  I still delight in seeing the twinkle appear in people’s eyes when they begin a personal or family favorite.

            Let us also remember that each of us is called to tell another story – an old, old story. The story of a love that would not be kept away by sin. The story of a love that conquered death on our behalf. Let us grow comfortable with the old, old story of Jesus and his love.  In this way, when people ask where we find our hope, when they ask for the source of our joy, we can say, with a twinkle in our eyes, “Sit down for a minute, and let me tell you a story.”

Grace and Peace,

Pastor James